customs and courtasies
CUSTOMS & COURTESIES
Today I SGT Strain let my military bearing slip, I was not confident or sure in myself on customs and courtesies and when it is proper time to call the room to “at ease”. With my lack of knowledge in this area I did not set a good example for the subordinate on duty with me at the staff duty desk. As a NCO I need to make sure I set the right example for all junior soldiers. To make sure this never happened again I began to research FM 7-21.13 The Soldiers Guide Chapter 4 to gain the knowledge I was lacking to ensure this incident will never happen again while I am on duty. From my research I have learned the definition of a custom. A custom is an established practice. Customs include positive actions—things you do, and taboos—things you avoid. All established arts, trades, and professions, all races of people, all nations, and even different sections of the same nation have their own practices and customs by which they govern a part of their lives. What says to me the simple things we do each day, such as saluting the flag at reveille and at retreat, installs respect and discipline which we need as a unit to thrive and accomplish our mission. From reading FM 7-21.13 I now understand why customs are so important to the fabric of the unit and to the army and how they can make an individual look in the eyes of a higher ranking officer or non-commissioned officer and how it can appear that such individual is ignorant, careless, or undisciplined. These simple acts are the army’s common law and should be fallowed without question. They contribute to almost every Army value including Duty, Loyalty, and most importantly Respect. Now I would like to give some more examples of customs some that are broken each day from ignorance or strait lack of knowledge.
• Never criticize the Army or a leader in public.
• Never go “over the heads” of superiors—don't jump the chain of command. • Never offer excuses.
• Never “wear” a superior's rank by
Today I SGT Strain let my military bearing slip, I was not confident or sure in myself on customs and courtesies and when it is proper time to call the room to “at ease”. With my lack of knowledge in this area I did not set a good example for the subordinate on duty with me at the staff duty desk. As a NCO I need to make sure I set the right example for all junior soldiers. To make sure this never happened again I began to research FM 7-21.13 The Soldiers Guide Chapter 4 to gain the knowledge I was lacking to ensure this incident will never happen again while I am on duty. From my research I have learned the definition of a custom. A custom is an established practice. Customs include positive actions—things you do, and taboos—things you avoid. All established arts, trades, and professions, all races of people, all nations, and even different sections of the same nation have their own practices and customs by which they govern a part of their lives. What says to me the simple things we do each day, such as saluting the flag at reveille and at retreat, installs respect and discipline which we need as a unit to thrive and accomplish our mission. From reading FM 7-21.13 I now understand why customs are so important to the fabric of the unit and to the army and how they can make an individual look in the eyes of a higher ranking officer or non-commissioned officer and how it can appear that such individual is ignorant, careless, or undisciplined. These simple acts are the army’s common law and should be fallowed without question. They contribute to almost every Army value including Duty, Loyalty, and most importantly Respect. Now I would like to give some more examples of customs some that are broken each day from ignorance or strait lack of knowledge.
• Never criticize the Army or a leader in public.
• Never go “over the heads” of superiors—don't jump the chain of command. • Never offer excuses.
• Never “wear” a superior's rank by