Section 3: Conclusion

Professional service in today’s Canadian Forces can be summed up in three words: Duty with Honour.

In volunteering for military service, members of the Canadian Forces accept as part of their Duty a unique and distinct identity within Canadian society. They are members of Canadian society, yet in subtle ways they are apart from it. By embracing the military ethos, they accept obligations and responsibilities that no other Canadian citizen has. As members of the profession of arms, they are acutely aware of the special trust placed in them by the people of Canada. They accept this trust and, in accord with their ethos, strive for excellence within their areas of expertise. In brief, they reach for the highest standards of professionalism.

Their reward is Honour — but honour can only be bestowed if they acquit themselves in a manner that reflects the values, beliefs and expectations of their fellow Canadians.

This, then, is the present and future challenge for members of the profession of arms in Canada.