Importance of Communication in the Army

Communication is an important part of the army’s day to day operations. Without this communication, no soldier would know where to be or when to be there. Communication is what makes the United States Army as powerful and efficient as it is today. Without communication, vital information may not be clearly shared between the commanders, NCOs and their soldiers. Missions could be hindered because simple information could be conflicted and lives could be in danger in worst case scenarios. Communication is key to the success of everything that is done in the Army.

The purpose of communication is to get a message across to others that can be understood by both the sender and receiver of the information being communicated. It builds trust and respect in teams that communicate effectively. Effective communication involves listening carefully as well as coherent speaking between both sides. Both help with conveying a message that is understood clearly and ensures cohesion within a group of people.

Communication in the Army Reserves

The Army Reserves require a large amount of communication to function properly. Communication is required to know schedules of battle assembly weekends such as when to report to formations and training events. A lack of communication in the reserves can cause issues like being late to assembly, missing training events, or missing important information such as orders and tasks assigned to you or others.

Lack of Communication

Lack of communication in the army means important decision or tasks for anything would not be made or made on time. Time can be extremely critical in the army and the smallest amount of information can be essential. The lack of communication can cause serious problems as well as a lack of understanding the information that has been communicated. The lack of understanding can cause conflict or confusion. An example would be if a soldier goes out and doesn’t inform anyone of where they are going and for how long and something happens to him or her no one would know because that soldier failed to communicate with one of their peers or their leaders. It is important to notify your chain of command where you are so that they know how or where to get in touch with you.

Forms of Communication

Written forms of communication include things such as email, letters or text messages can be used by leaders to send the same message to a large group of people without having to take the time out to have a formation of soldiers to do so. This method has become the primary source of communication within the army because of its ease and almost everyone has access to a computer to check their email at some point during their duty day. It reduces the time in which it takes to get information put out by often being as clear and concise as possible.

Oral communication is a widely used and traditional form of communication