SLP Assignment: External Environmental Factors on the Army's Need to Change Strategy

The second proponent in carrying out functions related to the Army Profession and Ethic is a web-based resource named CAPE (Center for the Army Profession and Ethic). CAPE is fairly similar to The Army White paper, in terms of topics. Subsequently, both publications provide an overview of the Profession of

The United States Army is a complex organization made up of several commands and managed by different command levels. The U.S. Army is an organization different from that of a business in many unique ways. Specific examples of these differences include: financial reporting, disciplinary review procedures, and tactical operations. Although different in many ways, the Army shares many similar characteristics of a normal profit business. Army personnel are managed by supervisors arranged in a command structure similar to that of a business hierarchy. The Army will also encounter internal and external factors that could impede or enhance operations. As such, planning, organizing, leading, and controlling must be used by managers appropriately

The Army’s Professional Culture. Although there are multiple cultures throughout the formation, the Soldiers shed their differences and unit for a single belief: the calling of selfless service for the nation. Simply, the culture is to be a family. Soldiers not only have their families, but also their brothers and sisters in arms to share and pull each other through the darkest and happiest of times. Furthermore, climate complements culture. A Soldier must never feel like the Army is more of a job than a calling. Without selfless service, the formation loses its identity. Even if there are outliers in the formation, the Army reminds those individuals of their expected behavior through the Warrior Ethos. Additionally, an engaged leadership can mitigate a degrading climate.

Army leaders must balance the link between the Army’s culture and it’s climate and institutional practices. When there is a proper balance it has a huge impact on the mindset of the Army’s Soldiers. Their actions or inactions impacts the five key attributes of the profession, and the four fields of expertise, and have long term effects on the Army’s culture and climate. These actions influence Soldiers’ perceptions that they are serving professional who have answered the call of service to the republic, it is important that Soldiers understand that their role is a calling and not just a job.

Army Doctrine Reference Publication 1-0 states, “living by and upholding the moral principles of the Army Ethic” is the foundation to our profession. An organization cannot survive if there are no foundation for morals. The organization will internally implode. This is a critical fact for the Army. Individuals that do not have a foundation that aligns with the Army’s foundation is detrimental to the organization. The purpose for this short paper is to explore the fundamentals of our profession; examine the need for structure; how to return to basics of the profession; who needs to enforce standards; finally, implementing a culture change within the Army. Army leaders have categorized the four problems that currently plague the Army

When comparing and contrasting among history, literature, psychology, in terms of the central concern, values, approaches, and the connection they share with the community, one will find the transformations of the culture in war amazing. Throughout the test of time, the central concern has always been having power for the US. History shows that winning wars, being a power house, a leader, is about domination. The mentality is to win, allowing for authority. The values of the culture in war have transformed. One of the values was in the soldiers’ fight not life. With time, the human life of the troop gained significance. As people of the country gained financial security, they no longer wanted to be obligated to military affairs, allowing for a militarism that meant no forcing of war, but instead financing troops. The change in “revolutionary technologies” has also given way to a more futuristic approach when handling military affairs. The advancements has made it so that war is no longer a must, or a fight for survival, but a business that as lead to power. The text explains the American people are no longer involved as once before, instead they have detached from affairs of the

The Army is a way of life; a culture designed to understand, embrace, and demonstrate its understanding. Throughout the entire existence of the Army its culture has been based on elements such as oaths, creeds, the Warrior Ethos and the Army Values. The elements of the Army’s culture are the basis for ethical conduct. Soldiers have been taught to uphold and live by the Army Values but they have not necessarily been taught to remain a professional while upholding these standards. By instilling ethical and moral value into the professional soldier the military is ensuring that all soldiers, even lower level soldiers, are able to make complex and tactical decisions for a strategic effect. If the Army has unethical soldiers they risk failure. Failure due to unethical soldiers can have strategically far reaching implications for the Army, our client nation, and international allies.

In this chapter, the methodology that will be used to analyze US Army leadership effectiveness in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii will be discussed. The research question of how does sequestration impact US Army leadership effectiveness at Schofield Barracks will be evaluated by collecting data from soldiers and leaders at Schofield Barracks. Through surveys about their experiences after federal sequestration, the research will attempt to define if whether leadership is more or less effective after the implementation of the budget restrictions.

