Essay on Military Leadership and Army Cohesiveness

Army cohesion refers to the bonding of army soldiers for sustaining their will and commitment to the unit, mission accomplishment, and each other despite mission stress or combat. In the United States, an initiative called TIMS was introduced with the sole aim of building unit cohesion across the US army. Some of the activities being implemented by this initiative to enhance unit cohesion among U.S soldiers are; in-processing of new soldiers, leader development, education of non-commission officers, among others. Army cohesion is very important in that it helps the army unit leaders to effectively anticipate challenges that may come out so that they can be fixed earlier or be prevented. This essay shall focus on how the in-processing of new soldiers improves unit cohesion.

In-processing in the military context refers to the reception & integration of new members of an army unit. It is the first moment new soldiers are being exposed to new units or teams. In-processing is the best time for setting new Soldiers up successfully socialize with their new team and its culture. Inconsistencies exist in how new Soldiers might go through the reception and integration process. Some of the ways through which new soldiers are being received and integrated into their teams are by attaching them with battle buddies or assigned sponsors in the Army Career Tracker to move them around. This is just but a very small effort in the general military experiences, & sometimes it is even not practiced. This calls for more innovative ways of receiving and integrating new members of the army into their respective units.

One of the best ways of in-processing recommended enhancing unit cohesion amongst soldiers in my organization is by telling new members what the organization would expect from them. While new members might have been made aware of the organization’s expectation during the interviews, they ought to know the expectations the organization leadership have for them at work. This will ensure that we are all on the same page and hence will provide the opportunity to lay out rules and regulations. Since such rules and regulations are common all across the organization, if new members follow them strictly just like the other members will ensure that all and sundry will be working towards a common goal. It is through working towards a common objective that would enhance unit cohesion in the military organization. (Sarah, 2016)

Another way of in-processing that will enhance unit cohesion is by introducing new members to people of various ranks. Some people, particularly people who are above them in terms of rank can act as their mentors. By being mentored positively towards working for a common course, new soldiers will be able to easily get in tune with the new units they are in. It is through this way that new members will have the confidence to confide with other members hence boosting cohesion amongst unit members. (Sarah, 2016)

In conclusion, in-processing through telling the organization’s expectations and boosting the confidence of new members can be regarded as some of the best factors that can revolutionize unit cohesion in the army of the United States. Military leaders who incorporate the aforementioned strategies in the reception and integration of new soldiers would bring massive success in all military missions since team members would work in cohesion with each other. This will also lead to a greater level of soldier retention & recruitment of the best military men for the United States Army. Ultimately, this will make the United States Army well prepared to triumph in any forthcoming battlefield.

References

Sarah B. J. (2016, October 7) Top 6 Ways to Integrate a New Team Member. Human Resources

https://www.business2community.com/human-resources/top-6-ways-integrate-new-team-member-01674160