Summary of the Army White Paper: The Profession of Arms
The Profession of Arms what it means to be a profession and if the Army meets this condition. Three main questions asked, what does it mean for the Army to be a Profession of Arms? What does it mean to be a professional Soldier? How are we as individual professionals and as a profession meeting these aspirations? (CG TRADOC, 2010, p.1)
What does it mean for the Army to be a Profession of Arms?
To the first question, what does it mean for the Army to be a Profession of Arms, there are several terms used to help define the link between the profession and the professional. Each set pulls one word for the Profession and ties it to the Professional; expertise-skill, trust-trust, development-leadership,
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This start with artifacts, which make up the base level of what a Soldier is. (CG TRADOC, 2010, p.10) These artifacts then feed into the beliefs and values of the organization. If artifacts and values to not line up there will be an undermining of the authority within the organization. The next piece in the defining what it means to be a professional Soldier falls into three cultural dimensions; the personal identity, the community, and the hierarchy. (CG TRADOC, 2010, p.10-11) These three domains of culture do not always fall directly in line and do change over time. It a leader’s job to shape the interaction between them. This shaping is most evident in times of change when the largest schism between the three dimensions is likely to …show more content…
The army is grounded in the concept of protecting human rights, with the use of lethal force, but only when necessary. (CG TRADOC, 2010, p.11) This is accomplished by following moral judgment, adapting to operational context, and instilling professional values and virtues. (CG TRADOC, 2010, p.13) To continue to meet aspersions of professionalism four basic responsibilities to moral values must remain constant. These require a clear understanding of the value of the operation, the threat posed by the enemy, the permissible moral cost to us and the enemy, and a clear vision of what winning is. (CG TRADOC, 2010, p.13) Following the four responsivities allows a Soldier to properly view the principal use of force and the concepts of necessity, discrimination, and proportionality. (CG TRADOC, 2010, p.14) Although there are many pieces of this puzzle they must all be working in unison or there will be split from what is morally right, causing the actions of the individual and the organization to drift away from the professionalism that is required. When these pieces are working together a Soldier will have a clear idea of self-command, empathy, and moral pride; versus when these pieces diverge a Soldier will begin to struggle to find their moral compass and embody these additional traits. (CG TRADOC, 2010,
The second proponent in carrying out functions related to the Army Profession and Ethic is a web-based resource named CAPE (Center for the Army Profession and Ethic). CAPE is fairly similar to The Army White paper, in terms of topics. Subsequently, both publications provide an overview of the Profession of
The Army White Paper, The Profession of Arms, provides an insight into what it means for the Army to be a Profession of Arms, what it means to be a professional Soldier, and how Soldiers individually and as a profession meet these aspirations after a decade of war. The Army is made up of numerous jobs that have multiple roles. One in particular is the Human Resource Sergeant. HR Sergeants are a profession of its own; they provide a broader framework for the Profession of Arms, balance the role of the Profession’s leaders, and are greatly influenced by the Army’s professional culture.
A Professional Soldier is someone that makes a commitment of servitude to his or her country. An individual willing to adapt to the nation’s ever-changing needs. A soldier that makes a lifelong commitment to learning and becoming a professional in the Army. The Profession of Arms in the Army means to establish firm ground work of character, ethics and unmatched adaptability in times of warfare. Developing the American Soldier and understanding the Profession of Arms will give insight to how it will benefit future generations in the Army.
Second, the Army is governed by two related ethos. On the first day of initial training Soldiers are taught the importance of the seven Army values and begin to memorize the Soldier’s Creed. Like doctors and lawyers, “the military is an expert group, charged by its client to conduct work governed by a professional ethic” according to Lieutenant General Robert Caslen. A recent study commissioned by the Army found that 93% of Soldiers share their personal with the one set by the Army. Again, according to Caslen “the Army Values have sustained our institution through some of our most difficult years and will continue to be the foundation of our profession.”