“It is easier to dress soldiers in bright uniforms and have them march to the sound of a fife-and-drum corps than it is to have them ride six hundred miles through snake-infested desert on the back of camels.” “Underdog strategies are hard.” (p 32)

The United States army started in 1775 with only a group of volunteer fighters who opposed against the rule and the oppression of the British. (Hogan 2005) The U.S army is still an all-volunteer fighting force today defending and defeating enemy threats to the United States. Since the creation of the U.S army it has built on tradition and honor for its country and willing to defend the constitution for more than two and a half century. Learning the culture of the United States Army will help give people an understanding of the people who serve in the army as well as learn what shaped the army today.

Force management, or what is really otherwise known as planned comprehensive change, is in reality a complex and interwoven process. Though it was designed within the confines of a systemic approach referred to as the DOTMLPF (Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership & Education, Personnel and Facilities), in reality it is meant to enable both dutiful and well-thought out change as well as faster, more urgent adjustments in accordance with the evolving nature of war and information gathering tactics. The Army, as one branch involved in this initiative, focuses most of its attention in this regard on the organizational sector because of the way it facilitates an adequate and democratic step-by-step system of review (Student Reader, F102:2). But the fact is that even this initiative remains multi-faceted and appears to be rather bureaucratic in nature (it has five phases, which seems antithetical to an urgent change process), which might not be surprising since implementing the type of changes that are demanded can have major implications of all sorts. Still, it does appear that this concentration is being well received and that it will eventually serve its goal even if it does not appear that way when detailed on a point by point basis.

The western way of war consists of five foundations that have shaped a significant amount of military cultures; the foundations are superior technology, discipline, a finance system, innovation, and military tradition. Perhaps people believe that discipline is not one of the most important foundations of the western way of war, since people tend to emphasize technology. However, discipline is the key to maximizing the other four foundations before and during conflict. Historian Geoffrey Parker agrees that technology can give a military advantage, but it is not sufficient without superior discipline. That is because discipline consists of the ability of armies to act within battle plans even when not supervised, obey orders, exercise loyalty, and restrain their fears when faced with danger. Discipline as a western way of war has influenced military cultures from the Roman Empire to today’s militaries. Discipline shaped military cultures by how they prepared for war, effectively giving them the ability to act during combat and expanding commander’s operational reach, thus aiding in conflicts throughout history and increasing the likelihood of defeating the adversary.

Too often in business as well as the military, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” (Powell, C #7). Too often the command as well as enlisted soldiers will use this analogy to continue to do what they have always done and fight change. Also this leads to allowing small details to be overlooked because it’s been allowed before, these small details, such as production schedules become larger details. These small little details will cause larger details to be overlooked in the future. This culture will foster reactivity instead of promoting proactivity (Powell, C #7). This type of culture is a struggle for leaders to change in the National Guard because of the hometown mentality, all though we strive to keep the since of community in our units as leaders we have to be the supporters of change. Be able to answer the “why” when it is necessary to move in a different direction, we have to be able to always look beneath the surface and not take situations at face value. When we have questions or concerns as long as they are morally and

Culture of a nation is manifested and influenced by a number of factors. National psyche and traits being the most pronounced ones. Military culture , to a certain extent , is in harmony with the national culture, however, it has its own impulses and dynamics. It incorporates obedience that curtails individual freedom or at times it may be at tangent with the socio-cultural values of a society ; Military culture of British – Indian Army ,as inherited by us is a case in point here. Philosophy of our present military outlets draws strength from history , organisational infrastructure , uniform , traditions social moorings and a host of other factors which , despite numerous changes , is still undergoing the process of evolution.

Adaptive leadership is becoming widespread in the United States Army amongst junior officers in leadership positions that require quick thinking and innovation. Leonard Wong discusses how the versatile and unpredictable enemy and situations in Iraq produces adaptable junior officers. These officers are learning to make decisions under chaotic conditions and are becoming more mentally agile. The Army is changing. The Army is transforming its capabilities in the war in Iraq to be effective and successful. General Schoomaker states that we will not accomplish our goals as a nation in the 21st century unless our Army becomes much more agile but with the capacity for long term, sustained level of conflict. The Army is in the process of