The importance of completing assigned tasks in the military is forged in basic training, back in reception when you are handed your blue book. It is stated in the warrior ethos: I will never quit, I will never accept defeat. Total obedience is hammered into our brains through physical and mental stress and tasks that are assigned are expected to be completed without a second thought running through my head. The chain of command and for that matter the entire military is fundamentally built upon total obedience; if a superior tells you to do something you do it, without question. Not completing an assigned task associates down to the basic ground level that is visualized in the warrior ethos that was handed down to you by your Drill Sergeant on day one in your blue book so that you can learn and understand so one day you can defend this country when they step down. I failed to complete my assigned task to create a new platoon motto that was assigned to me. I have let down my peers and my supervisors.
Not completing a task could equate to almost anything such as pushing out those last few repetitions of pushups or sprinting that last stretch on your run, keeping accountability of sensitive items, following orders given to you by your superior so chaos will not follow, not focusing and using the four fundamentals of Basic Rifle Marksmanship while qualifying, or not paying attention to or bothering to give it your all when troubleshooting equipment in a training exercise. In the event of quitting or accepting defeat while doing these in a garrisoned environment, this could translate over to a real life deployable situation and you would be ill prepared. At the end of the day I am a soldier and my life and other lives are in my hands at all times of the day. I should take everything seriously and never slack off no matter what the situation or event at the given time may be.
The importance of Physical Training is self-evident, if you can’t maintain your body to the army standards you shouldn’t be able to take on other responsibilities. You can always slack off in physical training and just reach the bare minimum in the test, but then you wouldn’t be doing yourself justice. Your body is the foundation of everything and if you’re in great physical shape and healthy you can do more. Not only is good for you to do physical training you also earn promotion points for having a higher score. By pushing yourself in physical training you will better prepare yourself for a combat situation and will be a greater asset to your squad and fellow soldiers. Slacking off during physical training could potentially put yourself and others lives in peril if you can’t complete tasks in battle. For instance, if you are worn out from rucking and then ambushed you won’t be able to react as well as if you were in great physical shape.
The importance of following orders given to you by your superior is pretty basic. It was drilled into your brain in basic training. If you are told to be somewhere at a specific time you need to be there, if not then your superiors will not have accountability of you and can only assume the worst. It reflects poorly on you and your superiors. If you can’t be on time to basic things like formations, how can one trust you to maintain your post on guard duty and remain alert and vigilant. For that matter how they put their trust in you to complete anything on time.
The importance of paying attention to and giving it your all when troubleshooting equipment in a training exercise. Paying attention and participating in training and in training exercises is extremely valuable. It not only gives you time to learn how to do your job better but it also betters oneself and makes you a better asset to the team. If you can’t operate your equipment you cannot be trusted to complete tasks or troubleshoot your equipment in the field. If satellite communications were down and couldn’t troubleshoot the STT correctly downrange soldiers couldn’t communicate and soldiers could be seriously harmed or killed.
The importance of keeping accountability of sensitive items so they’re not taken by the wrong people. Sensitive items are important and are attractive to the wrong kind of people who like to steal them and use them with malicious intent. Therefore, it requires a greater degree of control and accountability. If a military personnel were to lose accountability of a military weapon, that weapon could make it’s way over to the enemies hands on where they can duplicate and get ideas on how the our weapons are made and create improved weapons. Leaving your identification card unsecured could result in your identity being stolen and could grant access to sensitive material such as dates of deployments, how many personnel are in a platoon, or how to operate military equipment.
The importance of focusing and using the four fundamentals of Basic Rifle Marksmanship while qualifying. Basic rifle marksmanship is important and also is worth promotion points. If you can’t hit the target how will you be able to defend yourself, your fellow soldiers, and your country. If you slack of during basic rifle marksmanship and don’t take it seriously, you will be poorly prepared if you were downrange in a life threatening situation.
As I stated above not completing tasks or slacking off in pushing out those last few repetitions of pushups or sprinting that last stretch on your run, keeping accountability of sensitive items, following orders given to you by your superior so chaos will not follow, not focusing and using the four fundamentals of Basic Rifle Marksmanship while qualifying, or not paying attention to or bothering to give it your all when troubleshooting equipment in a training exercise. If you quit or accept defeat while doing these in a garrisoned environment, this could translate over to a real life deployable situation and you would be poorly prepared. At the end of the day I am a soldier and my life and other lives are in my hands at all times of the day. I should take everything seriously and never slack off no matter what the situation or event at the given time may be.
