Quotes on The Army Values


The Army Values. If you spell out leadership as LDRSHIP, each one of those letters spells out the Army values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal courage. The Army has always had values, dating back to Baron von Steuben at Valley Forge in 1778 when he established those attributes and traits that an NCO should have. The values apply to every soldier who wears the uniform, from E-1 through O-10, Active, Guard, and Reserve. Army Chief of Staff General Eric Shinseki will live by the same set of values that he expects every private to live by, and I'll do the same. The Army values are leadership; leadership is Army values.

SMA Robert E. Hall


Loyalty


Loyalty: Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit, and other soldiers.

If I could tell soldiers one thing, it would be: have faith. Faith in the Army, the leadership, and their own ability.

SMA Robert E. Hall


A soldier is the most-trusted profession in America. Americans have trust in you because you trust each other. No matter how difficult times are, those of us who love the Army must stick with it.

SMA Richard A. Kidd


Soldiers' ability to sustain themselves and their fellow soldiers during periods of high stress is built upon rock-hard confidence in themselves and their leadership chain beginning with fire team leaders or the noncommissioned officer of their section. What we have learned and relearned in our Army is that unit cohesion and teamwork are what give individual soldiers the confidence to use initiative, to be resourceful, and to be all they can be. A soldier always wants the best to be at his front, rear, right and left, trained to stay there regardless of what may happen. A special bond develops when leaders live their lives following the fundamentals of leadership.

SMA Glen E. Morrell


You must give soldiers reasons to have confidence and pride in themselves, in their leaders, and in their units. Only then will you have loyalty. Loyalty was the primary trait I looked for in soldiers.

SMA George W. Dunaway



Duty


Duty: Fulfill your obligations


Three words that are dear to me are duty, responsibility, and authority. People often make the observation that, "He is an outstanding noncommissioned officer" or "She is a born leader." But what it is that makes soldiers into leaders? One of key elements that must exist for NCOs to become outstanding leaders is that NCOs need to understand what their responsibilities are. And as you see things that need to be fixed in the Army, don't look up, because you're part of the "they" that is our Army. Look in the mirror, and then figure out how to fix your part of the Army. Experience isn't what happens to you. Experience is what you do with what happens to you. Being a hero isn't hitting 60 home runs- it's what you do every day.

SMA Robert E. Hall


It is difficult to be a good noncommissioned officer. If it had been easy, they would have given it to the officer corps.

SMA William A. Connelly


You're not being paid by how hard you work, but by what you accomplish. If you can't hack it, pack it. Our challenge today is to look forward, to write our own history.

SMA William A. Connelly


The goal of the corps of NCOs, whose duty is the day-to-day business of running the Army so that the officer corps has time to command it, is to continue to improve our Army at every turn. We want to leave it better than we found it. Regardless of the kind of unit you're in, it ought to be an "elite" outfit, because its NCOs can make it one.

SMA William G. Bainbridge




Citizens everywhere, and especially soldiers, should remember that entrenched bureaucracy, whatever the level, can be overcome. You've got to stick to it, be polite but firm, and just not take no for an answer.

SMA William G. Bainbridge


Squad leaders, platoon sergeants, and first sergeants can make or break any Army program. I think of the whole process of "people" programs as a kind of inverted pyramid. At the top is the broad base of policy. Many high-level staffs and agencies help establish these policies, each of which carries considerable weight. Beneath the policies in the inverted pyramid are the implementing policies and instructions. There are numerous sources and channels for these, each of which adds to the weight and increases the pressure. Finally, at the bottom, is the apex of the inverted pyramid, the unit: the company or battery, and the platoons, squads, and sections that make up the Army. The entire pyramid's weight is concentrated here. This is the focal point where the noncommissioned officer can play a major role. The noncommissioned officers who meet professional challenges successfully will be the shakers and the movers, the leaders and the doers, the hard chargers and the thorough supervisors.

