American Army Aviation Branch Remains A Small But Highly Effective Section Of The Total Force

Four years ago, Capt. (P) Raymond Kuderka was considering different options for a broadening assignment as a senior captain. With so many opportunities available in the Army, Kuderka was searching for guidance on which broadening assignment would bolster his company-grade development and support his career goals. Many of his peers were applying to graduate degrees, fellowships, and MI Programs. But none of these options were appealing.

Army Doctrine Reference Publication 1-0 states, “living by and upholding the moral principles of the Army Ethic” is the foundation to our profession. An organization cannot survive if there are no foundation for morals. The organization will internally implode. This is a critical fact for the Army. Individuals that do not have a foundation that aligns with the Army’s foundation is detrimental to the organization. The purpose for this short paper is to explore the fundamentals of our profession; examine the need for structure; how to return to basics of the profession; who needs to enforce standards; finally, implementing a culture change within the Army. Army leaders have categorized the four problems that currently plague the Army

Officers is to advise all levels of commands on these issues. Continuing the Army ethic

The best way to exemplify the Army’s Professional Culture is the Warrior Ethos; “I will always place the mission first, I will never accept defeat, I will never quit, I will never leave a fallen comrade.” (CG TRADOC, 2010, p.15). The operating environment is always changing but what sets the Army apart is how we adapt to these changes. Striving for excellence in every aspect is what sets us apart from the rest. Culture in the Army has three levels; Artifacts, Espoused Beliefs and Values, and Basic Underlying Assumptions.

We possess the skill and expertise to win any battle. We are the Army’s professionals that must continue to build on our skills and assist with the growth of more proficient leaders. When the Soldiers of the United States Army win a war, we know that it was not the work of an unethical leader but the dedication and hard work from a competent leader. An example of a professional is a technical and tactical leader. These leaders are relevant to the Profession of Arms because they keep the Army balanced. They do this by providing personnel development thorough training and certifications and job assignments to assist these soldiers in career advancement. In addition, the Human Resources Sergeant playa a fundamental role in the Army profession by providing personnel support and assisting the force. Human Resources Sergeants are aware of their role and understand the importance of providing support to the Profession of Arms, and we have what it takes to train, fight, deploy and achieve success in winning wars. The Army has a lot professional leaders. With all the Expertise of these leaders the army is nearly impossible to

Service to the nation is stressed in the Soldier’s Creed and duties to fellow soldiers are espoused in the Warrior Ethos. These commitments are drilled into soldiers from their first day of training and reinforced through professional education throughout their career. Soldiers are rewarded for outstanding performance using selective Army schools such as Pathfinder School or Ranger School. The soldier’s thirst for knowledge is what makes these schools their own reward and other Soldiers respect and value the knowledge gained at these

The Aviation Branch of the U.S. Army, as we know it today, did not exist at the turn of the 1800 to 1900 centuries. The military did use a Balloon Corps and Detachment for the Civil and Spanish-American Wars respectfully. However, the Army deactivated both organizations after their usage in the campaigns. These artillery spotters and reconnoiters were helpful. However, the leadership did not see a usage for them outside of war. Therefore, it would take someone understanding the potential of air power to open a door for its peacetime usage. This occurred with the birth of the Signal Corps.

Army leaders make decisions that affect the lives of their Soldiers. Rule oriented obligations, goal oriented aspirations, and situation-oriented decisions are challenging. There is tension as leaders balance them.

The Army today is a profession that is in transition, a profession that will be in peril if we do not adapt. The Army has gone through transitions in the past that have caused it to become less of a profession if not to be even considered just another job and after ten years of war we are at another crossroads in our profession (Army, 2011). Just as failure to adapt can lead to failure on the battlefield it can lead to the failure of the Army as a Profession. The Army must continue to shape its own future as a profession or it will cease to become one. For the purpose of this paper, I will discuss three main factors that will help the Army maintain its status as a profession; its unique skill set, its ethical foundation, and its service to the people.

The United States Army began its aviation heritage in the mid 1920’s as the United States Army Air Service later turning into the United States Army Air Force. It was the aviation fighting force for the Army until 1947 when the United States Air Force was created and the Army was no longer legally allowed to conduct missions in the same manner as it did in World War II (WWII). It was in WWII that the Army saw the potential of Vertical Lift, however it was too late to make any effect on the war. The helicopter saw its first combat in the mountains and valleys of Korea. It was here that the Army was able see a significant change in combat due to this new piece of technology. U.S. Commanders were able to get real time updates to the

If an U.S. Army Officer cannot meet the physical standards set, then they will be looked at in a negative manner by their subordinates. Not being able to lead from the

The current system that our Battalion has to integrate new Drill Sergeants is lacking to say the least. Multiple sensing sessions have proven that the way we are currently training and integrating new arrivals is not working. The following provides some recommendations and proposed policy changes to more efficiently prepare and equip these individuals for the rigorous lifestyle ahead.

Except in wartime, Army officers have little exposure to air power and little opportunity to train together with air forces. These profound organizational and cultural differences imply that the relationship between the Air Force and the Army has a peculiar character that demands special attention. However, many of the insights developed from this relationship, especially in the area of control measures, may be applicable in the broader joint arena.

are structured. Civilians only have to do what they were hired to do, military personnel must

There are major changes that have transformed the military from the old force which was seen to focus only on winning battles without caring much about their forces to the highly skilled force it is today that is all rounded. In order to comprehend the changes in the military there is need for understanding the military culture. Like any other culture, military culture has evolved from unorganized forms of administration and organization to the current modern force it is today. There are different viewpoints on military culture and understanding it requires delving in their systems. Explanation of military culture has two dimensions; one, the actual service where the force is required to interact with others while serving and two, the personal life of the veteran and the life off the military environment.