The Human Dimension Of The Army

The main idea of this publication is to create a collective understanding of the Army Profession by providing the Service members the guidelines and definitions of it and the Army Ethic. Fail to follow or even understand the concept of rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad have been the reason of studies, due to the consequences this could bring upon the service. This publication defines the membership and affiliation of competent individuals in character and commitment, five essential characteristics legitimize the Army as a military profession, trust, military expertise, honorable service, spirit de corps, and stewardship. Trust is vital in society at school, at work, at home, among the citizens, trust in the skills of those you depend on, and trust that the mail will be deliver to your home to give an example. American people perhaps have lost or are close to lose the trust in the highest level of government being this the direct orchestrator of the actions perform by the armed forces, after planning and rehearsals every move is directed and now that the population does not support or agreed with many of these actions government has to act to regain the support and reassurance of the masses. American people as society trust their arm forces to perform their duty to protect them and their country, support and defend the constitution society trust the strongest Army in the world due to the technology it possess and the will soldiers have

The Values identified, manifested and espoused by the US Army are: Loyalty, Duty Respect, Service &Stewardship, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage. These are defined by our US Army as:

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.

One of the disadvantage of previous military wars with todays, is technology. Now soldiers can stay in touch with their families so easy through social media. It is stressful for a soldier to see their friends and family day to day struggle or success, while they are trying to survive combat. So that?s when depression begins followed by alcohol abuse and ending with suicide. Fact: relationship problems are one of the most frequent risk factors associated with suicides among military members. ?Fact: relationship problems are one of the most frequent risk factors associated with suicides among military members? (Litts 2013). Litts also argues that suicidal can be caused due to brain

Psychological support for troops has emerged as a necessity because this kind of work can deal, to a considerable extent, with a set of specific psychological problems arising within disciplinary systems at all levels, not the lower echelons alone, as is often believed. Occasionally it is just the matter of an enlistee being unprepared for discipline-abiding lifestyle (ignorance of army regulations, orders and regulatory documents). Sometimes, however, psychological problems stem from clearly expressed anti-disciplinary attitudes in some or other serviceman, which attitudes tend to disorganize military activities, mixing, and off-duty routine.

Suicide rates in the military are at twenty-two a day and that was in two thousand one (Dao and Lehren). In two thousand two suicides were at the rate of ten point three per one hundred thousand people (Dao and Lehren). Suicide rates in two thousand twelve were at three hundred and fifty (Dao and Lehren). In two thousand one there were two thousand seven hundred and maybe even more because this statistic did not include National Guard and reserve troops who were not on active duty (Dao and Lehren). However, studies are finding that eighty percent of soldier suicides were non-combat related (Dao and Lehren). This study is causing a concern to the military for the aspects of the background checks that the soldiers have to go through to get into the military. This is causing concern in the metal health part of the multiple series of test that these soldiers have to go through. Questions are arising like “Are the test becoming to easy and are we letting to many people in for not the right reasons?” This leads to looking farther into the causes of suicide in the military.

One great example is how the military has attacked a serious epidemic in the military today. Sui-cide prevention is at every leader’s doorstep. There are numerous programs the military adapted to combat suicides. One example is Ask, Care, Escort (ACE) , this programs is set for three hours, however it gives soldiers tools to help a soldier in need. Understanding what steps to take is significant in preventing suicides. The Army realized having the resources, knowledge and skill set to intervene in lowering suicides is the key to success. One example “Methods: Educa-tion, identification, and intervention programs were implemented at each phase of the deploy-ment cycle based on the specific unit activities and predicted stressors. Results: During the de-ployment, there was an annual suicide rate of 16/100,000 within the trial cohort, compared to a theater rate of 24/100,000. Peaks in suicidal ideation and behaviors occurred during months two, six, and twelve of deployment. Conclusions: A deployment cycle prevention program may de-crease rates of suicide in the combat environment. This program may serve as a model for other suicide prevention programs” (Warner,et al.,2011). With the training, the military provided a so-lution, asking a soldier directly how they are feeling when the see symptoms of suicide behavior. Army leaders called for the support and training resource for their soldiers due to a negative trend, commands at all levels to include the medical fields came together to form ACE. One of the key selection points on the training targets was a leader recommendation of eighteen to twen-ty five year olds. Leaders observed this was the target age, soldiers stay together in the same age groups, training that age group is key in combatting suicides. Military One Source is another program leaders asked for to support soldiers when they need to combat depression.

