Is the Army a Profession of Arms?

The question of whether or not the United States Army is a Profession of Arms has been

under a lot of debate the last few years. General MacArthur announced in his farewell speech

that the American Military was a Profession of Arms made of of Soldiers that he referred to as

“one of the world’s noblest figures.” A Profession of Arms is made up of experts certified in the

ethical application of land power to defend the Constitution and the rights of the American peo-

ple1. The United States Army is a Profession of Arms, but what makes the Army a Profession of

Arms? The Army is made up of professional Soldiers who are experts in their profession; defend

the Constitution and the people; and live according to moral values and ethical principles.

To understand why the Army is a Profession of Arms it is important to analyze what a

profession is and what makes someone a professional. A profession focuses on the result of their

work rather than the efficiency of their work2. All professions are composed of professionals

who have a skill, are trustworthy, posses leadership traits, moral character and a sense of duty3.

A professional is defined as someone who is an expert in his or her work4.

In the ninth line of the Soldiers Creed it states that the Soldier is an “expert and a profes-

sional”. The Army is made up of professional Soldiers who constantly work to improve their

skills and the overall expertise of their profession. When a case is made to show there is a lack

of professional competence with regard to strategic planning5 it is because the military is still

building its expertise everyday. Part of being a professional is constantly working to improve the

profession. Some would argue that todays Army is more Professional than it has been because

of the learning and building that has taken place to improve our expertise6.

1 An Army White Paper: A Profession of Arms; 08 Dec 2010; 412 An Army White Paper: A Profession of Arms; 08 Dec 2010; 23 An Army White Paper: A Profession of Arms; 08 Dec 2010; 54 Professional. Dictionary.com; Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved on 15 Dec 20125 Owens, Mackubin. “Civil-Military Relations and the U.S. Strategy Deficit” Feb 2010. www.fpri.org accessed 7 Dec 126 TRADOC/ARCIC Study of Army Culture, 2008

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Is the Army a Profession of Arms?

The Army is a profession made up of professional Soldiers but does that mean it is a Pro-

fession of Arms? There are many factors that make the Army a Profession of Arms. Civil-mili-

tary relations are crucial to being a Profession of Arms because wars are fought to achieve policy

goals set by politicians7. During war time civil-military relations are weakened due to the fact

that most politicians have not served in the military and do not have children that have served8.

Secretary Gates stated in his farewell address in 2010 that there is a gap in civil-military rela-

tions, but that it is simply unavoidable. As Professionals and Leaders all we can do is continue

to improve upon it9. A certain amount of caution, skepticism, and perhaps even mistrust is

healthy, but contempt for clients destroys the professional relationship10.

Civil-military relations is upheld by the military as soon as a Soldier takes the oath to

support and defend the Constitution; and obey the orders of the President of the United States.

The professional Soldier is a volunteer certified in the Profession of Arms; bonded to comrades

in a shared identity and culture of sacrifice, service to the nation and the Constitution11. Soldiers

are responsible for preserving the American way of life so civil-military relations are primarily

based on trust. Trust is a major part of being a Profession of Arms because the military works

for the people to protect their values and culture.

The Profession of Arms has a set of values and culture that reflects the nations heritage

and is built on a strong moral and legal foundation12. Leaders at each level guard the integrity of

the Army’s expertise and ethic. It is a strong professional ethic, well-developed character and

7 Owens, Mackubin. “Civil-Military Relations and the U.S. Strategy Deficit” Feb 2010. www.fpri.org accessed 7 Dec 128 Hoffman, Frank, “Bridging the civil-military gap” Dec 2007 www.armedforcesjournal.com accessed 10 Dec 129 Robers, Brandon “Public Understanding of the Profession of Arms” Military Review, Nov-Dec 2012; 41-4210 Kohn, Richard H. 2002. The Erosion of Civilian Control of the Military in the United States Today. Naval War College Review 40(3): 35.

11 An Army White Paper: A Profession of Arms; 08 Dec 2010; 412 COL(R) Allen, Charles “Assessing the Army Profession” US Army War College, Autumn 2011

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Is the Army a Profession of Arms?

ethos at the individual Soldier level that make the Army a true Profession of Arms13. This is evi-

dent in the oath Soldiers make, the Warrior ethos, the Army Values, and the Soldiers Creed.

No other profession holds its members to such a high standard and gives them as much

responsibility as a professional Soldier. It is the expertise and ethics of the Army that make it a

Profession of Arms. Ethics keep Soldiers from abusing the skills learned in the Profession of

Arms. The Army uses lethal force with moral purpose toward a relevant good to defend the

Constitution and all human rights14. If the Army did not posses this expertise and ethical princi-

ples the people would not trust the Army to fight for their rights.

The Army is a Profession of Arms that poses an expertise, defends the Constitution and

the people, and lives according to moral values and ethical principles. The Army is made up of

professional Soldiers and Leaders that constantly strive to improve their skills and expertise to

use it in the best interest of Society and the American way of life. George Orwell once said,

“People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence

on their behalf.” America has accepted the military as the Profession of Arms that will act on

their part to keep their families safe.

13 An Army White Paper: A Profession of Arms; 08 Dec 2010; 1114 An Army White Paper: A Profession of Arms; 08 Dec 2010; 13

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