SMA Leon L. Van Autreve


A professional is a dynamic growing being who has learned from the past, acts in the present, but above all focuses on accomplishing his mission. The Army, like any other dynamic business, must constantly look critically at its own structure and procedures. Although the Department of the Army is always formulating new programs and experimenting with these schemes, it takes the full support and whole-hearted dedication of all enlisted ranks to make sure that the future's threats to our way of life can be overcome. The ideal of honorable service which we instill in our soldiers today will lay the foundation for a better Army in the future.

SMA George W. Dunaway


In our Army every soldier must care about his job. Often- if the duty seems menial or hum-drum- it is hard to cultivate this attitude. But it must be done. What you do in your job each day, you do for the Army.

SMA William O. Wooldridge


Respect


Respect: Treat People as They Should Be Treated


Soldiers want to know three things from their NCOs. They want to know if you are concerned about them, whether your focus is up the chain of command and promotion for yourself, or is your focus down the chain to where they are. Soldiers want to know if they can trust you, and they can if you do what is right and what is legal, all the time. Soldiers want to be the best they can be, so they want a commitment of excellence from you. I expect NCOs to lead, train, and care for soldiers. Caring doesn't mean making things easy. Caring is causing soldiers to adhere to standards, enforcing standards, and maintaining standards. It's sometimes making soldiers do something they don't want to do. Being Sergeant Major of the Army is not that different from what I've done since I was a squad leader. It's all about taking care of soldiers, just on another level.

SMA Robert E. Hall


President Truman's vision, as expressed in Executive Orders 9980 and 9981 and the Integration Act of 1948, was to allow all people to serve our Army and our nation equally without regard to race, creed, color, religion, or national origin. His order, coupled with a more recent recruiting slogan first used in the 1980s, I believe cultivates the core of our vision "BE ALL YOU CAN BE." Those orders didn't change attitudes. Fifty years of knowing and caring leaders working hard have paved the way for the Army to be the model for the nation. I salute our soldiers and our Army for being the leader in President Truman's vision, and our nation for allowing its people to "BE ALL THEY CAN BE."

SMA Robert E. Hall


1SG Felix Helms was tough as nails, but he always looked out for my best interests. He was always trying to teach me something. I'd be on my way out the front door for the day and he'd call me in and say, "Come here, let me show you how to run a suspense file." Or, maybe it was how to counsel or how to set up a duty roster. It doesn't really matter. When you get down to it, it's not about what skills he taught me, it's the fact that he gave a damn about me.

SMA Gene C. McKinney


Never say "lower enlisted soldiers"- always say "junior enlisted soldiers." Don't use the term "common soldier"- we are all soldiers in a common cause.

SMA Gene C. McKinney


Soldiers expect the noncommissioned officer to be technically proficient, up front, and honest with them. Soldiers must know that NCOs care, that they can approach the NCO for guidance and direction, and that NCOs can make things happen when a difficult situation arises.

SMA Glen E. Morrell


There is no place in "our Army" for those who sexually harass or intimidate others, or whose use of alcohol or drugs degrades themselves and the soldiers around them.

SMA Glen E. Morrell


Every good soldier wants to live in an organized environment, secure in the knowledge that he or she will not be threatened or harassed by others, confident that his or her efforts will be recognized, and aware that the nonproductive soldier will be invited to leave. In such an environment, soldiers will be proud of their units and will demonstrate that pride with their performance and behavior.

SMA William A. Connelly


We want the Army to be society's model of fair treatment. We want to assure that all soldiers are treated fairly, not because it is necessary but because it is right. Those units that have the fewest incidents are those whose noncommissioned officers really know their men and take a personal interest in their welfare.

SMA Silas L. Copeland


Take care of each man as though he were your own brother. He is.

SMA William O. Wooldridge


Selfless-Service


Selfless-Service: Put the Welfare of the Nation, the Army,and Your Subordinates Before Your Own


Selfless service can't be measured. How do you put a price tag, a dollar sign, on the sacrifices that NCOs and soldiers make today? You've got to look at the full spectrum of what we expect our soldiers and our noncommissioned officers to do. But let's also remember that it isn't all about money. None of us are in this for the money. Soldiers deserve every bit of pay and entitlements our Army and our nation can give them, but being a soldier is more than that. It's pride, it's patriotism, it's service to our nation. Sense of purpose is the primary factor for high morale- the individual soldier's knowledge that he or she is making a difference.

