Saturday, March 21, 2020

NCO Respect free essay sample

Commissioned officers are direct representatives of the President. The President uses commissions as legal instruments to appoint and exercise direct control over qualified people who act as his legal agents and help him carry out duties. The Army retains this direct-agent relationship with the President through its commissioned officers. The commission serves as the basis for a commissioned officer’s legal authority. Commissioned officers command, establish policy, and manage Army resources. Warrant officers are highly specialized, single-track specialty officers who receive their authority from the Secretary of the Army upon their initial appointment. However, Title 10 USC authorizes the commissioning of warrant officers (WO1) upon promotion to chief warrant officer (CW2). These commissioned warrant officers are direct representatives of the President of the United States. They derive their authority from the same source as commissioned officers, but remain specialists in their field. Warrant officers can and do command detachments, units, activities, and vessels as well as lead, coach, train and counsel subordinates. We will write a custom essay sample on NCO Respect or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As leaders and technical experts, they provide valuable skills, guidance, and expertise to commanders and organizations in their particular field. Noncommissioned officers, the backbone of the Army, train, lead, and take care of enlisted soldiers. They also provide advice to officers in every aspect of unit operations. NCOs often represent officers and DAC leaders in their absence. They ensure their soldiers, along with their personal equipment, are prepared to function as effective unit and team members. While commissioned officers command, establish policy, and manage resources, NCOs conduct the Army’s daily business. Junior enlisted soldiers are where the rubber meets the road. Junior enlisted soldiers perform their duties to standard AND to the best of their ability. This means perfroming individual tasks identified by first line supervisors based on the unit’s mission essential task list (METL). All soldiers must be able to do those individual tasks to standard because that is where every successful operation begins—at the individual task level. Junior enlisted soldiers can seek help from first-line supervisors for problems they are unable to solve. Like every soldier in the Army, junior enlisted soldiers have a duty to obey the lawful orders of superiors. Even junior enlisted soldiers can make on-the-spot corrections—they shouldn’t walk by a deficiency without tactfully correcting the problem. That’s professionalism. Department of the Army civilians are members of the executive branch of the federal government and are a vital part of the Army. DACs fill positions in staff and base sustaining operations that might otherwise have to be filled by officers and NCOs. Senior DACs establish policy and manage Army resources, but they do not have the authority to command. The complementary relationship and mutual respect between the military and civilian members of the Army is a long-standing tradition. Since the Army’s beginning in 1775, military and civilian roles have stayed separate, yet necessarily related. Taken in combination, traditions, functions, and laws also help clarify duties of military and civilian members of the Army. Specified duties are those related to jobs and positions. Directives such as Army regulations, Department of the Army (DA) general orders, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), soldier’s manuals, Army Training and Evaluation Program (ARTEP) or Mission Training Plan (MTP) publications, and Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) job descriptions specify the duties. They spell out what soldiers must do and the standards they must meet. Directed duties are not specified as part of a job position or MOS or other directive. A superior gives them orally or in writing. Directed duties include being in charge of quarters (CQ) or serving as sergeant of the guard, staff duty officer, company training NCO, and nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) NCO where these duties are not found in the unit’s organizational charts. Implied duties often support specified duties, but in some cases they may not be related to the military occupational specialty (MOS) job position. These duties may not be written but implied in the instructions. They’re duties that improve the quality of the job and help keep the unit functioning at an optimum level. In most cases, these duties depend on individual initiative. They improve the work environment and motivate soldiers to perform because they want to, not because they have to. Responsibility is the legally established and moral obligation a soldier assumes for his own actions, accomplishments and failures. Leaders also assume responsibility for the actions, accomplishments, and failures of their units and decisions. Above all, the leader is responsible for accomplishing his assigned missions. Then, he is responsible for his soldiers’ health, welfare, morale, and discipline. The leader is responsible for maintaining and employing the resources of his force. In most cases, these