As the Navy struggles with its emerging prominent role in the Post-Iraq War military, it will need to strive to reach an understanding of professionalism as applied to Sailors and to the Department of the Navy itself. Is there one professional military ethic or multiple ethics? Does a professional military ethic apply only to officers? Are officers the only Sailors who should be held to professional standards? Or, should all Sailors be committed to professional standards and functions utilizing specific professional ethics appropriate to their duties?
To help answer these considerations, we can re-conceptualize these nine questions as they apply specifically to the Navy:
- Who are the Navy's primary stakeholders?
- What are the central values held by the Navy?
- What is the ideal relationship between Sailors and their stakeholders?
- What sacrifices are required of Sailors, and in what respects do the obligations of this profession take priority over other morally relevant considerations affecting Sailors?
- What are the norms of competence for this profession?
- What is the ideal relationship between Sailors and co-professionals?
- What is the ideal relationship between Sailors and the larger community?
- What should Sailors do to make access to the profession's services available to everyone who needs them?
- What are Sailors obligated to do to preserve the integrity of their commitment to the profession's values and to educate others about them?
As the Navy answers these questions, it can better develop initiatives to establish codes of conduct and professional education within the military that allow it to more fully meet standards of professionalism. By identifying and achieving professional standards, the Navy can campaign to develop social awareness and encourage endorsement of the Navy's unique service to our country, an endorsement that recognizes the professionalism of the U.S. Navy Sailor.
Stolen from Joint Forces Quarterly article - Are We Professionals?.
3 comments:
Geez, I wouldn't turn to My Favorite Army to find answers to these questions. Utterly clueless, that lot.
It's the US Marine Corps who understands who are its customers and how to best serve them.
I don't think they have the answers but they are asking some of the right questions.
Just curious??? With statements like the following it seems like somebody thinks the enlisted force does not have "ethics" or are not "professional;" WTF:
Does a professional military ethic apply only to officers? Are officers the only Sailors who should be held to professional standards?
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