Importance Of Trust In The Military Profession

(Intro) Trust, military expertise, honorable service, esprit de corps, and stewardship; all vital components that establish the legitimacy of the Army Profession and formulate the basic values that leaders must strive to uphold. Of these five, I argue that Trust is the most important and is the essential characteristic that allows our profession to form the foundation from which the others are built upon. We will examine Trust’s three certifying criteria (competence, character, and commitment) Trust’s framework (Army Ethic) and how it applies to trust. Finally, we will highlight the importance of Trust through exploration of the consequences.

(3 C’s) Why Trust? A Leader said it is the bedrock of our Profession. It is the trust of the American

The Army Ethic forms the moral identity of the Army Professional (Soldiers and Army Civilians) that enables essential character development and provides loyalty and Honorable Service to the nation. The framework of the Army Ethic is defined in ADRP1 and includes legal and moral foundations that apply to both the Army as a Profession and the Individual as a Professional. Codified legal norms originate from legal documents, such as the Uniform Code of Military Justice, that establishes the Army’s mission. Moral norms originate from traditions, customs, and documents such as the Declaration of Independence, that form the basis of codified laws. These foundations, and the principles established by The Hague and Geneva Conventions , guide Army leaders and their units in the application of lethal force and rules of engagement. Adherence to the Army Ethic, the framework of moral and legal foundations, and the legal and ethical principles of lethal force builds trust within the Army Profession and reinforces the

It is the Trust between Soldiers, between Soldiers and Leaders, Army Civilians, families, and the American people that enables The Army Profession to continue as an autonomous and self-governing organization. Leaders build trust within their units through by demonstrating their competence, character, and commitment and by instilling the same in Soldiers. The Army Ethic guides the conduct of our Soldiers and provides the identity of the Army Profession as a representative of our Nation’s interests. Violations of trust damage the Army’s reputation as a respectable profession in the eyes of the American people and place the Army Profession in jeopardy. The Army continues to be regarded as one of the most trusted organizations in the United States, and as leaders, it is vital that every order, action and mission is executed daily in accordance with the Army Values, that its leaders conduct themselves as professionals guided by the Army Ethic, and that the Army continues to uphold the American people’s trust by remaining ethically and morally true to the values of the American