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 …show more content…
As Human Resource Professionals our core competencies our very profession places us at the very heart of the profession of arms. HR Soldiers impact Soldiers careers every day. The Balancing Role of the Professional’s Leader: Balancing the role of the Professional Leader has been an ongoing issue for the Army since the latter decades of the 19th century when the U.S. Army was professionalized. The Army has struggled with the matter of balancing a force as massive as the Army. When out of balance the Army does not have the capability to send Soldiers where they are needed. During the Second War in Iraq it was obvious that the Army was not upholding this balance, junior leaders in the Army were fighting against a counterinsurgency campaign that they were ill prepared to handle due to a lack of necessary experience and equipment. 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. The Army
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.
The Army’s Professional Culture. Although there are multiple cultures throughout the formation, the Soldiers shed their differences and unit for a single belief: the calling of selfless service for the nation. Simply, the culture is to be a family. Soldiers not only have their families, but also their brothers and sisters in arms to share and pull each other through the darkest and happiest of times. Furthermore, climate complements culture. A Soldier must never feel like the Army is more of a job than a calling. Without selfless service, the formation loses its identity. Even if there are outliers in the formation, the Army reminds those individuals of their expected behavior through the Warrior Ethos. Additionally, an engaged leadership can mitigate a degrading climate.
The Human Resources Sergeant has a crucial role in the Profession of Arms. Over the last decades, the Army faced multiples challenges, in which the leaders has
“We are the American Army, we are American Soldiers, and the uniqueness shapes our soul, both institutionally and individually!” (p. 06). A Profession is having effectiveness outweigh efficiency in the work that you do. To be an American Profession of Arms you must first be comprised of professionals, professionals who are both ethical as well as leaders. With these professionals, we create a profession based on expertise and skill. Our profession as Soldiers, relies on upholding the army values and the culture we create to guide and enforce the right things to do.
Moving forward, our Army's primary purpose is steadfast and resolute: to fight and win our Nation's wars. But we all know that the Army must be able to do much more than that. Today, we require an Army that is adaptive and innovative, flexible and agile, integrated and synchronized, lethal and discriminate. Even more critical in today's complex and uncertain environment, the Army is the decisive arm of the Joint Force in a broad range of missions. Historically the Army has been focused on a specific set of needs, but these needs and the means in which they are resourced have changed. So we must fundamentally change how we do business. As we keep adding rocks to our Soldiers' rucksacks, all leaders must remain cognizant over time. Everyone's load can get too heavy and cause permanent wear and tear. So it is a good idea to
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).
According to the “Profession of Arms” handbook, the crucial five key attributes of the profession (organizational level) and the Army professional (individual level) are closely linked together and the goal is that once in the profession a soldier evolves into a true professional of this humble occupation. The first key attribute of the profession is Expertise that evolves into Skill. The second one is Trust. The third key attribute is Development that evolves into Leadership. From my personal experience, the Army shapes exceptional leaders through ongoing training and advancement opportunities within the organization. The fourth element consists of the army values that shapes the character of the soldiers. And last but not least, the service which evolves into the intrinsic duty that a true soldier fells to serve and defend his/her country (The Profession of Arms,
The climate is a contrast to the culture. In a zero (The Profession of Arms, 2010) culture, soldiers can feel that they are not trusted and this can create attitudes where transparency and open dialog are not encouraged (The Profession of Arms, 2010). As Human Resources, we want to help with this in providing the best service possible to our fellow soldiers so they will feel that they can be trusted and transparency is very much encouraged. We also want to provide a climate where the Army as an organization provides awards so that fellow soldiers do not feel like they cannot be trusted. Because this attitude does not help with the overall mission of the Army. Espoused Beliefs and Values (The Profession of Arms, 2010) is what the Army says is important through doctrine, and regulations. We
Being in Human Resources we may not remember the sole foundation of our job. It is not paperwork, computer systems or files, but the Army as our core structure that we as Human Resource Specialists are a Profession of Arms. But first we must examine what it means to be a Profession of Arms, a professional Soldier, and how the Army has changed and adapted over the years to meet the needs of Soldiers.
It is important for a leader to understand that completing essential tasks to meet mission goals, personal development, and providing future leaders the tools to procure success are all equally important and should be balanced. Times may call for one responsibility to be a higher priority that the other, so it is imperative that leaders are able to differentiate what skills apply to certain situations. “Strategic leaders, for example, must control personnel development, evaluation and certification, and assignment and utilization processes in ways that motivate aspiring professionals as they progress through a career of service,” (TRADOC, 2010). The cycle of learning, training, and accomplishing goals creates a culture of duty-oriented Soldiers with dedicated character and leadership
The purpose of this assignment is to explain how the US Army plans to develop the character of its Soldiers while also instilling professionalism. The US Army has moved on from the days of old where non-commissioned officers verbally abuse their subordinates. Gone are the days where Soldiers are considered roughnecks that like to consume copious amounts of alcohol and engage in sparring activities with the local populace. The Army is transitioning into a professional organization with professional Soldiers filling in the ranks. This paper will explore what the Army profession is, what an Army professional is, what Army ethics are, the bedrock of Army profession, and the essential characteristics of the Army profession.
As Army Professionals, it is our duty to produce clear, concise work. Effectiveness is key to our line of work as a “social trustee” of our profession. As professionals, we go through years of extensive amount of study, practice, and research to ensure that we are capable of expert work. To fully understand the importance of our role as Human Resource Sergeants, we must first understand not only what it means to be a profession, but our culture and ethics as well. These key components are specifically to maintain the profession while the leaders are the components that holds the profession together. Without these components, our profession couldn’t exist.
The Army has been engaged in combat operations for approximately 16 years. It continues to change, evolve, grow and transform. The Army studies the effects and impacts of current and past operational environments in order to understand, apply and adapt. These concepts forge an effective fighting force that develop professional Soldiers who possess the intestinal fortitude to become a Profession of Arms, including the Human Resources Sergeant.
The Army is a platform for Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) and Officers to be able to execute their duties. In order to execute their duties, it is imperative that the Army run smooth and create balances between all NCO’s and junior enlisted personnel as well as keeping in line with the American people. As it states in The Profession of Arms (2010) “Our client, the American people, gets to make the judgment of the extent to which we are a profession and they will do so based on the bond of trust we create with them based on the ethical, exemplary manner in which we employ our capabilities”. There are many important roles in the Profession of Arms especially the role of the Human Resource Sergeant which is at the forefront of visibility of all Soldiers and civilians. Before anything else, in order to know the importance and what it means to be a Profession of Arms, you must also understand what it means to
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.