FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — On May 13, 2025, the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center released a one-of-a-kind publication — a new Field Manual about what it means to be a member of the profession of arms and the obligations Soldiers have to each other, to civilian leadership and to fellow citizens. The manual, FM 1, The Army: A Primer to Our Profession of Arms, is available for download from the Army Publishing Directorate.
In the foreword, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Randy George writes, “This book is written for our Army. It explains our profession, our purpose, and what it means to be an American Soldier. You will notice this book is not written like other military doctrine; it touches on values and concepts through stories and in non-prescriptive terms. It requires judgment in application.”
Field Manual 1 packs a big punch in 10 chapters and only 74 pages. Written in easily understood language and supported with historical vignettes, FM 1 is meant to be read from cover to cover. It is, by design, decidedly “non-doctrine” doctrine, and will serve as a resource for junior leaders, both officers and noncommissioned officers, to explain where they fit in the “Big Army.”
While primarily designed for new lieutenants and sergeants, leaders at all levels will find FM 1 useful for guiding discussion, leader professional development and reflection, according to Rich Creed, director, Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate. “At higher levels of professional military education, you may have a block of time to discuss the material from different perspectives. Rather than learning the material in the book, you might think through, ‘How am I taking the material in FM 1 and making it real in my unit?’ Or, ‘How is FM 1 serving as the foundation for how I coach, counsel and mentor?’” he said.
The writing and publication of FM 1 has been a priority for the CSA’s office, CAC and CADD for more than a year. Initially, the plan was to combine the primer’s content with the current Army Doctrine Publication 1, The Army; however, Gen. George decided a shorter, standalone publication would better meet his intent.
Creed acknowledges that ADP 1 and FM 1 both have a purpose. “The Army” as outlined in ADP 1 is written for a more experienced audience, as well as for external audiences such as members of Congress, sister services and multinational partners.
The new FM 1, with its distinctive tone and style, is more like a welcome letter to new leaders: “‘Hey, welcome to the team, get your stuff together. It’s going to be an exciting ride, and here’s what we expect of you,’” he said.
By Randi Stenson, MCCoE Public Affairs
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