The Profession Of Arms, An Army White Paper Summary
Throughout the course of American history, professionalism has been the cornerstone of The U.S. Army and its relationship with the American Republic. What dictates the criteria of a professional army, is a constant review and dialogue amongst every echelon. In an attempt to improve, U.S. Army TRADOC’s The Profession Of Arms reviews and discusses the current status of what it means to be a professional in the armed service while prescribing methods that will further maintain and standardize what it means to be a member of the U.S. Army. The purpose of this document is to summarize The Profession Of Arms briefly while highlighting the important aspects of professionalism that this White Paper
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1). Regardless of how these questions are asked, the author mentions that “The Army is not a profession just because we say so” (CAPE, 2010, p. 1). This statement alone keeps the Army mindset in check that we cannot label ourselves as professionals just to maintain a label. We must also follow through with the actual practice and application of professionalism to earn said label. These three questions also serve as a thought framework to be referenced back to as the reader progresses through the White …show more content…
These four realms are separate yet also intertwined given the author’s explanation of how they “generate and employ ethical combat power to achieve operational adaptability across the full spectrum of operations” (CAPE, 2010, p. 7). Following expertise, the author describes the levels of Army Culture: artifacts, espoused beliefs and values, and basic underlying assumptions. These concepts all function at a certain, socially constructed echelon within an Army unit (CAPE, 2010, p. 10).
In addition to ethics, this paper discusses moral values in terms of the how and why we fight. This concept then progresses towards a discussion of moral values and how this intertwines with the development of personal character and one’s morals (CAPE, 2010, p. 13). For the rest of this White Paper, morals and ethics tend to be a concept that is referred back to on multiple
The United States Army, in its current state, is a profession of arms. In order to be considered a profession, the organization must have an ethical code rooted in values, strong trust with its clients, and be comprised of experts within the trade. These experts are constantly developing the trade for the present and the future and hold the same shared view of their trade culture.
This paper will not bore with the definition of a profession. The United States Army is about more than words, it is about action. The action of over 238 years of tradition and service. The Army is a profession. A profession requires its members to adhere to prolonged training and learn specialized skills. A member of a profession must wholly commit himself and his skills to a calling which is entrusted by the public. A profession provides its members with intrinsic value which motivates beyond financial gain. The Army is a higher calling which demands all of these qualities and more.
On the other hand, the Army has ethics that guide and frame its activities. US soldiers fight to defend the Constitution. They all have pledged an oath to do so. The nation expects soldiers to be shining examples of the America’s best values. Soldiers have rules and principles that define the way to use force against their enemies. The Ar...
The US Army campaign issues in todays world are growing more relevant by the day. As a result it is increasingly important for the US Army to launched the Army White Paper the Profession of Arms. Have you ever hear about this campaign before and are you part of it? This white paper should meet a common understanding beyond the US Army soldiers, however the Army as a profession of arms it self. its has some meaning to fully understanding. In this essay, we are going to prove that the army as a profession of arms.
Colonel Mathew Moten once said, “Professions are not professions simply because they say they are. Their clients, society as a whole, have to accept their claims and trust the professions with jurisdiction over important areas of human endeavor”.
As our forefathers before us stated, ‘‘No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as “The Backbone of the Army (“The NCO Creed written by SFC Earle Brigham and Jimmie Jakes Sr”). These words to the Noncommissioned Officer should inspire us to the fullest with pride, honor, and integrity. The NCO creed should mean much more than just words whenever we attend an NCO’s school.
The Army has been in existence since 1775 when Congress authorized the creation of 10 rifle companies (Army Birthdays 2011). The standing federal Army was created in 1803 followed by a series of reforms to the Army professional education system (Dempsy 2014). I will argue that the Army is a Profession of Arms by showing a system of continued learning, training, and growth; the code of ethics held by the Army; and the level of autonomy afforded Army leaders and their Soldiers.
