What Are the Duties of a Soldier in the Army?

The United States Army is one of the largest, best trained and most respected fighting forces in the world. Unlike the armies of many countries around the world, the U.S. Army is composed entirely of volunteers. As with any army, the key component is the individual soldier. With more than 150 different job types in the army, ranging from the classic foot soldier to linguists and cryptologists, many duties for individual soldiers will be quite different. However, every soldier has the same basic duties.

Obedience to Orders

All soldiers have a moral and legal obligation or duty to obey the lawful orders of the officers and leaders appointed over them.

Performance

All soldiers have a moral and legal obligation to perform each task assigned by those in authority over them to the best of their ability.

Teamwork

All soldiers have a moral and legal obligation to work as a part of the team to accomplish all assigned tasks. They must be willing to assume leadership responsibilities when called upon to do so.

Appearance

All soldiers have a moral and legal obligation to maintain a military appearance, to keep their minds and bodies physically fit, and to keep their equipment and clothing at standard levels.

Oath

All soldiers upon entering the service of the United States Army solemnly swear (or affirm) that they will "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Resources

• US Army website