ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
Others know they can depend on a responsible person to do things on his or her own. Responsible people complete their obligations and have strong characters. 2001 saw one of the best examples of the importance of responsibility in the military. A Navy submarine rammed a boat by accident, killing nine people on board. Even though the accident was the fault of some of his men, the submarine commander took full responsibility for what happened. Doing so showed great character and responsibility.
Irresponsible people often act out against rules without considering the consequences of their actions. A soldier acting out against the rules makes his or her NCOs look incompetent along with the soldier being looked at as irresponsible. Responsibility means to follow the rules and can be trusted to complete tasks, which brings with it greater responsibility in the future. Trusted, responsible soldiers are what the Army looks for when determining who should get promotions. The Army must maintain its own reputation for responsibility, so it seeks people who share that characteristic.
Accountability is an essential characteristic in all aspects of one's life. A responsible person can be relied upon by others to get a job done without blaming others for any problems he or she encounters and will therefore be the first choice for a promotion. People who are considered reliable, honest, and responsible will be trusted by the people around them to do what needs to be done. However, such a reputation can easily be sullied, so it is important to remain committed to accountability. Accountable people are also more confident and self-satisfied, so accountability is clearly the right choice.
Accountability is an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for ones actions. Now for the Army, it becomes an obligation more than “willingness” while you have to be willing to do it as well. Those that are unable to be...