The Importance of the Goat

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by showing up for work on time. Doing so proves that you have the ability to pay attention to detail, as well as shows that you understand the importance of punctuality, part of the standards by which your superiors rate you in your monthly counseling packets. These good reports are part of the cumulative evaluation used to determine your potential for increased responsibility and pay.

To talk about some of the consequences of my actions, I did some research as to what rules I broke by showing up late. The example that I saw that best explained it was the situation that follows. For example, if you receive orders to assemble at a given location at a specific time for transportation to another location and you don’t make it in time, you are technically in violation of two articles of the UCMJ. Article 86 of the UCMJ declares unauthorized absence; absence without leave, not being where you are supposed to be, when you’re supposed to be there, is in fact a punishable offense. If you arrive late for an assembly called solely to take yourself to a fast-food joint for breakfast, you might face charges that include a violation of Article 87 of the UCMJ, “Missing Movement”. Things like this can turn a good twenty year career into a very short painful one.

In the United States Military, tardiness is unacceptable. I could write this essay and fill it with excuses as to why I was late, but the fact of the matter is that there is no excuse for being late. Showing up on time is one of the easiest things to do. It creates less worry for your leadership as well as your team. A soldier who lives his life by the army values should have no problem doing the little things like showing up on time. Also any soldier with the hope to make it out of being a private should be able to at least show up to a formation on time. Showing up on time builds trust in the platoon and takes a hell of a lot of weight off of your team leaders shoulders when he’s not worried about whether or not his guys are going to show up on time. I apologize for my actions, they were childish and irresponsible. From this point on I will not be sleeping during the day so I have no excuse to be late for any formation. Me and another private in the platoon now have a check in place during morning formation to make sure neither one of us misses our alarm in the morning.