Army Professional Culture

Merriam-Webster (2016) defines a profession as “a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation.” To most people when they think of profession’s they do not consider being a Soldier a profession in the same respect they view a Physician, Lawyer or Police Officer. However, to many who have joined the Army, this a lifelong career for them. I will define what the Profession of Arms is, discuss the importance of the Army professional culture, tie in the balancing roles of the profession and last but not least, the importance the role of the Human Resources Sergeant plays in the Profession of Arms.
The Profession of Arms is different than others in the Civilian world; we in the military are unique.
In order for the Army to maintain being a profession, we must instill what it means to be a professional to the incoming Soldiers. Our leaders at all levels need to promote training and mentor our younger generation of Soldiers to become experts in their jobs. Additionally, they need to be great role models that motivate all those around to ensure they maintain their drive and integrity to the Army. Promoting a positive climate within units will aid in maintaining our professional culture. Personally, I feel the most important aspect of unit climate is the strength of the leader’s. Introducing toxic and poor leadership into a unit culture quickly diminishes the professional culture. I have experienced firsthand where toxic leadership hurt the professional culture of a unit; in my last unit in the matter of 6 months approximately 10 people transferred out due to the poor leadership that was in the unit. It turned a great unit into a unit full of low morale and very poor climate. Another important aspect of the Army professional culture is the sense of community. A sense of belonging is very important to humans. Belonging to a community brings everyone together and allows them to band together to work toward a common goal—a Profession of Arms.
Leaders at all levels have an important duty of balancing multiple roles. Soldiers must be proficient at their job, mentor and shape junior Soldiers, continually hone their leadership skills, and focus on the mission; just to name a few. The latter must be done while adjusting and adapting to an ever-changing Army. To assist with balancing roles we are provided with management systems to keep us on track, these systems help support the profession. Profession leaders balancing multiple roles attribute to the overall operational success of the