Importance Of Discipline In The Military

Discipline is the one thing that immediately comes to mind whenever military service is mentioned. It is the foundation of success as well as the key element of the military structure. Punctuality is the discipline cornerstone. The very first step in mission accomplishment is showing up and starting it in time to meet the planned schedule. The commonly used advice in being successful in military service is to be in the right place on time and in the right uniform. The importance of this is emphasized by the fact that being late is a punitive offense under the UCMJ.( need reference)

The United States Army has been around since 14 June 1775. However, the Non-Commissioned Officers’ duties and responsibilities were not standardized until 1778.

“I will always place the mission first.” This is the first sentence in the Warrior Ethos.

Inability to follow basic direction such as being on time is a direct indication of individual’s priorities. An Non-Commissioned Officers truly dedicated to his/her duties will not allow himself to compromise his unit’s objective by not planning ahead. A good leader always has a contingency plan. Part of being a leader is an ability to mitigate the risks and obstacles that may arise unexpectedly or otherwise. It is crucial to the mission success for its leader to be present ahead of time. As it is the leader’s responsibility to start preparations, the chances are nothing will even start moving if the leader himself is not there. In the best case another Non-Commissioned Officer will have to take charge and compensate thereby becoming less efficient in his own tasks due to overload. In the worst case, the leader possesses critical information that becomes inaccessible and mission

This is a widespread saying used by numerous military leaders to help mold and mentor their soldiers. The true nature of things is not always obvious and it the end what matters is the results of one’s actions. In order to manage the perception, it is essential to anticipate what may occur if the consequences of our carelessness are not considered in making a decision to act a certain way. While intentions have their part in being an effective leader and a good person, there are many more factors that define who we are. At the end of the day it is the result of our actions that determines the success of the organization and fulfillment of our responsibilities. Having good intentions is not enough. The solution to such problem is often as simple as taking a few extra steps in confirming our course of action with trusted individuals with extensive experience, seeking advice, referencing official guidelines such as the unit sop and having a backup