The Government and the Army

The purpose of this essay is to expose contemporary challenges facing the operations of the Army. The Army handles protecting civilians from any situation that would lead to catastrophic consequences for example protection from acts of war or terror attacks. Although this does not always mean civilians will always be safe and protected wherever they may live. Over the years there been cases of terror attacks not only in the United States but across the global. Lots of lives have been lost following these attacks by terror groups whose main aim is to cause harm and distress amongst civilians.

The increased number of acts of terror however could only led one to wonder, what is the government in conjunction with Army doing to ensure that innocent civilians are not subjected to these acts of terror? What measures are in place by the Army to see a significant reduction in terror attacks locally? The Army as well as the government is facing great scrutiny following the rise in terror cases. This is because the government sets aside a huge lump sum of money in the annual budget to be used to better the country’s defense. So, what exactly happens to the multiple of billions the government is said to reserve towards the country’s defense? Billions of dollars are being pumped into military programs and many of the times result into negative results flashing down tax payers’ resources and usually still left with the problem they were trying to solve still an issue needing a solution.

At the end of the day one is left to ask themselves who is always to be blamed for the slacking efforts of the systems set in place to ensure our protection? Do we blame the government? Or maybe we should blame Army itself for not fulfilling its obligations to the civilians? Well below we look at how the operations of the Army are facing various challenges that is keeping it from fulfilling its goals.

I remember it was not long ago during the Manchester Arena bombing incident where a suicide bomber detonated a homemade bomb as people left a pop culture music concert. The attack saw twenty-two innocent civilians lose their lives leaving hundreds injured. The attack left the whole world shook and as usual raising doubt over what law enforcement agencies as well the government was doing to curb terrorism. It was not until after the attack had taken place when investigation was commenced.

Research has it that the government pumps billions of dollars in tax payer revenue into the betterment of their communications programs. These programs are believed to help the Army to pick up valuable Intel that is supposed to help them as they carry out their missions (O’Connor, 2017). These programs are meant to help law enforcement learn about crimes even before they happen so as they can be able to counter these acts of terror without risk of losing any civilian lives.

The concept behind the programs sound like a great initiative of course but it is the actual development of these programs that has proven to be rather challenging deliver an actual flawless system. Despite huge budgetary allocations by the government for the Army to deliver on proposed programs, there have been reports of failed communications programs from the military (O’Connor, 2017). This only means that billions of resources are being misused while as a nation we are still left with the problem the government was trying to solve only a few couple of dollars short.

There have also been cases reported where operatives complaining of flawed Intel coming from the systems the military have in place. This flawed Intel may at times prove costly to the operatives as they may result into failed missions. There have been cries from these operatives asking the pentagon to review the systems put in place but have in most times fallen off deaf ears (O'connor, 2017). The government really needs to review their policies on how to combat terror and need to focus on the development of a program that would see a significant drop in terror attacks.

Having a flawed communication program is far from the last challenge facing the Army today. As much as the entire military system as well as the government is to blame for short comings of the Army it is also important to shed light on some of the leadership functionalities and how they are also to blame for the failures of the Army. The military is one of the country’s most delicate institutions. With this established then it is of high importance that military leaders be well equipped and able to handle any situation presented to them with ease.

There have been reports which might showed that some of the appointed military leaders were inexperienced and lacked the qualities needed to meet the criteria of a military leader (Xu, Chen, & Xu, 2018). This may prove costly as some positions occupied by these individuals need a specific skill set. If the government can sign off on the appointment of unqualified individuals to take lead of our armed forces, then that can only be classified as a recipe for disaster. The government needs to scrutinize all appointments made by the Army to make sure the perfect man is handed the job. This will in return lead to better results and outcomes significantly reducing probability of failure.

Over the years there have been claims that the military and armed forces have been recruiting and training unqualified soldiers. There have also been claims where a few individuals were recruited in to the Army after offering bribes to recruiting officers (Brooks and Greenberg, 2018). The recruitment process ought to be based on one’s own merit and qualification. This will only lead into growth of a fully functional and qualified military system therefore meeting aims set in place by the government in ensuring the safety of a nation and its civilians.

The recruited soldiers however need proper training so as they can take on whatever challenge being a soldier throws their way (Brooks and Greenberg, 2018). This proper training will also come in handy as the soldiers rise amongst ranks and eventually reach leadership positions. The extensive training will in the long run ensure that the soldiers are up to the task of supplying peace and harmony in the land.

In conclusion the government and the Army have a long way to go to ride the nation and its environs are crime and terror free. Before they go ahead and start programs, looking into how they could work to solve foreign as well as domestic challenges they would first consider looking at the flaws they face. After all, charity does begin at home.

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