 The Profession of Arms and the Senior NCO. Date published, 1 April 2017. Inside this chapter, The Profession of Arms, Military as a Profession, The American Profession of Arms, Three Dimensions of Profession of Arms, The Air Force Guiding Values and Standards, Air Force Core Values, Airman's Creed, Warrior Ethos, Progressive Professionalism, P-squared, Continuum of Professionalism, Direction, Discipline and Recognition, DDR, Development, Impact of the Profession of Arms and the Senior NCO, Subordinate, Senior NCO, Mission. Master Sergeant Russi has recently been assigned as the flight chief at a local recruiting station. She's committed to ensuring the Air Force is composed of highly qualified candidates. After a few weeks on the job, she becomes worried that some members of her team are more concerned with meeting recruiting goals than they are with recruiting the best and the brightest. She strongly believes that Airmen are the single most important weapon system and are critical to the continued success of the Air Force. What should she do to remind her team of the importance of the role they've been given? We must renew our commitment to the profession of arms. We're not a profession simply because we say we're a profession. We must continue to learn, to understand and promote the knowledge, skills, attributes and behaviors that define us as a profession. General Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to Terminal Cognitive Objective, comprehend the POA and the Senior NCO concepts and or their impact on subordinate Senior NCO and mission effectiveness. Terminal Cognitive Samples of Behavior. 1. Identify the POA and the Senior NCO concepts and or their impact on subordinate Senior NCO and mission effectiveness. 2. Illustrate the POA and the Senior NCO concepts and or their impact on subordinate Senior NCO and mission effectiveness. 3. Predict the impact of the POA and the Senior NCO concepts on subordinate Senior NCO and mission effectiveness. Effective Objective. Value the POA and the Senior NCO and its positive impact on subordinate Senior NCO and mission effectiveness. Effective Samples of Behavior. 1. Enthusiastically dedicate yourself to read and listen to all material about the POA and the Senior NCO and its impact on subordinate Senior NCO and mission effectiveness. 2. Voluntarily complete all coursework related to the POA and the Senior NCO and its impact on subordinate Senior NCO and mission effectiveness. 3. Openly accept the POA and the Senior NCO and its positive impact on subordinate Senior NCO and mission effectiveness. 4. Willingly develop a preference for the POA and the Senior NCO and its positive impact on subordinate Senior NCO and mission effectiveness. 5. Strive toward a commitment to apply the POA and the Senior NCO because of its positive impact on subordinate Senior NCO and mission effectiveness. The Air Force's contribution to the profession of arms depends on its ability to fly, fight, and win in air, space, and cyberspace. The day you took the oath of enlistment is the day you gain instant status as a member of the profession of arms. That status, however, isn't static. It's your professionalism expressed in the methods you employ, the character you display, and the standards you maintain that determine your standing within this great profession. It's important you understand what it means to be a professional. This understanding should enable you to examine your own professionalism and help you determine what you can do to help advance the profession of arms. Even more importantly, you should learn how to develop others as professionals as they progress through their careers. You'll begin this chapter by identifying characteristics of the profession of arms. Here, you'll learn more about the military as a profession and the dimensions that make up the profession of arms. Next, you'll review the Air Force guiding values and standards that were introduced to you early in your career. These core elements provide the purpose and direction that should enable you to become a more effective leader. In the Progressive Professionalism section, you'll cover professional methods, standards, and character. These should help members of the profession of arms increase their competence thereby enhancing their effectiveness. You'll then cover direction, discipline, and recognition. This section describes how you can accomplish professionalism through self-development and developing others. Lastly, you'll end this chapter by covering the impacts of the profession of arms on subordinate, senior NCO, and mission effectiveness. The American people rightly look to their military leaders to be not only skilled in the technical aspects of the profession of arms, but to be men of integrity who have a deep understanding of the human strengths and weaknesses that motivate soldiers under the ultimate test of war. General J. Collins. In a 1995 article written for Airpower Journal, former Air Force Chief of Staff General Ronald R. Fogelman stated, as members of the joint team, we airmen are part of a unique profession that is founded on the premise of service before self. We are not engaged in just another job. We are practitioners of the profession of arms, POA. We are entrusted with the security of our nation, the protection of its citizens, and the preservation of its way of life. In this capacity, we serve as guardians of America's future. By its very nature, this responsibility requires us to place the needs of our service and our country before personal concerns. Renewing our commitment to the POA is essential to ensure we maintain the best-led and best-trained Air Force in the world. Fighting America's wars is an ugly business, but it must be done. Our professional status was earned by the men and women who have gone before us and is carried on by every airman who wears the uniform today. We, more than anyone else, should understand what it means to serve in the profession of arms. This section starts by covering the military as a profession. The profession of arms, or POA, shares many of the attributes of most professions. Furthermore, there are additional characteristics that distinguish it from others. To help further your understanding, you'll learn about the three dimensions of the profession of arms, physical, intellectual, and moral. Let's begin by looking at the distinction between the military and other professions. Military as a profession. The purpose of any profession is to serve society by effectively delivering a necessary and useful service. To fulfill societal needs, professions such as medicine, law, clergy, and the military develop and maintain distinct bodies of specialized knowledge and impart expertise through formal, theoretical, and practical education. Each profession establishes a unique subculture that distinguishes practitioners from the society they serve and other professions while supporting and enhancing that society. Professions have their own unique standards of performance and codes of ethics to create and maintain their effectiveness. They also develop particular vocabularies and terms, established journals, and sometimes adopt distinct forms of dress, lab coats, police uniforms, etc. Society grants professions a great deal of autonomy in exchange for holding their membership to high technical and ethical standards. The military profession, or POA, is different from others in two ways. First, the consequences of failure in the POA for both individual members of the armed forces and the nation are more serious than those in any other profession. Most professions serve individual clients. The military serves a collective client, the nation. The military's actions and