Place of Duty

It is always important to be where you are supposed to be. In the Army, every leader stresses the fact on being on time or being at the right place or being in the right uniform. So if you have to ask yourself is it important to be where you are told to be? I think most Soldiers and Leaders will tell you that it is very important. It is my responsibility to be where I am supposed to be. It is all about accountability. You have to keep track of your Soldiers. It is my responsibility and my leader's responsibility. They are responsible for my actions. I know that my inability to be at the right place, at the right time, in the right uniform, and with the right attitude reflected poorly on my leadership which is something that I never wanted to happen. I also know that I showed a lack of leadership, selfless service, and responsibility, which are three of my army values. I know that I must put my units, and my battle buddies needs before my own in order to accomplish the mission successfully and smoothly. I know that when I failed to show up for duty that I not only showed lack of responsibility but also a lack of discipline.

The decisions you and I make every single day do not just affect ourselves, we must remember that our actions can affect everybody around us. This statement holds most true when we speak of the importance of being on time. Military wise, tardiness is just plain unacceptable. As United States Army soldiers, we are held to a higher standard. There are many reasons why soldiers are to receive corrective action, if not UCMJ (Uniform Code Military Justice) action, for failure to be at ones place of duty at the time specified. That one late soldier is not only affecting himself, his actions may very well affect his whole unit. That one late soldier could put an adverse effect on the whole mission. The United States Army as a whole, would be a much more proficient unit, if every soldier were always on time.

There are many important reasons