Professional Soldier

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.

to be punctual and reliable. lack of this in a soldier hinders the duty of the command, and can also be

in the army is important because soldiers as well as equipment, ammunition, food, water and

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 word “Professional” as defined, “characterized by or conforming to the technical and ethical standards of a profession” (Merriam-Webster, 2017) correlates with the true motive of the Soldier. The mindset of a professional soldier is ambitious and obedient to a conscious calling to serve a greater purpose than self. As stated from the article, “Professional Soldiers are “volunteers bonded with comrades in a shared identity and

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.

Being in the U.S Army, maintaining a high level of professionalism is key to good work ethic, it allows opportunities for advancement into leadership roles as

This amplifies the role of any Human Resources Sergeant, thus increasing the importance of their roles in the Profession of Arms. A profession can simply be noted as an occupation, but in many cases, being a Human Resources Sergeant in the Army supersedes the duties of just any occupation. The Army’s role as an American Profession of Arms provides an entire nation with security, fields of expertise, and most importantly its effectiveness. This can be justified through the hard work and dedication it takes to sacrifice one’s life for the safety and well-being of the nation as a whole. Leadership and Progression

As the Army transitions from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, the organization is well served to take a long look in the mirror. After ten plus years of deployments, our combat tested warriors are sure to possess more than enough valuable knowledge to reinforce and improve upon our status as a profession. A TRADOC published paper explains “to be a professional is to understand, embrace, and competently practice the expertise of the profession.” I believe the profession of arms exists and there are many components that reinforce this argument. Among these components, initial entry training and institutional learning, shared values, and a monopoly on our mission are three of the most important tenants. All Soldiers must graduate

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

As an individual in the Army you have the duty of being a soldier but as a leader you have to be a soldier and a leader. Without being a soldier you cannot accomplish your duty as a leader. Being a leader in the Army is a duty in itself. You could say that you have 2 duties. That is why these two are closely related to each other. Another Army value that would go together with duty would be selfless service. Selfless service is the act of putting once self before a particular group. The group that we as soldiers put ourselves before is the citizens of our country and other counties that need our assistance such as Iraq and Afghanistan. It is the value that would instill duty in us as a soldier. Without selfless service, we would not be in the Army performing our duties today. I don’t think I need to state and example because is already something we doing by being in the military. The last Army value that would relate to duty would be personal courage. Personal courage is the act of actually having the strength, physically and mentally, to perform your duties as a soldier. I think it is the most important value next to duty. Without personal courage you would not be able to pick up a weapon to defend this country which is our primary as soldiers. It facilitates our responsibilities as soldiers. Without it we would not have the courage to be at our appointed place of duty. Duty is not just related to our Army values. It is also defined the Soldier’s

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

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

Being a professional soldier goes a long way. It means a person take pride in everything they do throughout life. It takes a lot of energy and time to earn this title so upholding its standard is a must. A soldier abides by all his and her codes and creeds. Also, the soldier must follow the army set values. There are seven values and all have a significant importance to our nation; loyalty, duty, respect, selfless-service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. These seven values are all a soldier needs to be professional in the army. Following each of them and executing them will build your character and define you as a soldier and a person.

“God of our fathers, who by land and sea have ever lead us to victory, please continue your inspiring guidance in this the greatest of all conflicts. Strengthen my soul so that the weakening instinct of self-preservation, which besets all of us in battle, shall not blind me to my duty to my own manhood, to the glory of my calling, and to my responsibility to my fellow soldiers. Grant to our armed forces that disciplined valor and mutual confidence which insures success in war. Let me not mourn for the men who have died fighting, but rather let me be glad that such heroes have lived. If it be my lot to die, let me do so with courage and honor in