JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va – As the next generation of Soldiers are developing their own values on what it means to be a person of character and competence, the Army is working to identify how to develop the Army Profession to stay relevant in the workforce.
Gen. Gary M. Brito, Commanding General, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, spoke alongside Sgt. 1st Class Leyton Summerlin, Deputy Director, Harding Project and Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Army, and Corie Weathers, Licensed Professional Counselor and Clinical Advisor, on a panel at the annual Association of the United States Army meeting. The discussion was moderated by retired Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey.
The panelists discussed the importance of continuous transformation of the Army profession and what it truly means to be a professional in the Army.
Dempsey emphasized that the panel was specifically built to reflect the continuous advancement of the Army profession, with panelists representing all facets of the profession from officer, non-commissioned offer, civilian and family members.
“What holds us together as individuals with the hardest of jobs to do for our country is the fact that we are a profession, and that has to be continually reiterated so we never lose sight of that foundation that everything ese is built on,” Dempsey explained.
He further stated that it is important for the Army to ensure that not only those who serve have a common understanding of what it means to be a professional, but also the people that we serve so that they know what they can expect from the Army profession.
With TRADOC being the Army command charged with initially training Army professionals, it also has the responsibility of educating them on the “three C’s” of Army professionalism: competence, character and commitment.
“The Army profession is the first layer of bricks [that we instill in our professionals] to build our strong Army house on,” Brito explained. “What I have seen from those who want to serve further underscores the importance of enforcing discipline and professionalism, and standards-based training for both incoming and current Soldiers.”
Brito emphasized that all Soldiers in uniform, whether it’s the lowest ranking private or highest ranking general, must take ownership of the Army profession and developing its culture.
Summerlin, deputy director and writer for the Harding Project, has written on the importance of making professionalism actionable and shared some of those insights with the panel, highlighting the importance of focusing on direct leadership.
“The only way to instill those values into someone else is by emulating them,” he stated. “It’s not something that comes from policy; it comes from those right above you or right next to you.”
He further explained that measuring professionalism does not have a “one size fits all” answer, and that it comes from a common understanding of what leaders and their team members define it.
According to Weathers, many people who join the Army now live by different values than those who joined before, but that does not mean the Army can’t address these differences effectively.
“The next generation, ‘Gen Z’, values character and competence,” she explained. “We are in a world of information saturation, so they are looking for leaders who are competent in this new environment.”
She further emphasized that studies have shown that Gen Z wants to be part of an institution and under a leadership that they can trust, and that comes back to developing good character.
“We are seeing a significant shift in values, which is part of normal human development as we transition through generations,” Weathers explained. “Although every generation values similar things, what we are seeing is a conflict in how we value things in different order.”
Weathers encourages leaders to be open to the values that are shifting, stating that they must either “evolve or educate” based on the Army’s capabilities.
With all of that in mind, Dempsy reiterated the idea that the Army should reflect the society it serves, and that developing the Army profession requires continuous transformation, a certain level of adaptation and improved transparency.
