Serving in the military has been the choice of many Americans long before having a professional career was even coveted by society. “The Army is an American Profession of Arms, 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.” (The Profession of Arms. 2010) This profession is a profession that can never truly be mastered because the Army is always changing. People are always joining and leaving. Rules are always changing. Soldiers are always learning from each other. America’s Army is continually growing, learning and evolving.
Human Resources Sergeants are professionals in the American Profession of Arms. As professionals, they are an integral part of the United States Army, contributing to its ability to be considered a profession of arms. Without these Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs), the Army would have no one to track the training, development, location, status, or purpose of the Army’s troops. Human Resources (HR) NCOs are expected to know the who, what, when, where, how, and why of any movement or group in a moment’s notice. Experienced NCOs are expected to have the skills necessary to help other Soldiers have
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These attributes directly line up with the way Merriam-Webster defines a profession as “characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession.” (Merriam-Webster online dictionary. 2018) The Army achieves this by creating a professional culture at multiple levels. Leaders drill these core values and ethics into their troops by creating a community with a shared sense of value and a predefined hierarchy. Soldiers end up sharing an unwavering ethic and an undeniable sense of belonging to something bigger than
Well, “Professions produce uniquely expert work, not routine or repetitive work.” (“The Profession of Arms” 2010 page 2) The Army as a whole does not just have one function. The Army is first and foremost ready and available to defend the American People. Second, the Army is always working on improving and striving for the future. The Army is always looking at how to modify and improve the tasks at hand and learning from the mistakes. The Army Profession earns the respect of the American people through hard work and never giving up. “The U.S. Army’s professional Ethic is built on trust with the American people as well as with civilian leaders and junior professionals within the ranks.” (“The Profession of Arms” 2010 page 11) The HR Sergeant plays a major role in the Army Profession.
Stewardship of the Army Profession is the last of the Five Essential Characteristics of the Army Profession, but in terms of importance, it is just as, if not more important than the other four. The United States Army’s ADRP-1, or Army Doctrinal Reference Publication 1, even defines stewardship as “the responsibility of Army professionals to ensure the profession maintains its five essential characteristics now and into the future”. Such importance is placed on this characteristic because Stewardship of the Army Profession is the one that ensures the other four are maintained. I sought out the definition of stewardship because despite having spent almost three and a half years and West Point, I was not entirely sure what the doctrine behind Stewardship was. In doing this, I felt like I was better prepared for both this paper and ensuring that the corrections I made were stewarding the profession. With this newly acquired knowledge, I set out to make my corrections.
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.”
Army leaders must balance the link between the Army’s culture and it’s climate and institutional practices. When there is a proper balance it has a huge impact on the mindset of the Army’s Soldiers. Their actions or inactions impacts the five key attributes of the profession, and the four fields of expertise, and have long term effects on the Army’s culture and climate. These actions influence Soldiers’ perceptions that they are serving professional who have answered the call of service to the republic, it is important that Soldiers understand that their role is a calling and not just a job.
Five characteristics define the Army as a Profession. These characteristics are honorable service, stewardship of the profession, military expertise, esprit de corps, and trust. According to ADRP 1-0, as a military profession, our relationship with the American people is built on a foundation of trust continuously reinforced by the other four characteristics. Mission accomplishment, reputation, and survivability of the Army are all reliant on trust. Therefore, I believe that trust is the most important characteristic and is the bedrock of the Army’s relationship with the American people.
Many people are concerned about the U.S. military because of how many risks come with joining it. However, the U.S. military also explains the benefits that one could receive. Joining the military is a decision that should not be taken lightly. One must understand all aspects of the military. In order for a voter to be fully informed about joining the US military, one must consider both the risks, like mental illnesses and commitment and benefits, like education, and experience.
The Army exists for a solitary reason, which is to serve the Nation by defending the constitution of the United States of America. Our country places trust in the Army to defend our constitution against foreign and domestic enemies. It is our responsibility to preserve this given responsibility at all cost. American Forces returned from direct involvement in Vietnam and great majorities of Soldiers at the time lost credibility for their role in the War. Public trust in the Army was at its lowest. The priority after the war was to repair the trust in the Army, which eventually led to the All-Volunteer force that we have today. This action reinvigorated the Army and during that 20 year span of time the Army established itself as countries most esteemed
To understand whether the Army is a profession of arms, we must understand the term profession and what it takes to be a professional. “Professions use inspirational, intrinsic factors like the life-long pursuit of expert knowledge, the privilege and honor of service, camaraderie, and the status of membership in an ancient, honorable, and revered occupation. This is what motivates true professionals; it‘s why a profession like ours is
The Human Resource Sergeant’s Role in the Army Profession is to take care of our organization in preparing us for what is taking place now and what the future holds. As we quote the creed in stating, “I am an expert, and I am a professional”, we should be experts in our roles and carry out those roles as professionals. We are to take care of soldiers just the way we expect our leaders and counterparts to take care of us in their delegated professions. We play an integral part in everyday tasks and assignments. Similar to NCOs we are the “Backbone” of our organization.
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
Professionalism is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Professionalism is important for all of us who are part of the military institution in both active and Reserve components. It is important for all of us who love and respect the Army. We live in a time of change for the Army, and, as in all institutions during times of change and change in leadership, we need to emphasize
It was Napoleon Bonaparte who said "A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon "The Army’s has concluded, the manner in which an organization motivates members, is the prime factor in determining its status as a profession; while ordinary organizations will motivate its members solely by “salary, benefits, and promotions” (U.S. Army, 2010). "Professions use inspirational, intrinsic factors like the life-long pursuit of expert knowledge, the privilege and honor of service, camaraderie, and the status of membership.” (U.S. Army, 2010). HR Professionals are behind every keystroke in Army Policy, award, Soldier request, and movement from the individual to the Branch level.
The term professional has always been loosely associated with the Army since its official organization in 1775. The title of Army professional in the past was restricted to only the officer ranks discarding Soldiers and the Non-Commissioned Officers. The fluctuating opinions of the professional Army was mostly due to social definitions of a professional, and the Army’s ability to meet its criteria. The Army is a profession because it requires specialized skills and human expertise, establishes ethical behavior for its members, and contain members who embrace and are stewards of the culture.
Professional soldiers differ from the ordinary citizen particularly in psychological and personal characteristics and qualities. A soldier professional does not want a war, but he wants to be prepared for the worst possible variant of development. We can say that working in the armed forces is characterized by several attributes. I think the expert work, self-improvement, ethics, fulltime commitment and discipline are the most important ones. The expert work comes out from the requirements for controlling highly specialized equipment and procedures that occur only under the conditions of the armed forces. For example, an engineer knows the procedures for mine-clearing, building floating bridges, command and controlling submarines, fire control of air defense systems, logistic equipment transfers and many others. All of these activities call for a maximal professional approach and adherence to precisely specified procedures, which can be achieved only by professionals with many years of experience. So, to move forward and improve our professionalism it is very important to consider self-improvement. In my opinion, learning from experienced master soldiers, be active in self learning and have good motivation are the right ways to succeed. A profession of arms can be, and it certainly is, a dangerous way to meet our life necessities. It would be quite ridiculous if somebody stated he worked for armed forces only for loyalty to the
Professionalism is the competency expected of a professional soldier. A soldier must be able to know what to do, when and how with the least direction and supervision. It requires a right attitude, knowledge and the sum of all the above variables to become a Malaysian soldier.