Profession of Arms
Profession of Arms
On Oct. 27, the secretary of the Army and the Army chief of staff directed the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) to conduct a comprehensive review of the Profession of Arms. (See AUSA NEWS, May issue, Page 8.)This Army-wide campaign began in January 2011.The purpose is to assess how the Army has changed after more than 10 years of continuous deployments, and how it must adapt to remain successful in an era of persistent conflict.The 2011 Profession of Arms Survey is a key element of this assessment and your participation is very important.This anonymous study had been designed by Profession of Arms Campaign Community of Practice, a group established by the TRADOC commander to represent each of the five Army cohorts (commissioned officer, warrant officer, noncommissioned officer, soldier and DA civilian).The Community of Practice group comprises of subject matter experts from the Army War College, Army Capabilities Integration Center, Combined Arms Center, Initial Military Training, Warrant Officer Career Course, Army Civilian University and the Institute for Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development, as well as representatives from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve.This survey is designed to be a top level "diagnostic" of the current state (strengths and weaknesses) of the Profession of Arms.The goal of the survey is to obtain a "snapshot" of the profession oriented around its essential attributes. The attributes used for this survey are expertise/expert, service to nation/duty, values-based/character, fortitude/winning spirit, trust/trustworthiness, and stewardship/leadership. Each of these attributes will be assessed at the individual, unit, and institutional levels.The survey is being fielded by the Army Research Institute (ARI) and was made available to all members of the Profession of Arms in March 2. The survey can be accessed through the Center for the Army Profession and Ethic (CAPE) Web site on AKO- 2011 Profession of Arms Survey.The 2011 Profession of Arms survey is a diagnostic tool from which the Community of Practice can determine topics for further exploration and dialog.Later this year, the Army’s senior leadership will assemble to review the Profession of Arms Campaign findings and chart the way ahead. The data collected will be the main component of the findings provided in the Profession of Arms Campaign Report #2.Findings will stimulate an Army-wide dialogue that will ultimately help Army senior leaders identify and make needed changes across Army DOTMLPF – doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership, and education, personnel facilities – systems, processes and policies to reinforce the Profession of Arms into the future.