The Air Force lost 38 airmen to suicide in 2008, a rate of 11.5 suicides per 100,000 airmen. The average over the past five years — since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom — was 11 deaths per 100,000 annually. Of the airmen lost in 2008, 95 percent were men and 89 percent were enlisted. Young enlisted men with a rank of E1 to E4 and between the ages of 21 and 25 have the highest risk of suicide. Recently released data indicates that active duty males carry, for the first time in known history, a suicide risk greater than that of comparable males in the general population (Psychotherapy Brown Bag, 2009). This is particularly noteworthy considering that the military entrance process screens out serious mental illness prior to entry onto active duty, and that the rate of suicide in military males has historically been significantly lower than comparable civilian populations. To help

(2012) suggest that suicide prevention strategies must be implemented by professionals who understand military culture and the unique pressures of social cohesion and mental health stigma. Braswell and Kushner (2012, p. 535) agree that efforts must be implemented in a way that “account for the lived experience of soldiers.” Although these recommendations are in line with a growing body of academic scholarship on the topic of military suicide, it will be difficult to implement successful policy without a better understanding of what is behind the difference and change in suicide rate. With incomplete information or a lack of causality, policymakers will be unprepared to determine if the outcomes of their actions are an improvement compared to maintenance of current

The Air Force most recently developed the Four Pillars of Wellness in response to rising number of suicides. The fourth piller relates to spiritual wellness, however, I have rarely seen emphasis on this subject since my time in the military. Developing spirituality in an organization can do wonders for creating trust and respect and building a stronger sense of purpose and meaning – all things the Air Force could benefit from (Judge & Robbins, 2015). By definition, spirituality in an organization is not about developing religion, but about recognizing that people have an inner life that is nourished by meaningful work in the context of community (Judge & Robbins, 2015). The bible teaches us “that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…” (Galatians 5:22, ESV). All of these values, and more, are essential to the spiritual health of humans, Christian and non-Christian alike. From a covenantal perspective it is essential that the Air Force bring into its “cross-check” the many benefits from developing a spiritual program to help transform the future culture of the Air Force, into a spiritual

A service member’s emotional and psychological issues are not like malfunctions of a piece of equipment and must not be treated as a troubleshooting problem in a technical manual. And yet this seems to be the only way the military, as a whole, knows how to address the issue of a service members mental health. It requires a holistic approach that is not currently embraced by the military. Historically, the military has been ill-equipped to handle the shifting nature of the psychological issues created by introducing a service member to the battlefield.

Five characteristics define the Army as a Profession. These characteristics are honorable service, stewardship of the profession, military expertise, esprit de corps, and trust. According to ADRP 1-0, as a military profession, our relationship with the American people is built on a foundation of trust continuously reinforced by the other four characteristics. Mission accomplishment, reputation, and survivability of the Army are all reliant on trust. Therefore, I believe that trust is the most important characteristic and is the bedrock of the Army’s relationship with the American people.

Spirituality and religion play a significant role in shaping the lives of individuals. Regardless of whether you follow the practices of an organized religion, simply believe in the spiritual life force or claim to not ascribe to religious or spiritual traditions, all of these paths affect the way an individual interacts with the world around them. One of the major influences of religion or spirituality is on one’s ability to cope with difficult situations. Whether it is the death of a loved one or the loss of a job, religion and spirituality can have monumental effects on how the individual responds to stressful or traumatic

Of more than 850 studies that have examined the relationship between religious involvement and various aspects of mental health, “more than two-thirds have found that people adapt to stress better if they’re religious” (Creagan, 2001, p. 77). Psychologists Dr. Kenneth Pargament recognizes that “Religious coping can play a number of valuable roles in the lives of people. It can help people hold on to a sense of meaning in the face of events that may seem to make little sense at all. It can instill a sense of connection to something greater than oneself in the midst of situations that tend to separate us from each other. It can support and strengthen us when we are feeling at our weakest. And it can help us transform our most fundamental values and visions in life when old sources of significance are lost or no longer viable. Part of the power of religious coping lies in the fact that it can help meet the diverse needs of people facing very different problems in very different environments” (Anderson, 2003, p. 221). Studies have found that patients with religious-based coping strategies are less likely to have depression (Duke Medical Center), lower distress after transplant surgery (University of Minnesota), and lower blood pressure (Dr. Andrew Sherwood and colleagues) (Anderson, 2003, p. 222). Again, another study concluded

Webster’s dictionary defines the word profession as a type of job that requires special education, training, or skill. Many Soldiers would not consider the Army as a profession but a way of life. Some think the word profession belongs to everyday jobs like a plumber, mechanic, or doctor. Dr. Don M. Snider stated “the Army is a profession because of the expert work it produces, because the people in the Army develop themselves to be professionals, and because the Army certifies them as such” (Snider, D. M. 2008). In October 2010, the Secretary of the Army directed the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) to lead an Army wide assessment of the state of the Army Profession. We have been at war as a Country for over a decade and the Army