The Army White Paper, The Profession Of Arms

Colder Than Hell: A Marine Rifle Company at Chosin Reservoir was written and published by Joseph R. Owen in 1996. This book gives us a riveting point-of-view of the early and uncertain days of the Korean War through the eyes of Owen himself, as a platoon leader (PL) in a Marine rifle company. As a PL of a mortar section in Baker-One-Seven-Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment- Owen witnessed his hastily assembled men of a few regulars and reservists (who to mention some that have not gone to boot camp) quickly harden into the superb Baker-One-Seven known today. He makes it known quickly (in the foreword and the preface) that some of the major problems he initially encountered was due to how unprepared his unit was. Owen makes the

In a broader sense, the Warrior Ethos is a way of life that applies to our personal and professional lives as well. It defines who we are and who we aspire to become. https://www.army.mil/values/warrior.html

Have you ever thought about what you would say to a group of men and women in the face of insurmountable odds or immanent death? Would you be able to motivate them to a point where they are willing to give their lives for their country? Would you be able to find the words to move them to action, give them courage, or ease their nervous? General George S. Patton was a visionary and ethical leader who used key leadership concepts like open-mindedness, team dynamics, sound ethical behavior, and inspirational motivation to inspire a nation, overcome unsurmountable odds, and ultimately guide the Third Army to victory during WWII. General Patton’s ethical and visionary leadership styles showed when he utilized his open-mindedness and team dynamic role of “creator” to incorporate an aerial assault into his operational strategies and avoided the ethical trap of uncertainty when he combined the two tactics without any pre-established policy. General Patton also displayed visionary leadership by his use of inspirational motivation, constant presence on the battle field,

I find many Common roots between Army values, custom, and norms that I grew up with which define me as the person that I am, values such as Loyalty, Respect, Honor and Integrity.

We all understand how to be a good Soldier. We must not only know those values, we must encompass them. As Dempsey says; (2010) “The Army Ethic begins with the moral values the Army defends” (p. 12). As a Human Resources Sergeant in the Profession of Arms, we have a calling. We have been called upon to take care of so many in so many different ways. This is not a small undertaking, nor should it be taken as such. We are experts and we are professionals. We are in the position we find ourselves for a reason, and as long as we continue to keep our moral values close to us, the Father in Heaven will guide

“Discipline and pride build individual morale and a collective esprit de corps” resulting in high performance and conduct. Today, the legacy of esprit de corps is continuously promoted though customs, traditions and ceremonies; and is present in all levels of the Army profession. Contributions to esprit de corps can be manifested in: high motivation, teamwork, commitment to organization, and promotions to name a few. Having esprit de corps in a group not only boost morale, but it is also the driving force that helps lead to effective mission

Military bearing is the start in which every soldier practices either as enlisted or commissioned in order to have good discipline and ethics throughout a military career. Army regulations and soldiers should live by the creed that a military service member should conduct themselves on a daily basis, on and off duty . Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage are Army core values. To be a dependable Soldier you must show your NCO’s that you can be an adult with time management, meet deadlines, be in the right place at the right time, in the right uniform, and doing the right thing at the right time.

Every living thing on Earth demands discipline and accountability, but when it comes to U.S. Army, soldiers are trained specifically in these subjects. There are extreme costs at risk if these principles are not held high by the Armed Forces. Most organized Armies focus on the importance of accountability and teach it in the very beginning stages of readiness. Accountability includes things such as showing up on time to safeguarding sensitive records, keeping account of resources to watching out for fellow soldiers. Almost everything can be tied back to the importance of accountability.

Ethics and integrity are essential components of character for any positive, influential leader.. Both ethics and integrity are skill sets that can be honed over time; however, it is in best practice to have them aligned with personal values which tend to be invariant. Remember the Titans, demonstrates how values can evolve. The Titans bring together a hostile torn community during the mandatory integration processes in Virginia through leaders maintaining their ethics. Not only does the movie depict values along with ethics and integrity, but it also illustrates the core competencies of this pillar. While almost every competency has a representation the three most prevalent are displays open and honest communication, decisions are value-based

Among these five characteristics; military expertise, honorable service, trust, esprit de corps, and stewardship of the profession, I believe that military expertise and stewardship of the profession are the two characteristics that make a leader excel in the presence of their peers. ADRP 1 defines military expertise as, “Military expertise is the design, generation, support, and ethical application of land power, primarily in unified land operations, and all supporting capabilities essential to accomplish the mission in defense of the American people”. In order to gain trust from your subordinates for them to follow your guidance, a leader must have military expertise. Without being an expert in your field, subordinates will not trust your guidance provided unto them. ADRP 1 defines Stewardship of the Profession as, “Stewardship is the responsibility of Army professionals to ensure the profession maintains its five essential characteristics now and into the future”. Essentially, being a steward of the profession means that as leaders in the Army, it is our duty to oversee training and ensure that tasks are being completed, as well as maintaining a high level of esprit de corps within the organization, followed by enforcing standards while building cohesion and pride in our nation’s

A Commander sustains an ethical command climate in war by establishing clear intent and purpose for their organization, accentuated through his vision. The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and the Law of War are the military guidelines and penalties for soldiers to act accordingly. Distinctively, the majority of people know the difference between right and wrong. Command team (i.e. Commander and NCOs) are role models for the organization and set the example for their subordinates, which led to sustaining an ethical climate. Discipline organization exhibits high physical fitness, technical competence and successfully accomplish the mission. For example, the case study “Fall of the Warrior King” illustrates that the organization failed

The Army is facing a significant problem in sexual harassment the problem hurts the Army’s ability to remain an ethical organization while hindering their readiness.

a. The Army White Paper seeks define ourselves as a Profession of Arms and as Professional Soldiers in the era of constant conflict that we now live in. The paper is a thoughtful look into the past, present and future of our profession. It will have top leaders thinking about the direction of our profession and ways to keep the American Soldier a professional in his field.

In the fleet, there are many times when officers need to make difficult decisions: decisions that have large consequences. Sometimes, it seems easier to solve the problem by making the wrong decision because the immediate consequences can be a burden. However, it is important for officers to make the correct decisions, even if they have consequences. One situation that comes up often in the fleet is the opportunity to “gun-deck,” which means signing off on something that has not been finished or inspected. Since officers are the leaders in the military, they are the ones most often put in the position to gun-deck. Using moral theories learned in class, this paper will analyze the situation of gun-decking so the officer can come to the correct decision even if it will negatively affect them.

“Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. Military ranks and the military rank system define among others dominance, authority, as well as roles and responsibility in a military hierarchy. The military rank system incorporates the principles of exercising power and authority, and the military chain of command – the succession of commanders superior to subordinates through which command is exercised – constructs an important component for organized collective action.”