is military a profession

What does it mean to be a military professional?

Military professionals are volunteers. They swear oaths and know upon joining the profession of arms, they face their mortality. Military professionals have a will, funeral arrangements, and a next akin. They make these decisions before they know war. After meeting and surviving it, military professionals continue to serve.

What are the essential characteristics of the Army Profession?

• Trust.
• military expertise.
• Honorable service.
• Esprit de corps.
• stewardship of the profession.

What makes the Army a profession?

“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. They’re not just time servers; they’re not government bureaucrats.

What is an Army Profession?

The Army Profession serves as the framework for the Army culture and its inherent relationship with the Army Ethic. It identifies the essential characteristics that define the Army as a profession: Trust, Honorable Service, Military Expertise, Stewardship, and Esprit de Corps.

Is the military considered a profession?

The Army is an American Profession of Arms, a vocation comprised of experts certified in the ethical application of land combat power, serving under civilian authority, entrusted to defend the Constitution and the rights and interests of the American people. ➢ THE PROFESSIONAL SOLDIER.

Is the Army still a profession?

One thing, however, remains constant: the Army, as a profession of arms, provides a unique service of national defense to the American people and each soldier, as a professional, commits to service and training in support of that objective.

What makes the Army a profession?

The Army Profession serves as the framework for the Army culture and its inherent relationship with the Army Ethic. It identifies the essential characteristics that define the Army as a profession: Trust, Honorable Service, Military Expertise, Stewardship, and Esprit de Corps.

Are soldiers considered professionals?

Do Soldiers provide an important service to society' When acting to shield and protect people from harm, the answer is yes. In this respect, every Soldier may be viewed as a professional.

Is Army a good profession?

The Indian Army promises both professional and personal growth at every stage of the career. ... Joining the Army is possible both after school as well as after graduation. Apart from attractive pay and perks, Army offers you the best in Life Style, even better than all other professions.

What does it mean being professional?

Professionalism involves consistently achieving high standards, both in the work you do and the way you behave. Being professional helps you to achieve high-quality results, while impressing and inspiring others – and feeling good about yourself.

What determines a profession?

Traditionally, a 'Professional' is someone who derives their income from their specific knowledge or experience – as opposed to a worker, hobbyist or amateur without formal education. This meaning still carries through today to areas such as sport.

When did the Army become a profession?

Many historians point to the decades between 1820 and 1840 as the years when the army professionalized. This thesis proposes that the War of 1812 was the defining event that spurred the professionalization of the American Army.

What's the difference between vocation and profession?

Profession refers to the career that one opts for, getting extensive training and acquiring special skills to become eligible for a job in it. Profession requires training and qualification whereas vocation is the innate ability in an individual towards a particular occupation.

What is a military person called?

soldier. / (ˈsəʊldʒə) / noun. a person who serves or has served in an army. Also called: common soldier a noncommissioned member of an army as opposed to a commissioned officer.

What is the meaning of professional soldiers?

an army of trained soldiers.

What are soldiers called?

man-at-arms, regular, serviceman, trooper, warrior.

What does it take to be a military?

Being a military service member can require as much specialized knowledge as a doctor or a lawyer, but it also requires something more: an ability to interpret and implement something as fickle and fleeting as policy (in the form of strategy), and in addition to that, to prevail over an adversary.

Is training a liberal or a scholarly occupation?

It is a full-time, liberal (non-manual) occupation; It establishes a monopoly in the labor market for expert services; It attains self-governance or autonomy, i.e. freedom from control by any outsiders, whether the state, clients, lay persons or others; Training is specialized and yet also systematic and scholarly;

Can the military be a profession?

Thus, I argue, according to the above definition, there can be no military profession in the broad sense, even though for example the US Army could aspire to create a profession of its own. It would, however, be something quite different from the traditional professions, which transcend national borders and have traditions that in most cases date back centuries. Instead of the military profession, it would be the US Army profession, with only tentative links to the military occupations of other eras and nations.

Is there a code of ethics in the military?

This time there’s no mention of codes of ethics. However, a new criterion poses a new problem: freedom from control by any outsiders, including the state. A military organization is normally, and I think most would agree, should be, controlled by the state. Thus, this modern definition too poses a problem for the concept of the military profession. Consequently, I argue, regardless of whether we use an old or a new definition of a profession, military service members fall outside of it.

What does "military" mean in the military?

However, at about the time of the Napoleonic Wars, 'military' began to be used in reference to armed forces as a whole, such as ' military service ', ' military intelligence ', and ' military history '. As such, it now connotes any activity performed by armed force personnel.

How does the military relate to society?

The relationship between the military and the society it serves is a complicated and ever-evolving one. Much depends on the nature of the society itself, and whether it sees the military as important, as for example in time of threat or war, or a burdensome expense typified by defence cuts in time of peace.