responsibilities have a broad impact in extent and magnitude. Some of these responsibilities include the recovery of a community or country devastated by natural disaster, Operation Unified Response, Haiti, the defeat of enemy forces, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or the security of the nation, Operation Noble Eagle. Therefore, failure of the military profession could result in catastrophe for our nation and the nations of others. We work, study, and train throughout our careers to ensure the military profession will not fail in the call of duty. All professions share the following characteristics. Deliver a specialized service to society. Develop and maintain a body of specialized knowledge. Establish a unique subculture. The second way the POA is different from other professions concerns its individual members. When we take our oaths of office, it includes an understanding of the Unlimited Liability Clause. According to General Fogelman, no other profession expects its members to lay down their lives for their friends, families, or freedoms. But our profession readily expects its members to willingly risk their lives in performing their professional duties. By voluntarily serving in the military profession, we accept unique responsibilities. In today's world, service to country requires not only a high degree of skill, but a willingness to make personal sacrifices. While members of some professions engage in dangerous tasks daily, only we, members of the armed forces, can be ordered to place our lives in peril anywhere at any time. The obligations we undertake, risking life and well-being for the greater good, are in many ways extraordinary. However, even though the POA is different from other professions, our POA, the American POA, has its own distinct features. The American POA. Most nations maintain a military. Therefore, the POA is global. American soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and guardsmen consider their counterparts from most other nations as peers, where members of a community born of similar experiences, military cultures, and values. However, the American POA is distinguished from the others due to three characteristics. Service orientation, distinct subculture, and body of theory and specialized knowledge. A service orientation is essential for an occupation to be categorized as a profession. It's widely accepted that the individuals who make up a profession should not be in it solely for their own material benefit, but that they view themselves as having at least some sense of duty towards the issues of the society in which they live, i.e., health care, education, and counseling. These issues could potentially impact the public's quality of life and well-being. As a member of the American POA, you swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, not a leader, a people, a government, or a territory. That solemn oath ties your military service directly to the founding document of the nation. It instills a nobility of purpose within each of us and provides deep personal meaning to all who serve. A distinct subculture is usually the most obvious aspect of all professions. A profession subculture includes the values, norms, and symbols that are accepted by the profession. These may include such things as its insignias, emblems, distinctive dress. Clear and controlling symbols which characterize the professions may not be encountered in non-professional occupations. The American POA is distinguished by the professionalism of its officers and non-commissioned officers. Their given considerable authority early in their careers are expected to exercise initiative to identify and resolve unforeseen circumstances and are developed through a series of schools that equips them for greater responsibilities as they are promoted. Members of the profession certify and credential individual professionals at appropriate levels of competence. The levels of certification and expertise often reflect progression within the profession. This combination of professional development and experience in making decisions within general guidelines rather than rigid rules develops flexible and self-aware leaders. Body of theory and specialized knowledge This characteristic is more than simply having the technical training and skill to do a given job. Professional competence is critical to a profession because the service provided by professions could have beneficial or devastating effects on the population it serves. Samuel Huntington, an authority on sociology of the profession contends that professional competence is obtained only by prolonged education and experience and that the profession's body of knowledge is predominantly intellectual in nature and is generally applicable irrespective of time and place. The American POA is also joint in nature and essence. It encompasses specialized knowledge of land, maritime, aerospace, and special operations that it applies through unified action. For example, joint base Andrews is a United States military facility located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 11th Wing Air Force District of Washington. In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base and Naval Air Facility Washington were merged to form joint base Andrews. In the past two decades, the American military has advanced technologically at an unprecedented rate. More importantly, it has integrated technology into combined arms and joint operations beyond the militaries of most other nations. These advances are evident in the three dimensions of the POA. The American people rightly look to their military leaders to be not only skilled in the technical aspects of the profession of arms, but to be people of integrity. General Jay Lawton Collins, Army Chief of Staff, 1949 to 1953. Three Dimensions of POA The POA has three dimensions, physical, intellectual, and moral. Physical Dimension The POA is physical because warfare is a physical business. The joint force applies powerful measures to destroy assets and resources essential to our adversary's interests. As a result, physical strength is necessary in order to endure demanding situations associated with military operations, such as deploying forces over vast distances or moving them through complex environments. The nature of these situations requires considerable physical energy, stamina, skills, and training, all of which can have an impact on the health of the force. The Air Force helps to ensure our service is ready to operate in demanding situations via the Air Force Fitness Program. The program's goal is to motivate Airmen to participate in a year-round physical conditioning program that emphasizes total fitness, aerobic conditioning, strength, and flexibility training, and healthy eating. The benefits of an active lifestyle help to increase productivity, optimize health, and decrease absenteeism while maintaining a higher level of readiness needed to meet this dimension of the POA and uphold our part of the joint force. In order to handle the physical dimension of the POA, you must attain and maintain excellent physical condition. You must also meet Air Force Fitness Standards and set a positive example for your people. Intellectual Dimension As the military instrument of national power, the POA has an intellectual dimension due to the expertise required to employ joint forces in military operations. From the strategic perspective, this expertise is exercised in concert with the other instruments of national power, diplomatic, informational, and economic. From the operational and tactical perspectives, military professionals exercise their expertise against intelligent adversaries actively seeking to