Sgt Ryan Treat
22DEC2008
Loyalty
Loyalty is my favorite Army value because of its importance in life as well as in the Army. While courage and duty are great values for the military, loyalty is a value that will help you build and maintain lifelong relationships. By being loyal to your friends and loved ones you build a bond of trust. That trust will help you last through the hard times that are certain come. Loyalty is a value that I hold in esteem before all others in my relationships.
This carries over to the military as the friendships you make here can and should be lasting and meaningful as well. A large part of our Army’s success comes from the bond that one soldier has for another. We live together, fight together and sometimes die together. The bond that we share has made for some great stories of heroism and courage throughout the history of our Army.
Another element of loyalty comes from our individual loyalty to the greater good of our Army and our country. Rensis Likert said “The greater the loyalty of a group toward the group, the greater is the motivation among the members to achieve the goals of the group, and the greater the probability that the group will achieve its goals.” This is true in the Army today. Our loyalty to the United States of America and the values we hold dear make us a fierce fighting force. I personally am loyal to the death to both the U.S. Army and my country.
Loyalty is the foundation of any good friend ship and also had the ability to turn a group of common men into a fierce fighting team.