# Accountability



## BloodStripe (Dec 2, 2018)

A Story of Failed Accountability  | Marine Corps Association

This is a good read for why accountability is important, not only in a combat zone but also in training environment. 

I was a road gaurd during ITB at the grenade range, up the hill and the opposite direction from where we had to hump back to (SOI West). I had heard silence for a while and looked back to see the company marching back. Of course in typical boot fashion I got yelled at for relieving myself from post, but I could see my Sergeant's face of oh shit when I came running up from the rear.


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## Viking6Charlie (Dec 7, 2018)

Good illustration of accountability disaster narrowly avoided.  (I would suggest it also could be used to support any lesson regarding taking initiative as well, consequences be damned.)

Accountability (Results) is the bookend to Responsibility (Commitments Made) and the Authority (Resources) to fulfill that commitment to achieve the objective and results asked for.  The Sergeant had the responsibility and authority and almost fell short, but for the courageous initiative taken by the young Marine.


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## Marauder06 (Dec 7, 2018)

This reminds me of the time my ROTC unit went to the field when I was a cadet, and during late-night patrol base ops after a long day of patrolling, live ammo got mixed in with the blanks that were passed out, in the dark, to first-year cadets in anticipation of an OPFOR attack in the early morning hours.

Unlike the incident described in the OP, no one got hurt.  But it could have been pretty bad...


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## Devildoc (Dec 7, 2018)

@BloodStripe , similar event (also at Pendleton): Field med school, having dug 2-man fighting holes to defend against an attack, my mate was asleep and I was watching for the enemy, a couple panicky Marines, instructors, shine their light into our holes, yell "we got 'em, we got 'em," said everyone had moved out 30 minutes earlier to establish a new BAS down the road.  We had no idea.

@Marauder06 , holy crap that could have been very, very bad.  Live ammo + blanks = bad juju.

Edited to add, that article in infuriating.  I could see how it could happen (swiss cheese effect and all), but none if it had to happen.


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## MikeDelta (Dec 7, 2018)

@BloodStripe 

It seems like it’s always one detail that is overlooked, or worse yet, brushed off, 1 degree of military bearing on the wrong azimuth and BANG!

Thanks for sharing. I’m going to use this one as an example.


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## ThunderHorse (Dec 7, 2018)

BloodStripe said:


> A Story of Failed Accountability  | Marine Corps Association
> 
> This is a good read for why accountability is important, not only in a combat zone but also in training environment.
> 
> I was a road gaurd during ITB at the grenade range, up the hill and the opposite direction from where we had to hump back to (SOI West). I had heard silence for a while and looked back to see the company marching back. Of course in typical boot fashion I got yelled at for relieving myself from post, but I could see my Sergeant's face of oh shit when I came running up from the rear.



Wow, this is insane and kind of reminds me a little of my first exercise as a PL.  After 6 days straight of being on the FLOT we (the whole Recon Troop) were Black on water.  It got pretty dicey, our resupply was on the way but it being May in the Tularosa Basin it could get worse I'm sure.  Thankfully a couple of hours is all we had to wait.  I couldn't imagine what was going through his mind, at the time.  Dehydration leads to all sorts of weird shit.


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## Totentanz (Dec 7, 2018)

BloodStripe said:


> A Story of Failed Accountability  | Marine Corps Association
> 
> This is a good read for why accountability is important, not only in a combat zone but also in training environment.
> 
> I was a road gaurd during ITB at the grenade range, up the hill and the opposite direction from where we had to hump back to (SOI West). I had heard silence for a while and looked back to see the company marching back. Of course in typical boot fashion I got yelled at for relieving myself from post, but I could see my Sergeant's face of oh shit when I came running up from the rear.



The opening quote (_"Inspect, don’t expect; if you expect, then don’t expect a d— thing."_) sounds closely related to what Massad Ayoob referred to as "the look that doesn't see", in his write up of his own ND.  When you look and expect to find a positive result (an empty chamber or mag well, all your personnel where they should be, etc), you'll typically find it unless the negative result slaps you in the face, and the effect is more pronounced when a) fatigue sets in and b) it's hundredth/thousandth/millionth time you've inspected/expected that particular thing.  If you've been clearing rifles all day and looking at empty chambers, you're likely to perceive an empty chamber if you look for one, regardless of whether it *is* empty or not.

It's why I appreciated the jumpmaster who actually *inspected* items during JMPI instead of just slapping the harness releases and pulling the straps.

We are human and we will at some point create failures.  They (the failures) are out there; they need to be found and fixed.


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## Gunz (Dec 30, 2018)

Routine breeds complacency. Complacency kills.


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## “The Old Man” (Jan 14, 2019)

Man lost his life but, left us with harsh yet valuable lessons. Always put your team ahead of yourself. That is a proven method of being accountable in our profession as warriors.


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