defeat them in life-and-death situations. This dimension also encompasses two cultural aspects of the POA, internal and external. The internal aspect pertains to knowledge of the military's values-based culture, addressed later in the Air Force guiding values and standard section. The external aspect pertains to the need to adapt to varying environments with different cultural and political values. Military professionals must be culturally aware, sensitive to differences and the implications those differences have on the operational environment. You'll learn more about the importance of culture in today's environment in the cross-cultural competence chapter of this course. Moral Dimension While the use of force is sometimes necessary for the common good, the authority to wield it carries a moral responsibility of the greatest magnitude. The moral and ethical tenets of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence form the basis of the military's professional ideals. The law of armed conflict, uniform code of military justice, and code of conduct give structure to its moral standards. Included in the moral dimension is civilian control of the military. The armed forces don't wage war in their own name or under their own authority. Under the Constitution, the decision to use military force belongs to the American people acting through Congress and the President. Under the Constitution, Congress, representing the people, has the authority to raise and support armies and to provide and maintain a Navy. Once Congress has approved the use of force, the President directs that use. The Supreme Court interprets laws passed by Congress as they apply to the armed forces and the authority of the President as Commander-in-Chief. Thus, the military is responsible to the Legislative, Congress, Executive, President, and Judicial, Supreme Court, branches of government in their separate functions. Once the nation decides to authorize military action, it relies on the professionalism of its military leaders to ensure the judicious application of force. The physical, intellectual, and moral dimensions form the foundation of the POA and are the basis of professional military education and leader development. Military leaders should continuously strive to cultivate expertise in their services' capabilities. They're constantly mastering changing security environments, technologies, and military techniques. Therefore, it's imperative to master these dimensions. Through study, practice, and a personal commitment to a career-long process of learning, teaching, evaluating, and adapting, senior NCOs should seek to better understand how to integrate that knowledge into joint operations. The relationship of morality and power is a very subtle one, because ultimately, power without morality is no longer power. James Baldwin As members of the POA, we're entrusted with the security of our nation, the protection of its citizens, and the preservation of its way of life. The ability to differentiate between the unlimited liability clause of the military and other professions is an essential first step to increasing your effectiveness. The American POA further distinguishes itself from other professions in its distinct subculture, body of theory and specialized knowledge, and service orientation. Finally, dedicating yourself to the physical, intellectual, and moral dimensions of the profession is yet another indication of professionalism. In order to be considered professionals, we need to act like professionals in every aspect. Airmen with patriotism, pride in their profession, commitment to the Air Force and its values, and belief in the essential purposes of the military are true professionals that provide the inner strength of cohesive units. Professional airmen, like you, that embody the military as a profession, who understand the intricacies of the dimensions, enable the Air Force to attain its service ideal. The Air Force guiding values and standards. The Air Force profession is nested within the American POA. The value of our contribution depends on the ability to achieve the mission, fly, fight, and win in air, space, and cyberspace. To accomplish this, the Air Force needs men and women that understand what it means to be an airman, who embody Air Force culture. As a senior NCO, you're responsible for promoting an understanding and an appreciation of Air Force culture. You must demonstrate, inspire, and develop in others an internalized understanding of Air Force values and standards. Fulfilling these responsibilities is an important part of your contributions to the Air Force mission. In this section, you'll learn about the Air Force core values that should be instilled in all airmen. Next, you'll cover the airmen's creed, our promise to the nation and our colleagues. Then, you'll end with a mindset all airmen should have as part of the Air Force culture, warrior ethos. Let's start with the core values. Air Force core values. The Air Force core values, integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do are much more than minimum standards. They are essentially the three pillars of professionalism that provide the foundation for leadership at every level. They inform you of the price of admission into the Air Force itself, point to what is universal and unchanging in the POA, help you get a fix on the ethical climate of an organization and when necessary, service beacons vectoring you back to the path of professional conduct. Each of the core values are defined by virtues. They're the desired behaviors and characteristics we must practice and demonstrate, showing that we truly value integrity, service, and excellence. Practicing these virtues can lead to habits of honorable thought and action. Integrity first. Integrity is a character trait. It's the willingness to do what's right even when no one is looking. It's the moral compass, the inner voice, the voice of self-control, the basis for the trust imperative in today's military. Consider these virtues as they specifically pertain to the POA. Honesty. This is the hallmark of integrity. As public servants, we're trusted agents. Honesty requires us to evaluate our performance against standards and to conscientiously and accurately report findings. It drives us to advance our skills and credentials through our own effort. The service member's word must be unquestionable. This is the only way to preserve the trust we hold and adhere with each other and with the population we serve. A person realizes integrity when thoughts and actions align with what he or she knows to be right. Courage. This virtue isn't about the absence of fear. Instead, it's about doing the right thing despite the fear. Courage empowers us to take necessary personal or professional risks, make decisions that may be unpopular, and admit to our mistakes. Taking the courage to take these actions is crucial for the mission, the Air Force, and the nation. Accountability. This virtue is about responsibility with an audience. That audience may be the American people, our units, supervisors, fellow airmen, families, loved ones, and even ourselves. Accountable individuals maintain transparency, seek honest and constructive feedback, and take ownership of the outcomes of their actions and decisions. They're responsible to themselves and others, and refrain from actions which discredit themselves or our service. Integrity first, the voice of self-control, paves the way for allowing the moral fortitude required to be an effective senior NCO. When displayed, it's easier to display the core value of service before self. Service before self. This core value tells us that professional duties take precedence over personal