SMA Robert E. Hall


Are you truly doing what's best for the nation, what's best for the Army, what's best for your unit, and what's best for your soldiers and their families? Are you taking all of that into consideration, or are you looking at what makes you as an individual look the best?

SMA Richard A. Kidd


We serve our nation- our people- for the devotion, faith, and trust we place in our free, democratic system of government. Being in the Army means a total commitment to a higher calling, devotion to duty, and a thousand other adjectives. For those who have fought for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know.

It is almost uncanny how the three underlying principles of our founding fathers have remained unchanged over the years- our commitment to be independent, our will to win, and our determination to fight to retain our inalienable rights. We all need to understand our heritage as soldiers in order that we may be better protectors of our nation's sacred trust. We owe our nation, our children, and grandchildren the debt of ensuring that each of our soldiers knows what it is they are protecting and guarding and why. Our children and grandchildren will flourish provided the will is never lost for the cause of freedom. Everyone in our nation must understand why young men and women serve in our armed forces and why they put up with the hardships of Army life and are willing to lay their lives on the line to protect the greatest nation ever created and known to mankind.

SMA Glen E. Morrell


Soldiers are members of a profession of arms which has existed virtually unchanged for thousands of years- far longer than most other human institutions have existed. The Army has done so because of its unique character- a uniqueness based primarily upon intangibles that cannot be "costed."

SMA William A. Connelly


We cannot give the American soldier too much credit. He deserves everything we can do for him and he deserves all the respect we can show him. The American soldier is among the greatest assets this country has. Generations of Americans will be able to enjoy the freedom that American soldiers have defended and preserved in war after war throughout our history. Whether or not a war is popular among the nation's people, and whether or not it is supported by the legislators, has no bearing on what the soldiers do and think. They perform their duties magnificently and bravely. They don't make the policies, and they don't declare war. But they fight, they bleed, and they die. And they do it unhesitatingly. They should be appreciated and recognized for it, without regard for the political aspects of the war. When you think of the freedom you enjoy in this country, think of the sacrifices the soldier has made to keep us free.

SMA George W. Dunaway



Honor


Honor: Live Up to All the Army Values


Live the Army values every day, and do the things that General Dennis Reimer talks about when he says, "Do what's right- legally and morally- every day, create an environment where soldiers can be all they can be; treat others as you'd want to be treated." If you take those three pieces of guidance, and you couple it with Army values and you train hard and you maintain standards, I don't know how you can go wrong.

One of the questions soldiers ask is, "Do you care about me?" And caring is about maintaining high standards, it's taking care of soldiers, it's doing all the right things. And it's also focusing down the chain of command toward the soldiers, not up the chain of command toward your next promotion or your next assignment. It's not thinking about "me."

SMA Robert E. Hall


An African proverb states: "If you don't know who you are, anyone can name you. And, if anyone can name you, you'll answer to anything." I believe these words are applicable to General Dennis Reimer's message about the importance of NCOs to the Army. If you do not know who you are, how can you know your soldiers? If you do not know your soldiers- which includes your NCOs- how can you perform the mission properly? In my opinion, you cannot and you will not, or you will be unsuccessful because you will answer to what you think should be said or done and not to what is right. We must show soldiers what "right looks like." Remember- managers do things right, and leaders do the right thing.

SMA Gene C. McKinney


We build character in order for us to withstand the rigors of combat and resist the temptations to compromise our principles in peacetime. We must build character in peacetime because there is no time in war. Character is the most important quality you can find in any person, but especially in a soldier. It is the foundation that will get anybody through anything he may encounter. Reputation is what people think you are; character is what you are- that is the staying power.

SMA Glen E. Morrell


A code of ethics cannot be developed overnight by edict or official pronouncement. It is developed by years of practice and performance of duty according to high ethical standards. It must be self-policing. Without such a code, a professional soldier or a group soon loses identity and effectiveness. Once we know our job, have a genuine code of ethics, and maintain unquestioned personal integrity, we have met the first and most demanding challenge of leadership.