Webster’s dictionary defines the word profession as a type of job that requires special education, training, or skill. Many Soldiers would not consider the Army as a profession but a way of life. Some think the word profession belongs to everyday jobs like a plumber, mechanic, or doctor. Dr. Don M. Snider stated “the Army is a profession because of the expert work it produces, because the people in the Army develop themselves to be professionals, and because the Army certifies them as such” (Snider, D. M. 2008). In October 2010, the Secretary of the Army directed the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) to lead an Army wide assessment of the state of the Army Profession. We have been at war as a Country for over a decade and the Army wanted to know how to shape the future of the Army as a profession and the effects the past decade had on our profession.
My two strengths in the profession of arms are direction and recognition. I am strong in giving directions because I am very detailed and specific in giving orders (KAI-theory). Giving good directions in relation to deliberate leadership will help in providing subordinates a well thought out plan to further develop them into future leaders. My methodical approach discovered in the Team Dimension Profile will also be a great benefit when trying to develop a step by step plan. When I provide directions for a task or plan I try not to assume people already know things especially if it is something new or haven't been discussed in awhile. I also give my subordinates the opportunity to ask questions and ensure they fully understand the task before exiting the conversation. I also believe it is important to recognize your people. Recognizing your people in relation to deliberate leadership will help to motivate and encourage subordinates in their journey as the strive to reach their goals. I have worked hard this past year to put my people in for awards and programs. Recognizing your people shows that you acknowledge and appreciate their contributions to the organization.
The Center for the Army Profession and Ethic (CAPE), releases the Annual Survey of the Army Profession (CASAP). Through these surveys, the CAPE is able to identify trends, and issues that the Army is facing as a profession. These observations lead to the introduction of programs such as the “America’s Army–Our Profession” (AAOP) education and training program, designed to mitigate pertinent issues. The Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army then designate annual or biennial themes to educate, create discussion, and promote specific subjects. The results found in CASAP for the fiscal year 2015 (FY15) indicated a concerning lack of trust between Soldiers and Army Civilians of all Army Components.
Throughout the course of United States enlistment, individuals enlist for various reasons. Reasons might be voluntary or involuntary. The end result is there, we must receive Soldiers to meet the demand for strength of the force. Every job is important in all branches of the military, jobs interconnect and builds to one another. Once the Soldier is trained, he or she becomes a professional at that field.
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.
Bulgakov’ Diaboliad details an increasingly outrageously comical tale regarding the absurdities Korotkov endures at the hands of the Soviet social and government system. Bulgakov utilizes the bumbling character of Korotkov to paint a satire of the Soviet political abuse of the common man. As Korotkov suffers constant abuses from the Soviet populace, his identity and self-worth is stripped from him and he is treated as a stranger to society. Thus, Diaboliad criticizes the ability for a government to establish one’ identity as a human being and satirizes the replaceability of human beings as cogs in the machine of society. At the story’s inception, Korotkov is described as a simple menial laborer content of his place in life.
To begin, ADRP 1 states the individual ethic begins by creating, and sustaining a professional identity as a member of the Army team, which in turn, enhances the moral fiber of the entire enterprise. Next, the Army Ethic White Paper reminds its Soldiers that as Army professionals they perform their duty according to a common ethic , eluding to the deontological precepts of this philosophy. Moreover, the white paper states, that as the Army prepares to operate in complex environments, it must anticipate the unique ethical challenges of the future, and remain committed to developing Army professionals of character, competence, and commitment. Next in importance, the joint nature of future conflict requires a common framework for ethical conduct, just as joint doctrine provides for operations and planning. Due to the exceptional importance of understanding this concept, the Army Ethic illustrates the following:
We have learned, as a force that the most integral part of being a Soldier, of being an Army leader, is understanding, maintaining and enforcing the standards. Discipline and standards are the only way to maintain the order necessary to accomplish the mission, serve our country, and protect the American way of life. Self-discipline and the moral courage to do what is right is often an arduous battle of morality. However, we do not stand alone in any battle, we stand with the support of our seniors, peers, and subordinates. As Army professionals, we do not shy away from battle or leave fallen comrades.