Military Professionalism- The Importance of Professionalism in the United States Marine Corps

Professionals in the United States Marine Corps stand apart from others engaged in particular careers in the civilian world.While many vocations contain some of the characteristics of professional, a lot of careers do not include all of the elements necessary to distinguish themselves as being as close to a professional as a marine. Professionalism grows depending on the time and service they have in the Marine Corps. A professional has specialized knowledge and skill which can only be acquired through prolonged education and experience. Such skill and experience form the basis of objective standards of professional competence that separate the practicing professional from their peers and measure the competence of such professional. This professional knowledge must also be intellectual in nature.

The second characteristic of professionalism is responsibility. General responsibility creates the moral responsibility of marines and helps us understand the set of values which guide us. In addition, however, marines must also possess the values of other human beings and question service to a society which does not respect these values. These values include justice, common courtesy, human dignity and humbleness. A government which does not respect these values is illegitimate and cannot be said to serve the society it directs. In the case of United States marines, the values of the United States must be examined in the context of the military profession. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution provide clear statements of these values and Ethics. Ethics are standards by which one should act based on values. Values are core beliefs such as honor, courage, and commitment that motivate attitudes and actions. Not all values...

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... made the story go in my favor when I should have called earlier to tell them that I would arrive late because of what happened. Instead, I waited for them to call me on my way up. All of the effort I had put into the past three months at work are now diminished by my one ignorant action of not calling and lying when I arrived. I could have simplified the situation by just calling in when I knew I would be late and come clean up front, instead, I blew the whole situation out of proportion and tried to make myself seem like a victim. I have lost the trust of my peers and superiors that were involved.

This essay was a learning experience, the more written on professionalism and it's qualities, the more knowledge I have gained. This essay alone can be used as a guide on how to conduct myself as a marine, not only to read it but use the information available in it.sm,