Living the Army Values: It Means Your a Higher Standard

[MP_Girl]

Well someone started this in the old forum, and so I figured I'd bring this here also. What do the Army Core Values mean? What do they mean to you and in your life?

Many people know what the words Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage mean. But how often do you see someone actually live up to them? Soldiers learn these values in detail during Basic Combat Training (BCT), from then on they live them every day in everything they do'whether they're on the job or off. In short, the Seven Core Army Values listed below are what being a Soldier is all about.

Loyalty: Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit and other Soldiers. Bearing true faith and allegiance is a matter of believing in and devoting yourself to something or someone. A loyal Soldier is one who supports the leadership and stands up for fellow Soldiers. By wearing the uniform of the U.S. Army you are expressing your loyalty. And by doing your share, you show your loyalty to your unit.

Duty: Fulfill your obligations. Doing your duty means more than carrying out your assigned tasks. Duty means being able to accomplish tasks as part of a team. The work of the U.S. Army is a complex combination of missions, tasks and responsibilities'all in constant motion. Our work entails building one assignment onto another. You fulfill your obligations as a part of your unit every time you resist the temptation to take 'shortcuts' that might undermine the integrity of the final product.

Respect: Treat people as they should be treated. In the Soldier's Code, we pledge to 'treat others with dignity and respect while expecting others to do the same.' Respect is what allows us to appreciate the best in other people. Respect is trusting that all people have done their jobs and fulfilled their duty. And self-respect is a vital ingredient with the Army value of respect, which results from knowing you have put forth your best effort. The Army is one team and each of us has something to contribute.

Selfless Service: Put the welfare of the Nation, the Army and your subordinates before your own. Selfless service is larger than just one person. In serving your country, you are doing your duty loyally without thought of recognition or gain. The basic building block of selfless service is the commitment of each team member to go a little further, endure a little longer, and look a little closer to see how he or she can add to the effort.

Honor: Live up to Army values. The Nation's highest military award is The Medal of Honor. This award goes to Soldiers who make honor a matter of daily living'Soldiers who develop the habit of being honorable, and solidify that habit with every value choice they make. Honor is a matter of carrying out, acting, and living the values of respect, duty, loyalty, selfless service, integrity and personal courage in everything you do.

Integrity: Do what's right, legally and morally. Integrity is a quality you develop by adhering to moral principles. It requires that you do and say nothing that deceives others. As your integrity grows, so does the trust others place in you. The more choices you make based on integrity, the more this highly prized value will affect your relationships with family and friends, and, finally, the fundamental acceptance of yourself.

Personal Courage: Face fear, danger or adversity (physical or moral). Personal courage has long been associated with our Army. With physical courage, it is a matter of enduring physical duress and at times risking personal safety. Facing moral fear or adversity may be a long, slow process of continuing forward on the right path, especially if taking those actions is not popular with others. You can build your personal courage by daily standing up for and acting upon the things that you know are honorable.


Now that you know what these mean, think about what they mean to you, and how you use them in your daily life. Feel free to post experiences, and what they mean to you in your life here.

[armysc_25b]

Though it may not be the same context as something heroic or courageous, I do have an example of Personal Courage to share, and this is part of the reason that to this day I still look up to and respect these 2 NCO's.

As with anywhere in the Army, you don't stay there forever...EVENTUALLY you go to a new duty station, get out of the Army, or whatever the case may be. My year in Korea was coming to a close, and as is custom, time for the PCS award to be submitted.

My NCO's took the time to discuss my potential award, did the research to verify information, and presented a strong DA Form 638 (Recommendation for Award), recommending me for the Army Commendation Medal (ARCOM) based on my job performance over the past year. After review at the company level, the 1SG and Commander both agreed with the recommendation and forwarded it to battalion for the CSM and Commander's signature and from there to forward to brigade. Before I continue, for those who are not aware of the process, NCO's are actually not in the recommendation chain on the 638, their duty typically is to review the write-up to verify the information, ensure there's no corrections, and present their recommendation to their commander.

The 638 reaches the BN CSM's office. Upon his review, he kicks it back, stating that the award should be downgraded to an Army Achievement Medal (AAM), with his ONLY argument being that because I was a PFC and had no other awards, the AAM would be more appropriate. This was in November. My NCO's, both newly promoted SSG's, continued to submit the 638 as an ARCOM, because they truly believed I deserved the award. This battle went back and forth for 2 months, eventually getting to a point that the award had to process otherwise I wouldn't receive it prior to my departure.

Long story short, the award was downgraded to an AAM (as is an option on the recommending authority's signature block on the form), and it is what I was presented the week before my departure.

Why is this Personal Courage? These Noncommissioned Officers did not back down from their stance. They fought a flawed system for what they believed their Soldier deserved, against a Senior Noncommissioned Officer. Though the award I received was not the one they recommended, I take pride in knowing that the 638 that sits in my record still shows the recommendation for the ARCOM.