Importance of Following Instructions in Military Training

Following instructions, especially to the smallest detail, is incredibly important for several reasons. It accomplishes a number of things in addition to the task the instructions are specifically given for, but the foremost reason for the importance of following detailed instructions is to successfully and correctly complete the task. In every part of life, doing things the way they need to be done is important, but this is especially true in the military and even more so in the special operations community and the training and selection for that community. In a real world scenario, success or failure by members of special operations means not only life and death for those involved, but can have far reaching consequences and effects on national security and international politics. In the military, success is imperative because of what is at stake.

Another reason following detailed instructions is important is that it teaches how to do things correctly. Following every last detail of instructions teaches the importance of details as well as how to properly do the task that is given. In training , completing a task is useless if it is not done exactly the way it needs to be done and it cannot be successfully repeated in the real world. The only thing that tasks given in training accomplish is teaching the students. In training, it is the actions, rather than the end results, that are important. If detailed instructions are given and correctly followed, the end result will not only be the completion of the task, but the students learning how to think and go about doing things. Detailed instructions force the student to be detail-minded and to do every small thing correctly, so that the big things are completed successfully.