desires. The following virtues are at the foundation of the POA. Duty. This virtue reflects the obligation to perform what's required for the mission. While our responsibilities are determined by the law, the Department of Defense, and Air Force instructions, directives, and guidance, our sense of duty is a personal one and bound by the oath of service we took as individuals. Duty sometimes calls for sacrifice in ways no other profession has or will. Airmen who truly embody service before self consistently choose to make necessary sacrifices to accomplish the mission, and in doing so, we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Loyalty. This virtue is an internal commitment to the success and preservation of something bigger than ourselves. Our loyalty is to the nation first, the values and commitments of our Air Force second, and finally to the men and women with whom we serve. Loyalty to our leaders requires us to trust, follow, and execute their decisions, even when we disagree. We offer alternative solutions and innovative ideas most effectively through the chain of command. Ultimately, loyalty is demonstrated by helping each other act with honor. Respect. This virtue requires us to treat others with dignity and value them as individuals. We must always act knowing that all Airmen possess fundamental worth as human beings. We must treat others with the utmost dignity and respect, understanding that our diversity is a great source of strength. Failure to adhere to service before self diminishes your commitment to the core values and places mission success at risk. To ensure the mission is successful, effective senior NCOs should always strive for excellence in all endeavors. Excellence in all we do. Excellence in all we do directs us to develop a sustained passion for the continuous improvement and innovation that will propel the Air Force in quantum leaps towards accomplishment and performance. Members of the POA strive for excellence in the following areas. Mission. This virtue encompasses operations, product, and resources excellence. The complex undertaking of the Air Force mission requires us to harness the ingenuity, expertise, and elbow grease of all Airmen. We approach it with a mindset of stewardship, initiative, improvement, pride, and a continued commitment to anticipate and embrace change. Our work areas, processes, and interpersonal interactions must be undeniably professional and positive. Our people are the platform for delivering innovative ideas, strategies, and technologies to the fight. This core value doesn't mean perfection in everything is expected. Instead, you should continuously advance your craft and increase your knowledge as an Airman. Discipline. This virtue reflects an individual commitment to uphold the highest of personal and professional standards. Airmen commit to a life of discipline and self-control. We demonstrate it in attitude, work ethic, and effort directed at continuous improvement, whether it be pursuing professional military education or nurturing ourselves physically, intellectually, emotionally, or spiritually. Each Airman represents the entire Air Force. Our appearance, actions, and words shape the culture of the Air Force and the reputation of the entire military profession. Teamwork. This virtue is required to triumph at every level. Airmen recognize the interdependency of every member's contributions towards the mission and strive for organizational excellence. We not only give our personal best, but also challenge and motivate each other. We carry our own weight, and whenever necessary, help our wingmen carry theirs. We serve in the greatest Air Force in the world, and we embrace the idea that our part of the Air Force meets that world-class standard. The Air Force core values must be an integral part of the decision-making process that drives your actions, decisions, and behaviors. They remind you what it takes to get the mission done, inspire you to do your very best at all times, and are the common bond among all comrades in arms. As a member of the POA, you need to continually teach, reinforce, and practice the core values. They're the glue that unifies the force and are manifested in the warrior spirit. Airmen's Creed We have all found ourselves standing at promotion ceremonies and other military functions where we recite the Airmen's Creed. But why do we say the Airmen's Creed? Better yet, what does it mean? To understand the why, we need to understand how ours came to be. On 18 April 2007, General T. Michael Mosley, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, introduced the Airmen's Creed to the Air Force. At that time, the Air Force had been involved in continuous combat operations for over 16 years. During that period, Airmen became highly specialized and technically capable across a broad spectrum of operations, which resulted in a drift toward an emphasis on technical proficiency and away from a war-fighting orientation. The Airmen's Creed is intended to remind all Airmen that they aren't just a conglomeration of diverse specialties, skill sets, or jobs, but theirs is the profession of arms. It allows Airmen to think and act with one mind and sustain a commitment to fundamental war-fighting beliefs. Following its release, the Airmen's Creed replaced all existing Air Force-related creeds. Explore A Creed is a set of fundamental beliefs or guiding principles. The word Creed derives from the Latin credo, which means I believe. The Creed serves to guide all total Force Airmen and places emphasis on the war-fighter. It encapsulates what it means to be an Airman, to have pride in service and captures the war-fighting ethos of the Air Force. Let's take a moment to examine the elements of the Creed. I am an American Airman. Air Force members are defenders of the nation. Consider the importance. This phrase is repeated throughout the Creed. I am a warrior. Airmen employ the world's greatest air power and go outside the wire. Establishing air dominance or clearing roadside bombs, Airmen are there. Warriors. I have answered my nation's call. Many enter the military for various reasons, but most join when they discover the pride in serving their country. My mission is to fly, fight, and win. Everything we do is to ensure mission success. We as Airmen will fight for what is right and fight to win. I am faithful to a proud heritage, a tradition of honor, and a legacy of valor. History makes you smarter, and heritage makes you prouder. Heritage is a reflection of our past and shapes us today. Guardian of freedom and justice. A call to the Constitution. Airmen swear an oath to support and defend against all enemies, foreign, and domestic. My nation's sword and shield, it's century and avenger. Airmen protect while taking the fight to those who threaten the American way of life. As Avengers, they fight for those who have fallen. I defend my country with my life. Airmen stand tall, and if necessary, pay the ultimate price for their country and their countrymen. Wingmen. Leader. Warrior. As leaders and warriors, in time of war or peace, each Airman, to the best of their ability, is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of their fellow wingmen. I will never leave an Airman behind, I will never falter, and I will not fail. As Airmen, no matter the situation, we all come home together. As Americans, we will not waver in our decisions, and this is no way we accept failure. Warrior ethos. Warrior ethos describes the frame of mind of the professional Airman and is part of our Air Force culture. It's a guiding principle for you to live by. It declares your selfless commitment to your nation, mission, unit, and fellow Airmen. When internalized, it produces