10 March 2010

The Seven Army Values

From the Soldier side:  For those who’ve served in the Modern American Army, you have been exposed to one of their programs called “Army Values.” To tell you the truth, when I first joined the Army, we didn’t have things like this. It was just expected that you would just know and do


The Seven Army Values
Loyalty, Duty, Respect. Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage

Today’s topic is going to cover a few of these values. In my National Guard unit we have soldiers who’ve deployed multiple times. One Joe who has been to Iraq 3 times! He changed to our job (MKR) and will go again later.  Another just joined my platoon. He was in Iraq for his one year tour and extended a second year. When he tried to stay a third year, they force him to go home for a while.

One (who is now in another state) was in the first Gulf War with the 82nd Airborne. Then he went to Bosnia and Iraq with us. He moved to another state and went to Afghanistan…. A four time vet!

We have several soldiers in my company who’ve already been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, but in another job duty. Now that they are qualified for our jobs, Mess Kit Repair, they are volunteering to go again!
Yep that's a CAB she's wearing

I think these are the people who know and understand the Army Values. I am proud to work with them and to know them.  I'm not normally one to spout this sort of thing, but shit, I love these soldiers.

15 comments:

LL said...

Motivation for deployment remains an interesting and somewhat individual topic. Some people like trigger time, some need a job, some are motivated by patriotic fervor and still others find it to be the only place where they feel as if they belong.

The movie HURT LOCKER won an Academy Award for best picture for examining one fictional man's story as an EOD Tech/Team Leader.

The people I worked with in very intense situations remain my close friends. I still remain in contact with many families of those who returned home draped with an American Flag. I did it for what Yeates called "a lonely impulse of delight" and miss it. There's nothing quite like getting shot at and shooting back.

Before I did this, I hunted deer. Afterward, the traditional civilian big game hunt held no sway over me anymore.

Coffeypot said...

I served with some men who were survivors of ship sinking’s and kamikaze attacks during WWII. Some were very good men to work for and with, a few were complete assholes. But they were career sailors who knew their shit and I had total and complete confidence in them when the spoke of their jobs. And set in awe of their stories of combat. My Navy and up through today’s Navy will probably ever fight a war like that again. And there are time I really miss the Navy and not making it a career. Then I think of my mouth, and my ability to buck authority and it’s best I didn’t. However, I am proud of your’s and people like LL’s service and your commitment to our country. And I will always buy the first drink for each of you.

Red said...

Good stuff, Dude, good stuff

CI-Roller Dude said...

LL, The latest group who's volunteering isn't doing it for the money...

CP, Haven't you figured out why it's taken me so long to get promoted at the jobs I have? I can't keep my mouth shut. Now I just find "smarter" ways to tell folks stuff.

Red, yep.

Miss Em said...

If it wasn't for people like the ones you speak of, LL, Coffeypot, and yourself, this country and it's people would not be able to sleep easily at night.

I'm like Coffepot, I buy you a beer/a cup of coffee when I'm in your presence.

Thank you one and all.

Miss Em
Austell, Ga.

aka..Coffeypot's favorite "Lurker"

Anonymous said...

1. Agree with your first comment.
2. If you have to talk about it, you're probably far behind the power curve.
3. Having said that, most US Soldiers understand them well enough -whether they abide by them is another matter.
4. In line with my policy of always managing to shoot myself in the foot when in the presence of high ranking officers is what I told GEN Gray back about a million years ago. (That's Al, not Bernie)
5. He came up with warrior this and warrior that. Asked him if Marine wasn't enough.
6. Aide and others were horrified. He didn't bother answering.
7. I wouldn't have either.
8. Generally the folks who lectured me on honor, duty, bearing, etc, had major weaknesses in those departments.
9. The folks who exemplified them just did.
10. Maybe, in this day and age, everything needs to be spelled out in ten foot high neon letters.
11. The obviousness of it all makes me itchy -just like GEN Gray's warrior spiel.
V/R JWest

CI-Roller Dude said...

Miss E,
Thank you.

