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Army competency essay
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Organizations are increasingly seeking ways of achieving competitive advantage. Managers have to plan carefully and use their resources with discretion to ensure that they have sustainable organizations. One critical organizational resource is the human resource department which has to be integrated into the strategic thinking of the business to achieve immediate and long-term gains in competitiveness, efficiency, and productivity. The United States Army and other military institutions are unique because the primary profitability function of typical organizations does not apply to them. They, however, have priorities that they have to address to be considered effective and sustainable (Davis, 2013). This paper looks at how the US Army can leverage …show more content…
Traditionally, the core competencies of the US Army have been defined by its contributions to the national security. The evolution of the role of the US Army from a force execution institution to one that is focused on preparation has also led to a shift in the core competencies of the organization. The core competencies of the US Army are combined arms maneuver and wide-area security (Davis, 2013). These are supported with enabling skills such as conduct entry operations, flexible mission command provision, security cooperation support, domestic civil authorities support, reserve component mobilization and integration, joint forces support, and entry operations conduct (Davis, 2013).
The first core competency, combined arms maneuver, is the ability of the Army to move through challenging environments and terrains while being engaged in land-based activities(Conley&Masi, 2006). The Army officers are expected to embody the attributes of adaptability and teamwork to succeed with their maneuvers.The other aspects of this competency include prompt response, forcible entry operations, and mobilization. The other enabling competencies such as flexible mission command and security cooperation are essential to the success of this core
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This has been reflected in the organization’s human resource strategy which is consistently changing to accommodate the evolving core competencies (Davis, 2013). The increased uptake of technology as an essential part of the human resource strategy is an example of how the institution is keeping up with times. Technology advancement is one of the areas that the organization continuously seeks to leverage to improve efficiency and combat outcomes. Through technology, the organization sees the opportunity to get the most out of their workforce.
Training and development is a key component of the human resource strategy. The preparation of the military for combat is essential in ensuring that they can effectively execute their mandate in the field. The training includes physical and mental training to improve the resilience of the military officers in the grueling and hostile environments where they can be deployed. Tactical training is prioritized as an essential element in improving the preparedness and adaptability of the military officers during combat (Salas et al.,
This book contains a powerful dramatization of current Marine Corps doctrine, but it also holds a hidden vision for many Generals. There are lessons in training methodology, leadership, and ethics as well. Because of this, it has made Card’s book, an often read title for many years; Ender’s Game has been a stalwart item on the Marine Corps Reading List since its inception. Then Captain John Schmitt, author of Warfighting (a foundational book on Marine maneuver warfare doctrine) used it to teach. Schmitt said, "Winning wars depends on the quality of the people you put into battle. Start with smart people, train them in imaginative and challenging ways, and ensure you force decisionmaking authority down to the person with a superior awareness of the tactical situation." Ender’s Game was published at the same time Marines started reading The Maneuver Warfare Handbook. We have since institutionalized maneuver warfare into the Marine Corps. The challenge to every generation of Marines is to continue to live up to what Maneuver Warfare philosophy demands of
The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief analysis of the United States Army’s organizational structure and its culture and how these two elements impact its workers, associates and affiliates. This paper will first examine the Army’s history, development and structure to highlight the origins of the Army’s culture. Secondly, a brief history of the Army’s organizational development will be followed by a close examination of its philosophy and supporting beliefs. Lastly, this paper will discuss the role of the Army’s leadership, their response to critical issues and the organizational structure of the Army. An analysis of the army’s top leaders will help the reader to understand the Army culture more thoroughly in the context of the Army’s organizational structure. More specifically this section of the paper will examine the Army leadership’s response to the current geo-political environment and other related issues. In conclusion, this paper hopes to highlight the Army’s overall functioning from an organizational standpoint and emphasize that idea that the Army is like a functional corporation. This will be accomplished by addressing various key questions throughout this text.
Noe, Raymond A., et al. Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2010. Print.
The Army requires its members to adhere to prolonged training and learn specialized skills. From the moment a soldier transitions from the civilian sector into the Army, he is indoctrinated with training. Regardless of rank, the Army demands each soldier to be technically proficient and mentally competent in order to be qualified in a respective Military Occupation Specialty. As a soldier progresses in his military career, he is required to continue his education and training. Army leaders are expected and required to continue developing their skills through academic studies, operational experience, and institutional training. An opposing view argues that anyone can learn these skills; however, statistics show less than 0.5% of the population serves in the armed forces, indicating a soldier is a rare mix of intelligence and character.1 These lessons are necessary qualifications to achieve what General Martin Dempsey describes as “effectiveness rather than efficiency.”2 Much like the profession of medicine which must heal, the media which must provide truth, and law which must provide justice, the profession of arms must provide secur...
In today’s operational environments, the U.S. Army is facing a range of problems and mission sets that are arguably more complex than previously encountered. Forces face an array of demands that encompass geo-political, social, cultural, and military factors that interact in unpredictable ways. The inherent complexity of today’s operations has underscored the need for the Army to expand beyond its traditional approach to operational planning. In March 2010 in FM 5-0: The Operations
Lengnick-Hall M.L.; Lengnick-Hall, C.A.; Andrade, L.S.; Drake, B. 2009. “Strategic human resource management: The evolution of the field.” Human Resource Management Review, 19, pp. 64-85.
