Army White Paper

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SUBJECT: "The Profession of Arms" White Paper Summary 1. Purpose: The purpose of "The Profession of Arms" White Paper is to define terminology and initiate a discussion about the Army as a profession. The White Paper describes how the army is a profession and the Soldier is a professional. Additionally, the paper describes the culture of the Army Profession, the Army Ethic, and the importance of trust in civil-military relations. The paper claims that it should be used a platform for military leaders to discuss, understand, and thereby maintain the Profession of Arms. 2. Facts: a. Section one explains that the Army is and needs to continue to be a Profession of Arms to operate in the current era of persistent conflict. The Profession of Arms is a vocation, not an occupation. The American government and the American people place trust in Army Professional Soldiers, and the Professional Soldiers serve a civilian government and people. The Army Profession must self-police and develop expert Professional Soldiers capable of ethically applying lethal force to protect the nation. If the profession fails to self-police, the trust of the American government and people will deplete, such as with drill sergeant hazing or prisoner abuse. Army Professionals must certify and develop military-technical expertise, human development expertise, moral-ethical expertise, and political-cultural expertise to operate and adapt to a wide range of demands. The Profession of Arms' strategic leaders must balance the development and maintenance of each expertise in anticipation of upcoming requirements and ensure members of the profession are inspired by a balanced bureaucratic system which promotes individual merit. b. The second section claims that the Army Profession must understand and manage its culture to develop "operational adaptability". Culture
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