Military Review English Edition September-October 2013 | Page 43

TRUST LAPSE

The Importance of Trust

The chief of staff of the Army, Gen. Raymond Odierno, refers to trust as the sine qua non, or the essential component, of our Profession of Arms.4 Army doctrine defines trust as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.”5 In order for our profession to be effective, trust must exist between soldiers, between soldiers and their leaders, and between the Army and the nation. This trust is not simply given to us by virtue of putting on a uniform, but rather it is earned by becoming experts in our profession and demonstrating the moral courage that appropriately reflects the values of the American people. The trust our Army Profession has earned is not something we take for granted. Our history allows us to reflect upon times when our profession was not in high regard. We do not want to return to those times, nor do I think we are necessarily in danger of that, but as professionals we should aspire to obtain the

highest levels of trust possible, both internal and external to our Army. Any degradation of this trust, no matter how small, can be harmful. Although marginal changes due to what might be considered “isolated incidents” may seem insignificant, over time the cumulative effect will take its toll. A decline in the trust between soldiers and their leaders diminishes the Army’s effectiveness. As Gen. Robert Cone has written, “If our trust as leaders is lost with our subordinates, we cannot effectively lead and will ultimately fail in our mission.”6 Soldiers who do not trust their leaders are primarily compelled to follow orders because of fear of consequences. This is dangerous for any organization, particularly one that is in the business of fighting wars. Soldiers motivated only by the threat of punishment, will weigh the penalty of refusal against the consequences of following an order. If the soldier believes there is a great personal risk to following the order, then he might conclude

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Omar Vasquez, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, points out where targets are going to be set up for Iraqi Army troop training to U.S. soldiers with 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, in Wasit, Iraq, 20 October 2010.

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(U.S. Army)