The Importance of the Goat

Why It Is Important To Be On Time

In today's army, being on time can be a paramount activity. Consequences for not showing up on time can be disastrous. In a normal job, you get up, go to work, and come home, and that is the limit of the level of involvement. The army is not one of those jobs. In the army, we are constantly training our mind and bodies for a combat environment. In such an environment, the level of involvement must be much higher. It is understood by many that any mistake, no matter how small can have extreme consequences. Among those consequences are situations which can lead to soldiers losing their lives.

The principal reason for this essay is because I did not show up as instructed to the 1300 formation. I desire to be a great soldier in the United States Army and I desire to excel inside military, and it’s little things like showing up on time that make the difference between a good and a great soldier. The first step I need to put into action to ensure that I am not late again is to make sure I am at the appropriate place of duty at the proper time and preferably with time to spare. The time standard of showing up fifteen minutes early is one that will be followed from this point on. This can be a simple task that's easy and painless to start, and it will be accomplished, as well ensure actual pain will not follow.

I do know what is expected of me as a soldier. I know that I am supposed to do what I am told, when I am told to do it. I know that what my first line supervisor tells me to do is an order from a superior and I have no choice but to execute. I know that if I fail there will be consequences and these consequences are necessary to teach me the correct way to conduct myself, so that on the battlefield I will not make any critical mistakes.

The army values, loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. When you are late for anything it goes against almost all of the values. Showing up late can show a lack of pride in your job, therefore leading to questioning of your loyalty. Duty, it’s too easy to show up on time, it’s what I get paid to do and it’s something that needs to happen. Respect, not showing up on time is basically a slap in the face for your leadership. Selfless service, showing up five minutes late to a formation simply because you wanted to take a thirty minute nap is just ridiculous, and shows extreme selfishness, especially when other people are waiting on you so that they can give their class. Honor, a man that lives his life with honor doesn’t do things like show up late, he does the right thing all the time. Integrity, it really ties in with honor. A man of integrity has strong moral principles, and a man with strong moral principles does the little things right.

In the military it is extremely important to do what your team leader tells you because that can be the difference between life and death in a combat situation. Showing up late can lead to a lack of trust in the team and can lead to catastrophic problems down the line. Another reason why it is important to show up on time is if you can’t meet a simple time hack after having an hour and a half for lunch, how can any one of your higher ups trust you later on down the road when you’re leading a team or squad. If you can’t show up to work who's to say you won't miss your time on target during a raid or an assault. The Army actually thinks it’s so important, that you increase your chances for promotion

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