Military Review English Edition March-April 2016 | Page 115

ARMY CIVILIANS

(Photo by Sgt. Brian Rodan, 5th Signal Command PAO)

Civilians with 5th Signal Command reaffirm their oath of office during the Operation Solemn Promise annual commemoration ceremony 16 November 2012 at Lucius D. Clay Kaserne, Wiesbaden, Germany. The ceremony began 5th Signal Command's Army Profession
campaign. Throughout 2013, 5th Signal Command held several events that highlighted the five essential aspects of the Army Profession—
trust, military expertise, esprit de corps, honorable service, and stewardship of the profession.

The Army Civilian Corps
Professionals in the Making
Col. Kim Summers, U.S. Army, Retired

I

n a 2015 Military Review article, author Robert
Hynes argues that civilians in the Army, by
definition, do not technically meet the requirements to be considered professionals in the Army.1 His
thought-provoking article highlights questions that
need to be answered in order for Army civilians to be
recognized as full members of the Army Profession.
In the author’s words, the Army as a profession can be
defined from this passage: “It was the combination of
these three components—the technical expertise of
MILITARY REVIEW  March-April 2016

warfare, the relationship of trust between itself and the
American public, and awareness of the professional
responsibilities pursuant to that trust—that collectively
established the Army as a profession.”2 What is significant about this definition, along with the definition
provided in Army Doctrine Reference Publication
(ADRP) 1, The Army Profession, is that both substantiate why Army civilians can meet the criteria for being
members of the Army Profession.3 In this discourse,
it is necessary that one contextualize the role Army
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