Discussion Guide - A Professional Discussion - …...845.938.0467•621Wilson+Rd.+West+Point,+NY10996• ++ Customs,(Courtesies(&Traditions(DISCUSSION!GUIDE! + + + + + For+all+members+of+the+Army

A Professional Discussion:

“Customs, Courtesies & Traditions”

Published: March 2013 in http://cape.army.mil

845.938.0467 • 621 Wilson Rd. West Point, NY 10996 • http://cape.army.mil

Customs, Courtesies & Traditions DISCUSSION GUIDE

For all members of the Army Profession

http://cape.army.mil

Table of Contents

1:

2:

Basic Concepts …………………………………………………………………………..

Facilitation: Best Practices ………………..……………………………………….

p. 2

p. 3

3: “Customs, Courtesies & Traditions” Video Transcript …..………..…. p. 4-‐5

4: Additional Resources…………………………....…………………………………… p. 6

5: Sample Discussion Questions.…………………………………….…………….. p. 7-‐8

6: AAR/Check on Learning……………..…………………………….……………….. p. 9

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BASIC CONCEPTS

Prior to Group Discussion:

� Watch the video and read the transcript prior to discussion.

� Review “Facilitation Best Practices” and read through the suggested discussion questions.

� See “Additional Resources” for more content on the subject matter, including the CAPE website with resources focused on “The Army Profession.” Review ADRP-‐1 The Army Profession for doctrinal reference on this topic.

� Brainstorm ideas central to the idea of “Customs, Courtesies & Traditions.” Be able to utilize this as a learning concept for professional development of Army professionals.

During Group Discussion:

� Present the video to the students as a lead-‐in for discussion or in support of an ongoing discussion on the topic of “Customs, Courtesies & Traditions.” Use the sample discussion questions included or prepare your own questions to facilitate a discussion that reinforces the topic for professional development.

� Facilitate conversations that equip participants to build a better understanding of the

Army Profession. Lead conversations that help them define the Army’s status as a profession. Focus on personal, group and professional development.

� Ensure all participants understand the concept of “Customs, Courtesies & Traditions” as

it applies to The Army Profession, The Army Culture, and the individual service of Army professionals.

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FACILITATION: BEST PRACTICES

The facilitator’s main role is to be a catalyst for conversation and learning about the topic at-‐hand. This module contains one round of suggested discussion questions and ends with time to reflect on personal situations surrounding the topic.

Here are some key points to consider when preparing to facilitate a discussion:

� Let participants do most of the talking.

� The facilitator’s key role is to ask questions that spark thought and conversation. You may need to adjust to the suggested discussion questions to meet the needs of your group.

� Ask open-‐ended questions and encourage participants to elaborate on their

answers/thoughts based on their own personal experiences.

� Ensure you engage everyone within your group and set the conditions for them to share thoughts openly. Do not let any one person or contingent dominate the conversation.

You are the catalyst for conversation. Make sure you continue to ask questions that make your group dig deeper. For more information and guidelines on facilitating professional development discussions, visit the CAPE Website at http://cape.army.mil.

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VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: “Customs, Courtesies & Traditions”

COL Peterson (CAPE Director): The customs, courtesies and traditions are really tied to another one of the essential characteristics of the Profession, esprit de corps. It’s really connected to our winning spirit. SGM Stewart (CAPE Senior Enlisted Advisor): It’s what links us to the past – this idea of wearing awards and wearing shoulder patches is what links us to our past members and it’s extremely important. SPC Blandino: Customs and courtesies are important because it’s not just about here and now, it’s about paying respect to a profession that’s been around for a long, long time. SFC Carroll: Getting Soldiers to understand the history of where the Army has come from and everything that Soldiers before them have gone through. It helps with the unit cohesion and morale. That has always been one of the big things that has been important to me. SSG Barrera: At the closing ceremony of the PLDC (Primary Leadership Development Course) graduation, we sat down and this announcer comes on and he starts going over the roles of the NCO through 1776. “Here is what the NCO looked like,” and he’s walking out in costume. Right behind him, he describes another role of the NCO and here’s a guy that’s coming out in the uniform of the guys from the War of 1812, and so on and so on.

Finally you get to us and here’s a guy that comes out in Army greens. You look on the stage and you think, “Man, this is where I am connected to. This is where it’s coming from; it’s not just my experience. These are experiences from guys from the Revolutionary War onward. COL Peterson: Courtesy is somewhat related to discipline. Courtesies are that we greet each another in a professional manner in accordance with their rank; we salute each other; we give deference to people in positions of authority; we demonstrate great respect to the more experienced professionals in our organizations. SGM Stewart: It’s just that civil way we deal with each another – the courtesy of a salute. It is a courtesy that should not be taken lightly, but can show how disciplined a person is just by how sharp an individual might salute or return a salute as extremely important.

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SPC Spring: I think those different customs and courtesies we have established – the hierarchy in the Army, junior NCO or junior enlisted, rather, is going to stand at parade rest for an NCO because that’s Army Doctrine so that’s the rule we’re going to follow. We’re not creating our own rules as we go along. How that helps us accomplish the mission is exemplified by us doing what we’re supposed to be doing. The Army has everything figured out for us. Jonathan Scholl (DA Civilian): As a civilian, when we hear the national anthem play, we will stop what we’re doing, remove any headgear that we may have on, and place our hand over our heart. When there’s attention to order or an S1 is reading or publishing an order, whether it be a promotion or someone receiving an award, civilians will rise – maybe not necessarily to the position of attention as defined by the military – to show the same respects and honor the traditions, and perpetuate the customs and courtesies that the military, which is ultimately who we support. SSG Frailey: I think it’s important to have the customs, courtesies and traditions in the Army so that we remember the bigger picture – the fight that it has taken to get to where we are and the overall evolution that we continue to grow, but yet we still carry on where we started. I think that’s very important. Dr. Don Snider (CAPE Senior Fellow): I remember when I first went on active duty joining the 503rd parachute regiment in Okinawa. One of the first things the battle commander did to all the new lieutenants in the battle group is that we sat down and watched a film of the combat jump on Corregidor. It was impressed upon me very

early that people before me had served honorably; they had served with esprit de corps, and they had sacrificed. That was the lineage that I was now a part of.

