Initial Entry Training (IET) in the United States Army comprises of both mental and physical training of enlisted individuals who are interested in becoming soldiers in the Army, Army Reserve, or the Army National Guard (Perkins & Davis, 2015) . The training is highly intense and challenging, and only those who emerge the best on top of their training camps get an opportunity to be selected to join the military. The IET involves a combination of physical training, field exercises, and classroom time. The purpose of IET is to equip them with physical, mental, and emotional elements of service. Though the process is hectic and robust, it is rewarding as successful service members acquire the necessary tools to perform life-changing roles as soldiers in the world's greatest Army. IET is divided into two parts, which include the Basic Combat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) (Perkins & Davis, 2015). After successful completion of the IET, soldiers move to Osut camps or AIT to study the jobs they will perform while in the military. The fundamental elements of a soldiers' life learned during the training include necessary tactical and survival skills, military customs and courtesies, and combat skills. However, the most fundamental element learned by soldiers during the training exercise is discipline. Discipline in the Army comprises of aspects, such as work ethic, obedience, military bearing, and courtesy. Discipline in IET environments is vital in the life of a soldier because it helps build character, promotes cohesiveness and teamwork, enhances competency, and promotes national integrity.
Discipline Helps Build Character
The rigorous physical and psychological training that soldiers are subjected to in IET environments exposes them to the workings of the United States Army. Even though those enlisting in the Army may have diverse moral and ethical qualities, the discipline instilled during training ensures that soldiers have dedication and adherence to military ethics ( Boe, 2016) . Shaping the character of soldiers motivates them to act when faced with tough decisions. As a result, soldiers can determine right and wrong and always strive to remain focused on missions.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Without character, Army recruits will lack a sense of purpose and direction. Character in the Army also invokes the mental image of honor and pride among soldiers (Frost, 2018). Discipline thus pushes soldiers to uphold the standards of professional character and adhere to military values in the initial pursuit of victory as a nation. It is only through discipline that soldiers are in a position to lead by example by first upholding the law, treating others with respect, being courageous, accountable, committed to their course, and develop trust. Without character, soldiers would have a wavering sense of integrity and ethical standards. It would, therefore, be difficult for the Army to build a positive perception of the civilian population. Professional character and ethics instilled during IET set soldiers apart from other adversaries (insurgent groups) who have no respect for moral code ( Boe, 2016) .
Discipline Enhances Teamwork and Cohesiveness
The military discipline instilled in soldiers during IET significantly makes soldiers value the importance of working as a team. It would have been impossible for members of the United States Army divisions and units to maintain cohesiveness during missions with a sense of instilled discipline. Both self-discipline and group discipline imposed on recruits during training makes them work in unison and follow the rules, regulations, and instructions of their leaders without questioning ( Frost, 2018). The Army is just like any other organization. Disagreements among members are likely to arise. However, the discipline acquired during the IET environment makes disgruntled members in the Army that the call they serve is more critical compared to individual interests (Boe, 2015). Soldiers place more value on task cohesion rather than social cohesion. Social cohesion refers to the quality of emotional bonds of friendship among group members. Task cohesion, on the other hand, refers to the commitment among group members to achieve particular set goals through group efforts. It is only through discipline that service members can put their emotional feelings behind and push forward until a mission is successful. The shared commitment among soldiers act as a source of motivation and makes them coordinate efforts towards the completion of a mission even after losing friends in the line of fire.
Cohesion and teamwork also help soldiers to cope with the stress experienced in battle. Research findings show that teamwork and cohesion help reduce psychological distresses, such as low self-esteem and depression. The discipline instilled during training thus enables recruits to understand the importance of relying on each other to grow and perform better than their enemies. Cohesiveness and teamwork also enhance communication, which significantly increases the chance of survival ( Muraca-Grabowski, 2015). Through discipline, soldiers realize that lives are always at stake, and taking advantage of every opportunity as a team when facing the enemy will make the team learn how to survive. The discipline instilled during basic training and AIT enables soldiers to learn how each person moves and also to think together as one. Soldiers are always ready to take responsibility and ensure mutual accountability when in missions, not to satisfy their desires, but for the overall success of the team. The fact that there is no “I” among the military personnel of the United States is one of the reasons why the nation has the greatest Army in the world.
Discipline Enhances Competency
All recruits in the United States Army at the infancy stage undergo through the IET process first before moving to other specialized training programs. The basic training acquired during the process makes soldiers become smarter and attain stability when making decisions ( Boe, 2016) . The discipline acquired in IET also makes it possible for Osut soldiers and those moving to the Advanced Training Stage (AIT) to maintain competency when performing their Army jobs. Competency refers to the ability of soldiers to maintain efficiency to complete the missions or duties assigned to them successfully. Thus, discipline promotes the competency and effectiveness of soldiers in both planned and unplanned military responsibilities.
