Final answer:
The Army community develops a common language of terminology and symbology during basic training, where soldiers learn military culture and specialized vocabulary. This shared language fosters efficient communication, unity among soldiers, and a distinct military speech community.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Army community develops a common language of terminology and symbology during basic training, which serves as the initial period of training for new service members. During this phase, soldiers are not only physically conditioned but are also introduced to military culture and its unique vocabulary and symbols. Basic training facilitates the indoctrination into military life, where soldiers learn to adhere to strict schedules, maintain proper standards of cleanliness, march in uniform formations, and show respect through gestures like saluting superiors. Such rigorous training ensures that soldiers develop a shared sense of identity and belonging within the military community. In addition to the practical skills taught, basic training incorporates the teaching of specialized military language and symbols, which promotes effective communication and unity among soldiers. Examples of specialized language use can be seen with the code talkers during wartime, where indigenous languages were used to develop secure communication codes. For instance, during the Second World War, the Navajo Code Talkers employed their language to create an unbreakable code that greatly benefited the Allied forces. Through these collective experiences and shared language, the Army community fosters a robust internal culture that is essential for coordinated and efficient operations. Language acts as a symbolic system for communication and cultural transmission, and within the Army, it is used to build a distinct speech community with its own vocabulary, grammatical forms, and patterns of intonation, all of which signify membership in this unique group.