What is the difference between military history and war?

It differs somewhat from the history of war, with military history focusing on the people and institutions of war-making, while the history of war focuses on the evolution of war itself in the face of changing technology, governments, and geography.

Why is doctrine important in the military?

Development of military doctrine is perhaps the more important of all capability development activities, because it determines how military forces are used in conflicts, the concepts and methods used by the command to employ appropriately military skilled, armed and equipped personnel in achievement of the tangible goals and objectives of the war, campaign , battle, engagement, and action . The line between strategy and tactics is not easily blurred, although deciding which is being discussed had sometimes been a matter of personal judgement by some commentators, and military historians. The use of forces at the level of organization between strategic and tactical is called operational mobility .

How is the military budget allocated?

The process of allocating resources is conducted by determining a military budget, which is administered by a military finance organization within the military. Military procurement is then authorized to purchase or contract provision of goods and services to the military, whether in peacetime at a permanent base, or in a combat zone from local population.

Why is it so difficult to use military intelligence?

The difficulty in using military intelligence concepts and military intelligence methods is in the nature of the secrecy of the information they seek, and the clandestine nature that intelligence operatives work in obtaining what may be plans for a conflict escalation, initiation of combat, or an invasion .

How long does it take to be in the military?

Full-time military employment normally requires a minimum period of service of several years; between two and six years is typical of armed forces in Australia, the UK and the US, for example, depending on role, branch, and rank. Some armed forces allow a short discharge window, normally during training, when recruits may leave the armed force as of right. Alternatively, part-time military employment, known as reserve service, allows a recruit to maintain a civilian job while training under military discipline at weekends; he or she may be called out to deploy on operations to supplement the full-time personnel complement. After leaving the armed forces, recruits may remain liable for compulsory return to full-time military employment in order to train or deploy on operations.

What is the book Redefining the Modern Military about?

These two aspects of the profession are just a sample of the topics discussed in Redefining the Modern Military, where the various authors offer a contemporary look at the profession of arms and the development of its ethic. Taken from different perspectives and based on varied experiences and education, the work as a whole provides a new starting point for discussing the future of the military profession. Though this discussion has encompassed an entire book, the conversation is far from over. That we have a collection of essays produced by company and field grade officers, as well as academics and civil servants from other branches of government, which spans three continents, is in our estimation a good thing. It indicates that the conversation is ongoing, it is broad, and that perhaps most importantly, it includes military members, other recognized professionals, and citizens from the societies they serve.

Should military leaders embrace their uniqueness?

Instead, military organizations should embrace their uniqueness. Rather than trying to emulate the traditional professions, military leaders should be proud to serve in a vocation that requires a particular skill set and talents, in order to cope with a much wider range of challenges than those encountered by the traditional professions.

Is the pursuit of a military composed of individual professionals alive?

So long as the conversation exists, the pursuit of a military composed of individual professionals remains alive and the balance between civil authority and military capability is providing the maintenance and attention required within the tolerances of free and democratic societies.

What is the Army profession?

The Army Profession is one of the most trusted institutions in the country. The Army Profession carries on by attracting American citizens to volunteer to serve as Soldiers and Army Civilians. Through their decisions and actions, Army Senior Leaders, Soldiers, and Army Civilians strengthen the Army Profession and reinforce mutual trust ...

What is the responsibility of an army professional?

Army professionals at all levels have the responsibility to ethically perform their duties to Army standards. As strategic leaders, Army professionals are ethical stewards of the Army Profession who establish strategic direction, priorities and missions.

What is the stewardship of the army?

Stewardship of the Army Profession is the duty of all Army leaders, both military and civilian, who care for the people, resources and the Army Family. Stewardship ensures the Army remains a trusted military profession, both today and tomorrow.

What is advocacy in the army?

Advocating for resources to sustain an Army that balances priorities according to the Army Profession, Ethic and Values.

What is periodic assessment of Army professionals?

Periodic assessments of Army professionals’ beliefs and actions to ensure adherence to the Army Values.

What is the role of senior leaders in the Army?

Army Senior Leaders support good stewardship of the Army Profession by: Establishing the goals and procedures for military and civilian accessions. Enacting policies guiding the development and talent management of all Army personnel. Advocating for resources to sustain an Army that balances priorities according to the Army Profession, ...

Why is the military important?

The profession of arms exists to serve the larger community, to help accomplish its purposes and objectives, and to protect its way of life. As Samuel Huntington put it in The Soldier and the State: “The justification for the maintenance and employment of military force [or military forces, for that matter] is in the political ends of the state.” 2 In wartime or in peacetime, at home or abroad, the Armed Forces serve the larger society and perform the tasks their government as signs them.

What is the profession of arms?

Like the priesthood, the profession of arms is a vocation, a higher calling, to serve others, to sacrifice self, to be about something larger than one’s own ambitions and desires, something grander than one’s own contributions and even one’s own life.