Military ranks or positions of power are held by individuals who have a general responsibility to command and influence other soldiers under them to accomplish a mission. Without discipline, it would have been challenging for a leader to remain competitive when providing purpose, direction, or motivation to their followers, especially when under fire attack from an enemy. The discipline acquired in IET makes soldiers and their leaders to remain focused and not allow fear to cloud their judgment when making decisions. Discipline makes recruits in the Army to stay strong, patient, and persevere in times of challenges (Frost, 2018). The discipline learned in IET makes recruits in AIT, basic training, and Osut camps to be properly acculturated as soldiers by competently learning skills of marksmanship, survival, communication, and medical proficiency. Discipline is what makes workers take ownership and pride in their work while maintaining no sense of entitlement.
Competence among members in the military also includes simple acts such as wearing their uniforms all the time when in military operations. The discipline of wearing military uniform among recruits is instilled during IET. It is during IET that recruits on the importance of wearing the uniform at all times when in missions, whether it is raining or uncontrollably hot. Uniforms are essential because they help soldiers to be identified easily and to be distinguished from enemies or opponents. Wearing a uniform, especially during a war, promotes efficiency by avoiding any cases of mistaken identity. Also, it is the instilled discipline that compels troops to maintain a high degree of competency by always participating in war without resisting or questioning the commands of their seniors ( Muraca-Grabowski, 2015) .
Furthermore, it is only through discipline that military members have managed to promote competency in the management of the nation's security. Military members learn during IET training of the importance of maintaining neutrality in times of political upheavals. As a result, military members strive to uphold a high degree of discipline and competence in the form of any military actions to ensure that civilians are protected, and peace is preserved (Boe, 2015). Discipline and competency also make members of the military refrain from breaking the law they expected to uphold. For instance, in times of political conflict, war, or civil unrest, military members maintain their competency by protecting civilian businesses and not using their powers to loot property.
Discipline Promotes National Integration
The discipline instilled in military members during IET plays a crucial role in promoting national integration and peace ( Muraca-Grabowski, 2015) . Though military members wield significant powers compared to civilians, discipline enables them to work in harmony with civilians in any form of settings. Without discipline, it would have been easy for military leaders to become intoxicated with the power at their disposal to infringe on the freedom and constitutional rights of civilians. Though military members have dangerous weapons, such as bombs, they never allowed using them to harm innocent civilians. However, the lack of discipline among military members in countries such as Uganda, DRC Congo, or Syria led to political tensions and the infringement of the rights of civilians. Civilians in such countries have been inclined to hate the Army because of the historical injustices they suffered, thereby endangering national integration and peace.
Besides, it is in IET that military members learn various statutes that govern their code of conduct and standards of discipline to observe when dealing with civilians. An example of the statutory provision that military members learn during training is the Army Regulations. The provisions make military members gain awareness on the limits of their operations, thereby promoting peaceful coexistence between the Army and civilians. By adhering to the rules stipulated in the provisions, military members refrain from interfering with innocent and thus promoting national integration in the process. The discipline instilled during IET also fosters integrity among military officers. Military members strive to maintain strong moral principles in the spirit of patriotism ( Muraca-Grabowski, 2015) . As a result, soldiers are always ready to respond to insecurity threats affecting civilians within or outside national borders. While protecting the country from outside threats, discipline enables soldiers to follow deployment instructions keenly. Failure to accord discipline to such instructions could exacerbate international tensions and war rather than keeping the peace.
Conclusion
Army recruits should learn that the rigorous and strict IET training is not meant to "break" them but rather instill a sense of purpose and mission in their lives as soldiers. The discipline instilled in the military starting camp environments helps enhance self-control, behavior, and competence to ensure that soldiers remain professional efficient in times of operations and work. The self-discipline, group discipline, and civilian discipline acquired during EIT, Basic Combat Training, and Out camps also instill a sense of confidence, honor, and pride in their work.
References
Boe, O. (2016). Building resilience: The role of character strengths in the selection and education of military leaders. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience , 17 (4), 714-716.
Frost, M. (2018). Back to the Basics with Pride and Discipline . Association of the United States Army. Retrieved 14 February 2020, from https://www.ausa.org/articles/back-basics-pride-and-discipline .
Muraca-Grabowski, S. T. (2015). Assessing Army Values in New Soldiers: Development of a Behaviorally Anchored Peer Evaluation Form . UNITED STATES ARMY CENTER FOR INITIAL MILITARY TRAINING FORT EUSTIS VA.
Perkins, D. G., & Davis, R. A. (2015). Enlisted Initial Entry Training Policies And Administration. Training .
