Soldiers, Essay Example

For soldiers in all lines of work, it is important to have the necessary equipment for duty. Equipment can be as essential to the mission as the soldiers that employ it. A soldier without his or her rifle risks the lives of fellow soldiers. This is reflected in the mission of every soldier in the Army team. Soldiers who fail to have the proper equipment can become mission ineffective and, therefore, cause their units  to become mission ineffective. This can result is a loss of equipment, a failure to carry out a mission, or even a loss of life. No soldier would knowingly cause these problems, but it is possible to do so by not properly maintaining and holding on to the mission-essential equipment that is issued.

The individual soldier can not function effectively as a member of the Army team without the proper equipment. FM 7-21.3 makes it clear that the individual soldier functions as a member of the overall Army. A soldier’s individual responsibilities are those that include keeping accountability of all equipment, and ensuring that it is always available for use. An individual soldier must do his or her job in order to ensure that the overall mission is successful. If the mission breaks down at any level, it causes a problem for the Army team as a whole, and can lead to catastrophic consequences both for the soldier and for the Army team.

Further, correct equipment is essential to the soldier’s duty to uphold the seven Army Values. As stated previously, it is the soldier’s duty to act as an effective member of the Army team. If a soldier does not possess the necessary equipment, he or she can not uphold the value of Duty and, therefore, can not live up to the other six Army Values. A soldier’s equipment is, therefore, as important as his of her own devotion to Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Honor, Selfless Service, Integrity, and Personal Courage. A lack of commitment to Duty through neglecting equipment is as bad as a failure to uphold the Army Values

For practical purposes, failure to comply with equipments requirements for a mission or daily activity can hinder the success of Army operations. Forgetfulness with regards to a military ID may seem minor, but the importance of identification is essential to many operations. A soldier who neglects other mission essential items, such as a weapon or IBA stands to hinder the mission capability of his or her unit, and put the lives of other soldiers and the mission at risk of failure. Soldiers must understand the importance of this equipment in the overall  FM7-22.7 further states that the mission of the NCO is to uphold the Army values as an example to other soldiers. For the NCO, it is especially important to uphold the Army Values and, therefore, maintain equipment. If an NCO fails to maintain his or her equipment, it constitutes not only a failure of personal discipline, but sets a bad example for subordinate soldiers. It

For these reasons, it is clear that of equipment is essential to the mission of the soldier and the Army team as a whole. A soldier can not function without his or her equipment, and the Army team suffers when an individual soldier fails to live up to the standards.

References

FM7-22.7

FM7-21.13