Responsibility is a topic that spans every spectrum of life. From simply knowing your food supply by opening the fridge, to knowing the exact amount of ammunition a military convoy has at its disposal, down to every single round. When we know what the situation is and hold each person accountable for their actions in the situation, that is the concept of accountability at its root. If we don't have to hold each other accountable for each of our actions and choices, we will never be able to correct problems and concerns, which will set us up to fail overall because the smallest individual action can explain the most severe consequences. In this essay I will show how important responsibility is in the daily life of a United States Marine. I will do this by presenting the textbook definition of responsibility, then analyzing and defining it in my own words. I will then show you how the Army practices accountability in everything it does; applying a system similar to that of checks and balances. I will connect to this the incident that occurred at 29 Palms, California, on August 31, 1988, where the failure of all Marines on the Base to take responsibility ultimately resulted in the negligent death of a Marine and the ruining of the careers of those who were in charge of him. Finally I will get down to the basic level of the Marine Corps: the life of the individual Marine and how he can, and of course does to a certain extent, apply accountability to his every action, both on and off duty. The legal or regulatory obligation imposed on an official or other person to keep accurate records of property, documents, or funds. The person who has this obligation may or may not have actual possession of the...... half of the card....... Start saving money because you know your finances are short, start using your funds towards families needs and not your needs. In this very same aspect we Marines must apply responsibility in everything we do in the Marine Corps and in our daily lives. Responsibility is a topic that covers everything from knowing how many diapers are left for the baby, to knowing how many diapers AT- There are 4 rocket launchers in the platoon, who owns them, and how much experience they have using them. If you hold yourself accountable for your actions, your superior will not have to, because you already know the appropriate course of action to take to correct the problem and present any changes to them in order to keep the Unit in operational condition and the Corps capable of complete his mission. Works Cited Oxford Dictionary of the US Military Webster's Unabridged Dictionary