Readiness is of the utmost importance with training being the most significant aspect that contributes to Readiness. Each Soldier needs an individual training plan. The plan should take the Soldier from enlistment to discharge or retirement. It is each Soldiers responsibility to be proficient in their field craft. This includes being fit mentally and physically, and trained to win in a complex world. It is the responsibility of the NCO to train these Soldiers. Unit training plans will address the readiness and resilience of individual Soldiers to ensure their fitness to accomplish their mission. Units must conduct realistic training at the individual, squad, platoon and company levels focused on Mission Essential Tasks (METs) for their
Leaders today need to have an appreciation for the operation process, understand a situation, envision a desired future, and to lay out an approach that will achieve that future (Flynn & Schrankel, 2013). Plans need to be created that can be modified to changes in any factors considered. However, plans should not be dependent on specific information being precise or that require things to go exactly according to schedule. Instead, the staff NCO should be flexible where they can and always be prepared for the unexpected. Today’s military members are fighting an unconventional war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The enemy constantly changes their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP’s) to counter the United States technological advances, making planning very difficult for leaders. There are multiple tools at a staff NCO’s disposal to try to anticipate an outcome of a current operation, but also assist with the development of concepts in follow-on missions. The Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) is just one tool a staff NCO can utilize. In order to stay ahead of the enemy, create effective plans and orders, it is critical for a staff NCO to assist the commander, and understand that the MDMP and planning are essential in defeating the enemy and conserving the fighting force.
When asked to compare and contrast U.S. military operations and capabilities for conventional versus irregular warfare, one cannot overlook the Marine Corps’ Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF). The MAGTF is the Marine Corps’ force protection aboard and how it contributes to the national security of this great nation. Five unique competencies allow the Marine Corps to do this successfully; however, they all focus on conventional warfare, with the exception of mainly one, warfighting culture and dynamic decision-making. Well-coordinated conventional operations and decentralized leadership combine to form a solid foundation for success in irregular warfare, therefore, conventional warfare should take priority.
Organizations’ other resources can be hired, retained and discarded at any time but human resources needs special treatment. It needs to be carefully hired, deserve an extra effort to retain it and requires training & development to upgrade and improve its capabilities. Other resources depreciate with the passage of time but when the human resource gains more and more experience, it becomes more beneficial for the organizations. These characteristics have brought human resources to be the central element for the success of an organization. (Mohammed, Bhatti, Jariko, and Zehri, 2013, pg. 129, para. 2)
One of the Army leader’s roles is to plan, assess, and prepare execution of daily training. The training that is carried out is based on tasks, conditions and standards. The Army training prepares Soldiers to always fight to the optimum level of operations. In fact, some of the crucial issues include versatile, lethal, agile, and survivable force. The mission is always challenging but Physical Readiness Training, or PRT, prepare the Soldiers to fulfil the mission regardless of the constraints of an operational environment. To achieve victory, Soldiers depend on their coordination, resiliency, strength, stamina, as well as agility to fight and win. The operation and fighting ground requires the best physical conditioning (Headquarters Department of the Army, 2012). In general perspective, Army Physical Readiness Training is accomplished in various chapters, which include approach, system, leadership, types of program, planning considerations, execution of training, preparation and recovery, strength and mobility activities, as well as endurance and mobility activities.
Armed with numerous studies, and intensive public hearings, Congress mandated far-reaching changes in DOD organization and responsibilities in the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986. This landmark legislation significantly expanded the authority and responsibility of the chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Included in this expanded authority and responsibility was the requirement for the chairman to develop a doctrine for the joint employment of armed forces. As operations Urgent Fury, Just Cause, and Desert Storm have vividly demonstrated, the realities of armed conflict in today's world make the integration of individual service capabilities a matter of success or failure, life or death. Furthermore, the operation Desert One demonstrated the need for a strengthened Joint Warfare Doctrine and the consequent change in Joint Warfare Employment. It is plain to see the benefits of having the greatest navy integrated with the world's greatest army and air force. However, even in the wake of a relatively successful joint operation in the Middle East (Desert Storm), certain weaknesses are evident in the current joint employment tactics and/or capabilities. By analyzing past operations such as Urgent Fury and Desert Storm, we are able to see sufficient evidence that the Joint Warfare Concept can be disastrous in one instance and virtually flawless in another.
Stressors on the force from global contingency operations serve to identify issues within readiness models. The readiness models then changed over time to meet the needs of the Army as a whole. Force Generation Models Three separate readiness models have served the army and its three components over the change from the 20th to 21st centuries; the Tiered
Core competencies are the most significant value creating skills within a company and key areas of expertise that are distinctive to a company and critical to the company's long-term growth. Core competencies are the pieces that a company is superior than its competitors in the critical, central areas of the company where the most value is added to its products. These areas of expertise may be in any area from product development to employee dedication. A competence which is central to business's operations but which is not exceptional in some way is not considered as a core competence, as it will not generate a differentiated advantage over rival businesses. It follows from the concept of core competencies; resources that are standardized or easily available will not enable a business to achieve a competitive advantage over rivals (Marketline Business Information Center, 2007). What makes each company different is the core piece that enabled it to establish itself in the market. Different companies have different assets to exploit (Moore, 2005). If a company can define what their core competencies are then the company has a better chance to innovate. Innovation is the key to a company’s longevity in the market, keeping the company and or the product from moving into the decline phase. Whether it is application innovation or product innovation the ability for a company to focus on their core gives them a leg up in the industry. As John Dewey states, “A problem well defined is half solved” (Dundon, 2002). Most companies do not know what their problem is, and they are not able to focus on the problem. A company that knows what the problem is has a better chance of taking their core component and innovating appropriately to s...
Throughout history, many have attempted to explain the phenomenon of war. Each in their own time contributed their own experiences to the cumulative body of military knowledge that has been handed down to the present day. As time passes, these theories of war and warfare evolve. This evolution continues today within the US Army. The US Army’s doctrine of operational art infers a theory of war and warfare dominated by conventional thinking, but has struggled to adapt to complex irregular conflicts that dominate current operations.