Accountability

Sensitive Item are more than just a piece of equipment assigned to a soldier. The prime principle and purpose of a Sensitive Item is to provide protection, defense, or a mean to save lives. Therefore, people who are assigned such equipment shouldn’t take for granted ways the enemy can use it against us. Anything from a map, a set of night vision goggles, radios, to a weapon can aid the enemy in hindering our mission and our safety by providing access to classified information or giving them the tools that can harm us. Special measures should be used when a soldier is accountable for equipment such as firearms in a combat zone. Physical security of weapons is a critical part of the military. As beneficial they can be, they can cause destruction and devastation on a larger scale. Many people don’t realize how much is done to provide security to firearms and weapons and so when negligence and complacency sets in with individuals, it undermines the measures taken by leadership to provide a secure storage for the weapons and ammunition, along with other sensitive items that would effect mission readiness. That is why when being in a foreign country where alarms, and other types of security actions that are implemented for safekeeping are not available soldiers should be more cautious of where their equipment is at all times. Especially if its mission essential items that cannot be replaced immediately. One important factor to always keep in mind when given sensitive items, is that we are the security of the nation, and the American people look towards us for the professionalism and trustworthiness that is instilled in soldiers to overcome obstacles and conflicts, as stated in AR 190-11 “The Army’s inventory of AA&E is a vital part of its readiness posture. Loss or theft of such material can foster fear in the public sector and create an image of the Army’s inability to secure its assets.” Incidents, like not properly securing a weapon, displays irresponsibility,...