the will to win with honor. Warrior ethos moves us to fight through all conditions to victory, no matter how long it takes, no matter how much effort is required. Warrior spirit is the embodiment of warrior ethos. At the most basic level, we exhibit warrior spirit by maintaining military bearing and professional etiquette, placing the welfare of peers or subordinates ahead of our personal needs or comfort, maintaining ourselves physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. Warrior spirit requires that you take responsibility for mission failures, share mission success with your unit, and foster the development of the POA in your people. The Air Force core values, Airmen's creed, and warrior ethos are mutually dependent. Together, they guide your personal conduct. As an Airman, you can follow one while ignoring the other. By taking an oath to defend the Constitution, you accepted a set of responsibilities that other citizens don't. You demonstrate your commitment to Air Force core values and standards by willingly performing your duties at all times and subordinating your personal welfare to that of others without expecting reward or recognition. In return, the Air Force is committed to the welfare of all Airmen and their families. The Air Force's guiding values and standards should guide your conduct and decision-making processes and establish the standards expected of all professional Airmen. As a senior leader, you must reflect the highest qualities of a leader and professional by embodying Air Force culture. It is also critical that you help others progress as professionals by instilling an appreciation of Air Force culture and our values. Professional Airmen, who understand what it means to be an Airman and to embody Air Force culture, help accomplish the mission and support the Air Force's contribution to the POA. President Theodore Roosevelt once said, It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming, but who does actually strive to do the deeds, who knows great enthousiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end of the triumph of high an achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. America's Air Force, a profession of arms. Progressive Professionalism, P squared. So how would you rate your professionalism? How would you rate the professionalism of others? Where would you start? Professionalism in the workplace is based on many factors. They include how you dress, carry yourself, your attitude and how you interact with others. Professionalism necessitates that each person performs their tasks with genuine earnest and honesty. It is evidenced when you do your job with sincerity, maintain professional etiquette and instill ethics in the workplace. The Air Force core values tell us to strive for excellence in all we do, which directs us to continually seek to improve ourselves as professional airmen. Likewise, Air Force Instruction 36-2618, the enlisted force structure, direct senior NCOs to develop military professionalism in themselves and subordinates. However, developing professionalism is a process, a progression. This section provides a starting point that should enable you to evaluate your effectiveness and the effectiveness of others. You'll also gain insight into various methods of increasing your level of professionalism. You'll end this section by covering ways of developing yourself and others through direction, discipline and recognition. Let's start by taking a look at the continuum of professionalism. Organizations whose members view themselves as professionals outperform, outsmart and outlast organizations that don't. PACE The Continuum of Professionalism The goal of progressive professionalism, or P-squared, is for all members of the POA to deliberately and consistently work toward and remain as professional as possible. The Continuum of Professionalism provides a way to visually represent your progression or degrees of professionalism. Each person has varying degrees of professionalism which can be measured by their actions, decisions and behaviors. As such, everyone has strengths that can help them to move closer to the more professional side of the continuum and weaknesses that may cause them to drift closer to the less professional side. Additionally, everyone makes choices that can have an impact on where they fall on the continuum as well. As stated earlier, your status within the POA and on the continuum isn't static. You can move at any time based on the situation and your actions. The continuum serves as a means to conceptualize this idea. Let's look at three qualities that can be used to measure your level of professionalism and impact your position on the continuum. Professional Methods This quality involves the actual application of professional knowledge and theory to any given situation. Just as surgeons apply their knowledge of anatomy and physiology to perform operations, senior NCOs apply professional methods to lead the enlisted force in accomplishing the mission. From the time you enter the Air Force until now, you have been continually exposed to rigorous training. The training you received in basic training provided you with a foundation of what it means to be an airman and the methods of our profession that differentiated from others. While in technical school, you were provided professional knowledge in your specific Air Force specialty code, A-F-S-C, in order to perform your job. This training further differentiated the methods and theory you apply, so your level of professionalism should have increased. But you didn't stop there. You're still engaged in learning additional professional methods, training and education, today, just like this course, in order to improve your level of professionalism, even at this point in your career. As a senior leader, your continued monitoring and commitment to ensuring professional methods are maintained and enhanced should add value to the meaning of professionalism for you and those you lead. If done effectively, these actions can help you and others continue to move further along to the right side of the continuum. Professional methods include technical knowledge, communication, leadership and management skills. Professional character. Professional character involves the combination of emotional, moral and intellectual qualities and behaviors exhibited at all times by all members of the profession. Having a professional attitude is the driving force behind the character traits displayed by professionals, the essence of airmanship. According to the Merriam-Webster's dictionary, in early aviation history, the term airman was synonymous with pilot, and the term airmanship meant skill in piloting or navigating aircraft. Today, airman with a capital A describes all those who serve in the United States Air Force, and airmanship is simply the art of being a professional airman. Airmanship is a mindset, a certainty you feel in everything you do. You believe in your oath to serve your country. You embrace the Air Force core values and you're ready to achieve whatever the Air Force asks of you. You know the standards of behavior, the way to wear your uniform. Help your fellow airmen if they forget. Your airmanship is the most important part of the United States Air Force. PACE. For the enlisted force, airmanship centers on two critical documents, the Air Force core values, the little blue book, and AFI 36-2618, the enlisted force structure, the little brown book. Together, they describe the emotional, moral, and intellectual qualities and behaviors common to all successful enlisted air-minded military professionals. The United States Air Force wants individuals of high moral character to further