COMMUNICATION IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY

COMMUNICATION IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY

COMMUNICATION IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Melissa M. Gomez Mariana Saldivar Sheyla Gutierrez Heather Thomson

Owen Deas Jordan Gregory 14 November 2020 ENG 203G/ Nora Rivera

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COMMUNICATION IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Communication is defined as a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior. Over the years the military has struggled with what effective communication is and how leaders can improve communication in their formations. Where is the breakdown in communication and how can it be improved? This reading will include observations, interviews, and questionnaire results in regards to communication in the Army.

Over the last 15 years First Sergeant Melissa Gomez has experienced the way leaders communicate with Soldiers. When she was a private it was very common for her leadership to provide information by gathering the platoon together and disseminate information at one time to mitigate confusion. Then Soldiers were required to provide a back brief to their leadership to ensure they understood the information given to them. First Sergeant Gomez still implements that style of communication with her Soldiers. She has noticed what hinders communication is the constant use of electronics rather than face to face conversations. Information can easily be lost or misinterpreted through text message or email. Lastly, she has learned that information will be received and taken into consideration depending on how much the Soldier is committed to mission accomplishment.

In interviewing Soldiers actively in the Army, we proved that there is a communication issue in the Army. Two out of the three Soldiers interviewed, stated that at the end of the day leaders are not getting the right communication to and fro because there is always too much going on. The problem is not getting an order out, the problem is delivering it correctly. The higher it gets in the leader ladder, the more complicated and untrue it becomes. Many communication issues can be resolved by actively delivering a message rather than sending an email or giving the task to someone else. Although, even then, the interviews proved that this has been a long time issue, not a new one for the Army. Like everything, communication is said to have room for improvement.

Communication during this pandemic for Soldiers in the Army has been problematic. There are more protocols and procedures needed to be met due to the pandemic, and this interferes with the time the Soldiers have to complete their daily tasks. A mission or task that would usually take 5-10 minutes is now taking 15-20 due to the miscommunication and new procedures put in place. Specialist Utter stated in his interview that procedure updates would come delayed from the first brigade due to the procedures changing so much. This caused a miscommunication and issues for the Soldiers that also interfered with their daily tasks and last minute missions that came up. According to Specialist George, miscommunication in the military can sometimes lead to a life or death situation.

When it comes to communication in the army, it could be the result of either life or death in any given situation. Whether it be on the battlefield or behind a screen it is known that communication is vital for people in the army. In an article by, Petty Officer 2nd Class Dominique Shelton, explains as to why communication is so important. As technology gets more advanced as the years go, Shelton stresses the need for more communication. He had stated that people in the army should always use their skills to communicate rather than rely on technology

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due to the unknown of any situation. Although they do use technology to their advantage and are highly trained to master such technologies. There is a bilateral exercise known as, Yama Sakura, that involves the US Military and JGSDF where the main point is to enhance combat and interoperability while building relationships, support of security issues, and most importantly communication.

In order to have solid communication between a group of people, leadership must be established in order to make it work. Leadership in the army is more than benign, in which every rank no matter how small the role is, is always tasked with a form of leadership. There are two styles of leadership that involve communication; first form always consists of a leader and a follower and the second form is the communication between the leader and the follower. The leader must have the following qualities such as being decisive, agile, adaptive, confident, and disciplined. Although leaders don't necessarily have to have such adjectives in order to be a good leader, they must have the skill of communication in order to be a leader. As stated, those in the army are drowning in leadership and the outcome is great leadership. It was stated that the solution to faulty communication in the army is simply to acknowledge the effectiveness of communication and to integrate the teaching of communication in both writing and speaking in the education system. Not only in life but in the army leadership and communication builds trust, cooperation, cohesion, and understanding that benefit those all around. When stuck in certain situations the feedback you receive when communicating helps improve and confirm the understandings of such situations.

A questionnaire was conducted by 15 Soldiers ranging from enlisted officers, senior Noncommissioned Officers, and junior enlisted who are currently assigned to the Forward Support Company, 84th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade stationed in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. The questionnaire consisted of ten questions regarding communication within the Army. From the questionnaire the largest highlights are that incidents could be prevented with more communication, technology has hindered proper communication, the demeanor or the individual providing information can affect the communication, and COVID-19 has impaired a streamline of proper communication. Soldiers felt that incidents could be prevented if they had a direct line to the senior leadership immediately rather than going through the chain of command. Leaders believed that technology has hindered communication because they are at their desk most of the day replying to emails rather than being with their Soldiers and training. Leaders and Soldiers all agree that COVID-19 has critically damped communication within the formation. Reason being is due to only allowing five Soldiers to work at a time and also relying heavily on text or email where the intent of a message could be misunderstood. Below the questionnaire ad results that Soldiers conducted.

1. On a level of 1-10 with ten being the greatest, how would you rate communication within your organization?

2. On a level of 1-10 with ten being the greatest, do you feel like your subordinates understand the information you communicate to them?

3. On a level of 1-10 with ten being the greatest, do you feel your leadership listens to your thoughts and ideas?

4. On a level of 1-10 with ten being the greatest, do you believe that it takes too long for information from senior leadership to flow down to junior Soldiers?

