Introduction
Being an army professional requires displaying a number of traits and characteristics that are of vital importance if the Army is to be dependable and capable of serving its people. The current paper discusses these five essential characteristics, as described by “ADP 1” (2012) and “ADRP 1” (2015). It is also explained why being part of the Army is considered a profession rather than simply a job.
Military Expertise
The society depends on the Army to protect itself from the external aggressors. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that army professionals possess an adequate level of military expertise so as to be capable of providing the defense that is necessary for the society. Generally speaking, it is possible to name four main domains of military expertise (“ADP 1,” 2012). The first domain is military-technical; possessing such knowledge means that the Army utilizes the landpower which is available to it so as to accomplish its mission in a manner that is most effective and efficient (“ADP 1,” 2012). The second category is cultural-political; it means that an army professional has an adequate understanding of the contemporary multicultural world, and possesses a grasp of its complexity, which causes the professional to act correspondingly (“ADP 1,” 2012). The third category is moral-ethical, which means that a representative of the army profession always accomplishes their mission in the ethically correct manner (“ADP 1,” 2012). Finally, such a category of knowledge as human development means that army professionals are recruited, developed and inspired to protect their homeland (“ADP 1,” 2012).
Honorable Service
Honorable service is an integral part of the army profession. Being an army professional means serving one’s homeland and one’s nation, which entails becoming a part of something greater than oneself with the purpose of improving one’s community, state, or homeland on the whole (“ADRP 1,” 2015). A representative of the army profession needs to defend and support the Constitution of the U.S., the purpose of which is to serve the interests and uphold the rights of Americans (“ADRP 1,” 2015). On the whole, honorable service means that an army professional is expected to strictly adhere to the Army’s code of ethics, which, in turn, can be considered the heart of the army profession (“ADRP 1,” 2015). Therefore, being an army professional means defending and protecting the people of the U.S. and enforcing the Constitution by following the principles of the Army’s ethics.
Trust
An essential component of the service of army professionals is trust. The trust is of paramount importance for the Army due to being the basis of the relationships between army professionals, on the one hand, and the people of the U.S., on the other (“ADRP 1,” 2015). It is an integral element of the service of an army professional to uphold and sustain the trust that the people of the USA place into the Army (“ADRP 1,” 2015). It is pivotal to observe that there are a number of components in the trust as part of the service of army professionals (“ADP 1,” 2012). First of all, there must be trust between fellow soldiers. Second, it is necessary that there is trust between soldiers and their leaders. Third, there must also exist trust between soldiers and army civilians. Fourth, it is also of paramount importance that there is trust among soldiers, the families of these soldiers, and the Army on the whole. And fifth, there must be trust between the Army and the people of the U.S. on the whole (“ADRP 1,” 2015). Thus, trust is an integral element of the service of an army professional.
Esprit de Corps
Esprit de corps is another essential component of the service as an army professional (“ADP 1,” 2012). The crux of esprit de corps is that representatives of the Army need to have a common team spirit, which should allow them to act as a team in the most effective and efficient manner. Army professionals need to be bound together in a strong team via the esprit de corps (“ADRP 1,” 2015). It is pivotal for an army professional to possess a feeling of deep respect for their country, the history of that country, and its traditions, so as to uphold that country via striving to achieve both personal excellence and an outstanding performance of the collective that they are a part of (“ADRP 1,” 2015). Army professionals should serve as parts of teams in which mutual trust is sustained via a common professional identity that is aimed at upholding the ethics of the Army (“ADRP 1,” 2015).
Stewardship of the Army Profession
Finally, a crucial component of being an army professional is the stewardship. The stewardship means that representatives of the army profession need to care for the people of the U.S., the resources that they provide, and the responsibilities that are entrusted to them (“ADRP 1,” 2015). It is critical for an army professional to make decisions and to act in a manner which is correct in both the short-term and the long-term perspective (“ADRP 1,” 2015). Army professionals must also bear the responsibility for their missions in the process of ensuring that their duties are carried out in the best manner, and that the Army is constantly advancing in order to continuously become better (“ADP 1,” 2012). The stewardship means that army professionals must be responsible stewards who are accountable for their actions and can be relied upon to advance the Army, strengthen its culture, and convey the legacy gained from their predecessors (“ADRP 1,” 2015).
Why the Army Is Considered a Profession and not Merely a Job
It is widely known that the Army is considered a profession rather than simply a job. This is due to a number of reasons. For instance, being a representative of the Army requires that one displays the five essential characteristics that have been discussed above. It is also critical that an army professional has the adequate character and competence, as well as possesses true commitment to the Army’s cause (“ADP 1,” 2012; “ADRP 1,” 2015). Thus, it is clear that being part of the Army is not simply a job, but a profession, for a simple job does not require adhering to such high standards as the Army does.
Conclusion
On the whole, it should be stressed that being an army professional requires possessing and displaying five indispensable characteristics, namely, military expertise, honorable service, trust, esprit de corps, and stewardship. Because of this, as well as due to the fact that members of the Army need to possess and adequate character and competence, as well as show commitment, the Army is considered a profession rather than merely a job. It is paramount that army professionals meet these standards if the Army is to be an effective protector of its people.
References
ADP 1: The army. (2012). Web.
ADRP 1: The army profession. (2015). Web.