CHAIN OF COMMAND - 14325

Basic Military Requirements (BMR) Revised Edition
Page Navigation
162

Q4. List the four divisions of the maintenance department. a. b. c. d. Q5. The branch officer is responsible to what officer? CHAIN OF COMMAND Learning Objectives: When you finish this chapter, you will be able to— Identify the purpose of the chain of command to include responsibilities, direction, communications, and solving work-related problems. Recognize a typical chain of command. The chain of command is the relationship of juniors and seniors within an organization. The organizational charts you have seen in this chapter represent chains of command. An effective chain of command is essential for the Navy to carry out its assigned mission. Good leadership is also essential for the Navy’s mission. Good leadership supports an effective chain of command and vice versa; neither works well without the other. The chain of command serves several purposes in the accomplishment of the Navy’s mission. It defines responsibilities and identifies accountability. Properly used, it provides direction and smooth communications and ensures efficiency. RESPONSIBILITY Responsibility requires that an individual be accountable for the performance of assigned tasks within an organization. By defining responsibilities, the chain of command lets its personnel know what their responsibilities are and what they are expected to do. The Navy expects its personnel to set good examples for their shipmates by doing their jobs quickly, correctly, and neatly. The Navy expects its members to instill a sense of pride in others to improve the efficiency of the command. ACCOUNTABILITY Every person in a chain of command is accountable to someone for professional performance and personal actions. Accountability is the ability of personnel to report, explain, or justify every action taken. They do this through two types of accountability—job accountability and military accountability. 1. Job accountability means you must answer to seniors in the chain of command for the way in which you carry out an assigned task. 2. Military accountability means you must answer to senior military personnel for your personal behavior and military appearance. DIRECTION The chain of command provides direction in the assignment of duties. All members of the chain of command know their specific duties. Seniors assign these duties, and juniors should carry them out to the best of their ability. COMMUNICATION The chain of command provides for smooth, rapid, and effective communication. Each person in the chain of command needs to clearly understand his/her status within that chain. Seniors should pass information down the chain of command about matters that may affect juniors. Juniors should pass information up the chain of command about problems that exist. In this way, communication flows in both directions. 6-14 Student Notes:

Privacy Statement
Press Release
Contact