J.West, you are so right. The Sergeant Majors and other pompas assholes who get up and talk about this stuff are in many cases the ones who understand it the least. Liket the Sergeant Major we deployed to Iraq with (who had 3 negligent discharges on the .50 cal)...who decided he would give the class on Sexual harassment. When he called up a few female soldeirs and called them "Little Lady" I almost puked. He should have called them by rank...just like he did with the male soldiers.
He really didn't get any of it...just full of hot air and bullshit.

Saker said...

Wait... you had a sergeant major who had negligent discharges with a .50 cal? That really blows my mind and scares me at the same time.

The 'little lady' part just pisses me off. I've been blessed so far with superiors who seem to be blind to gender.

CI-Roller Dude said...

Saker,
The SGM had claimed "the safety on the M2 .50 Cal didn't work."

I was the only former grunt type to stand up and explain to him that the little thing on the back of the gun is the trigger...and there is no fucking safety on that weapon.
He didn't like me...

Miss Em said...

Who the hell let the SM on an M2
.50 cal when the SM had not been checked-out on it.
I am really sorry to say that that SM needed to have a ream job and it would NOT have been done where the sun doesn't shine either.
I just can't abide someone being "STUPID" especially when that someone is in a position of authority because it can get someone hurt/killed.

Weapons trainer for the SM must have had the day off....Right?

Miss Em
Austell, Ga.
Cp's favorite "Lurker"

CI-Roller Dude said...

Miss Em, That same Sergeant Major told us before we left the States: "If anybody has a negligent discharge, I'm going to make sure you get an Article 15." ( a form of a fine, and punishment)

He was NOT qualified on the .50 cal and had no idea how it operated. The Sergeant in charge of those convoys should have never let the SGM on those convoys, but that SGM wanted to "get into action" and get medals and shit.

One convoy he was on did get hit with an IED. The veh the SGM was in was a few hundred meters from the blast and got no damage. The vehice that got hit,, had the gunner (a friend of mine) wounded.
The SGM got his "Combat Action Badge" and Bronze Star right away.
The gunner who got injured had to wait until we got home to get his Purple Heart etc.

That SGM was a danger to all. I did have a regular Army Major who wanted to "joy ride" on one of our missions. I told him it was OK, but he was NOT in charge, just a passenger. He was OK with that and didn't cause any drama.

Miss Em said...

The difference between the Major and the SGM is intelligence and maturity.

Intelligence = knowing when to let the pros who've been doing that job longer than you have been wanting to tag along on their job and taking directions from them if necessary and being ready to assist but only when asked.

Maturity = knowing when you do let the pros do their job that it does NOT mean that you aren't being a man without authority but recognizing that that authority is not needed at that time.

SGM = wanting to play with the big boys toys and getting the bling for it.

Major = wanting to just be with the big boys and to see what they are doing.

Well CI-RD, that's the best this civilian can do with a defining thought on the difference between a dip "shee-it" and a mature man.

If I over-stepped a certain line, I will take it like a silly girl...whimpering and whining all the way to the wood shed.

Miss Em
Austell, Ga.

CI-Roller Dude said...

Miss E,
That's pretty much right on. The problem with Sergeant Majors is: The army will put them in a battalion or group that they are not even qualfied in the major duties...like with us for example- Mess Kit Repair...the SGM had no real idea what we did or how. We found out later that he was color blind and had a few other malfunctions that would have kept him from ever joining our club...but he could "lead it".

I've seen a few SGMs who were OK, but that one will forever be on my "shit list."

If he'd hit any of the Joes or Janes with those Fifty Cal rounds he let go...I would have gone over and tossed his sorry ass into the Palace Lake.

Miss Em said...

Putting someone in charge when that someone is not qualified in the major duties is just plain S.T.U.P.I.D..

"color blind and a few other malfunctions"

How can you lead when one can't:
1. preform the job
2. read the color codes to know if the job is being done correctly
3. needs to have a major phyc job done on goo in head that is now residing up ass.

I know....it's the Army way.

Yes, that was sarcastically said because in the civilian it is known as trying to warehouse someone until its time to retire them. But there, it WILL get someone wounded or God-forbid killed.
Shee-it.
Our tax dollars at work.

Miss Em
Austell, Ga.

Mandie said...

Those soldiers rock!

But sadly, I think the rest of the world and our nation especially has forgotten about loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, intergrity, and personal courage.