The Role of Respect in the Army

The Importance of Respect in the Army

The values that govern the conduct of Army personnel can be ranked as loyalty, honor, integrity, duty, self-sacrificing service, and respect (highly regarded). Just like civilian settings, the phrase respect your elders apply in a similar way to the Army because it is the mandate of Army personnel to show respect to their senior authorities within the Army. Respect for the authority can be shown through obeying all orders, working as a team with your fellows, addressing the seniors with respect, and obeying the stipulated ethical conduct and code of conduct required to be observed by everyone in the army. Despite the notion that the military may be classified as redundantly restraining, there is a reason why the mandate to show respect applies as it impacts on the mission at hand. Training of soldiers in the army is a continuous process so that they are always ready to go into combat at any moment thus the military personnel should never criticize their seniors because in the event that conflict was to erupt, it would profoundly affect their performance and generally the public’s perception about the army. For that reason, there must be respect accorded to all senior officers up the rank to the commander in chief. As military personnel, you must be prepared to take orders willingly, and it is only achievable through military respect and courtesy for those in authority.

The Role of Hierarchy and Respect in the Army

Army plays a universal role as a unit hence there is need to establish a line of command, and people in authority should be accorded respect in how they are addressed, how they are approached, and how their orders are obeyed to maintain balance in the workplace. Besides, the military expects each officer to give respect to their seniors even if they seldom reciprocate the respect for the simple fact that they are appointed above you. Failure to show respect as stipulated in the code of conduct may result in severe consequences and disrupt the rapport and unity that should exist between all officers. Since it is a wide unit, to mobilize military calls for a structure that would ensure that primary and vital elements such as responsibility, discipline, and communication are well maintained. The intrinsic quality of hierarchy, therefore, spells out why respect must be firmly established across all ranks to make certain that skilled operations go on smoothly and fit within a plan. When respect according to hierarchy is not observed, especially in the view that military customs and courtesies are disregarded, the efficiency of a military is curtailed, and furthermore, lack of respect can put the lives of soldiers at risk.

Collective Security and Safety through Mutual Respect

Army personnel should respect their seniors for collective security and individual safety because they are better placed to protect the soldiers and ensure that the mission is completed successfully. As such, rules or orders given by the authorities are to safeguard the safety of individuals so that harm is prevented. Respect is imperative in the army to avoid the negative consequences which may be linked to it. For instance, when the military goes to combat activities, they have to work in unison to complete the mission efficiently, and that means obeying all orders given by the seniors. Failure to show respect by disregarding the orders may lead to negative consequences such as being thrown out of the army due to lack of allegiance, putting the lives of other soldiers at risk, and even putting your own life at risk. Social order is well maintained through the cooperation of soldiers concerning the chain of command thus when officials respect their seniors; the army is bound to stay intact and proceed with their mission to completion due to solid social order.

Mutual Learning and Advancement through Respect

In most cases, senior officials in the army have more combat experience than their juniors due to their prolonged years of service hence they are well endowed and accustomed to lead the lower recruited soldiers into war or conflict situations. Therefore, showing aggressiveness to a senior is disrespectful because then, a division is likely to occur which may affect the mission. Junior officials need military skills and a transition of moral values that are possessed by people in senior positions but they can only get that experience and hands-on skill if they respect the authorities and follow their orders to the latter since the army works together as a team towards the common mission of protecting the country and not causing division amongst them. Furthermore, a divided army as a result of disregard to hierarchical respect serves as an easy target to the enemy and gives the enemy an easy pass to outdoing the army since their weak points are exposed in the face of disunity. Respecting military personnel who are above you in rank also translates to keeping the secrets of the army within the team and such are the qualities that a senior that can teach the junior official only if there is a good rapport, founded on respect.

Gratitude and Passing Down Knowledge through Respect

Further, respecting someone superior to you in the army indoctrinates a sense of gratitude as it is likely to win you respect in return from the seniors themselves and other personnel. The higher rank individuals are tasked with the ability to administer the army effectively through drafting new policies and revamping the existing ones because they are well versed with the army thus their experience and skills are fundamental in establishing new ways of coexistence and cooperating when added to the new ideas from their juniors. Moreover, they possess the culture of the military which is essential for the success of the mission hence it is vital to acquire their skills and pass it on down the hierarchical levels. Due to the critical influence, they have in the military and the crucial role they play, they should be highly respected. Again, respecting someone who is above you in rank in the army is necessary because as an official, you are likely to be in the same rank after some period of service and you would also like your juniors to accord you the same respect.