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5. On a level of 1-10 with ten being the greatest, do you believe that tasks or commitments are not met on time due to the lack of proper communication?

6. On a level of 1-10 with ten being the greatest, do you believe that accidents or incidents would be prevented if there was a constant line of clear communication?

7. On a level of 1-10 with ten being the greatest, do you think technology has restricted or conveyed information differently than intended affected communication?

8. On a level of 1-10 with ten being the greatest, do you think communicating in large groups is beneficial to Soldiers and leaders?

9. On a level of 1-10 with ten being the greatest, has communication become more stressful during COVID-19?

10. On a level of 1-10 with ten being the greatest, does the demeanor of the individual providing information affect the way the message was intended to be received?

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COMMUNICATION QUESTIONNAIRE

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Question 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

After conducting our own research we were able to find three journals that can help state where there are communication issues in the Army, and how they use tactics to ensure that communication is great. The first one called "Military Communications," talks about how information is shared effectively within the military. The journal mentions that " As the complexity of operational environments increases, military communications networks must be agile to meet strict and evolving mission requirements in the midst of challenges presented by dynamic operational environments" (Chan, 2017). Basically, what the author is saying is that new technology is being used and that it's important that everyone that's incorporated with the Army/military learns how to use it. It's a great form of communication since the majority of people today use it. The "new" technology can be seen as smartphones, using social media, sending emails, etc. The author also mentions that technology tends to offer a form of rapid information sharing, meaning that you can know what tasks you will be working on anywhere

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you are at, and you don't have to be with the leader to know. They can simply just send you a text message.

Additionally, the second journal that we found was one called, "To Lead Well, Speak Well," and it talks about the importance of good communication skills from the perspective of a manager. The journal says that "By speaking authentically, employees will have faith in what the manager is saying and will develop the belief that the manager treats them honestly and with respect" (Military, 2020). This is a business tactic that can apply to any business, especially the Army. This method presents a form of communication that can build up a good relationship between the leader (or seargant) and the other people within the Army. After a good relationship and bond is created, then communication can flow easily and without tension. Honesty and respect are also key factors of what builds up a good communication relationship, as mentioned in the journal.

Understanding the way Soldiers interpret the instruction from their leading officer is supreme to their interpersonal tact. Interpersonal skills are behaviors and tactics a person uses to interact with others effectively. According to the third journal we found, called "Interpersonal Communication, " it says, "It outlines the key components which influence tact and the variables which leaders must be aware of as they may have a direct effect on the leader and their subordinates" (VanSciver 2017). Communication in the Army can only be maintained if the Soldiers are taught to use self control, understand diversity, and develop interpersonal skills. Leaders play a large role in the development of these skills and their importance to efficient and effective communication. Throughout the training, a leader must demonstrate he/she can perform these attributes that lead to a successful team with effective communication.

One of the ways that the Army's communication has dissolved as technology has progressed is just that, technology progressing. The wide variety of forms of communication has slowly deteriorated the quality of each transmission, and the primary victim is good leadership. "The means available for Army leaders to communicate are the best they have ever been--PowerPoint, e-mail, Blue Force Tracker, satellite communications, radio, television, social media, SharePoint, and many more. Paradoxically, these increases in communication capacity diminish communication between leaders and those led"(Ford 2015). Like stated in the article, the high volume of methods of communication within the Army is a cause of ineffective communication which deteriorates the message and overall effectiveness of the message transmitted.

Throughout our research, we concluded that technology, when not used correctly, leads to a breakdown in communication. If the technology is not understood, it could, and often does, lose its purpose in translation. Also, if too many different types of programs or platforms that serve the same purpose are used while coming down the chain of command, the final recipient could lose the meaning of the message that was initially intended. Face to Face communication is always best because the leader can see the reaction to the message and clear up any confusion on the spot. We understand that this is not possible, especially now with the Covid-19 pandemic, but it is especially important to work hard at communication now more than ever. Lives depend on

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COMMUNICATION IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY it, not only for their safety and health of our soldiers, but for the safety and effectiveness of our military.

In final conclusion the Army must go back to the basics of interpersonal relationships and face to face communication. The more the Army relies on technology the more distant personnel become, which in turn is not building a foundation of trust for communicating ideas, thoughts, and issues. There is not a single answer that can fix the broken communication within a short period of time. It has taken decades for communication to degrade and will take decades for it to build back up.

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References: Chan, K. S., & Johnsen, F. T. (2017, October 13). Retrieved November 15, 2020, from VanSciver, J. (2017, October 2). Interpersonal CommunicationJame. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from mmunication/ . (2020). To Lead Well, Speak Well. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from king-well.html Armyupress.army.mil (2015). Army leadership and the Communication paradox. Retrieved November 15th, 2020, from MilitaryReview_20150831_art014.pdf Shelton, D. (2018, December 27). Communication is key, and could be the difference between life or death. U.S. Army. Retrieved November 16th, 2020. en_life_or_death Ford, C.M. (2015). Army Leadership and the Communication Paradox. Military review, 95, 68. Retrieved November 16th, 2020. 3cac0452cc84459661f878b96a83d1602f4d2f4

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