Human Resources Sergeants: A Military Study

The Army Human Resource System (AHRS) known as the Electronic Military Personnel Office or (eMILPO) is a web based multi-tiered application. It provides the Army Human Resource Community with a reliable mechanism for performing personnel actions and strength accountability. The System consolidates 43 Personnel Information Systems in one. This system provides visibility of the location, status, and skills of Soldiers in the United States Army. The primary users of this system are Human Resource Soldiers, Commanders, and First Sergeants. The primary features and functions of eMILPO include Personnel Services, Personnel Accounting, Reassignments, Promotions, Readiness, Workflows, System Services, PERSTEMPO, and DTAS.

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

The military-technical expertise includes the offense, defense, stability, civil support operations, employments of weapons, equipment, systems and technology. The human development expertise includes education and training development systems, mental and physical fitness. The moral-ethical expertise includes ethical combat principles, individual moral and institutional values. The political-cultural expertise includes relations with medias, relations with civilians. The Human Resource Sergeant has the role of harmonizing the relationship between this four fields of expertise and the operation

The situation in today 's Army is clearly much different from what existed years ago. Many changes have occurred, moving the Army 's EO program from a strictly educational and training initiative to a multifaceted management program with clear goals and objectives. These goals and objectives are also an integral part of human relations and are nurtured and developed through a professional military education system.

The Human Resources (HR) Sergeant is one of the most influential leaders in the Profession of Arms. The purpose of this essay is to provide the reader with a clear understanding of the role of the HR Sergeant in the Profession of Arms. This will be accomplished through four means: defining what it means to be a profession, explaining the balancing roles of a Professions’ leaders; describing the Army’s professional culture and lastly, explaining the role of the HR Sergeant in the Profession of Arms. A profession is a career, not just a job. A profession takes years of hard work to develop expertise in and is considered a skilled position.

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.

In order to understand how the Human resource Sergeant fits a role in the Profession of Arms, we must understand what a Profession is. The definition of a Profession is job that requires special education, training, or skill, often gained through lengthy years of study and practice. Deeper than that it is uniquely expert work that values effectiveness over efficiency. We as Soldiers spend years honing our craft either formally in our Noncommissioned Officer Education System or in our organic training within our Units. It is through this constant training over time that mold us into the subject matter experts of our work. Professions earn trust through their Ethic (moral values) allowing them to work with less external oversight, trusted to self-correct on its own accord. We have proven time and again that we have the

The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of an Army white paper, the “Profession of Arms.” The U.S. Army should be “The Profession of Arms” and each soldier should be “The Professional Soldier.” (U.S. Army, 2010). It is important for “The Profession of Arms” to develop expertise, trust, development values, and service at the organizational level (U.S. Army, 2010) l. Also, it is crucial for “The Professional Soldier” to develop skill, trust, leadership, character, and duty at the individual level (U.S. Army, 2010). So, the “Profession of Arms” is comprised of experts and experienced soldiers who dedicate their lives to defend the U.S. Constitution and the American way of life (U.S. Army, 2010).

In order to address the role that the human resource sergeant plays in the Profession of Arms, it is important to understand the concept of being a profession. Being a profession as stated in “ An Army White Paper, The Profession of Arms”, “ produces uniquely expert work, not routine or repetitive work. It earns the trust of their clients through their Ethic, which is a means of motivation and self-control.”(2010). In order to view human resources as a profession, it is imperative that we see our positions as a way to expand on our current knowledge of human resources. We need to enjoy what we do, find satisfaction in helping others, and be aware that what we do in our day to day tasks, greatly affect the career and livelihood of our Soldiers.

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.

In the age of sequestration, the Army’s ability to respond to an ever changing operational environment requires close scrutiny of its organizational structure. As funding diminishes, Army units must be properly manned, trained and equipped in a manner that utilizes the Army’s precious resources in an efficient and effective manner. Therefore, developing organizational models is likely to be most impacted by future changes discussed by GEN Odierno.

The current situation faced by the 56th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) is a classic example of the effects of war on people and organizations, where the “before the war” state of both is dramatically changed on “the other side.” The current “other side” of the 56th ABCT is an organization that has been beleaguered by the ambiguous command structure of war; an unexpected, prolonged deployment; the loss of key leaders; operational and personal friction during war; the inability to adapt to demands of doing more with less and not being properly equipped and trained to conduct stability operations. The 56th ABCT’s “face of battle” is one that has been negatively affected by “the eye of command.” The only thing certain about war, as

As stewards of our profession, commanders ensure that military expertise continues to develop and be passed on to aspiring professionals through operational development. It is during this developmental phase that Professional Soldiers put their knowledge and skills to the test. Operational Army units certify and recertify their Professional Soldiers through repetitive and realistic training events including the Combat Life Saver Course, platoon live fires, and exercises at the National Training Center. In the course of these challenging and realistic experiences, the Army’s operational units develop Soldiers and leaders prepared to maintain high standards, discipline, and operational readiness. Operational development and adaptability will continue to drive changes in Army doctrine, organization, leadership, and education as we enter the post-war era. Without this kind of development, the Army could not maintain a well-disciplined professional fighting force.

The profession of a human resources Sergeant, is to be effective and efficient in a multitude of areas while earning the trust of our client, the American Soldier. Through our ethic of getting the job done right the first time every time; us as the Adjutant Generals Corps can be proud of the fact that it supports Soldier’s, families and civilians.

The US Army is one of the longest standing organizations in our country. This longevity, however, does not guarantee legitimacy. A track record of great successes and astounding failures has left the country uncertain of the profession soldiers claim to uphold. This uncertainty provides today’s Army a unique opportunity to reestablish its profession and reclaim the legitimacy that has waned over the years. The Human Resources Sergeant is a vital part of this professional realignment.