The Structural Frame of the U.S. Army

The U.S. Army is founded on the obligation of defending the homeland from external threats and American interests. The organization is the oldest in the U.S. military, being formed on 14^th June 1775. Its purpose is to deploy, fight, and win the nation’s wars using forces to dominate land as part of a joint force. The Army command controls about 472,595 regular army personnel, 331,881 Army National Guard personnel, and others, totals 1,246,059 personnel (Statista, 2019). The U.S. Army is founded on perseverance, courage, and the desire to win. In that regard, recruitment and training processes must encompass these same ideals. This paper discusses the U.S. Army based on its human resource activities, including recruitment, and training, based on the Bolman and Deal’s Human Resources Frame.

Recruitment to the U.S. Army

For all military personnel, the enlisting model is used to select candidates. Before a candidate decides to join the Army, they must do their research to understand whether it might be fit for them. A recruiter for the Army will be ready to provide the prospect with the required information and answer some of their questions (Suvankulov, 2013). After the decision, the person spends at a military entrance processing station where a physical exam is administered, and they are given a career counsellor. When accepted at this point, one takes an oath of enlistment. After a few weeks, an order for basic training is sent, and commencement is expected to begin.

            There are numerous requirements for joining the Army. For instance, the youngest age to enlist is 17, and the oldest is 34. For foreigners that want to enroll for the Army, one must have a permanent resident card, be living in the U.S. currently, and be able to speak, write, and read fluently in English. On education, one must pass four out of 10 Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. Also, one must have a high school diploma or a GED to enlist. Also, one must pass a military entrance medical exam where they test hearing, vision, height/ weight measurements (Bigelman et l., 2019).

Training and Development

In the Army, training and development is a measure of personal goals and organizational goals. At all times, the management ensures that each Army personnel’s vision is, by extension, congruent with the organization’s purpose. In its leadership, the leading roles for leaders are to inspire courage and hope for individual advancement and enhanced organizational performance (Reivich, Seligman & McBride, 2011). For instance, in the Army, continuous learning is encouraged to improve their skills through education and training. Due to constant learning, the members can perform their tasks effectively.

            In one of the units in the Army (Soldiers First), the organization dictates the importance of career management and basic training. The unit identifies the need to take care of members’ needs and wants through effective leadership. According to Bolman and Deal’s Human Resources Frame, collaborations, teamwork, and effective leadership can lead to innovative ideas of tackling most of the challenges that military people face (Padilla & Laner, 2002). Furthermore, in the military, different subsections allow the members to specialize, especially when given a task. For instance, there are excellent shooters, clearing, and strategic directing. Therefore, the members are sure of growth and development.

            In the military, growth and development can be seen in different ways. For instance, members can grow personally in terms of personality. They can develop their confidence through facing intense confidence training, can persevere through hard times, and are physically energetic (Knapik et al., 1980). Also, they are introduced to ways of taking care of their bodies to maintain their health. In that regard, most personnel carry forward this exercising behaviour to their old age, which means they can live healthily for their entire life. These healthy habits are maintained by healthy dieting practices such as the intake of vitamins, proteins, and fats.

            In conclusion, in the U.S. Army, the soldiers are at the core of all operations. The organization enhances its members’ ability to think, collaborate, and contribute in teams to accomplish its mandate as instructed by the government. The government ensures that the organization is fully funded to facilitate personnel’s wellbeing and that of their families. In that regard, they are sure of a healthy army that can undertake any task across the world. As stated, the organization protects the country in ground operations by collaborating with other forces such as Airforce and Marine.

            In the organization, my leadership would focus on enhancing more inclusivity and teamwork. This will create a culture based on humanistic values, which will eventually increase members’ performance. As a leader, I will also set goals for each individual to participate, which will enhance communication and participation. My leadership would favourably shift the most attention to human resource leadership. I will require this leadership category to raise all the challenges they face, both internally and externally. These will help me address them gradually using the government’s support. For instance, the allocation of resources would be an essential segment to raise.  

References

Bigelman, K. A., East, W. B., Thomas, D. M., Turner, D., & Hertling, M. (2019). The new army combat fitness test: an opportunity to improve recruitment and Retainment. Obesity, 27(11), 1772-1775.

Knapik, J. J., Wright, J. E., Kowal, D. M., & Vogel, J. A. (1980). The influence of U.S. Army basic initial training on the muscular strength of men and women. ARMY RESEARCH INST OF ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE NATICK MA.

Padilla, P. A., & Laner, M. R. (2002). Trends in military influences on army recruitment themes: 1954-1990. Journal of Political and Military Sociology, 30(1), 113.

Reivich, K. J., Seligman, M. E., & McBride, S. (2011). Master resilience training in the U.S. Army. American Psychologist, 66(1), 25.

Statista. (2019). Active and reserve U.S. military force personnel numbers by service branch and reserve component in 2018. Statista.Com. https://www.statista.com/statistics/232330/us-military-force-numbers-by-service-branch-and-reserve-component/

Suvankulov, F. (2013). Internet recruitment and job performance: the case of the U.S. Army. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24(11), 2237-2254.