Duty as the Army Value: An Overview

Representing a complex hierarchy with a specific mission and a number of objectives, the army needs to be guided by a clear and effective set of principles and a straightforward philosophy that prioritizes security and safety of civilians. Therefore, duty as a part of the army code represents a crucial concept on which the army value system is based. Although duty might seem disconnected from the crucial principle of respect, on which the army hierarchy is built, it, in fact, embodies the essential product of respect and allows structuring the relationships within the army accordingly.

Reflecting the rigid hierarchy of the army, the notion of duty introduces soldiers to the idea of personal responsibility and the necessity to meet specific tasks in order to justify their status within the army hierarchy. Therefore, as a part of the military value system, duty represents the foundational notion around which the rest of ideas revolve. After accepting one’s duty in the army context, one can begin to develop the associated qualities and characteristics, which implies that the notion of duty suggests personal and professional development along with the acceptance of basic responsibilities. In the army setting, the concept of duty implies the readiness ad ability to accept the tasks and responsibilities that are associated with a specific position in the military hierarchy. Therefore, duty represents the foundational value that serves as the basis for encouraging soldiers to develop other relevant characteristics, such as responsibility, respect, selflessness, loyalty, and honor. The understanding of the obligations that one must fulfil as a part of the army team, as well as the significance of meeting the set expectations and the implications of failing to do so, provides the platform for building crucial ethical principles and philosophies.

In addition, by accepting the concept of duty, soldiers internalize the values associated with responsibility. Specifically, they recognize their role as protectors of the state and civilians, which implies fostering the attitudes of respect toward the people that they vow to safeguard. Therefore, as an essential value promoted in the context of the U.S. Army, duty represents more than merely a notion associated with a set of responsibilities. In addition to introducing soldiers to the importance of recognizing and learning their role as a part of the army, the concept of duty allows troops to grow as people. Retaining humanity while performing the tasks that are usually associated with risking one’s life and observing casualties is an incredibly challenging task, and duty as a principal value of the army allows soldiers to keep their humanity and ethics.

Despite the fact that the concept of duty might seem as not inherently related to the notions of honor and respect, which constitute the principal pillars of building relationships within the army hierarchy, it represents the direct outcome of the specified principles being implemented. Implying the acknowledgement of one’s responsibilities and the ability to accept them by taking actions to meet the set expectations in the best fashion possible, duty is a crucial army value that must be fostered and encouraged in soldiers. With the help of duty as the principal market of soldiers’ ability to accept their role within the army system, the essential objectives of the army are internalized and implemented accordingly. Moreover, duty stems from crucial ethical standards that allow soldiers to uphold crucial values high. Therefore, duty must be recognized as a vital aspect of the army values.

Reference

Gallagher, A., Raffle, E., & Maulana, Z. (2020). Failing to fulfil the responsibility to protect: The war on drugs as crimes against humanity in the Philippines. The Pacific Review, 33(2), 247-277. Web.