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. In June 2013 Army Doctrine Reference Publication 1 (ADRP1) “The Army Profession” was released and the website http://cape.army.mil was created. In (ADRP1), it states there are five essential characteristics of the Army Profession, trust, military expertise, honorable service, Esprit de Corps, and stewardship (ADRP1, 2013). Those characteristics is what I think separates a Soldier from a civilian. No one should think that their job or occupation is harder or more important than someone else’s. It takes all kinds of professions to make this country work but the Army could not be as successful as it is today without our professionals teaching, coaching, mentoring and preserving these five characteristics. Trust is the first one of the characteristics and is very important in our profession. Without trust in our profession we could not accomplish anything. In Chapter on... ... middle of paper ... ...ion. When I am old and gray and my grandkids ask me what I did for a living I can hold my head high and say the Army was my profession. References Army Doctrine Reference Publication 1. (June 2013.). CAPE. Retrieved February 2, 2014, from http://cape.army.mil/ Esprit de Corps. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved February 1, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/ John F. Kennedy: Inaugural Address. U.S. Inaugural Addresses. 1989. (n.d.). John F. Kennedy: Inaugural Address. U.S. Inaugural Addresses. 1989. Retrieved February 1, 2014, from http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres56.html Profession. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved February 1, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/ Snider, D. M. (2008). Dissent and strategic leadership of the military professions. Carlisle Barracks, PA: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College.
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.
What makes the Army a subculture? The Army objective is to serve American citizens, to protect United States, protect vital national interests, and to achieve national military responsibilities (United States Army, n.d). The members of the U.S Army share the same objective, which makes them a subculture. Here some background information on the U.S Army. The United States military is consistent of five branches Army, Navy, Air force, Coast Guard, and Marines. Although, there is a lot of similarities between all five of the branches there is also a lot of differences. The United States Army was first known as the Continental Army. The Army was founded in 1775 by the Second Continental Congress in order to go war in the American Revolutionary War (United States Army, n.d). After the war, the Congress of the Confederation established the United States Army on June 3, 1784(United States Army, n.d). They are a land-based military branch. Therefore, the Army performs the majority of their tasks on land. It is the oldest and largest military branch in the United States.
The Army requires its members to adhere to prolonged training and learn specialized skills. From the moment a soldier transitions from the civilian sector into the Army, he is indoctrinated with training. Regardless of rank, the Army demands each soldier to be technically proficient and mentally competent in order to be qualified in a respective Military Occupation Specialty. As a soldier progresses in his military career, he is required to continue his education and training. Army leaders are expected and required to continue developing their skills through academic studies, operational experience, and institutional training. An opposing view argues that anyone can learn these skills; however, statistics show less than 0.5% of the population serves in the armed forces, indicating a soldier is a rare mix of intelligence and character.1 These lessons are necessary qualifications to achieve what General Martin Dempsey describes as “effectiveness rather than efficiency.”2 Much like the profession of medicine which must heal, the media which must provide truth, and law which must provide justice, the profession of arms must provide secur...
In order to understand a profession, the Army White Paper gives us clear definitions of “The Profession of Arms” . The profession of arms. The Army is American Professional of Arms, a vacation comprised of experts certified in the ethical application of land combat power, serving under civilian authority, entrusted to defend the constitution and the rights and interests of the American people.
Obama, Barack. "President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address." The White House. Office of the Press Secretary, 21 Jan. 2009. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.
It also seeks to understand the task of the military and what separates the Army from other occupations (Griffiths, 2008). The Army Profession of Arms is composed of experts who are entrusted with application of ethics in the land combat power and then serve under the authority of a civilian and are also trusted with the duty of the constitution, interests and rights of the people of the United States of America. For example, an Army to a profession of arms calls for the responsibility of executing duties and serving the people of the United States of America while upholding the constitution. The aspects of professionalism are developed through extensive training and
The question whether the Army is a profession becomes current hot issue to the society. The Army tried to demonstrate its development on profession by reviewing and refreshing the doctrine. However; there are documents that show the disagreement from people and they believe that our military is still inefficient organization when talking about our professional. The purpose of this paper is to support the idea of military is a professional organization. The Army is a profession because of three attributes; its expertise, trust, and values. These three are important keys to achieve and reach the profession.
Many soldiers can testify to the fact that it is not just training, situations, or regulations that sets us apart from the average person.
Strategic leaders like sergeants, majors, colonels, and generals, must balance the present environment with what may happen in the future, without the help of a crystal ball. This balancing act is critical for the Army to have the capabilities to meet the needs of the nation, however, the balancing act is not complete until the Army’s culture and its institutional practices are aligned. What that means is the Army’s institutional values must continue to reflect the diverse culture of the
"A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living." When joining the military you must perform your best to protect our country. Tons of men and women around the world fight for the country and make a career out of it. There are three major branches and many different jobs to go with each one. Each have many specific tasks. (Robbie Hughes Interview)
Trust is neither given or gained freely; therefore, one will not trust another until that person had earned their trust through a combination of demonstrating integrity, commitment, understanding, and respect towards another (Garman, Fitz, & Fraser, 2006). One way team members can engender trust through commitment. Individuals need to attempt to honor commitments whenever they can and when they can't, how one handles failed commitments is even more important in building trust. Another way to engender trust is to maintain confidentiality. Confidentiality is imperative for building and sustaining trust and for ensuring open and honest communication.
If Soldiers and leaders adhered to the Army Values and the Leadership Requirements Model, many ethical dilemmas that Noncommissioned Officers face on a daily basis would not occur. In the Army today, Soldiers constantly discuss values and leadership, unfortunately not everyone takes them seriously. The abuse of authority and command influence sometimes displayed by leaders puts subordinates into ethical dilemmas. Often, command influence will challenge the Loyalty, Duty, Respect, and Honor values that a leader attempts to live by. There are times when adhering to and living the Army Values results in Soldiers and leaders facing ethical dilemmas with their superior(s).
In the traditional form of profession, career paths only in the fields of health, justice and education were exclusively recognized as professions. For many years the field of security, specifically, with regards to the Armed Forces was not considered a profession. Not very long ago, the public did not consider the professional Soldier to fall under a profession. The Soldiers characteristics were considered to be closer to those of an occupational professional. However, as time moves forward, the American Soldier exhibits more traits and characteristics of a professional in the realm and space of a profession. That is why the Army is now part of
Colonel Malham M. Wakin, in his evening address, asks whether Plato's claim that "knowledge is virtue" is true. Much contemporary experience suggests otherwise. To some extent, such an observation could apply to the military as well. Col Wakin argues that we do have some basic knowledge about human conduct, but that we live in a highly pluralistic society in which some practices reject that basic knowledge. Nonetheless, even though we draw members of the military from that pluralistic society, the uniqueness of the military function will always keep its leading practitioners apart from the mainstream of civilian society. The military profession swears to defend the values, the lifestyle that incorporates the minimal conditions for human dignity. After examining the convergence of the values that are functionally necessary for the military and those that we know are fundamental to social existence, he concludes that a competent military profession can serve as a moral anchor for its parent society.
What is a profession? How is it defined and what is the difference between a job, and a profession? To answer these questions, a sense of understanding needs to be clear, they are not the same. A job is nine to five, go to work, go home, and repeat the next day. A profession is something that is lived, embodied, and held to a superior standard. Once this distinction is set, the examination of Human Resources Sergeants’ role within the Profession can begin. Also, a better understanding of the inherent challenges and goals that go into balancing the roles of leadership. Lastly, the important impact Army Culture has on the Profession of Arms.