develop into the future leaders of the Air Force and our nation. AFI 36-2618 charges senior NCOs to demonstrate, inspire, and develop in others an internalized understanding of the Air Force core values and the airmen's creed. As you previously learned, they're the core of our culture and the essence of airmanship. Your pledge to fulfill these responsibilities as a member of the POA helps to move yourself and others to the right side of the continuum. Professional character includes attitude, alignment with core values, alignment with AFI 36-2618. Professional standards. Professional standards are the yardstick of profession uses to measure the performance and behavior of its members. These standards are best expressed by the core values, airmen's creed, and warrior ethos. Since values shape our actions, decisions, and behaviors, they play a central role in professionalism. Unfortunately, even when we strive to adopt and internalize our service's standards, there are times when our personal values conflict with those of the institution, as well as those of our subordinates, peers, and supervisors. For example, you could be taking a class at night, but a last-minute tasking came up as you were walking out the door. At that moment, you might weigh the importance of your personal versus professional obligations. Do I just leave so I can get to class on time, or should I stay, miss class, and complete this tasking? For some, this situation might cause a values conflict. Values conflict is normal, an unavoidable part of professional life. However, the mark of a true professional is maintaining high professional standards despite conflicting values. Put another way, professionals find ways to work through values conflicts while remaining focused on the greater good of the organization and its people. The ability to subordinate your values to those of the organization demonstrates your dedication to the POA and a declaration of your level of professionalism. This helps you move towards the most effective side of the continuum. People who conduct themselves as consummate professionals do what Michael Jordan did on the basketball court. They make everyone around them better. Bill Weersman, adopted from PACE. Professional standards include quality and quantity of work, ethical behavior, professional relationships, adherence to and promotion of core values, adherence to and promotion of AFI 36-2618. The continuum of professionalism is a sliding scale that helps you see how your actions, decisions, and behaviors have an impact on your level of professionalism using the lens of professional methods, standards, and character. The Air Force doesn't expect perfection, but it does require progression. Another focus area that can move you and your subordinates to the right of the continuum is direction, discipline, and recognition. Direction, discipline, and recognition, DDR. DDR is the foundation of progressive professionalism, P-squared. Though it's used to help maintain a high degree of professionalism throughout your career, it was particularly critical in your early development as an airman. While in basic training, you received a lot of direction and discipline. At the time, it may have been difficult to see how the lessons being drilled into you were important. Now, it's probably easier to reflect on those lessons and apply them to everyday life. Even though you may have been granted a bit more freedom and opportunity, that pattern continued through technical training and into the first several months or years of your career. Direction and discipline were integral to you learning your job and adjusting to life in the Air Force. Hopefully, self-discipline took over and following directions and responding positively to discipline became second nature. But what motivated you to remain disciplined? For many, recognition for a job well done was enough to stay motivated. Recognition isn't just a nice thing to do for people. It's used to reinforce behavior or encourage improvement as applicable. Subordinate recognition is a communication tool that reinforces and rewards the most important outcomes they create for the organization. When you recognize people effectively, you reinforce the actions, decisions, and behaviors you most want to see them repeat. Providing recognition may help your subordinates take pride in their work, in their job responsibilities, and feel appreciated for their contributions. Airmen that feel appreciated oftentimes go the extra mile and have a heightened level of commitment towards the organization, which helps to advance the POA. In short, you should continuously strive to support and promote a positive atmosphere in which praise prevails. Direction, discipline, and recognition are tools you can use to slide yourself and others along the continuum of professionalism. However, in order to get effective results, you should utilize the proper techniques as you apply DDR. Hopefully, the tools you'll learn in this course can help you use DDR appropriately and have a positive impact on your and your people's professionalism. Development Another factor that can have an impact on your and your people's position on the continuum of professionalism is the focus on development. The environment in which the POA operates is ever-changing. As a result, airmen should engage in continued development to remain adaptable and mission-ready at all times. For a senior NCO, you're expected to develop yourself as well as your people. Self-development In order to grow as a senior NCO, you should continually assess your skills, qualities, and leadership abilities, identify improvement areas, and engage in self-development to address them. These actions can help propel you up the path of P-squared. While others may help you recognize development opportunities, only you know what you need to improve. Only you can transform opportunities into learning experiences to increase or improve your knowledge, skills, and attitude. Self-development is your responsibility. Professional senior NCOs seek out self-development opportunities and are willing to stretch themselves beyond their comfort zone, risking personal failure to move further to the right on the continuum of professionalism. This may mean asking for help when you really don't want to, taking a class you're not sure you'll be successful in, or volunteering to fill a role you might not have any experience with. Regardless of the opportunity, you should commit to and synthesize as much as you can so you can make the most of all learning experiences. Many of these learning experiences typically stem from one of four broad categories, formal learning activities, informal learning activities, formal assignments, and informal assignments. Formal learning activities are deliberately designed to obtain a specific learning outcome. Examples include basic military training school, BMTS, technical training school, TTS, first-term airman center, FTAC, enlisted professional military education, EPME, ancillary training, and college courses. Informal learning activities are additional learning activities outside of a formal setting that result in a learning outcome. Examples of informal learning include peer-to-peer communication, reading, internet research, talking with experts, mentoring moments, and managing and leading teams and organizations. Formal assignments come through official military channels. Examples include permanent change of station, PCS, permanent change of assignment, PCA, temporary duty assignments, TDY, and additional or special duties and tasks assigned through formal military channels, such as additional duty first sergeant, resource advisor, superintendent, and flight chief. Informal