AR 190-11: Physical security of arms, ammunition, and explosives.
Section 2-5: All Arms, Ammunition, and Explosives deployed in the field for training or operational purposes will be secured at all times.
The importance of securing weapons comes down to maintaining accountability for operation security, mission success, and a soldier’s over all readiness. The habits of exercising security and accountability of a soldier’s items allow the soldier and their team to operate to the highest standards or have items be accessed by an opposing adversary creating loss of overall mission success. Any time anything happens or you are preparing to go to the field or deployment of course you have to have accountability and order. Without that there would be chaos. Accountability is not an abstract concept, it is actually really simple. Accountability means saying what you mean, meaning what you say, and doing what you say you are going to do. In short, accountability is taking responsibility for your words and actions.
In this essay, I hope to demonstrate that I recognize the seriousness of weapons accountability. I have compiled a long list of strong reasons why weapons accountability is critically important, but I believe they boil down to three central issues: First, I am ineffective without my weapon; Second, an unmonitored weapon puts all of us in danger; and Last, a lost weapon will prompt many undesirable bureaucratic consequences. Finally, I will conclude this essay with a look at why I joined the military and what I hope to personally gain from this experience.
According to the article “Where’s Your Weapon?”(see works cited page for article date and website) we all ought to know better about never leaving weapons unattended. Nevertheless, it does happen and in the event that it happens to one of us, questions are raised. What’s the worst that could happen? Why does it happen? What can we learn from it? How can we ensure that this never happens to us or others...