The question we must ask ourselves is what exactly the Profession of Arms is and what is our role as Human Resource Sergeants (HR Sergeants) what is it that we bring to the fight, what’s our contribution to the Army’s overall objective. As we emerge from years of war, from constant back to back deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, we find ourselves in an era of persistent conflicts where we find ourselves embroiled in conflicts all around the world. In a world that seems more dangerous today than it was yesterday it is important we remain vigilant and remain capable of fighting and winning our nations wars. We must never forget the ethics instilled upon us by the Army. We must hold fast to our Army Values to which our profession is
Soldier is an expert in the Profession of Arms, bonded with comrades by culture of
The Army is a way of life; a culture designed to understand, embrace, and demonstrate its understanding. Throughout the entire existence of the Army its culture has been based on elements such as oaths, creeds, the Warrior Ethos and the Army Values. The elements of the Army’s culture are the basis for ethical conduct. Soldiers have been taught to uphold and live by the Army Values but they have not necessarily been taught to remain a professional while upholding these standards. By instilling ethical and moral value into the professional soldier the military is ensuring that all soldiers, even lower level soldiers, are able to make complex and tactical decisions for a strategic effect. If the Army has unethical soldiers they risk failure. Failure due to unethical soldiers can have strategically far reaching implications for the Army, our client nation, and international allies.
To be a Profession of Arms is a subject that hits close to home and not a subject I take lightly. Serving close to ten years in the Army, it is something I could not be taught but was something I had to live and experience. I’m always asked by close friends and relatives why do I do what I do? What is so appealing about the Military that makes me want to keep reenlisting? I try to explain to them the best I can but I have grown to realize that nothing I say to them is going to make them understand why I love the Army. It’s a life style. Something that has to be lived in order to completely grasp what is so appealing. I embrace the suck and when it’s over I smile and laugh because those are memories I will always keep with me. In this paper I will touch base on what it means to be a Profession, the Balancing Role of the Professions Leaders, The Army Professional Culture, and the HR Sergeants Role in the Army Profession.
The PoA white paper defines the Profession, more specifically, the Profession of Arms, by calling it “a vocation 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.” (U.S. Army Combined Arms Center. Center for the Army Profession and Ethic. United States. Army Training and Doctrine Command, 2010, p. 7). In order to belong to this exclusive organization, Soldiers must possess certain key attributes. This will help carry the Profession for years to come. In the Profession of Arms, Soldiers must be willing to embrace the four key attributes (Development, Expertise, Service, and Values). This is necessary in order to establish “trust,” the most important attribute to ensure the livelihood of the Army as an institution. Our profession, in order to exist, must absolutely establish trust, not only within its ranks, but also with the Soldiers’ families and with other civil institutions, something that should be front and center in the development of our future
While these three points are extensively discussed and dissected, it is apparent that the key factor that makes us professionals is the ethical standard that we must hold every individual soldier, from the lowest private to the highest general, to. One of the major points that are missing is what happens when the ethical standard is breeched and how it is dealt with.
The Army White Paper: The Profession of Arms (2010) highlights the importance of understanding the roles inherent of the Human Resources Sergeant. A Human Resource Sergeant is known for being both a profession and a professional culture. This profession is required to balance responsibilities with leadership and mission requirements in an effective, efficient and timely manner.
A Profession of Arms. It is a title that the United States Army currently holds. A Profession that is uniquely separates us based on the lethality of our weapons and operations. Many factors are involved that make what we do in the Army a Profession and not just a job or an occupation. To maintain this idea that what we do is a Profession takes understanding what a Profession is, a tenuous balance by leadership and the culture of the professionals within. As a Human Resource Sergeants, we do not carry the Arms that grant us our lethality, yet we still have a vital role within this Profession of Arms.
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
Professionals in the United States Army 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 United States soldier. Professionalism grows depending on the time and service they have in the Army. 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
We will discuss briefly the Army as a Profession and what it takes to be a