assignments originate from sources other than formal military channels. Examples include positions within other professional organizations, Top 3, Air Force Sargeants Association, volunteer positions, and additional or special duties and tasks assigned through non-formal military channels. AFI 36-2618 states you should pursue opportunities and encourage retraining as needed or serve in special duties such as first sergeant, military training, and PME instructor or recruiter to balance the force and enable our Air Force to meet mission requirements. Developing others Developing others is an important part of Warrior Ethos and is central to your leadership role in advancing the POA. As a matter of fact, as a senior NCO, you're charged, according to AFI 36-2618, to deliberately develop your people and peers into better followers, leaders, and supervisors. Through your leadership, you should provide purpose, the why, direction, the how, and motivation, positive reinforcement, while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization. This can help your people understand the organization's big picture and help them understand their piece of it. Set the example for others by demonstrating exemplary conduct in your professional and personal life. Whether you realize it or not, your people are watching you, using your example to figure out the kind of senior leader they want or don't want to be. You indirectly develop them by conducting yourself as a professional and working towards the right side of the continuum. Encourage your people to adopt and internalize the core values and develop the mental, physical, and emotional attributes of a warrior. Your people are members of the POA and have certain responsibilities to it. Helping them see the connection between the core values, warrior ethos, and warrior spirit can create buy-in to the POA and our obligation to the nation and its citizens. Mentor your people by encouraging them to learn about themselves, preferences, traits, temperaments, etc., and how they deal with circumstances. Encourage them to practice their adaptability and interpersonal skills so they can effectively problem solve and work through conflicts at their level. Mentoring is a good process to use to develop your people. One tool available to assist you is My Vector. It's an Air Force web-based community that encourages mentoring, career planning, and knowledge sharing for the total force. A mentor's main purpose is to help others define individual goals and find ways to achieve them. According to Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, mentoring and networking are two of the most important things for leaders to embrace. Keep in mind, each person is different and there isn't a cookie-cutter approach to every situation. Additional features of My Vector that can assist both the mentor and mentee are a real-time mentoring plan, discussion forums, a bullet tracker, the ability to dialogue online. Constantly striving to move yourself and others to the right on the continuum of professionalism is the essence of p-squared and can have a transformational effect within and across organizations. When you consistently develop yourself and others as professionals, you cultivate more positive and ethical organizational climates across the Air Force and, in turn, advance the POA. Mentoring requires time, effort, and dedication. Therefore, it's important to establish a flexible relationship that supports your and your mentee's needs. When developed appropriately, the end result is a long-lasting relationship through which you and your mentee can collaborate throughout your career. Understanding your personal journey across the continuum of professionalism helps you advance others along the continuum as well. Applying the appropriate levels of DDR provides a foundation for your subordinates. When applied appropriately, they receive the necessary direction required so they know what you and the Air Force expects of them. Discipline is necessary to ensure they continue to adhere to the standards and guiding values provided to them. Most importantly, well-deserved recognition reinforces positive behavior and perpetuates improvement and reinforces the expected behavior in the POA. Development, for yourself and others, not only helps meet the needs of the POA, but more importantly, helps to ensure it continues to advance to meet our environment's ever-changing needs. As a senior NCO, your responsibility to the POA is so important that it can have an impact on you, your subordinates, and your mission. Impact of the POA and the senior NCO America's Air Force, a profession of arms, states that all servicemen and women belong to the profession of arms, from the most junior enlisted to our most senior leaders. As an airman and senior leader, it's important for you to understand your professional obligations as a member of the POA and how these obligations can have an impact on how effective you, your subordinates, and mission are. Subordinate Effectiveness According to AFI 36-2618, the enlisted force structure, paragraph 5.1.11, states, senior NCOs must promote a culture of airmen capable of adapting to evolving Air Force requirements throughout a career. You have many tools available to assist with this endeavor. You could use direction, discipline, and recognition in order to help them move towards the right side of the continuum of professionalism. Direction provides focus and establishes expectation for work activities. Your subordinates should be more productive when they have a clear sense of what's important and knowing what's expected of them. For example, you may have an airman that's a little unsure of his or her job responsibilities. You could provide more direction in the form of coaching in order to help them become more confident. You can use discipline to help reinforce the expectations and standards set or when confronted with performance problems. For example, you may have an airman that hasn't internalized the core values as evidenced by his off-duty behavior, which has caused him to move to the left on the continuum of professionalism. His actions may require you to use discipline techniques, coaching, feedback, etc., to get him back on track. Your intent in applying discipline should be to help your airman move to the right of the continuum. Therefore, it should be applied in a progressive manner with hope that behavior or performance will improve with the least amount of discipline. Everyone wants to be recognized and feel valued for doing a good job. When your subordinates are valued, more than likely, they should continue to be effective. Recognition, rewards, generally provides incentive for effective performance and encourages improvement if necessary. For example, you could have an airman that's exceeding the standards and is exhibiting warrior ethos by displaying professional behavior and takes the initiative to help his peers when they need it. You could recognize the airman in many ways, quarterly awards, time off, increased responsibility, etc. The key is to find creative ways that work for your people. Regardless of the situation, your subordinates should feel connected to the POA by understanding the importance of being a professional. You can help them do this by focusing on professional methods, character, and standards. As a leader, it's your responsibility to ensure they have the technical knowledge and skills to do their jobs based on the position they hold in the organization. Additionally, you can help them to understand and hold themselves and each other accountable to the core values and virtues they should internalize and strive for. If your people experience value