Profession of Arms Argumentative Essay

Profession of Arms Argumentative Essay

        A profession is defined as “a type of job that requires special education, training, or skill.”^[1] A profession is not like your everyday normal occupation that produces routine repetitive work. It involves producing a unique type of work through effectiveness. Society seeks medical treatment, law and order, and security which are all produced through professions. The United State Army defines itself as a profession of arms because it serves and provides the security sought out by the American public.  Yet because of several events from the past decade some believe that the Army has struggled to maintain its standards as a profession of Arms and no longer consider the Army as such.  I believe that in the fact the United State Army is a profession of Arms and it is due to the definition of a profession, the Army’s professional culture, and the American public opinion.  I will be discussing why I believe this to be so as outlined in the “Profession of Arms White Paper.”

        As stated in the Merriam-Webster definition a profession requires special education, training, and skills. The Army is a profession of arms that is an expert at educating and producing the most highly effective trained and skillful professional Soldiers. The Army develops Soldiers and leaders throughout their careers of service to aspire to be experts and use their lethal expertise, both as individuals and as units, with the highest standards of character, for the defense of the Constitution, the American people, and our way of life.^[2]  Officers and enlisted Soldiers are required to attend and graduate from several Military schools whose sole purpose are to educate and train Soldiers on their respective specialty. It is in these institutions that Soldiers learn to hone their skills to become experts at their profession.  Just like any other profession, the United States Army continuously develops the expertise of its Soldiers. As Soldiers move up in the ranks, the special education and training continues. This is what makes the Army unique and makes it a profession of arms.

         Next I want to take a look at the Army professional culture.  Army culture is the system of shared meaning held by its Soldiers, ―the shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize the larger institution over time.^[3]  The Army does a good job of producing a professional culture that bonds Soldiers together through sacrifice and service to the country and the constitution.  The Army professional culture is based off its values and beliefs. The seven Army values make up the core of the Army culture and sets the precedence that all Soldiers abide by. We are all raised with certain values and beliefs that makeup who we are as individuals and professionals, but what other profession in the world encompasses values that create a professional culture for all personnel to live and abide by. This professional culture and its core values are what make the Army unique when compared to other professions.