Respect Towards NCOs and Officers - Essay Example

Respect that must be given towards NCOs and Officers Respect that must be given towards NCOs and Officers Military forces are the entity which is keeping the safety, sovereignty and unity of a country. They are the peace keeping force not only in their own country, but sometimes in other countries as well. The five branches of the United States Armed forces are Army, Navy, Marines, Air Forces, and Coast Guard. They are the backbone of a country striving for development. They are keeping the borders from foreign intrusion and thereby keeping the safety of the people. They are the people who will give their life first to ensure the safety of the country. So the respect given to them is not at all a service but a duty of each and everyone who is staying in the country. We must think about the amount of respect we are giving to them. Is it enough or not? The question has to be asked by everyone to themselves. How important is “Respect” in military? The military is not a democracy and it is run according to a rank system. The military is saying everyone is not equal. Respect is very important in the military. One thing that no one has mentioned here is that you have to respect the rank, but not the person. No one in the military is permitted to show disrespect for a fellow military member. The lowly ranked military members receive whatever respect the higher ranked members feel is appropriate. A good superior officer or NCO usually shows a certain amount of respect for the people working for him in order to get better results. “You may abhor the person who is giving you an order, but if they outrank you, you must respect the rank and do as ordered”. (Respect in the military? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080831001922AAzc74j) Respect that must be given towards NCOs and Officers 2 Respect of rank is one thing while respect of person holding the rank is another. You are not saluting the person; you are saluting the commission, not the person. Respect is never be a one way traffic. The degrees of respect may be varying. If one quarrel with another senior person, they will be treated differently than a quarrel between two persons of equal rank. Soldiers get punished for being disrespectful, but when it is the other way around, nobody is supporting the soldiers. It is unlawful to be disrespectful to an NCO or higher. There is nothing forbidding disrespect towards a non-NCO. Once you’re confident that you know the extent of your authority, use sound judgment in applying it. Then you will be a leader respected by both your soldiers and superiors.The confidence of the soldier in the integrity of a NCO can only be obtained by his being rigidly just and impartial to those under him, and by keeping his temper on all occasions, and discharging his duty without passion or feeling. A NCO who cannot control himself will find difficulty in controlling those whom he is placed. Non-commissioned officers are entitled to implicit obedience from the soldiers, and they should be obeyed and respected by the men and women; and when a NCO fails in obtaining this regard and obedience from the men and women, he fails in his most essential qualification. Officers in nearly every country of the world are segregated from the enlisted soldiers in many facets of military life. Facilities accommodating needs such as the mess hall, bunks and domiciles, and general recreation are separated between officers and enlisted personnel. This system is focused on discouraging fraternization and encouraging professional and ethical relations between military personnel. An officer is a member of an armed force who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific Respect that must be given towards NCOs and Officers 3 office or position. Commissioned officers are typically the only persons, in a military environment, able to act as the commanding officer “Commissioned officers generally receive training as leadership and management generalists, in addition to training relating to their specific military occupational specialty or function in the military. Most developed nations have set the goal of having their officer corps university-educated, although exceptions exist in some nations to accommodate officers who have risen from the non-commissioned ranks (cf., e.g., the battlefield commission). Many advanced militaries require university degrees as a prerequisite for commissioning, even from the enlisted ranks”. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commissioned_officer#Commissioned_officers) From the above explanations it is clear that Commissioned officers are respected and treated much differently than the ordinary soldiers. Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in positions of authority can be said to have control or charge rather than command although the use of the word "command" to describe any use of authority is widespread and often official. A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted military member holding a position of some degree of authority who has (usually) obtained it by promotion from within the non-officer ranks. They usually receive some leadership training, but their function is to serve as supervisors within their area of trade specialty and, at lower NCO grades, they are not generally considered management generalists. Senior non-commissioned officers serve as advisers and leaders from the duty section level to the highest levels of the military establishment. The duties of an NCO can vary greatly in scope, so that an NCO in one country may hold almost no authority, while others such as the United States and the United Respect that must be given towards NCOs and Officers 4 Kingdom considers their NCOs to be "the backbone of the military. In some armed forces, a further category of officers under training known as subordinate officers may also exist. Even though NCO’s are not respected as the Commissioned officers, they also derive respect from others. Subordinate officers, though not yet commissioned, are accorded many of the privileges of commissioned officers. Non-commissioned members rise from the lowest ranks in most nations. Authority is one way to command respect. The authority of the officer directly connected with the amount of respect he derives from his subordinates Authority is defined as the right to direct soldiers to do certain things. Authority is the legitimate power of leaders to direct soldiers or to take action within the scope of their position. Leaders must know what authority they have and where it comes from. They are also expected to use good judgment when exercising your authority. As a leader you must ensure that your soldiers clearly understand their responsibilities as members of the team and as representative of the Army. Commanders set overall policies and standards, but all leaders must provide the guidance, resources, assistance and supervision necessary for soldiers to perform their duties. Mission accomplishment demands that officers and NCOs work together to advice, assist and learn from each other. Power is the ability, physical, mental or moral to have a positive control over the actions of others. The duty is another way to derive respect. An officer who has the experience of participating in a war will derive more respect from others of the same rank. A duty is something you must do by virtue of your position and is a legal or moral obligation. An NCO’s duty includes taking care of soldiers, which is your priority. Corporals and sergeants do this by Respect that must be given towards NCOs and Officers 5 developing a genuine concern for their soldiers’ well-being. Leaders must know and understand their soldiers well enough to train them as individuals and teams to operate proficiently. This will give them confidence in their ability to perform well under the difficult and demanding conditions of battle. Individual training is the principle duty and responsibility of NCOs. Responsibility is another way to command respect. Responsibility is being accountable for what you do or fail to do. Some of the basic responsibilities of a NCO are maintaining discipline, maintaining government property, training soldiers, ensuring the welfare of the soldiers Every soldier has two responsibilities. They are Individual responsibilities and Command responsibilities. Soldiers are warriors who are fighting for the country to ensure the security and thereby protecting the interests of the people. So they should be respected not only inside the military force but outside the force also. Soldiers are respected by even the enemy soldiers. The duty of a soldier is selfless and it should be respected and honored in what all ways possible. Respect that must be given towards NCOs and Officers 6 Online Sources 1. (Respect in the military? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080831001922AAzc74j 2. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commissioned_officer#Commissioned_officers Read More