SGM Stewart: Just as I wear the 101st patch on my right shoulder, that links me to the guys that jumped in on D-‐Day in Normandy. When I go to my old battalion headquarters, the first of the 502nd Infantry Regiment at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, the linkage to the guys at Vietnam, the linkage to the guys who were in D-‐Day are all in the hallway. That link, to me, is extremely important. CH (LTC) Fairbrother (CAPE Deputy Director): We talk about customs and traditions in the Army and that contributes to our esprit de corps. It goes all the way from our most very basic aspect of the necessity of physical fitness to things like unit formals. That’s part of what generates the spirit of the Army – the esprit de corps – that’s the glue that holds the Army together, that causes the Army to function. Often it is these customs and traditions… that keep the man in the uniform going in the unexciting times of peace. In war they keep him fighting at the front.

-‐R. Prasannan

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Review ADRP-‐1, The Army Profession, to learn more about the Profession. Make sure each student has an understanding of this material and why it is used as a guideline. (The ADRP-‐1 can be found on the CAPE website.) The following resources are also available:

Center for the Army Profession and Ethic: Visit the CAPE Army Profession Website: http://cape.army.mil/AAOP/aaop.php

Company Command: Read the article on Company Command. Link: http://www.ausa.org/publications/armymagazine/archive/2011/12/Documents/RevCC_1211.pdf

DoD Social Media: Explore the Website below. Link: http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/about-‐dod-‐social-‐media/

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SAMPLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

[Discuss after watching “Customs, Courtesies & Traditions”]

1. What are Army customs, courtesies and traditions? What are some examples of each?

2. What is the importance, or role, of customs and traditions in the Army Profession? Where do they come from and how are they developed? How do they become part of the Army Culture?

3. Why do we have courtesies in the Army Profession? What do they contribute to the Army Culture? How do they impact the daily life and behaviors of Army professionals?

4. Describe certain customs, courtesies and traditions that are unique to the Army Profession? How do they impact the professional development of members of the Army Profession?

5. How do customs, courtesies and traditions help create a shared identity across all members of the Army Profession?

6. Describe certain customs, courtesies and traditions that are unique to certain organizations within the Army Profession. How do they shape the climate and impact the esprit de corps of those organizations?

7. What customs, courtesies and traditions are valued in your organization? What role do they have in shaping your professional identity?

8. How do customs, courtesies and traditions link current Army professionals to Army professionals of the past?

9. What is your unit’s lineage? How does this impact your professional identity as a member of this unit? What customs, courtesies and traditions does your unit live out on a daily basis and how have they become ingrained in routine duties and tasks?

10. COL Peterson states the customs, courtesies and traditions of the Army Profession are linked to the essential characteristic of esprit de corps. How do these specifically contribute to the building of esprit de corps at the organizational level within the Army?

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11. How do customs, courtesies and traditions within the Army Profession vary? What customs, courtesies and traditions are standardized across the Army as an institution, and which ones are unit specific? Why is there a variance in customs, courtesies and traditions between different organizations around the Army?

12. How are Army professionals taught, and how do they internalize the customs and courtesies of the Army Profession? How does this contribute to the standards and discipline within the Army and its organizations?

13. What traditions in the Army have you been a part of and how have they impacted you as a professional? How do certain traditions help to build our professional identities?

14. How do our customs, courtesies and traditions in the Army Profession reflect our history?

15. How have the multiple layers of Army customs, courtesies and traditions impacted your competence, character and commitment as an Army professional?

16. How can Army customs, courtesies and traditions help inspire Soldiers and Civilians to continue developing their expertise?

17. How have Army customs, courtesies and traditions helped shape the American public’s view of their Army?

18. How do the Army’s customs, courtesies and traditions exemplify the Army values? How do they represent the Army Ethic and esprit de corps-‐ the winning sprit of the Army Profession?

19. What’s the significance of being “linked to your past?” Why is this relevant for a member of the Army Profession?

20. How do behaviors such as a “sharp salute” convey courtesy to a fellow professional? Why does the Army place value on these “everyday” customs and courtesies?

21. What Army customs and courtesies have migrated into the civilian sector of our society? What does this say about the relationship between citizens and the Army Profession? How does our current society impact the Army customs, courtesies and traditions?

22. In what ways does esprit de corps apply beyond the battlefield (e.g. “unit physical training” and “unit formals”)? How does an organization’s esprit de corps in training impact its wartime posture?

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AAR/CHECK ON LEARNING Personal Takeaways: Facilitator asks students to share any personal experiences or takeaways from the module.

It is important for the group to relate to this experience and knowledge on a personal level. Conclude the module emphasizing the significance and relevance Customs, Courtesies and Traditions for each Soldier and DA Civilian. Individuals should walk away with a better understanding of how The Army Profession learning concepts apply to their service as professional Soldiers and DA Civilians.

Upon concluding, the following questions are useful for determining learning and promoting reflection:

Learning Q – What did you learn from listening to the reactions and reflections of other leaders? Q – What are the future implications of these Army Profession learning concepts (ex: The 5 Essential Characteristics of the Profession, The Army Culture)?

Reflection Q – How do you feel/what do you think about what you learned?

Q – What will you do with your new information?

Q – How can you apply this experience to better develop yourself and your fellow professionals?

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