The Armed Forces Officer: 2007 Edition

by U.S. Department of Defense

Overview

Initiated in 1950, this 2007 edition is the latest in a classic series of books of the same title. Journalist-historian S. L. A. Marshall wrote the first at the behest of Gen. George C. Marshall, who formed the great citizen army of World War II. The general believed officers of all services needed to base their professional commitment on a common moral-ethical grounding, which S. L. A. Marshall set out to explain. Ever since, these books have provided a foundation of thought, conduct, standards, and duty for American commissioned officers.

Available now to the general public, this new edition takes the series' inspirational premise into the new century. It educates officers of all services, as well as civilians, about the fundamental moral-ethical requirements of being a commissioned officer in the armed forces of the United States. Understanding the common foundation of commissioned leadership and command of U.S. military forces is essential for achieving excellence in the joint operations of today's combat environment. This philosophy unites the officers of the uniformed services in the common calling of supporting, defending, and upholding the Constitution in service to their country.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781597973496
Publisher:	Potomac Books Inc.
Publication date:	05/30/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Faculty members of the four service academies and the Marine Corps University wrote The Armed Forces Officer. The Operational Plans and Joint Force Development Directorate (J-7), Joint Education and Doctrine Division, of the U.S. Department of Defense coordinated and sponsored the work.

Table of Contents

Foreword   General Peter Pace, USMC, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff     ix
Foreword   the Honorable Ike Skelton (D-MO)     xi
Introduction: The Meaning of the Commission     xiii
The Citizen-Soldier-An American Tradition of Military Service     1
The Profession of Arms     11
Member of a Profession     21
Defender of the Constitution and Servant of the Nation     33
Character: Nobility of Life and Action     43
Leadership     51
Responsibility, Accountability, and Discipline     61
Service Identity and Joint Warfighting     75
An Ancient and Honorable Calling     93
Founding Documents     99
The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription
The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription
Authorizing Statutes for the Armed Forces     131
Service Values     137
Code of Conduct for Members of the United States Armed Forces     139
Keeping Your House in Order     141
"The Meaning of Your Commission" from the 1950 edition of The Armed Forces Officer     149
Foundations of an Officer's Library     159
Acknowledgments     161

Editorial Reviews

"I encourage you to reflect on the timeless themes outlined in this book and consider what honor, integrity, selflessness, commitment, and the greater good mean to you. They define the ethos of our profession of arms, a philosophy that has moral leadership at its core."—from the Foreword by General Peter Pace, USMC, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

General Peter Pace

"The indomitable spirit of the thousands of wounded, men and women, regulars and reservists, fighting to remain on active duty in spite of their wounds, is ample evidence of the well-being of the institutional soul of today's armed forces, its men and women of all ranks. It is into the hands of armed forces officers that the leadership of these men and women is entrusted by the American people, through their elected representatives and government. This book is a modest effort to explain the nature of that trust and the obligations and expectations in entails."—from the Foreword by the Honorable Ike Skelton, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee

Ike Skelton

“I encourage you to reflect on the timeless themes outlined in this book and consider what honor, integrity, selflessness, commitment, and the greater good mean to you. They define the ethos of our profession of arms, a philosophy that has moral leadership at its core.”—from the Foreword by Gen. Peter Pace, USMC, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
 

Gen. Peter Pace

“The indomitable spirit of the thousands of wounded, men and women, regulars and reservists, fighting to remain on active duty in spite of their wounds, is ample evidence of the well-being of the institutional soul of today's armed forces, its men and women of all ranks. It is into the hands of armed forces officers that the leadership of these men and women is entrusted by the American people, through their elected representatives and government. This book is a modest effort to explain the nature of that trust and the obligations and expectations in entails.”—from the Foreword by the Hon. Ike Skelton, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee

Hon. Ike Skelton

"I encourage you to reflect on the timeless themes outlined in this book and consider what honor, integrity, selflessness, commitment, and the greater good mean to you. They define the ethos of our profession of arms, a philosophy that has moral leadership at its core."

"The indomitable spirit of the thousands of wounded, men and women, regulars and reservists, fighting to remain on active duty in spite of their wounds, is ample evidence of the well-being of the institutional soul of today's armed forces, its men and women of all ranks. It is into the hands of armed forces officers that the leadership of these men and women is entrusted by the American people, through their elected representatives and government. This book is a modest effort to explain the nature of that trust and the obligations and expectations in entails."

From the Publisher