AVAILABILITY... WHAT?

Availability is a statutory obligation for all military personnel, which goes against the customs of modern society (reduced working hours, hourly pay). This principle can also be undermined by an over-regulated neighbourhood life (daily schedules, neighbourhood, etc.).This principle can be undermined by an over-regulated neighbourhood life (daily hours, Friday afternoon free time), which the chief will ensure that it is adapted to operational needs and service imperatives. For the chief, it is like an imperative that places him at the service of others and of his unit, echoing Jean Guitton's quotation: "all authority is service". Availability is expressed in both physical and intellectual dimensions. For the military leader, it can also be seen as the first mark of his or her commitment and involvement as an authority, since command must first be embodied by presence. As a mark of selflessness and personal investment, availability makes obedience and adherence more spontaneous. It maintains trust and prepares for operational engagement.

AVAILABILITY... WHY?

• It is intimately linked to operational efficiency and the personal investment made by the chief to get to him.

• It materializes the concern of his subordinates and the interest in the military institution.
• It naturally develops mutual trust.

NO AVAILABILITY ... WITHOUT :

• Generosity and self-sacrifice;
• a sense of mission and the common good;
• intellectual commitment, true abandonment of self in favor of service;
• a spirit of service that goes beyond the requirements of routine service.

AVAILABILITY ... IN THE TEXTS :

"When the leader is lacking, anarchy commands and anarchy is good only to destroy, never to build. (...) The true leader understands his mission only from the moment he has torn himself away from himself to give himself without resumption to the general interest. »

Gaston Courtois - The Art of Being a Chief (1958).

THE AVAILABILITY ... "TO THE CONTACT":

Testimony of a captain commanding an ALAT unit - operation SERVAL - Mali - 2013:

"It's already five o'clock in the morning, the report of last night's air-land raid is over and we've allowed ourselves a little moment of decompression, useful for the cohesion of the group. Everyone then goes to bed; I've fixed the next meeting in the early afternoon to start preparing for the night raid, so that the crews can rest. But I know that my two intelligence NCOs will be at work from eight o'clock to analyse the results of the attack and take into account the new positions of the ground troops. I cannot decently leave them alone, even if I too need to regain my strength. A little before ten o'clock, I join them, armed with a good cup of coffee. The expression of surprise in their eyes and their smiles prove to me that they appreciate my presence, a sign of personal investment. Together we analyse the new tactical situation. »

Testimony of a Sergeant Chief of Section - Operation TRIDENT - Kosovo - 2000:

"After five months of a demanding mission, my platoon is the only one in the company that has remained complete to take over several rights-of-way. Once instructions were given to the relief, the platoon began its disengagement and started packing to prepare for the return. Two days later, events increased the tension and clashes occurred with the French troops. The platoon was then engaged again as a reserve platoon of the SGTIA. On all faces, the tension is palpable following our rise in power. Because of the incidents, the return is delayed. This availability found all its value in this state of affairs when in all heads, we had already returned to France after five months of a demanding mission. »