NOT IN MY ARMY

By far, discipline is the most important attribute of every U. S. Army leader and soldier; without discipline, our Army is nothing. Simply counseling soldiers does not always effectively solve the problem, nor does it always correct it. The Army has gone soft in the past few years; unfortunately, it is happening during a time of war.

Today, the Army is experiencing a widespread decline in discipline among its ranks that was not as common 5 five years ago; thus, these concerns have now become serious problems. Our noncommissioned officers face major challenges on the subject of ‘good order and discipline’ based on the restrictive nature of our current ‘kinder, gentler Army,’ which causes soldiers, and even some leaders, to have serious discipline issues. Poor discipline has an extremely negative effect on the overall Army mission — it degrades combat effectiveness! This article does not intend to point fingers at anyone, it is meant to address serious discipline issues among the ranks of our Army during a time of war.

I am by no means the most experienced noncommissioned officer in the Army, but I am well rounded and have enough experience, both in combat and garrison, to realize a decline in our fundamental forms of discipline will eventually lead to substantial problems. I have witnessed firsthand, on countless occasions, ill-disciplined soldiers directly violating the good order and discipline they should have learned in basic training. These soldiers and officers walk around carelessly with blatant uniform deficiencies, hands in their pockets, unbuttoned pockets, unauthorized eyewear, incorrectly wearing headgear, patches, and badges, which breed insubordination and disrespect, and distort the line between right and wrong. Noncommissioned officers are accepting these alarming behaviors, not necessarily because they are afraid to make corrections, but most likely because they are afraid of possible consequences. It is simply amazing how many programs in today’s Army would rather blame the leader than hold a soldier accountable for his actions; if we intend to correct these deficiencies at lower levels, then we are obligated to start with ourselves. During October 2010, during a rotation at the National Training Center, I actually had a soldier try to physically fight me. I was standing in line at the dining facility and two of my soldiers had just returned from a mission, so I let them in front of me. The soldier behind me (who had recently been demoted, as I was unaware of at the time) began to make comments such as, “Oh, I guess I’m not even in line.” I turned to the soldier and explained to him that I had let my soldiers eat before me, which is what a good leader should do. From there, the situation escalated; threats were made, even after I identified myself by rank and name. Despite the fact that I had identified myself as a staff sergeant in the United States Army, the soldier remained insubordinate, which was shocking!

The outcomes of ill-discipline in the Army have been negative, not only for leaders, but for the Army as a whole. A lack of discipline during combat can result in your death, or worse, result in the loss of one of your soldiers. The one thing a leader fears most during combat is losing a soldier. The best loss-prevention tactic is discipline. If they can’t portray basic professionalism, such as obeying orders in garrison and maintaining military bearing, they will certainly and quickly become a liability on the battlefield, not only to themselves, but they will place their entire unit at risk. So, why is it so difficult to maintain good order and discipline? 36 The overall image of the Army is up for debate, which may be due to several factors. The Army has been at war for 10 years now and many citizens think it is a mistake. Most of our noncommissioned officers feel their “hands are tied behind their backs,” which is why it is vital for units to take the initiative to maintain good order and discipline. As for the incident at Fort Irwin, I contacted the soldier’s squad leader, who upheld the soldier. We discussed the issue for about 10 minutes; realizing that the conversation was wasted time, I walked away.

Lessons Learned The lack of discipline among our ranks should not surprise our leaders; the decline has been gradual over the past 5 to 10 years, yet appears to have been ignored. An ill-disciplined unit in combat runs great risk at becoming a dead unit in combat. The absence of discipline places every soldier on a combat patrol at dire increased risk. Disciplined soldiers have the capability to be constantly aware of their surroundings while manning observation posts for up to 72 hours, which requires tireless energy, constant loyalty, devotion to duty, and the ability to make personal sacrifices to secure the post and ensure it remains undetected; otherwise, the entire mission would be compromised. Without a high level of discipline, which develops the ability to remain calm during extremely stressful situations, soldiers lose lives, which is an extremely high price to pay. We should all respect the “Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer,” when we witness an act of insubordination or any instance of ill-discipline: “My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind, the accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers.”

To ignore the art of discipline in the U. S. Army is to ignore the very institution and everything it stands for. As I pondered the privileges and sense of entitlements soldiers enjoy today, I was reminded of a story I’d heard, which not only serves as a good example of our lack of discipline, but reaches the very core of the problems: “I decided to head to the PX and get a hair-cut and as I approached the entrance to the PX, I saw a several privates smoking cigarettes and talking on cell phones. I looked around and noticed the drill sergeant sitting in the truck. I was shocked! I remember, just a few short years ago, when I was in basic training we weren’t allowed to smoke and it was a privilege to call home once a week; we didn’t even get a weekend pass until week 20 of training!” Many agree that the Army today isn’t quite what it used to be. Unfortunately, this severe weakness is the core competency that we cannot afford to ignore and it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. “Leading by example” is the first step! Each and every leader can make a difference, especially at squad and platoon levels. Leaders have to take the initiative to maintain good order and discipline in their units; stop waiting for “further guidance,” the situation warrants immediate attention. Noncommissioned officers need the power that they once had. The ‘passive parenting’ approach to good order and discipline is failing — miserably! In my eyes, this approach has effectively stripped drill sergeants of their power base, thus removing the stern, authoritarian approach essential to instilling good order and discipline. Once upon a time, sergeants were thought to have “the power of God himself;” although this is an exaggeration, it doesn’t change the fact that we are obligated, as leaders, to not only lead by example, but infuse discipline in our soldiers, before it is too late — battle skills are useless without discipline. As a professional noncommissioned officer, I will not tolerate a lack of discipline among my soldiers, nor should any leader. I will not allow this obstacle to thwart the sacrifices that countless soldiers, including myself, have made, generation after generation, to be destroyed or taken away, nor should you. I will not accept powerlessness as a noncommissioned officer, not ever, not in my Army. I will always support my superiors and their intent; it is not my position to question why, but to ‘do or die.’ So, until I am the sergeant major of the Army, we will have to adapt and overcome, just as good leaders always do. Then again, isn’t that what discipline is all about? Staff Sergeant Christopher P. Wilson is currently a scout section leader, Kilo Troop (OPFOR), 2d Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, CA. His military education includes Basic Airborne School, Unit Armorer Course, Opposing Force (OPFOR) Supply and Emplacement Team Course, OPFOR Terrorist Train ing Camp Academy, Warrior Leader Course, Armor Advanced Leader Course. He has served in various leadership positions, to include section leader and insurgent cell leader, Kilo Troop (OPFOR), 2d Squadron, 11th Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin; squad leader and M240B gunner (dismounted), Anvil Troop, 1st Squadron (Airborne), 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), Bermel, Afghanistan, and Schweinfurt, Germany; grenadier, A Troop, 1st Squadron (Airborne), 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173d ABCT, Bermel, Afghanistan; and scout driver, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 1st Armored Division, Al Hit, Iraq.

“The outcomes of ill-discipline in the Army have been negative, not only for leaders, but for the Army as a whole. A lack of discipline during combat can result in your death, or worse, result in the loss of one of your soldiers. The one thing a leader fears most during combat is losing a soldier. The best loss-prevention tactic is discipline.”