Military Review English Edition September-October 2013 | Page 71

The Greatest Threat Facing the Army Profession
Dan Johnson, Consultant with the Praevius Group, Salado, Texas

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Mr. Dan Johnson is a consultant with the Praevius Group in Salado, Texas. He holds a B.S. from the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) and M.A.s from Webster University and Texas A&M University. His military service included multiple deployments to Iraq and an assignment as an instructor in the Department of History, USMA.

PHOTO: Pfc. Kevin March, an armored crewman assigned to 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, stands atop a cliff overlooking the Arghandab River valley, 31 January 2011.

T’S ABOUT THE men next to you. That’s it. That’s all it is.” This is the closing note of the movie Blackhawk Down, delivered by Sgt. 1st Class Norm “Hoot” Gibson (Eric Bana’s Special Forces role). The line encompasses an idea with which most Americans—and all service members—are familiar. He’s talking about loyalty. Framing loyalty as the bonds between soldiers facing conflict together is a common way for us to think about loyalty in the military—particularly when we are applying it to the Army. It is a conception of loyalty that has been explored to explain why American soldiers fight, or the need for esprit de corps, or the strength of traumatic combat experiences. Often, though, the loyalty felt between comrades is just the loyalty most easily understood and communicated—and we, as the Army Profession, must communicate loyalty. It is an Army Value, first in the mnemonic acronym LDRSHIP. The definition we officially provide is— Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit and other soldiers. Bearing true faith and allegiance is a matter of believing in and devoting yourself to something or someone. A loyal soldier is one who supports the leadership and stands up for fellow soldiers. By wearing the uniform of the U.S. Army you are expressing your loyalty. And by doing your share, you show your loyalty to your unit.1 This explanation states what the Army Profession expects of new members. It gives them a structure by which to arrange their loyalties. Yet, too many American soldiers come away from the Army Values with the wrong ideas about loyalty. Not understanding, and not living by, the values we profess is the greatest danger facing the Army Profession in the next decade. As human beings, we naturally feel the strongest emotional bonds—we feel loyal—to those closest to us. Our emotional ties evoke a strong sense
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MILITARY REVIEW ? September-October 2013