Accountability and Punctuality
On time. On time? On time! These are the most stressed on words to come out of the Army. There is not a single thing that happens in the Army or the rest of the world that is not on some kind of time schedule. Being in the right place, at the right time, and in the correct uniform only sets a soldier up for success.
Soldiers cannot miss information, change of plans, or new schedule changes if they are where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there. A long time ago my father told me, “Seconds kill hundreds. Minutes kill thousands.” I never knew what he meant until I was deployed. It only takes a seconds hesitation of pulling your trigger before the bomber kills the crowd.
To know where your soldiers, comrades, and superiors are at will ensure a well oiled machine to stay in motion. Being in the Army and never knowing when a mission will come up it is important to keep everyone informed. Not only with where an individual is but also with what is going on around them Nationally, Locally, as well as down to the platoon.
Even if a soldier is not going to make it to a formation or place of accountability at least make some type of communication with any person in the platoon so at least there is either a written or verbal accountability when a visual is not available.
These practices cannot be stressed on enough. Even though it may not seem like it, letting someone know where you are has the potential to save your life. Step by step instructions of what an individual is doing is not a hundred percent necessary. At the minimum inform someone in the same squad and of higher rank of what needs to be dealt with, and that it is being taken care of.
When in garrison and the location of the business to be conducted is away from the company give a call to let someone know you have arrived, then another call when done at said location. If for any reason there is a problem at said location a quick...