No one is more professional than I. These are the opening words of the Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer, a charge to our enlisted ranks establishing expectations. The Creed is applicable to all Soldiers regardless of military specialty or role. They are words to live by, guiding our actions and our thinking. This Creed exemplifies what it means to be a member of the Profession of Arms. But what is a profession and where does a Human Resources Sergeant fit into one based on Arms? We can answer this question by examining what it means to be a profession, understanding the challenges and requirements that leaders face, and then emphasizing why Human Resources Sergeants are critical to the success of the Profession of Arms.
When I …show more content…
Members of the Army undergo extensive credentialing and validation of our expertise. No Soldier completes Basic Combat Training without a “GO” at each station. Leaders are validated through rigorous review systems, such as the Noncommission Officer Education System, prior to promotion. Selfless service is a key tenant of Army Values. As an all-volunteer force, Soldiers choose to serve our great country. Arms, or weapons, speaks to that which we are an expert in – defense of our nation – whether through a show of force or through the execution of lethal force. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs places safety as the second most important human need. The Army provides society the safety from our enemies that allows members to walk America’s streets freely. We are entrusted with maintaining that defense and sacrificing ourselves if needed. Our uniform pattern alone is synonymous with safety and …show more content…
Leaders at the operational level have direct impact on our line level Soldiers, where the rubber meets the road. Leaders must perform a balancing act between our culture and our institutional practices. When the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rules were repealed, squad leaders ensured that their Soldiers were treated fairly and with respect. I believe that leaders across our units were aware of Soldiers with varying sexual orientations before the repeal. They had to balance loyalty to those with whom they served with strict adherence to institutional policy. A single squad leader was empowered to shield their Soldier or expose relationships and destroy their Soldier’s career. Local leaders more often than not chose to shield their Soldiers based on societal norms, and their voices were heard all the way up to the Secretary of