Ethnography Rough Draft #1

Within the AROTC many ideas are stressed as more important than others one in particular being the role of leadership its importance. This paper will address how leaders engage with literacy within the AROTC in order to lead affectively. On the Battlefield stress, anxiety, depression and many other feelings kick in. Its important to stick with your team you have been training with and follow the direction of your leader. Almost all leaders follow a strict set of guidelines called the Decision-Making-Process. One of the most important decisions according to CPT Daniel Morgan is always maintaining an offensive spirit. Look for the enemies to shoot at you, shoot back, and kill or capture them. Bold Leaders are dangerous and that is what you want in them as you fight this fight. The purpose of my essay is to view AROTCs leadership roles under the microscope and examine how it engages with literacy. I will reach this purpose by using interviews conducted with cadets as well as observations of AROTCs classes in order to describe the AROTCs leadership roles. In doing so, others can gain more understanding on the importance of leadership within the army but also how it can be useful in everyday life. The Qualities AROTC prefers in their leaders arent just relevant to the AROTC but, can be the foundation for a great leader in many different fields of leadership. Believe it or not, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte was originally a military academy prior to becoming a University. With this kind of foundation one can only look for success in the AROTC program once the academy became a university. AROTC is designed to prepare cadets for their encounter against enemy combatants. There is no doubt that combat is an extremely traumatic experience for individuals who are involved. Some Main conversations within AROTC deal with stress levels imposed on cadets and leaders within the AROTC. How to deal with this stress is important especially if you are a leader who constantly has to make

stressful decisions. When occupying the leader position, one small error or mistake could cost the lives of troops. Cadets are trained however in the AROTC a special set of literary skills that will help them become a more successful and knowledgeable leader. With these literary skills they are able to perform their tasks more efficiently with time elapsed being a key factor. On the battlefield the overall consensus seems to be the quicker tasks are completed the better. Like most programs the AROTC has a simple goal that it strives to reach. The goal is develop competent and confident leaders imbued with warrior ethos, grounded in field craft, and skilled in leading soldiers, training subordinates, and employing and maintaining equipment. This process begins by making sure the cadets carry themselves out in the right mindset and with the right attitude. Cadets represent the AROTC in every action and decision they choose to make. They live by a code of ethics and morals with which reflects character and integrity from each of the cadets. There are different levels of command within the AROTC; cadets abide by these levels through showing respect and following orders given by higher ranking officers. The environment is very important and plays a pivotal role within this community both in AROTC and in the classroom. When I made observations in the classroom I noticed that the desks were organized in a way so that all cadets would be facing the instructor. Cadets wore matching uniforms and on these uniforms were the patches that indicated their ranking and name. Leadership was displayed during reading exercises. When the instructor asked for someone to read a segment in a loud voice a cadet began reading without hesitation showing initiative, a good quality to have as a leader. On the battlefield the environment is very important for leaders. When leaders are planning military operations it is imperative that they obtain the information regarding the terrain, weather, and time of day. Even the minutest environmental

factors can affect military observations. This process is known as Terrain Analysis. Once Leaders are engaged in military operations it is key that they have a simple way through which they can communicate with their troops. Communication is one of the primary qualities of a leader. Being able to communicate a purpose as a leader is important in completing tasks affectively. Conveying a message is important and leaders within the AROTC use specific methods to maximize the comprehension of messages. One of the more important steps is to focus your message and make sure that the intent you wish to create is clear to the reader or audience of your message. When attempting to communicate, a common obstacle that can get in the way is called noise. Noise is everything that interferes with the original message being conveyed. By maybe having the receiver of the message confirm what they heard or using more descriptive language when conveying a message, you will be able to decrease the potential for noise. Another key is to stay away from complicated words, it is important that the use of simple words is utilized frequently. Use words that you would use when interacting within a conversation opposed to the words used within an essay. Within the community of the AROTC literacy is used and defined in a different way than that which you would read out of a dictionary. However it still revolves around the same three main aspects of literacy which are reading, writing, and speaking. Leaders use literacy in many different ways. Communication skills are important to leaders, without this skill set leaders could not effectively perform tasks with the troops under their control. Leaders are also often issued orders and must be able to gather the intent of messages so they can act on the order. Leaders use literacy skills in the form of map reading to their advantage when navigating an unfamiliar area. When a leader is ordered to reach a certain objective with their troops they must be able to

properly analyze the terrain in order to navigate the land and reach the designated objective. The picture below is an example of the symbols involved in map reading and how specific patterns correlate with specific meanings. During my observations I viewed Cadets within a class setting that dealt entirely with literacy. Subjects were read about and analyzed from an in combat POV by an experienced veteran within the army. Through my interview I learned that it is important to address higher ranking officers in a way that shows your respect towards their authority. There is also what would be viewed as a hierarchy within the AROTC among cadets and leaders. These leadership characteristics and requirements are not solely important to AROTC but, can be helpful within leadership roles of various groups and communities. The understanding of how literacy ties into leadership within one community can help formulate thoughts regarding other discourse communities involving leadership. Also with this knowledge one can gain a new and different understanding regarding individuals within the AROTC. There is a lot more to being a soldier than strength and brute force. Being able to perform literary acts is definitely a characteristic of a well trained soldier. Everything from communication to navigation is performed in a strict format that maximizes efficiency and minimizes potential error. Through the leadership aspect of the AROTC are other areas of study in which one could research. An additional idea could be the importance of team work and team building skills within the AROTC. However, lets save that topic for the next ethnography. Good information is

information with which you can walk away with. This paper provided you with a more detailed account of what goes into becoming a leader within the AROTC and the importance of literacy within that role. Being capable of understanding the literacy within the AROTC will also allow you to use examples and make comparisons upon encountering other discourse communities involving literacy.