responsibilities do not conflict. But sometimes they do. For example, SPC Hull has requested a three day pass, Friday through Sunday, because an old friend is visiting for the weekend. But Friday the company is going to the range to qualify on individual weapons. There is no other range time scheduled for the next three months. If such a conflict cannot be resolved, accomplishing the mission must come first. In the example, SPC Hull’s commander disapproves the pass. Related to responsibility is accountability. This is the requirement to answer to superiors (and ultimately the American people) for mission accomplishment, for the lives and care of assigned soldiers, and for effectively and efficiently using Army resources. It also includes an obligation to answer for properly using delegated authority. Leaders are accountable for what they do or fail to do. For example, SSG Calhoun must explain to the platoon leader and platoon sergeant why three tires on one of her squad’s vehicles are not inflated to the air pressure specified in the technical manual. Soldiers account for their actions to their fellow soldiers or organization, their leaders, the Army and the American people. Officers, NCOs, and DACs lead other officers, NCOs, junior enlisted soldiers, and DACs and help them carry out their responsibilities. Commanders set overall policies and standards, but all leaders guide, assist, and supervise subordinates, who assist and advise their leaders. Mission accomplishment demands that officers, NCOs and DACs work together to advise, assist and learn from each other.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Should You Take the ACT or the SAT

Should You Take the ACT or the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're in high school, you may be wondering whether you should take the SAT or the ACT. In general, the two tests have gotten much more similarsince the SAT was revamped in 2016,but there are still a few differences that may sway you towards one or the other. In this guide, I've outlined some of the key factors you should keep in mind when deciding which test to focus on and created a quiz that can help you determine which test will be better for you. The first thing you should do is take anACTandSAT practice testand compare your scores. We have a conversion table where you can easily see how your SAT and ACT scores stack up. If you score much higher on one test than the other, I recommend that you study for and take the test you did better on. If your scores are pretty close and you're still not sure which exam to take, keep reading. Next, I recommend checkingwhether one exam or the other is required at your school. It's easier to study for a test you're already familiar with, so if your school requires either the ACT or the SAT, you'll want to seriously consider sticking to the requiredtest. Now, let's move on to the key reasons you might want to go with each test, starting with the SAT. Feature Image: jimflix!/Flickr Take the SAT If You... #1: Panic When Faced With Time Limits One of the most noticeable differences between the redesigned SAT and the ACT is the amount of time per question- you have much more of it on the SAT. This doesn't actually make the SAT easier,since its actual questions tend to be harder, but it does mean thatthe ACT feels like more of a time crunch than the SAT. As such, doing well on the ACTrequires calm in the face of time limits. If you struggle to move through material quickly or tend to panic, you'll likely do better with the SAT. #2: Can’t Stand the Idea of Not Getting to Every Question On the SAT, you have enough time to get to most of the questions, as long as you use it wisely. On the ACT, you probably won't finish all of the sections unless you're scoring a 30 or above. If you have an obsessive need to answer every single question, you should stick tothe SAT. #3: Have a Hard Time Spotting Details When You Read SAT reading questions almost always give you the line number where you can find the relevant information. Even if they don't give you the exact location, the questions are in order, so it's rarely difficult to find information in the passage. ACT reading questions, on the other hand, are randomlyordered and frequently don't give line numbers, so finding specific details in the passage is one of the trickiest parts. If you struggle with retaining or finding details, you will probably prefer the SAT. #4: Struggle With Geometry ACT math has over three times as many geometry questions as the math section on the redesigned SAT. Plus, for the ACT, you need to memorize all the formulas, while on the SAT you're given them at the beginning of the section. If you have a very hard time with geometry, consider taking the SAT. #5: Want to Encounter as Little Science as Possible The ACT has a science section; the SAT does not. If you dislike science or struggle with quantitative thinking, you will probably prefer the SAT. The redesigned SAT does include science questions in each of its threesections, so there's no way to escape science entirely. Nonetheless, struggling withscience will have less of an effect on your score onthe SAT than it willon the ACT. #6: Excel at Writing Analytical Essays in English Class The SAT essayasks you to read and analyze a persuasive essay, much like you might for aclass assignment. If you like English class, you'll almost certainly prefer the SAT essay to the ACT one. That being said, neither essay affects your overall score, so a preference for one or the othershouldn't play a major role in your decision between the two tests. