16 Mar Immersion Into Military Life
WK3
Discuss 1-Immersion Into Military Life
Why might an individual choose to enlist in military service rather than seek employment elsewhere? In the United States, no one has been drafted or forced into military service since 1973. In other countries, forced military service may occur, and the service members’ reasons for staying in the service may vary. Unlike forced military service, voluntary military service is a personal choice. There are a myriad of reasons why someone would engage in service before self in an institution that requires one to relinquish certain personal rights. To understand military personnel from the lens of a helping professional, it is imperative to understand what motivates a person to choose this career path as a way of life regardless if it is for short or long term.
As you investigate the motivating factors of joining, staying in, or separating from military service, consider how military culture can influence these decisions.
Post a description of one motivating factor for joining the military and one motivating factor for military personnel to remain in the service. Explain how these factors motivate individuals to join and remain in military service. Finally, describe one way military culture might influence a person’s decision to remain in or separate from the military. Justify your response by citing references to the resources and the current literature.
Discuss 2- Chain of Command
The highly structured and complex U.S. military chain of command is a critical component of the military. It contains many levels and arms to which and from which reporting and responsibility flow. Without the chain of command, missions would fail and chaos would ensue.
As a helping professional, you must understand why the chain of command exists, how it is structured, and how military personnel navigate it. You must also understand the impact that the chain of command may have on the lives of military personnel and their families. This understanding equips you to help military personnel and their families adjust to living within the chain of command.
As with any organization or workplace, there are typical protocols and procedures that military personnel follow. For example, in the typical workplace, reporting procedures, time-off requests, and specific instructions for work duties parallel military personnel procedures to a degree. The extent to which the chain of command touches or influences the lives of military personnel, however, is a significant contrast to the typical workplace.
Unlike the typical employee, military personnel cannot leave their jobs when they find other preferred job opportunities. From boot camp training—which demands recruits to follow specific training orders—to daily life on or off a military installation, the chain of command is ever present.
For example, when a military service member receives a collection notice, oftentimes collection agencies contact that individual’s chain of command who may in turn demand that the individual pay the outstanding debt. In cases of domestic violence, the chain of command will get involved and can impose punitive action, demand counseling, or even remove items, such as weapons, from a home, if the command believes they may be used to harm family members. When a military service member faces legal charges, the chain of command will impose punitive action that may include withholding pay or leave time or even discharging the individual from the service.
Review the Chain of Command Flow Chart media piece and the “Chain of Command Scenarios” document (accessed in this week’s resources) for this Discussion. Select one of the scenarios to address in the Discussion.
By Day 4
Post an explanation of how relinquishing certain rights to a chain of command might present challenges for military personnel. Justify your response. Then, as a helping professional, explain one way you might support military personnel or military families to adjust to following a chain of command in the chain of command scenario you selected. Use the current literature and resources to support your response.
References
Blaisure, K. R., Saathoff-Wells, T., Pereira, A., MacDermid Wadsworth, S., & Dombro, A. L. (2016). Serving military families (2nd ed.). New York: NY: Routledge.
Chapter 1, “An Introduction to Military Culture and Military Families”
Review: “Chain of Command” (pp. 11-14)
Chapter 2, “An Overview of Military Personnel and Their Families” (pp. 23-47)
Schading, B., Schading, R., (2007). A civilian’s guide to the U.S. military: A comprehensive reference to the customs, language, & structure of the armed forces. Cincinnati, OH:Writers Digest.
Chapter 2, “Understanding the U.S. Army” (pp. 26–45)
Chapter 3, “Understanding the U.S. Navy” (pp. 62–76)
Chapter 4, “Understanding the U.S. Marine Corps” (pp. 90–102)
Chapter 5, “Understanding the U.S. Air Force” (pp. 111–120)
Chapter 6, “Understanding the U.S. Coast Guard” (pp. 129–133, 137–138)
Document: Chain of Command Scenarios (PDF)
Select one of these scenarios to address in Discussion 2.
