Each year, The Cove selects topical issues of importance to Army and Army members as our PME themes. These themes enable us to concentrate on current issue affecting our role as military professionals and keep our PME up to date.

This year, The Cove has selected a single theme for 2025 - The State of the Army Profession.

The State of the Army Profession

The Defence Strategic Review, published in April 2023, coupled with the National Defence Strategy and Army’s Contribution to the National Defence Strategy, both published in 2024, outlined Australia’s increasingly challenging situation, and what must be done to address this. The DSR concluded that Australia’s current strategic circumstances are significantly changed, that great power competition continues to increase the risk of conflict, and that the ADF is not fully fit to meet these challenges. The DSR further discussed the requirement for the ADF to take a ‘first principles’ approach to transformation. The Australian Army is now fully in-stride this transformation, and the institution has achieved much in the now-two years since the publication of the DSR.  The Chief of Army’s view is that we are adapting faster than at any other time in our history, stand-fast the mobilisation for the Pacific War of 1942 – 1945.

However in order to fully undertake this transformation we must examine not just the physical component of Army’s fighting power, but the intellectual and moral as well. Transformation of the intellectual and moral components is more than acquiring vehicles and equipment, it demands a transformation the foundations of our Army as an institution and our identity as military professionals. This identity is found in the ‘Army profession’. The Profession of Arms has been discussed at length in Army and the ADF. The theoretical underpinnings of the Australian Profession of Arms is enshrined in the ADF capstone doctrine ‘Australian Military Power’, which encompasses the entirety of the ADF. The Army profession, by contrast focuses on how the Australian Army applies and practices the Profession of Arms, inclusive of all those who wear our uniform, in all service categories.

Recent guidance from the Chief of Army outlines how the Army profession is recognisable as a modern profession, through three distinct pillars: ‘jurisdiction’; ‘expertise’; and ‘self-regulation’.

What do these pillars mean?

Jurisdiction -  Refers to the provision of a service to society that society cannot provide itself, and is that which defines us and our purpose. As stated by the LTGEN Stuart, ‘the Army exists only to serve society, and we can only provide our unique service when our society requires and directs us to do so’. The jurisdiction of the Army profession is then influenced by the nature and character of war, and the expectations of the society it serves.

Expertise – Refers to the professional body of knowledge possessed and required by the practitioners of said profession. It covers the intellectual component and foundations of the Army profession, not just at the individual level, but institutional as well.

Self-regulation – Refers to our ability to establish and uphold professional standards. This doesn’t refer specifically to military discipline or the DFDA, but the upholding of professional standards, including ethics. The unique concept of command, and command accountability, is the foundation of our self-regulation as a profession.

The need to review the Army profession as part of a ‘first principles’ transformation is clear, and pressing.  This is why it has been selected as the Cove’s PME theme of 2025!

PME Activity: Interested in this topic?

To learn more about the state of the Army Profession, and use it as a PME activity for yourself and your team, start by:

1. Reviewing the Chief of Army's speeches on this topic:

These keynote addresses by LTGEN Simon Stuart, AO, DSC outline the importance of understanding Army Profession and it's relationship with what we do.

2. Consider the differences and similarities with the Profession of Arms, and why the distinction is important.

3. Write for The Cove! Submit your thoughts here

4. Keep an eye out for more in the CA 'The State of the Army Profession' series in 2025.