With that in mind, I asked myself, "What does it mean to be an Army professional?" Is there a code I should commit to memory? Is there a song, or a handshake I should now instinctively know?
I am certain that there are brilliant minds working right now to lay out exactly what this means for the Army, but until then I'd like to offer up my own list of ideas that make up the Army Profession and what it means to be an Army professional.
It's not as tidy as the Army Values' "LDRSHIP" acronym, but it's a first cut. Submit your own ideas if you'd like.
Oath-Unlike so many other nations in history, when we join the Army we don't swear allegiance to a person, a party, or event the Nation. Instead we commit ourselves to a body of ideals as laid out in the Constitution of the United States. We will defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic; bearing true faith and allegiance to the same.
Loyalty-A professional is loyal to their oath and to each other. It's a concept already included in the Values, but in this case I think it is worth repeating.
Ethos-We have a Warrior Ethos which describes how we will conduct ourselves. It presents the ideal of how we will operate, and when you encounter a Soldier, whether it is in peacetime or war, you should expect nothing less.
Competency-Competent Soldiers are trained in their mission tasks and their Warrior tasks. This competency is then demonstrated continuously throughout a career, not just during the test at the end of a school or required course. It's a way of operating--incompetent people will not be tolerated. They'll either be retrained to meet standards, or sent packing.
Accountability- Professionals are held accountable for their actions by an overwatching body. In the Army we have several layers of overwatch in place to keep us honest: the Law of Land Warfare, UCMJ, Army regulations, professional evaluations/ promotion system, internal leadership counseling mechanisms, etc. Professions police themselves-- when they don't, they tend not to be very professional.
Trust-Professionals trust their leaders, and professional leaders trust their subordinates. Do we need work here? Absolutely, yes...especially as we transition from a deployed environment to a predominately garrisoned force. Soldiers who experienced a high degree of autonomy and mission focus in places like Afghanistan will want that same level of responsibility in garrison. Leaders need to trust that their subordinates will continue to get the job done, and subordinates need to trust that their leadership has their back.
So, put it together and what does the acronym spell? OLE CAT!
Like I said, it's not as tidy at LDRSHIP, but you get the idea. Regardless, this still needs some massaging in order to make it useful, but I wanted to get my two cents in while it was fresh on my mind.
ROTM!
