daftandbarmy
Army.ca Fossil
- Reaction score
- 44,354
- Points
- 1,160
Fair dinkum...
In November 2025, the Chief of Army's History Conference was held at Parliament House in Canberra. This year's topic: Mastering the Army Profession.
As the Army faces a range of challenges in preparing for an increasingly complex strategic environment, we need to consider how best to position ourselves to ensure that Soldiers at all levels, from the most junior ranks through to senior leadership, proactively embrace mastery of their profession.
Keynote Presentation
MAJGEN Chris Smith, DSC, AM, CSC
Deputy Chief of Army
History is not merely about the past but is essential to understanding the present—especially for the Army profession. While governments often neglect the Army during peacetime, the Army also neglects itself, particularly its professional foundations. This internal neglect costs time and lives.
Many crucial elements of military effectiveness—training, discipline, leadership, doctrine, adaptation, and especially professional education—are within the Army’s control and do not depend heavily on funding. However, their quality depends on a deep understanding of the nature of war. Without studying the history and theory of war, officers fail to grasp fundamental questions about violence, policy, leadership, and what makes armies effective.
A key symptom of this neglect is the Army’s use of abstract, jargon-heavy, managerial language. Terms like “decision superiority” and “delivering effects” obscure the violent reality of war and disconnect soldiers from the true nature of their profession. This abstraction fosters complacency, intellectual shallowness, and hubris, reinforced by ignorance of military history. It encourages the belief that modern warfare is uniquely complex and that experience offers little guidance.
In November 2025, the Chief of Army's History Conference was held at Parliament House in Canberra. This year's topic: Mastering the Army Profession.
As the Army faces a range of challenges in preparing for an increasingly complex strategic environment, we need to consider how best to position ourselves to ensure that Soldiers at all levels, from the most junior ranks through to senior leadership, proactively embrace mastery of their profession.
Keynote Presentation
MAJGEN Chris Smith, DSC, AM, CSC
Deputy Chief of Army
History is not merely about the past but is essential to understanding the present—especially for the Army profession. While governments often neglect the Army during peacetime, the Army also neglects itself, particularly its professional foundations. This internal neglect costs time and lives.
Many crucial elements of military effectiveness—training, discipline, leadership, doctrine, adaptation, and especially professional education—are within the Army’s control and do not depend heavily on funding. However, their quality depends on a deep understanding of the nature of war. Without studying the history and theory of war, officers fail to grasp fundamental questions about violence, policy, leadership, and what makes armies effective.
A key symptom of this neglect is the Army’s use of abstract, jargon-heavy, managerial language. Terms like “decision superiority” and “delivering effects” obscure the violent reality of war and disconnect soldiers from the true nature of their profession. This abstraction fosters complacency, intellectual shallowness, and hubris, reinforced by ignorance of military history. It encourages the belief that modern warfare is uniquely complex and that experience offers little guidance.