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! Next up: the six reasons you might prefer the ACT. Remember you'll have to study forwhichever test you choose. (Image: m00by/Flickr) Take the ACT If You... #1:Struggle With Vocabulary Although it no longer has sentence completion questions, the redesigned SATstill tests more challenging vocabulary on both the reading and writing sections. It also has harder passages on the reading section and more vocab questions overall. The ACT is the better test if you want to avoid higher-level words like "satiated" and "apprehensive" and older passages with challenging language. #2: Can't Always Explain How You Know an Answer Is Correct One of the big changes to the SAT is the addition of evidence questions on the reading section. These questions ask you to point to the part of the passage that supports your answer to another question- #14 is an example: Evidencequestions aren't as novel as they might seem at first, since, in theory, you should always be able to point to the support for your answer in the passage. But if this is a skill you really struggle with, consider taking the ACT instead. #3:Are Intimidated by Doing Math Without a Calculator The SAT has a no-calculator section, so if the idea of doing math without a calculator has you completely freaked out, you may want to stick to the ACT. However, the no-calculator section really doesn't require any complicated calculations. In fact,all of the math questions on both testscanbe done without a calculator, though some are rather challenging. The question is really whether you feel comfortable doing some basic calculations by hand. If not, the SAT will be a challenge for you. #4: Prefer That Different Topics Be Tested in Different Sections One of the goals of the SAT redesign is to integrateimportant skills across all three sections, so there's more overlap between the different sections than on the ACT. One key example of this new policy is the presence of quantitative questions in the reading and writing sections of the SAT. If you'd prefer to avoid this kind of concept mixing, stick with the ACT. #5: Have a Solid Grasp of Experimental Design If you like science, and especially if you have a good understanding of how experiments are built and know the difference between independent and dependentvariables, consider taking the ACT. The ACT asks a lot ofquestionsabout experimental design whilethe SAT new science questions are solely focused on reading charts and graphs. A strong grasp of these concepts will give you a considerable leg up on the ACT. #6: Like to Give Your Opinion The ACT essay is all about arguing for your own point (unlike the SAT essay, which is about analyzing someone else's argument). If you enjoystating your opinion and marshaling examples to back it up, then you will probably prefer the ACT essay. Remember, however, that you may not need to take the essay at all and that, even if you do, it doesn't affect your overall score. You can choose your own adventure in studying. (Image: Nathan Penglington, photo byColin Ross/Flickr) Quiz: Should You Take the ACT or the SAT? In case you're still on the fence about which test you want to focus on, I've created a handy quiz. It sums up all of the ideas above (except those relating to the optional essays) in one easy-to-use chart. To use it, just go through and check"yes" or "no" for each question. Then tally up your answers and give yourself one point for each "yes." Scroll down for an explanation of what your score means. Question Yes No Do you perform well under time pressure? Are you okay with not answering every question on a test? Do you struggle to explain why you think an answer is correct? Do you have a hard timewith high level vocab words? Can you spot details ina passage without reading it closely? Do you dread doing math without a calculator? Do you excel at geometry? Do you prefer each topic be tested separately? Do you understand experimental design? Do you like science? Let's go through what your score means: 1-3: You're an SAT person! If you answered "no" to most of the questions, you'll probably find the SAT more your style. You don't mind slightly harder questions as long asyou don't have to rush and don't have to cover too much material. 4-7: You can do either! If you answered "no" and "yes" roughly the same amount, you will probably find the tests equally approachable. If you're willing to put in the time, try taking one practice test for each and see if you have a strong preference. 8-10: You'll likethe ACT! If you answered mostly "yes," then you're more of an ACT person. You don't mind moving quickly, memorizing material, or answering questions about science. What's Next? For more info on the differences between the two tests, check out our full breakdown or these comparison charts. Wondering how well you'd score on the SAT or ACT?Take a practice test to find out! Check out our links to free and official ACT and SAT practice tests and get started. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: