1. Character for Army Professionals
Characteristics of the Army Profession:
Honorable Service
Stewardship of the Profession
Trust
Esprit de Corps
Military Expertise
Characteristics of the Army Professional:
Competence
Character
Commitment
“Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”
-Abraham Lincoln
Character: The true nature of a person including identity, sense of purpose, values, virtues, morals, and conscience
-FM 6-22 Army Leadership
Instructor Notes:
As Army Professionals, we are expected to live by and adhere to the Army Ethic – a comprised set of professional standards and expectations with moral and legal framework as its foundation. The characteristics of the Army profession outline a model for our daily actions as we go about the business of “fighting and winning the nation’s wars.” Army professionals are certified by the organization in three areas –competence, character, and commitment. As Army Professionals, we are expected to continue to learn and develop our character through education, training and experience so we can ultimately live up to the Army Ethic and execute our duties in a way consistent with the moral and legal foundations of the organization.
Reference: ADRP-1
As trusted Army professionals—Soldiers and Army Civilians—we are honorable servants of the Nation,
Army experts, and faithful stewards of the people, other resources, and profession entrusted to our care. By
our oath, we are morally committed to support and defend the Constitution. This duty requires a foundation
of trust with the American people, reinforced as the Army Profession contributes honorable service, military
expertise, and stewardship with courageous esprit de corps. Within the Army Profession, Army
professionals earn and sustain trust by demonstrating character, competence, and commitment. We make
right decisions and take right actions that are ethical, effective, and efficient.
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PROFESSION—WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PROFESSIONAL
A profession is a trusted, disciplined, and relatively autonomous vocation whose members—
 Provide a unique and vital service to society, without which it could not flourish.
 Provide this service by developing and applying expert knowledge.
 Earn the trust of society through ethical, effective, and efficient practice.
 Establish and uphold the discipline and standards of their art and science, including the
responsibility for professional development and certification.
 Are granted significant autonomy and discretion in the practice of their profession on behalf of
society.
The Army Profession is a unique vocation of experts certified in the ethical design, generation,
support, and application of landpower, serving under civilian authority and entrusted to defend the
Constitution and the rights and interests of the American people.
An Army professional is a Soldier or Army Civilian who meets the Army Profession’s
certification criteria in character, competence, and commitment.
The Army Ethic is the evolving set of laws, values, and beliefs, embedded within the Army
culture of trust that motivates and guides the conduct of Army professionals bound together in
common moral purpose.
Reference: FM 6-22
CHARACTER
Character is a critical component of being a successful Army leader. Character is one’s true nature
including identity, sense of purpose, values, virtues, morals, and conscience. Character is reflected in an
Army professional’s dedication and adherence to the Army Ethic and the Army Values. Character is the
essence of who an individual is, what an individual values and believes, and how they behave. Doing the
right thing the right way for the right reasons demonstrates character. Demonstrating character often means
resisting the easier wrong in favor of the tougher right. Making the right choices involves discipline.
Discipline can be thought of as the foundation of character. Team character is the melding of individuals’
character in a team.
Leaders enable the development of character in others by conveying clear ethical expectations,
modeling right conduct, and establishing discipline to uphold the Army Ethic and embody the Army Values.
This comprises the essence of what it means to be an ethical leader and serve as a powerful influence on
character development. Guided by the Army Values, character development is founded on discipline. To
develop character in others, leaders must embody the Army Values every day. Leaders must communicate
expectations that others embody the Army Values as well. To reinforce desired behavior, leaders should
recognize Soldiers who demonstrate exemplary conduct. When a Soldier falls short of the Army Ethic or the
Army Values, leaders must counsel them and help them see the gaps between their personal values and those
the Army espouses. Leaders look for the character developmental opportunities that exist in day-to-day
operations. In this way, Soldiers learn what is expected of them. Reinforcing ethical standards increases the
likelihood of ethical decisions and actions, and promotes an ethical climate.

2. Professional Character Development
The Professional’s Battlespace
ORDERS
ARMY VALUES
WARRIOR ETHOS
REGULATIONS
ARMY NORMS
UNIT CULTURE
JUST WAR PRINCIPLES
ROE
SOPs
OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
Professional Character Development
Maturity
Identity
Judgment
Self-Awareness
Ownership
Strength
Courage
Confidence
Self Discipline
Resilience
Feedback
Evaluate the Options
Commit to a Decision
Recognize the Conflict
ACT
RULES
VIRTUE
OUT
COMES
Ethical Processing
Thinking
Motivation
Reflection
Professional Character
Instructor Notes: The primary catalysts for developing character is feedback on our actions and self-reflection. External factors, such as SOPs, regulations, and the Army Values influence our decision making process and the actions we ultimately take. The feedback on those actions help shape our professional character. Professional character is comprised of maturity and strength. Put simply, “who we think we are” and “what we are willing to do to prove it.” Even when we were younger, the feedback we received when we acted out or excelled, help to shape the way we see ourselves and influence how we act in the future (positively or negatively). That cycle continues in our lives on a daily basis. Reflection is another tool for character development, but focuses on the internal processes of a person’s character. When we reflect on our actions, we analyze and understand ourselves on a deeper level that helps shape our future actions.
As FM 6-22 states, character is a iterative process –meaning that continuous decision making and feedback shapes character. Understandably, we cannot prepare for every ethical dilemma we may face as Army Professionals. Combat situations, high-profile projects, or time-sensitive situations present a variety of situations and dilemmas we may never have anticipated. Through the use of case-studies and ethical vignettes, Army Professionals can “experience” those situations, slow down their thought process, and discuss their perspectives in a less stressful and learning environment. While a case study may not give a person the same level of stress or importance as a first-person experience, it allows a person to think more deliberately about a process most of us make in a very short period of time, and in some cases, instantly. It also provides a type of “muscle memory” and foundation from which the individual can use to make future decisions.
Reference: ADRP-1
4-14. While none of us can be completely prepared for complex, ambiguous situations, we should reflect on
the Army Ethic, study lessons learned, and anticipate ethical challenges. It is expected that Soldiers and
Army Civilians, as trusted Army professionals, will do what they believe is right.
5-9. When applying military expertise, Army professionals repetitively make discretionary judgments,
often with high moral implications and consequences. Whether we are Soldiers or Army Civilians, in war or
peace, we make decisions accepting prudent risk and take action with disciplined initiative under mission
command. In all cases, we are guided by the moral principles of the Army Ethic.
ARMY CULTURE
A-2. All professions, major institutions, and large organizations have distinct cultures that influence
behaviors and shape the identity of their members. The culture of a people generally reflects what is
acceptable and functionally effective. Thus, culture goes beyond mere style. It is essentially how we do
things.
Character forms over time through education, training, and experience in a continuous, iterative process FM 6-22 Army Leadership

3. Character in Education and Training
Case-Study Method:
Provides opportunity to explore ethical decision making process
Engages students in peer-to-peer learning and dialogue
Encourages students to broaden perspective and problem solving practices
Character Development Opportunities:
Course-oriented vignettes and case studies focused ethical decisions when applying course knowledge
Self-reflection questions encouraging students to understand personal character on a deeper level
“Competence will get you to the table, but character is what keeps you at the table.”
-GEN Martin Dempsey (RET)
The demonstrated character of the leader greatly influences how other people either emulate their conduct or disapprove of it. These can, in turn, add to or detract from team trust and cohesion.
-FM 6-22 Army Leadership
Instructor Notes: By incorporating case-studies relevant to the course being taught, students in the training environment learn about potential pitfalls others have experienced, better understand how other Army Professionals in the same course handled similar situations, and set a foundation for the ethical application of the course material. Instructors must emphasize the importance of the students’ ability to apply their knowledge in an ethical manner and should also relay some of their own experiences where they faced a potential ethical dilemma within their field. The sharing of experiences, discussion of vignettes, and answering reflective questions are tools the instructor should use to enhance the students’ understanding of the “moral battlefield” and develop their character.
Reference: ADRP-1
CULTURAL DIMENSIONS
A-9. Our shared professional identity as trusted Army professionals guides our decisions and actions,
inspiring us to be honorable servants, Army experts, and responsible stewards of the Army Profession. We
are committed to lifelong learning and professional development. We strive for standards of excellence in
all our endeavors. We contribute our best effort to accomplish the mission and embrace a spirit of service to
others before self.
Reference: FM 6-22
JUDGMENT AND PROBLEM SOLVING
5-7. Intellect enables a leader to understand, visualize, and decide and is essential in unfamiliar and chaotic
settings. Judgment, as a key component of intellect, is an ability to make considered decisions and come to
sensible conclusions. Leaders can reflect on how they think and better foster the development of judgment
in others. Problem solving, critical and creative thinking, and ethical reasoning are the thought processes
involved in understanding, visualizing, and directing. Problem solving involves situation assessment
(understanding), imagining (visualizing), and converging on a solution (directing). Thinking critically
involves analytical, cautious, and convergent judgment. It checks on the sensibility, relevance, and
relationship of meaning and possibility. Creative thinking is generative, daring, and divergent. Critical
thinking considers what might be wrong, while creative thinking considers what is possible. The two
complementary processes—evaluation and generation—occur in a free-flowing manner depending on what
ideas and conclusions stem from thinking in specific situations.
5-9. Leaders draw on their knowledge and expertise in the context of each part of a problem. However,
most situations will always have incomplete knowledge. Thinking is a technique to identify gaps in
knowledge.