The Need To Be More Professional . . . Whatever That Means

We are all men and therefore, bear fallibilities and weaknesses. We are sustained in our effort by some source of strength outside of ourselves. One such source of strength is to be found in the corporate nature of our profession.

We are, or should be, a “band of brothers,” united in the pursuit of a common body of professional knowledge and skill, together in our willingness to make the sacrifices necessary to adhere to exemplary standards of ethical conduct, and sharing the unlimited liability of the soldier’s contract.

But, in the final analysis, the strength to persevere in the pursuit of excellence must come from within each individual. Some may characterize their guiding principle by the familiar motto, “to thine own self be true”—the old shaving mirror test. Others may account for their perseverance as the results of a traditional prayer to a traditional God. In any case, serving and growing in a worthwhile cause should provide all the meaning and fulfillment to life for which a reasonable man can hope.

Colonel John W. Grace
United States Marine Corps