Maintaining Physical Security of Personal Property
In this paper, I will give the Department of Defense (DoD) definition of accountability and responsibility while explaining the importance of maintaining positive physical security of a Common Access Card (CAC) which is a piece of the “intelligence puzzle” and vital to Operational Security (OPSEC). The paper will give examples of how the lack of positive security of a CAC can, not only, diminish a soldier’s ability to perform daily tasks, but also limit their access to information pertinent to the mission at hand.
Why is accountability important to the Army? Accountability is a very important part of an enlisted and a Non-commissioned Officer's (NCO) job. The enlisted soldier is responsible for all items issued to him or her such as a weapon, Night Vision Goggles (NVG’s), clothing, a vehicle, a field manual (FM), medication, or Basic Initial Issue (BII). The NCO's responsibility is to make sure that the soldier is accountable for such items and can retrieve those items when needed, so that he can report it to his higher command. Accountability also includes the most important piece of equipment the soldier him or herself. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong especially in combat, that is why the soldier should make sure the team leader or squad leader knows where his or her equipment is at all times. The Army spends a lot of money on equipment and other personal effects for soldiers, so the Army expects soldiers to know where their equipment is located. Layouts performed periodically throughout each year take accountability of property assigned to both units, companies and to each soldier. The hand receipts for these issued items goes to the highest officer to the lowest enlisted personal in the chain-of-command and back up again. An NCO may spontaneously ask a soldier to produce an Army issued item in order to test the soldier’s ability to locate that item in a timely manner. On the battlefield, every moment counts, and efficiency aids in the
Why is accountability important to the Army? Accountability is a very important part of an enlisted and a Non-commissioned Officer's (NCO) job. The enlisted soldier is responsible for all items issued to him or her such as a weapon, Night Vision Goggles (NVG’s), clothing, a vehicle, a field manual (FM), medication, or Basic Initial Issue (BII). The NCO's responsibility is to make sure that the soldier is accountable for such items and can retrieve those items when needed, so that he can report it to his higher command. Accountability also includes the most important piece of equipment the soldier him or herself. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong especially in combat, that is why the soldier should make sure the team leader or squad leader knows where his or her equipment is at all times. The Army spends a lot of money on equipment and other personal effects for soldiers, so the Army expects soldiers to know where their equipment is located. Layouts performed periodically throughout each year take accountability of property assigned to both units, companies and to each soldier. The hand receipts for these issued items goes to the highest officer to the lowest enlisted personal in the chain-of-command and back up again. An NCO may spontaneously ask a soldier to produce an Army issued item in order to test the soldier’s ability to locate that item in a timely manner. On the battlefield, every moment counts, and efficiency aids in the