military development profession of arm

What it Means to be a Profession

Being a profession means cultivating core competencies in specific skill areas. It also means establishing norms of behavior, codes of ethics, and an organizational culture. The Army is essentially a Profession of Arms. Using the Profession of Arms framework, it is easier to understand how and why leaders need to create a cohesive organizational culture through human resources management. The creation of a cohesive, stable, and results-driven organizational culture requires effective human resources sergeants. A profession is vocational, but it also requires ongoing training and skills development. Recruitment, training, retention, and professional development are all roles fulfilled by the human resources (HR) sergeant.

The Balancing Role of the Profession's Leaders

Leadership in all professions helps to propagate or if necessary, change the organizational culture. Leaders serve as role models for their subordinates, and they also serve as the representatives of the profession to the general public. As a bureaucratic institution, the Army deliberately seeks to develop the leaders of the future through effective human resource development. The profession’s leaders serve a balancing role also by strengthening key practices like certification and assessment methods, ethical standards, or pathways to professional development (United States Army, 2010).

The Army Professional Culture

The professional culture within the Army helps create shared meaning, helping each soldier identify proudly as being a member of the organization. Culture can be created and maintained using rituals and symbols, such as jargon, uniforms, and storytelling. Most importantly, culture is about the values and belief systems that guide Army practices. The Army encourages conformity in order to create a sense of unity and professional commitment. Individual soldiers become inculcated into Army culture, embracing the behavioral norms and values that are exhibited by the profession’s leaders. Professional identity, community, and hierarchy are the three primary cultural dimensions of the Army (United States Army, 2010).

The HR Sergeant's Role in the Army Profession

The role of the HR Sergeant is varied and multifaceted. Beginning by recognizing and understanding the Army’s organizational culture, the HR Sergeant focuses on how to best train and develop soldiers. The HR Sergeant is dedicated to professionalism. Therefore, the HR Sergeant develops techniques, strategies, and procedures that reflect the core values and ethical codes of the organization. The HR Sergeant also promotes the primary cultural dimensions of professional identity, community, and hierarchy.

During the recruitment process, the HR Sergeant is goal-driven. The HR Sergeant knows which specific skills are needed among Arms Professionals, and how to develop those skills in a timely and cost-effective manner. Moreover, the HR Sergeant is aware of the specific human resources needs of various units. Communicating with Army leaders, the HR Sergeant creates and updates strategies for human resource recruitment and personnel development. During times of restructuring or imbalance, the HR Sergeant needs to fill roles quickly without sacrificing professionalism or integrity.