Profession of Arms
An Army White Paper:
The Army Profession of Arms, Its Culture, and Ethic
The overall objective of the Army Profession of Arms campaign is for Soldiers and leaders to refine their understanding of what it means to be professionals--expert members of the Profession of Arms--after nine years of war and to recommit to a culture of service and the responsibilities and behaviors of our profession as articulated in the Army Ethic.
GEN Martin E. Dempsey, CG, TRADOC
The preeminent military task, and what separates [the military profession] from all other occupations, is that soldiers are routinely prepared to kill…in addition to killing and preparing to kill, the soldier has two other principal duties…some soldiers die and, when they are not dying, they must be preparing to die.
James H. Toner, True Faith and Allegiance: The Burden of Military Ethics
Section 1 – The Army’s Dual Organizational Character
The start point for our dialogue must be the purpose of the U.S. Army as established in Federal Statute, Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 3062 (a):
“It is the intent of Congress to provide an Army that is capable, in conjunction with the other armed services, of:
1. Preserving the peace and security, and providing for the defense, of the United States, the Territories, Commonwealths, and possessions, and any areas occupied by the United States;
2. Supporting the national policies;
3. Implementing the national objectives; and
4. Overcoming any nations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of the United States.”
The Army has thus been an established institution of our federal and state governments for some 235 years now. But the legal establishment of, indeed purpose for, the U.S. Army does not answer the question we seek to pursue in this dialogue. The purpose of this dialogue is to discover what changes and adaptations Army leaders should pursue after nine years of war to enhance future professional capabilities.
The Army Profession of Arms, Its Culture, and Ethic
The overall objective of the Army Profession of Arms campaign is for Soldiers and leaders to refine their understanding of what it means to be professionals--expert members of the Profession of Arms--after nine years of war and to recommit to a culture of service and the responsibilities and behaviors of our profession as articulated in the Army Ethic.
GEN Martin E. Dempsey, CG, TRADOC
The preeminent military task, and what separates [the military profession] from all other occupations, is that soldiers are routinely prepared to kill…in addition to killing and preparing to kill, the soldier has two other principal duties…some soldiers die and, when they are not dying, they must be preparing to die.
James H. Toner, True Faith and Allegiance: The Burden of Military Ethics
Section 1 – The Army’s Dual Organizational Character
The start point for our dialogue must be the purpose of the U.S. Army as established in Federal Statute, Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 3062 (a):
“It is the intent of Congress to provide an Army that is capable, in conjunction with the other armed services, of:
1. Preserving the peace and security, and providing for the defense, of the United States, the Territories, Commonwealths, and possessions, and any areas occupied by the United States;
2. Supporting the national policies;
3. Implementing the national objectives; and
4. Overcoming any nations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of the United States.”
The Army has thus been an established institution of our federal and state governments for some 235 years now. But the legal establishment of, indeed purpose for, the U.S. Army does not answer the question we seek to pursue in this dialogue. The purpose of this dialogue is to discover what changes and adaptations Army leaders should pursue after nine years of war to enhance future professional capabilities.