Accountability

What is accountability and the definition: (DOD) The obligation imposed by law or lawful order or regulation on an officer or other person for keeping accurate record of property, documents, or funds. The person having this obligation may or may not have actual possession of the property, documents, or funds. Accountability is concerned primarily with records, while responsibility is concerned primarily with custody, care, and safekeeping.

Why is accountability important to the Army? Accountability is a very important part of an enlisted and a NCO's job. The enlisted soldier is responsible for all items issued to issued to him weather it be a weapon, NVG's, clothes, a vehicle, or some TA-50, a feild manual, medication (morphine, demoral, or any narcotics), BII, etc. The NCO's responsibility is to make sure that the soldier is accountable for the items and has eyes on these items when need, so that he can report it to his higher command. Accountability also includes the most important piece of equipment the soldier him or herself. Anything can and will happen especially in combat, that's why the team member should make sure that the team or squad leader know where the soldier and his or her equipment is at all times. The Army spends a lot of money on equipment and belongings for the soldiers, so the Army expects to know where its equipment is. No matter what someone is always responsible for equipment in the Army. It goes to the highest officer to the lowest enlisted personal in the chain of command and back up again. Like in combat when there is a 'code Red' the soldier knows that at a given and safe time he or she should get to the rally point, predestined by his or her chain of command, that way he or she and his or her equipment can be accounted for. Accountability is used in many different ways, for example knowing if something is missing you could easy look at the accountability report to see if it was there before