The United States Military has often been described as a highly-complex and interwovenseries of commands, both issued and carried out. Machines as complex as our organization, the US Army, have a lot of moving parts. If any of these gears fails to perform as they have been designated and entrusted to, the machine begins to break down.Punctuality and accountability are two major ways the Army in general and the 2nd Cavalry Squadron in particular, keep those parts moving smoothly and effectively. Without either, the entire system would quickly fall apart, leading to any number of complications that would hinder the units ability to meet its goals quickly, effectively and efficiently. With this essay, I will explain the importance of timeliness as it relates to the military, as well as describethe problems that would come from ignoring it. Soldiers of every rank and specialty have many responsibilities, and many others depend on their actions being carried out successfully. If a soldier does not follow extremely important, life-or-death orders, this will result in extremely unfortunate, life-or-death consequences. However, failure to obey small, seemingly simple directions, such as keeping an appointment, can also turn into an unpredictable mess. Military readiness and the 21st century Army can be defined by its own organizational ability to project firepower and defend and preserve life. Punctuality and accountability directly contribute to this mission by ensuring that every gear in the war machine is exactly where it needs to be in relation to every other part and piece, in order to achieve total victory. If a single unit is not where the battle plan needs it to be, the result could be a variety of scenarios. Time and resources could be wasted as that unit is redirected and redeployed to its proper place. Enemies could take advantage of the hole in our plan, and