The Armed Forces Officer

Excerpt from The Armed Forces Officer:

"In 1950, the great Soldier-Statesman George C. Marshall, then serving as the Secretary of Defense, signed a cover page for a new book titled The Armed Forces Officer. That original version of this book was written by none other than S.L.A. Marshall, who later explained that Secretary Marshall had 'inspired the undertaking due to his personal conviction that American military officers, of whatever service, should share common ground ethically and morally.' Written at the dawn of the nuclear age and the emergence of the Cold War, it addressed an officer corps tasked with developing a strategy of nuclear deterrence, facing unprecedented deployments, and adapting to the creation of the Department of Defense and other new organizations necessary to manage the threats of a new global order.

Now, in the second decade of the 21st century, our nation is again confronted with a volatile and complex security environment, and addressing the challenges of our time will place new demands on military leaders at all levels. We in the Profession of Arms will continue to adapt our training and education programs, as we have always done, to provide our officers with the intellectual and practical tools necessary to succeed in this unpredictable and unstable world.

The character of warfare may change over time, but its nature does not. As novel as much of the current security environment may seem, George C. Marshall’s wisdom still rings true today. Regardless of the challenges we face, our leaders, especially our officers, must share a moral foundation and practice a common professional ethic. Our tactics, techniques, and practices may change, but our bedrock principles remain the same.

This new edition of The Armed Forces Officer articulates the ethical and moral underpinnings at the core of our profession. The special trust and confidence placed in us by the Nation we protect is built upon this foundation. I commend members of our officer corps to embrace the principles of this important book and practice them daily in the performance of your duties. More importantly, I expect you to imbue these values in the next generation of leaders."

—Joseph F. Dunford, Jr.
General, U.S. Marine Corps
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Table of Contents:
FOREWORD
by General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps, Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff................................................................................ix
PREFACE
by Major General Frederick M. Padilla, U.S. Marine Corps,
President of the National Defense University...........................................xi
CHAPTER ONE
The Commission and the Oath..................................................................1
CHAPTER TWO
The Profession of Arms............................................................................15
CHAPTER THREE
The Officer in the Profession of Arms....................................................29
CHAPTER FOUR
The Officer at Work: The Ethical Use of Force......................................43
CHAPTER FIVE
The Officer at Work: Leadership..............................................................57
CHAPTER SIX
The Officer at Work: Command..............................................................77
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Officer and Society: The Vertical Dimension.................................97
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Officer and Society: The Horizontal Dimension.........................115
CHAPTER NINE
Service Identity and Joint Warfighting.................................................129
CHAPTER TEN
The Armed Forces Officer......................................................................145
APPENDIX A
Founding Documents.............................................................................153
The Declaration of Independence..................................................155
The Constitution of the United States...........................................161
APPENDIX B
Authorizing Statues for the Armed Forces...........................................191
APPENDIX C
Service Values of the Armed Forces......................................................197
APPENDIX D
Code of Conduct for Members of
the United States Armed Forces............................................................198

This publication is required reading for all students in officer candidate school to become new officers, and is especially applicable to ROTC groups and others in the military community.  In addition, military leaders, historians, and members of the general public interested in military history and military leadership may want a copy of this publication.  This is a "MUST READ" to become a military officer, but the foundational leadership principles covered within this resource may also be applicable to other executive management positions in the commercial industry.