How does corporateness affect the military?

The more practical aspect of corporateness is that the members of the military profession have significant influence over the criteria for entrance into the profession. 29 They exercise this influence by setting and enforcing standards for practice, standards that are made public and must be publicly defensible. In the United States, or for that matter in most (maybe all) countries, no man or woman can declare himself or herself to be a Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman, or Coastguardsman. 30 Rather, in the United States, persons who aspire to that status must apply to join. The individual Service then screens the candidates according to public standards set by the Congress and Department of Defense, and accepts some applicants conditionally. These applicants are sent to one form or another of initial military training. Upon successful completion of that training, the Service then accepts those individuals officially into its ranks. “Certification and testing to become a full-fledged professional member of the Armed Forces are achieved upon completion of specific [initial military training requirements] where one earns the title of Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman, or Coastguardsman.” Indeed, a fundamental purpose of any initial military training is to help transform a civilian into a military pro fessional.

Why is the profession of arms important?

The profession of arms exists to serve the larger community, to help accomplish its purposes and objectives, and to protect its way of life.

How does society change the terms of the services that it expects, or even demands, a particular profession will provide?

Accordingly, a desire on the part of citizens to change the definition of the services they expect can lead the profession to expand the range of services it has traditionally provided. In the United States, the Army, in particular, has been used at various times to perform internal development, to promote exploration, to maintain order, to enforce Federal law, and even to run Civilian Conservation Corps camps during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The U.S. Coast Guard’s principal roles involve maintaining the security and safety of the Nation’s ports and waterways and enforcing Federal laws and treaties on the high seas. Traditionally, detachments of Marines guard U.S. embassies abroad, and Air Force and Navy lift assets and technical units are regularly pressed into service providing transportation for relief supplies in disasters at home and abroad. The organizational and planning skills of Armed Forces officers are often transferable to nontraditional assignments, and no less valuable than their material contributions. Sir David Richards, a former Chief of Defense Staff in Great Britain, writes that: “The armed forces’ great strength lies in our capacity to analyse a problem, plan a solution and then implement it under pressure.” 22 The U.S. Armed Forces are expected to bring great skill and enthusiasm to all as signments.

Why are the military called upon to perform other important missions in service to the state?

The traditional notion was that this specialized knowledge in the management of violence was to be applied to “fight and win the nation’s wars.” However, this traditional notion does not exhaust the variety of tasks societies give their organized and uniformed fighters. Because they are disciplined and armed organizations, with a wide range of skills and capabilities, military forces are called upon frequently to perform other important missions in service to the state, such as maintaining civil order at home and abroad and providing disparate forms of civil relief in times of crisis or disaster. It is important not to think that the primary mission for which the Armed Forces are organized, trained, and equipped is the only mission society may legitimately give them.

What is the Army's loyalty?

The Army defines the value of loyalty as a hierarchy of responsibilities to the Constitution, service, unit, and other Soldiers. The basic idea is that there is always something larger, something more important than the individual.

What is the unified essence of military professionalism?

Military professionalism is a totality which forms the basis for how individuals, groups, and the military itself acts to perform its job. There can be no skill without the discipline to train. There can be no adherence to discipline without the commitment to endure.

What is the key to a successful military career?

Professionalism. Professionalism is the key to any job, but perhaps more so when it comes to the military. The nature of war itself, perhaps the most brutal and destructive force facing mankind, requires that those who do the fighting, do so with extreme levels of discipline, commitment, and skill. Such things are the essence ...

Why is discipline important in the military?

Complex battle plans and joint operations between different branches of the armed forces require that every member be highly disciplined in terms of following orders, maintaining weapons and using a precise amount of force when required . Without discipline, soldiers can go too far, inflicting reckless damage to life and property while subverting victory. This is especially true today, where wars are often won or lost not based on pure force, but on "hearts and minds."

What is discipline in the military?

Discipline. Discipline is the first aspect of military professionalism, and it is is the one things upon which all other martial virtues are built. In the days of Napoleonic warfare, tight formations of fighting men, aiming and firing in precise unison were crucial to victory on the battlefield.

What is the military commitment?

Soldiers must be committed to the country, the service, their unit, and ultimately each other and the mission they are tasked to complete. Often military work requires long hours, in hazardous conditions, with little or no comforts.

Doctors, Lawyers, and Wars of Aggression

Clausewitz vs. The Profession

So Much More Than A Professional

• Being a military service member can require as much specialized knowledge as a doctor or a lawyer, but it also requires something more: an ability to interpret and implement something as fickle and fleeting as policy (in the form of strategy), and in addition to that, to prevail over an adversary. That is why every military member should take pride...

See more on themilitaryleader.com

Overview

Etymology and definitions

History

Organization

In combat

Technology

As part of society

See also