Military Review English Edition July-August 2015 | Page 16

possess—talents derived not only from operational
experience but also from broadening assignments,
advanced civil schooling, and professional military education. We will broaden career paths, providing leaders
the opportunity to diversify their professional development and increase their value to the organization.
As we build cohesive teams comprised of high-performing individuals with the right talents, we build a
stronger Army. At the same time, we are evolving our
evaluation and assessment systems to more effectively
identify, measure, and track the social, cognitive, and
physical indicators required to assess performance and
potential. Finally, we value diversity in our workforce and
embrace the varied cultural and demographic dimensions
of our country. We are deliberately working to attract
and retain top talent from the wide range of personal and
professional backgrounds and perspectives that arise from
our cultural differences, attributes, and experiences.

Maintaining the Army Advantage
As we continue moving forward in the years
ahead, conflict will evolve, and the Army must

evolve with it. While we cannot predict the trajectory of that evolution with certainty, we can be
confident that Army leaders of tomorrow must have
highly developed critical and creative thinking skills
that enable them to make informed and effective
decisions in the midst of chaos. These decisions will
demand tactical expertise, cultural intuition, and
a deep understanding of strategic context. We will
synchronize the Army Leader Development Strategy
with the new Army Operating Concept, ensuring we
continue to build tomorrow’s great leaders. Our
Nation continues to send its finest citizens to fill
our ranks, and it is our solemn responsibility to be
effective stewards of this trust. These soldiers and
civilians are talented, courageous, and ethical, and
they enable us to accomplish any task, to meet any
challenge, and to defend our Nation whenever and
wherever asked.
The strength of our Nation is our Army. The
strength of our Army is our soldiers. The strength of
our soldiers is our families. And that’s what makes us
Army Strong!

Gen. Raymond T. Odierno is the 38th chief of staff of the Army. During more than 38 years of service, he has
commanded units at every echelon, from platoon to theater, with duty in Germany, Albania, Kuwait, Iraq, and the
United States. He is a graduate of the Army War College and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from
West Point, a master’s degree in Nuclear Effects Engineering from North Carolina State University, and a master’s
degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

Notes
1. U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC)
Pamphlet (TP) 525-3-1, The U.S. Army Operating Concept: Win in
a Complex World (Fort Eustis, VA: TRADOC, 2014) http://www.
tradoc.army.mil/tpubs/pams/tp525-3-1.pdf accessed 14 May
2015. In October 2014, the Army published The Army Operating
Concept as the foundational framework to enable leaders to adapt
at the pace of change. The Army Operating Concept describes
how future Army forces, operating as part of the joint force and
working with interorganizational and multinational partners,
will prevent conflict, shape security environments, and win in a
complex world. In this endeavor, a renewed emphasis on leader
development is vitally important, as the security challenges facing
our Nation multiply.
2. Army Doctrine Reference Publication 1, The Army Profession
(Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office [GPO], June
2013), 1-5.
3. U.S. Army Center of Military History website, “Oaths of
14

Enlistment and Oaths of Office,” http://www.history.army.mil/html/
faq/oaths.html accessed 14 May 2015.
4. U.S. Army, Army Leader Development Strategy (ALDS) 2013
(Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 2013), http://usacac.
army.mil/cac2/CAL/repository/ALDS5June%202013Record.pdf
accessed 5 May 2015.
5. Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) 6-22, Army Leadership
(Washington, D.C.: U.S. GPO, August 2012), 5.
6. U.S. Army website, “Soldier for Life,” http://soldierforlife.
army.mil/ accessed 14 May 2015.
7. ADP 6-0, Mission Command (Washington, D.C.: U.S. GPO,
May 2012), iv.
8. U.S. Army Combined Arms Center website, “School of
Advanced Military Studies (SAMS),” http://usacac.army.mil/organizations/cace/cgsc/sams accessed 14 May 2015.
9. GoArmyEd website, https://www.goarmyed.com/ accessed
14 May 2015.
July-August 2015  MILITARY REVIEW