Profession Of Arms Essay

What exactly is the Profession of Arms? We must first define the word profession. The word profession as defined by Webster: 1. a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation. 2. A principal calling, vocation, or employment. 3. The whole body of persons engaged in a calling. These are all attributes that the Army once had, but today’s Soldiers do not always embody these attributes. With this being said, the question is why not? Why aren’t today’s Soldiers the professionals of the past?

It is my feeling that we are losing the professional part of today’s Army because of a lack of training. I am not talking about training given at the unit level, but at the initial entry level. Kinder, gentler drill sergeants are training today’s Soldiers, not the tougher and harsher ones of the past generations. This I feel is a big part of the discipline problems we, as non-commissioned officers, face in today’s Army. The non-commissioned officers of today are faced with a much greater role in
Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with increasing your knowledge; I feel that you must first commit to being a Soldier. Being a Soldier first is a vital and important part of being a professional. As a non-commissioned officer it is my duty to impress upon my Soldiers the importance of training. This must start with the way in which I carry myself both on and off duty if I do not set the example then who will? I see many of my peers who do not set the example for their Soldiers or they set the wrong one. If you say something to them they often get angry and respond with a rude comment. The most common problem I see is the non-commissioned officers hanging out with their Soldiers or letting the Soldiers treat them as if they we peers. This is not the standard and should not be