Professional Soldier Research Paper

The professional Soldier and its characteristics within the Army
By CPT Victor A. Colon Ramirez

Around the world, there are hundreds of professions with different scopes, however, there are constant arguments about whether the Army is a profession or not. The profession of arms protects and defends our country, and our allies from hostile environments. Despite the known purpose, however, there are debatable characteristics that define the Army as a profession. The Army by definition meets and exceeds the term “profession”, it carries an incomparable sense of responsibility, it holds everybody accountable for their actions and their equipment, and it requires specialized theoretical knowledge and institutional preparation, which it …show more content…
“Professionals deal with matters of vital importance for the nation and constantly entrust grave responsibilities and obligations” . In other words, given these inherent obligations, professional work typically involves circumstances where carelessness, inadequate skills, or breach of ethics would put lives at risk. Professionals ultimately hold themselves accountable for the quality of their performance, and in addition, Soldiers account for the equipment they use to perform their duties. As professionals, they execute difficult tasks based on theory, knowledge, and skills that are most often peculiar to their profession and generally beyond the understanding and/or capability of those outside of the profession. Another key point is this occupational specialty extends to master the equipment and technologies used in the profession, for example, the fire support team’s complex digital equipment. “In a profession, members achieve employment and success based on merit and corresponding voluntary relationships rather than on corrupted ideals” . In the absence of this characteristics, issues of responsibility, accountability, and ethical constraints become irrelevant, negating any otherwise-professional characteristics. In addition to the defining features described above, the Army regulates itself and certifies its members …show more content…
To put it differently, the ability to certify or decertify troops makes the Army a profession. For this reason, a multi-echelon certification process certifies elements as, trained or proficient. Also, the capabilities of the profession to regulate itself, to enforce core competencies and ethics, and to issue certifications on their basis, defines this profession. Without the ability to regulate, it could not be possible to maintain a professional environment; therefore, control measures must be in place. The Army controls those who enter the profession through its academies and commissioning systems, basic training, and developmental assignments. The control of initial entry is crucial to the Army profession, because the Army cannot simply hire an officer or noncommissioned officer off the street. The core competencies involved in war fighting are so technical that they require a significant level of schooling, before one can even begin work at the basic

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