conflicts as a result of a clash between their personal values and the core values, you can mentor them by helping them focus on the greater good of the Air Force and the organization. Otherwise, they may make decisions based on personal values, resulting in behavior that's not consistent with the Air Force's guiding values and standards. Finally, you should let them know that as a member of the POA, they're never alone. The Airman's Creed constantly reminds us that while we are warfighters, we all come home together, no matter the situation. These actions help instill in your people the essence of Warrior Ethos, the core of the POA. Institutional competency embodies Airman culture, Warrior Ethos, assist others in development of the profession of arms. It's your responsibility to assist your people in their development as members of the POA. Failure to do this could negatively impact your people's careers, attitudes, and job effectiveness. They should see what they do as something more than just a job, instead of understanding the importance of the profession of which they are members. At this point in your career, you might feel as if you're already invested in the POA. You've been through many levels of job-specific training, enlisted professional military education, and even college courses. You've probably held different job titles with varying levels of responsibility. However, there are still tasks that are required of you to either advance in the POA or maintain your current status. One responsibility you have is to continuously work on developing yourself. The Air Force core values direct us to strive for excellence in all we do, to continually seek to improve as a professional Airman. The more you learn, the more you know, the greater your impact is in the POA. There are many ways you can do this. It's not a one-size-fits-all process. You should find learning activities that enhance your current knowledge and skills while forcing you to step outside your comfort zone. For example, you could take a project management course or attend a conflict resolution seminar. Both of these examples not only help increase your skill set, but when used correctly, can help make the POA more effective. Another responsibility you have, according to AFI 36-2618, is to demonstrate, inspire, and develop in others an internalized understanding of Air Force core values and the Airman's Creed. In order to meet this responsibility, you should understand that the core values and Airman's Creed are more than just words on a page. They're the guiding values and standards of a true professional. For example, you should be honest with your people, display courage in difficult situations, and hold yourself accountable to the same standards you expect of your people. These virtues of integrity first reflect your moral compass and help establish your position on the continuum of professionalism. Your effectiveness as a senior NCO can be measured based on your ability to promote an understanding of and an appreciation for the Air Force culture. This means you should make decisions using the core values, Airman's Creed, and Warrior Ethos as your guide. Decisions you make that conflict with these elements could jeopardize your place on the continuum, your membership in the POA, and your credibility with those you lead. Institutional competency embodies Airman culture, develops self, actively synthesizes and commits to formal and informal learning activities and assignments, including stretch and risk beyond comfort zone in a way that makes the most of the learning experience. Career EPME Learning Area 6, Joint Force Leadership. Recognize the senior enlisted role in promoting sound ethical decisions based on values and standards of the profession of arms. CJCSI 1805.B Mission Effectiveness As a member in the American POA, the Air Force must be ready when called upon. By utilizing the three dimensions of the POA, you can help ensure our Force is ready to accomplish any mission, home, deployed, or joint. The physical dimension of the POA requires us to be physically ready at all times, regardless of the environment. In your organizations, you can help meet this requirement by ensuring your people are healthy and engaging in a year-round fitness program. When your people aren't able to operate in harsh environments or when they aren't healthy and fit, readiness levels can decrease. This reduction can have an impact not only on your unit, but can weaken the POA as well. The intellectual dimension focuses on the internal and external cultural aspects of the POA. You and your people are expected to conduct missions in locations with vastly different cultural norms and work with people from different cultural backgrounds. As members of the POA, our missions can't be compromised due to a lack of cultural knowledge or due to a failure to interact with those that are culturally different from us. The moral dimension is an important aspect of the POA because it reminds us that we're responsible to our civilian government. Our missions are approved by them and guided by the moral and ethical tenets included in documents such as the Constitution, LOAC, and the UCMJ. As we execute our duties, we do so with moral responsibility. Using these checks and balances, we ensure the effectiveness of our missions and the effectiveness of the POA. Airmen committed to the Air Force and those that believe in its essential purpose are true professionals. The POA serves as a foundation to guide and provide direction as you engage in the daily grind of protecting the nation. At its core, it defines what it means to be a valued member of our profession. Professional airmen who understand what it means to be an airman and who embody Air Force culture help the Air Force accomplish its mission and supports the service's contribution to the profession of arms. Summary You began this chapter by covering the POA. You learned about the military as a profession and the characteristics of the American POA. Additionally, you learned more about the dimensions that make up the POA. These characteristics provided a foundation for your understanding of the POA. Next, you learned more about Air Force guiding values and standards. Remember, it's these core elements that provide the purpose and direction that will enable you to become a more effective leader. In the Continuum of Professionalism section, you learned about professional methods, standards, and character and how these qualities help move members to the right side of the continuum, thus increasing their effectiveness. Afterwards, you covered progressive professionalism. That section described how you can accomplish professionalism through direction, discipline, and recognition and development of yourself and others. Finally, you ended the chapter by covering the impact of the profession of arms on subordinate, senior NCO, and mission effectiveness. As you learned in this chapter, there are many options available to help achieve the end goal, advancing the POA. The Air Force's contribution to the POA depends on its ability to fly, fight, and win in air, space, and cyberspace. Now, it's up to you to apply what you have learned to lead and develop the next generation of leaders that will ensure that mission is accomplished. Key Terms Air Force Core Values, Page 7 Airman's Creed, Page 9 Body of Theory and Specialized Knowledge, Page 5 Continuum of Professionalism, Page 12 Direction, Discipline, and Recognition, Page 14 Distinct Subculture, Page 4 Intellectual Dimension, Page 6 Moral Dimension, Page 6 Physical Dimension, Page 5 Profession of Arms, Page 3 Progressive Professionalism, Page 11 Service Orientation, Page 4 Warrior Ethos, Page 10