Volume 1. Profession Of Arms

Front 1

(01.1) When the dictionary definitions and the philosophical descriptions of the term “profession” are combined, what are the criteria for an occupation to be described as a profession?

Back 1

One that exhibits a body of theory and specialized knowledge, is service-oriented, and has a distinct subculture.

Front 2

(01.2) What is wrong with the position that any given broadly defined occupation is either a profession or it is not?

Back 2

That approach leads to such conclusions as only doctors and not nurses are members of the medical profession and only officers and not enlisted are professionals in the POA. The vast majority of occupations and professions are distributed all along the great middle between the two extremes. The characteristics which determines an occupation’s place on the Professions Continuum is not prestige or salary, but rather the three criteria. A century or two ago only a few recognized professions existed (physician, professor, clergy, etc.) and how there’s no need for the vacuum tube changer in today’s computer systems (an important job only half a generation ago).

Front 3

(01.3) List unprofessional actions that should not be exhibited by NCOs.

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Coasting through a career; considering oneself only a technical expert; discrimination; ignoring direction from your superiors and then asking for forgiveness later; inflating EPRs; lack of self-development; neglecting weak skill areas such as writing; only focusing upon one area of your job or responsibilities; poor attitude; purposely rushing to miss reveille and retreat; seeing discipline violations and not correcting; sexual harassment; shabby wear of the uniform (rag bag syndrome); shying away from additional responsibility; taking advantage of no supervision; understanding role model responsibilities; using personal bias in the evaluation process; weak performance feedback or no performance feedback; whining or complaining about everything.

Front 4

(01.4) What motivates NCOs to choose to behave in a professional manner?

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Seriousness about the commitment and obligation sworn to in the oath of enlistment; association with those with very high standards; a sense of urgency; have worked under the leadership of several good professional supervisors; have patriotic undertones driving personality; view military service as serving a cause higher than self; see themselves as serving a cause higher than self; view the POA/military as a profession; view themselves as more than a technician; view themselves as a professional.

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(01.5) What is the impact of unprofessional behaviors upon the Air Force?

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Degraded mission effectiveness; decrease in organizational efficiency; lack of subordinate growth and development; no mentorship; perpetuates a “just a job” attitude; discipline and moral suffer.

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(01.6) Why is it that we continue to move along the professional continuum?

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If we all don’t aspire to improve or enhance our level of performance and abide by the same core values and responsibilities, then there is no way the profession as a whole can advance along the continuum of occupations. In other words, a weak link here and a weak link there will cause the entire organization to lose status. A continual move toward professionalism helps increase public trust of the military.

Front 7

(02.1) Give examples of how today’s enlisted corps is significantly different than our predecessors in the areas of higher level responsibilities and education.

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Many enlisted members are assuming responsibilities once exclusively reserved for members of the officer corps. These increased responsibilities, both technical and supervisory, are being executed more capably because enlisted individuals involved have a firm basis of professional understanding based upon increased levels of education.

Front 8

(02.2) How does the Profession of Arms subject area broaden our perspective of the military profession?

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Builds an appreciation of our membership in the POA. Provides information about events and issues that dictate military missions. It also teaches and reminds us about our history and culture. It provides the foundation for NCO mentorship.

Front 9

(02.3) What are the primary sources for our continued study and improvement?

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CMSAF Professional Reading List; AFM 10-100, Airman’s Manual; PFE; various applicable AFI, AFP, AFM, AFDD; AF web site and the various news and publication links it contains; Enlisted Heritage research Institute web page; Air University Library web page; AFPC Personnel Issues web page.

Front 10

(03.1) What three core objectives steer our national strategy process?

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The three core objectives are enhancing our own security, promoting democracy abroad, and bolstering America’s economic prosperity.

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(03.2) What is the primary focus of National Security Strategy?

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National Security Strategy primarily focuses on the myriad of military threats that the nation must confront.

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(03.3) When was airlift first used as a mechanism for National Security?

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According to Major Richard J. Hazdra, USAF , in the book, Air Mobility-The Key to the united States National Security Strategy, airlift was first used as a tool of National Security through the Berlin Airlift.

Front 13

(03.4) Which command solely provides Air Mobility for the United States?

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Air Mobility Command (AMC)

Front 14

(03.5) How is National Security beneficial to National Strategy?

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National Security Strategy is an extension of National Security. National Security is utilizing Air Mobility resources effectively by adhering to the National Security Strategy. This encourages prevention and limitations of terrorist activity.

Front 15

(03.6) Identify the three categories relative to determining a nation’s needs and interests?

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In the book, Making Strategy-An Introduction to National Security Processes and Problems, Donald Nuechterlein provides a useful way of distinguishing between various interests. The three categories are how crucial is an interest to the United States, how vital is an interest to the United States, and which basic interest is at stake?

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(03.7) Who is responsible for determining the nation’s needs and interests?

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Strategist must weigh heavily the Nations needs and interests. The process entails determining what interests and what national instruments of power are available and applicable.

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(03.8) Identify the four levels of intensity.

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The four levels of intensity are survival, vital, major and peripheral.

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(04.1) How does National Power support National Security?

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Strategy makers must match the instruments of power to the interests of the state. They must consider the interests and the instruments in existence to pursue those interests, which are matters of public policy choices. The choices are made in the political realm. Strategists must determine to what ends will the allocation of scarce or abundant resources be dispersed.

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(04.2) Identify and explain the responsibilities for each instrument of power.

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A military instrument is the extent to which a nation’s armed forces can be employed to achieve national ends. The potential use of the military instrument, even when its application is not threatened, always lurks in the background to condition international relationships. The ultimate application, of course, is direct involvement in combating support of vital interests. The success of the military instrument is determined by the following; economic and technological base of a nation; a nation’s economic status is dependent upon diplomatic skill in negotiating favorable trade agreements; and a nation’s diplomatic success depends on the nation’s ability to back up its activities through economic and military rewards or sanctions.
The economic instruments have similar constraints to the diplomatic instrument. The degree to which the US government can manipulate economic assistance is limited by the comparatively small and static size of its assistance budget. Foreign aid has been described as a budgetary element with no real domestic constituency and, as a result, it has not grown with inflation (meaning its real value has declined).
The use of diplomatic instruments is the ability to mediate successfully and to produce unique and mutually acceptable solutions to complex issues without application of military or economic power is the essence of the diplomatic instrument.
The use of the diplomatic instrument of power employs methods that a nation uses to bring its international position and diplomatic skills to bear in pursuit of national interests.

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(04.3) Explain the relationship between each instrument of power.

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Each instrument of power is a combination of multiple factors, and any one factor can be crucial in a given situation. The diplomatic, political and economic instruments include the military instrument. It is difficult, for example, to identify any simple index of military power that allows predictions of a clash between two reasonably equal, or even not so equal, foes because so many factors comprise military prowess. In addition to such obvious factors as the amount of manpower and firepower available to any contestant, numerous other influences may prove critical. Some of these factors are tangible, such as the length and security of supply lines, and others are more difficult to measure precisely, such as morale, leadership, strategic and tactical soundness, compatibility between physical capabilities and political objectives, and mere luck. To a great extent, military history is a chronicle of calculation and miscalculation in comparing military instruments and their capacities to serve national ends.

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(04.4) When do the strategists determine which instrument of power to utilize?

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When they have identified the various levels of intensity of basic threats.