SMA Silas L. Copeland



Integrity


Integrity: Do What's Right, Legally and Morally


We can't all do everything; we can't all have every badge, every medal, or every award. But that's okay. As long as you do what you're supposed to do and you do it well, you're going to be okay. If soldiers do the right thing every day because it is the right thing to do, treat other soldiers with dignity and respect, and follow the golden rule, they will succeed as soldiers and the Army will succeed as a whole.

SMA Robert E. Hall


People value honesty. They value integrity. They value competence and courage and all those kinds of things.

SMA Richard A. Kidd


The trust, confidence, and support given to us by our chain of command, and the tenacity of the great noncommissioned officers of the past, have laid the foundation and developed our quality corporals and sergeants.

SMA Julius W. Gates


Soldiers must possess integrity in order to build trust and confidence in themselves, our leadership, and the American public. Among the things I've learned during my career is that you must be honest with everyone about everything.

SMA Glen E. Morrell


The core of a soldier is moral discipline. It is intertwined with the discipline of physical and mental achievement. It motivates doing on your own what is right without prodding. It is an inner critic that refuses to tolerate less than your best. Total discipline overcomes adversity and physical stamina draws on an inner strength that says "drive on."

SMA William G. Bainbridge


Without self-discipline, a noncommissioned officer can never develop or maintain personal integrity.

SMA Silas L. Copeland




Personal Courage


Personal Courage: Face Fear, Danger, or Adversity (Physical or Moral)


Tell the absolute truth.

SMA Robert E. Hall


You must tell your commander the truth: the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good NCO who is listened to will always level with the commander, and then it is up to the commander to take heed or ignore it, remembering that he or she has to live with the outcome.

There is a lot of material on what should be done regarding leadership, but it takes intestinal fortitude to do what is right. It takes guts for an NCO to use inherent authority and responsibility in training, maintaining, leading, and caring for soldiers. Young noncommissioned officers are the ones who call the shots; it is on their knowledge, initiative, and courage that our success in battle rests.

SMA Glen E. Morrell


Professional courage is the steel fiber that makes an NCO unafraid and willing to tell it like it is. The concept of professional courage does not always mean being as tough as nails, either. It also suggests a willingness to listen to the soldiers' problems, to go to bat for them in a tough situation and it means knowing just how far they can go. It also means being willing to tell the boss when he is wrong.

SMA William A. Connelly


The greatness of our Army has always been the ability of our soldiers who serve in the ranks to rise to the challenge against the odds, in the face of danger, and win.

SMA Julius W. Gates


The good NCO has never been short in confidence, either to perform the mission or to inform the superior that he or she was interfering with traditional NCO business.

SMA William G. Bainbridge


Moral courage, to me, is much more demanding than physical courage.

SMA Leon L. Van Autreve


The equipment and weaponry will continually change and improve, and the size of the military will expand as needed, decreasing during times of peace. But the unyielding will of the soldier and the dedication of professional military leaders will not change. Our soldiers can do a great deal more under pressure than people think. You'd have to see them perform in combat to believe it.

SMA George W. Dunaway


How can fear help you? Fear is not altogether undesirable. It is nature's way of preparing your body for battle. As a consequence, the body automatically undergoes certain changes. You may temporarily lose a sense of fatigue, no matter how tired you are. Fear can stimulate your body, make you more alert, and prepare you for unusual physical effort.

One of the easiest things to do is to talk to someone. Talk is a convenient way to relieve your tension- and it also helps the men you're talking to. It's a reminder that the rest of the team is with you. Your confidence goes up and your fear goes down when you think of the coming fight as a team job. You know the striking power of the team.

Action or "doing something" will also help you overcome the initial paralyzing effect of fear in combat. This is especially true when you're waiting for battle and the suspense is bothering you. Put your fear aside by doing something- even if you have to make work for yourself.

No man ever adjusts himself perfectly to battle, regardless of how much combat he's seen. Veteran soldiers also experience the reactions caused by fear. The difference is that veterans have learned to control their fears better than green troops. Learn to control fear and make it work for you. The man who controls his fear and goes about his business despite it is a courageous man. There's no limit to what courage can accomplish on the battlefield.

SMA William O. Wooldridge