WASHINGTON (July 12, 2013) -- I'd like to thank each of you for volunteering to defend our Nation. The past 12 years have been difficult and tested our mettle, but collectively we have demonstrated our commitment and resilience. Each of you has played a part in successfully completing every mission we have been given, and in turn securing the trust of the American people and the elected officials who govern our Nation.

As we move forward and our force goes through changes in both size and focus, we NCOs must ensure that we provide needed leadership to those in our charge. We must instill in them the importance of our Army Profession, how we demonstrate that, and why it must be part of every action we take and decision we make.

To support your efforts in doing this, the Army created ADRP 1, "The Army Profession." This manual has been approved for distribution and use in your professional development programs throughout the Army.

It is available at http://cape.army.mil/aaop/doctrine.php. The official launch was last month on the Army Birthday, June 14, 2013.

This is the first publication in the Army's long history that is solely dedicated to establishing a common understanding of the Army Profession. It explains membership in the Army Profession, the five essential characteristics of the Army Profession, the certification requirements for individual Army professionals, and the content of the Army Ethic. This material equally applies to the active component, U.S. Army Reserve, Army National Guard, and Department of the Army Civilians.

Each of you must not only be well acquainted with the Center for the Army Professional and Ethic, or CAPE, website and its resources, but also ensure your Soldiers understand the role they play in the success of their unit, the Army and our Nation.

A wide variety of easy-to-use Army Profession training resources are available at http://cape.army.mil/AAOP/aaop.php. You must integrate them into your professional development programs. The resources can be accessed without a CAC on any personal computing device. In no more than 45 minutes, you can prepare a one-hour session designed for a small-group, interactive discussion.

If you have any questions about the resources, the doctrine, or the "America's Army-Our Profession" program, contact your unit NCOIC. Additionally, if you are your unit's senior NCO and would like to host an Army Profession seminar at your location, CAPE leadership can present the Army Profession material to any audience you prefer.

Thank you for your support of the Army Profession and your assistance in educating the entire Army about this critically important topic.

Related Documents:

ADP1 - The Army (PDF) [PDF]

ADRP 1 - The Army Profession (PDF) [PDF]

Related Links:

Center for the Army Professional and Ethic - CAPE

CAPE: Theme Support Packages for America's Army - Our Profession

Center for the Army Professional and Ethic -- America's Army: Our Profession - Doctrine

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III

Army.mil: Professional Development Toolkit

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