Era of Errors

Essay by SintheeaUniversity, Bachelor'sA, January 2007

download word file, 5 pages 5.0

Upon the mention of intercultural communication, one may instinctively think of barriers or challenges in dealing with those from other countries who speak and understand a different language. However, in the multigenerational society and workforce, intercultural communication hits more closer to home, as slang becomes a secondary language within the English language. For the first time in recorded history, the current workforce in the United States is comprised of four generations (Forman & Carlin, n.d.). There is diversity in the different generations, but to pinpoint or categorize each with specific traits is difficult; it is easier to categorize by age than by qualities.

Background

While assigned to a communications unit at Fort Gordon, Georgia, I was the team leader for a Single Channel Radio communications section. We often participated in training events in which our abilities to perform our duties effectively were evaluated. The purpose of an Army Training Evaluation Program (ARTEP) is to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire communication process, from the time of notification, setup of the communications vehicle, to the time that the message is sent and the message is received; secured communications must be correctly transmitted within a specified period.

The acronym ARTEP is used as a word in the communications arena and is pronounced as aretap. The significance of an ARTEP for the unit leaders is to determine the readiness of the unit to deploy and the ability of the unit to perform the mission. The failure of an ARTEP results in additional training, which in turn means less leisure time for the soldiers of that unit.

There were two other personnel assigned to my communications vehicle, or Radio Teletypewriter Rig (RATT Rig), and my team consisted of Specialist (SPC) Rivers, Private First Class Smith, and myself. For this particular exercise,