For being late essay

The main reason for this essay is because I did not follow out proper orders and was not at the correct place of duty for PT/Accountability formation at the correct time. Although there was a miscommunication, granted on my half, there is still no excuse for me to miss a formation. I want to be an excellent soldier and I want to excel in the military.

The first step I need to put into action is always making sure I am at the appropriate place of duty at the correct time or preferably with time to spare. This is a simple task that is easy and painless to ensure, and it will be accomplished. Punctuality shows that you are responsible, trustworthy and can follow directions. Punctuality isn’t just an order that the Army requires, but also a good personal trait that is a reflection of a person’s character, it shows that you have personal integrity and self-discipline. While some of us are occasionally late due to circumstances beyond our control, habitual tardiness shows a lack of respect for other people and their time. If someone is late continually that shows that they more then likely do not care about what their NCO tells them. Time is a precious gem that should not be wasted at any cost.

If you don’t use your time wisely, you can never get it back. It is a very special resource in that you cannot store it or save it for later. Promptness is not only a duty, but is also a part of good manners, it is favorable to fortune, reputation, influence, and usefulness. Lack of punctuality is a theft of someone else’s time and a complete lack of respect for others. You should be punctual in everything you do. Punctuality goes hand in hand with military discipline. Recruits are taught to obey, immediately and without question, orders from their superiors, right from the day one of boot camp. Military discipline and effectiveness is built on the foundation of obedience to orders.

This is why we are supposed work so well as a team. By following orders from the more experienced leaders who have been doing this for years we are able to work with each other more efficiently. The dictionary defines punctual as acting or arriving exactly at the time appointed; prompt. Punctuality is and always will be, an extremely vital aspect of military bearing and discipline.

The slightest degree of hesitation or procrastination can possibly result in severely hindering mission capability and readiness, but also can without a doubt cost unnecessary loss of life even if you are only late by a few minutes. This is one of the big reasons why the military stresses being prompt with everything we do. It is why we have drills to dismantle our weapons and then put them back together. Being prompt does not mean to go unnecessarily fast as to cause the opposite of what is intended (ex. reaking or losing something, getting yourself or someone else hurt).

You just need to be aware of the time you have to work with. Under the rigid and disciplined way of military life there is no room for error. There are many circumstances where a failure to be prompt could have consequences. Under certain circumstances, such as those in a combat zone, not arriving for guard duty at the designated time could allow a breach of security that could ultimately end in the murder of your fellow soldiers at the hands of an insurgent.

Punctuality in the military cannot be overstated. It is one of the most important things as it relates to the military, yet it is really only a part of what people would call a work ethic. Being punctual goes hand in hand with dependability. In order for a soldier to be punctual he must be dependable.

A dependable soldier shows self-discipline and is a invaluable asset to the unit and to the Army altogether. Dependable soldiers show up at least ten minutes early because in the military world that is the standard and there is no room for error. An old adage for this is timely actions allow no room for untimely Soldiers. The more dependable a soldier is the more disciplined he is and therefore the more punctual he will be.

In fact, punctuality quite is simply a function of the perfection expected overall in the Army. It has a direct relationship to our mission effectiveness, combat readiness, soldierly appearance, and more or less every single facet of Military life. It is also important to realize that it is a necessary trait for those in the military because we are all held to much a higher standard. Yet, it is punctuality that makes the importance of time management more prominent. Time management in the Army is something critical to carrying out our missions. The Army is very precise.

If soldiers are on a mission, everyone must be ready to execute the job at a precise time. Also, punctuality goes into the overall efficiency in terms of the operations in military life. Efficiency is important to success in all facets of the military. Being at the appropriate place of duty at the correct time is a vital element of being a responsible soldier. Being at the right place at the right time is particularly important, since the purpose is to make sure orders are carried out, and to ensure unit cohesion.

A soldier can not excel in the United States Army if that soldier is constantly late and/or at the wrong place. A soldier who truly wants to succeed in the military must become squared away at their place of duty. This concept can easily be applied for any person in any career; if one can not carry out the most simple and most important aspect such as being on time at the right location, then he or she will probably be considered a shit bag. Even if a soldier goes above and beyond in most things they do, but fails to be on time, then that soldier has failed at carrying out their respective orders.

Punctuality, as it pertains to the Army sense, requires us to be wherever we need to be at least ten to fifteen minutes early which allows our leaders to get accountability of us. Punctuality is involved in each of the seven Army values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. It also applies to the warrior ethos, you cannot place the mission first if you are not punctual because you want to get some extra sleep.

Here is how I believe each of the Army Values goes along with punctuality and an example along with them. Loyalty: staying loyal to the Army adage of “ if you’re ten minutes early, you’re on time; if you’re on time, you’re late”. You’re displaying the Army Value of Loyalty by maintaining the custom of being early to your place of duty and being loyal to your NCO or Officer that gave you the order to be somewhere. If you only ever showed up on time (right when formation is about to start) your leaders would not be able to get proper accountability of their charges, and if someone is missing get them there in time to avoid getting in trouble, and it would make them look like shit bags. Being there early is another way to show loyalty to your leaders.

Duty: it is a soldier’s duty to be punctual. A soldier that fails to be punctual on a repetitive basis could be charged with, among other things and the severity of the situation, dereliction of duty. Respect: by showing up on time, a soldier shows respect for military tradition, the unit, its leaders, and the Army. Once again, if a soldier continually fails to be at his place of duty in a timely fashion, one could easily come to the easy conclusion that he doesn’t care, and doesn’t respect the Army, its customs, the unit, and its leaders. Selfless Service: it takes selflessness, and discipline, to be where you need to be early, much less on time. By not taking the easy road and getting the extra bit of sleep or chow time, the soldier is demonstrating, granted on a small scale, selfless service.

A soldier being selfish and repetitively failing to show up on time to a formation does NOT display the Army value of Selfless Service. Honor: a soldier that fails to be prompt/punctual, isn’t honoring the unwritten code of the Army and its tendency/custom of showing up early. The army is having some soldiers make a presentation at a school and instead of being there on time (ten minutes early) a few of the soldiers show up a few minutes late. That would make all soldiers look bad.

It is not just the individuals honor that the Soldier must think about, but that of the whole Army. Integrity: it takes integrity to do the right thing and be on time. Just like selfless service, a soldier takes the high road by showing integrity and being where he needs to be in a prompt fashion, instead of being lazy.

Personal Courage: it takes Personal Courage physically to get up, get ready, and be where the soldier needs to be. It takes Personal Courage morally to do the right thing, just like Integrity and Selfless Service. It takes a person of strong Personal Courage (and discipline) to tell their friends (or battle buddys) that they have drank enough and need to stop in order to make it to their formation the next day. In conclusion, I had to write this essay because of my failure to arrive at the designated place and time in a prompt manner. Punctuality is a necessity in many facets of the military lifestyle.

It is necessary to show that you are a responsible and trustworthy soldier who can follow directions. Being punctual is a sign of self-discipline and good time management skills. Punctuality is also required for missions and orders to be carried out effectively and in a timely manner. Being prompt also shows respect for the military traditions, your unit, your leaders, and the Army itself.

Being punctual is important because we in the Armed Forces are held to a higher standard then a civilian would be. Punctuality also ties into each of the seven Army values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. All in all being punctual is not something that should be taken lightly by anyone, especially those that work in the military way of life.

“ Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time. ” President Theodore Roosevelt