Stewardship of the Army Profession and Civilian-Military Relations
There are five core characteristics that compose the Army profession; trust, honorable service, military expertise, stewardship, and esprit de corps (Army Doctrine Reference Publication (ADRP) 1, The Army Profession, 2015, p. 6-1). While all are critical to maintaining a healthy Army, stewardship, as described in ADRP 1 chapter 6, is the central tenant I believe keeps the other four alive. Stewardship is the act of taking care of something. Without it, other core values merely come and go. Like a garden that has good soil, light, and water, it will all still wither away without a gardener to routinely provide more water, turn the soil, and prune the plants.…