E-text prepared by Audrey Longhurst, Chris Logan, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 25482-h.htm or 25482-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/5/4/8/25482/25482-h/25482-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/5/4/8/25482/25482-h.zip) THE ARMED FORCES OFFICER [Illustration] Department of Defense United States Government Printing Office Washington: 1950 OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WASHINGTON _November 1950_ _This manual on leadership has been prepared for use by the Department of Army, the Department of Navy, and the Department of Air Force, and is published for the information and guidance of all concerned._ [Illustration: (Signature) G. C. Marshall] DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY WASHINGTON 25, D. C., _20 June 1956_ Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-2, The Armed Forces Officer, is issued for the use of all concerned. By Order of _Wilber M. Brucker_, Secretary of the Army: MAXWELL D. TAYLOR, _General, United States Army, Chief of Staff._ Official: JOHN A. KLEIN, _Major General, United States Army, The Adjutant General._ THE ARMED FORCES OFFICER CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE MEANING OF YOUR COMMISSION 1 II. FORMING MILITARY IDEALS 14 III. RESPONSIBILITY AND PRIVILEGE 25 IV. PLANNING YOUR CAREER 32 V. RANK AND PRECEDENCE 41 VI. CUSTOMS AND COURTESIES 50 VII. KEEPING YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER 63 VIII. GETTING ALONG WITH PEOPLE 69 IX. LEADERS AND LEADERSHIP 79 X. MAINSPRINGS OF LEADERSHIP 93 XI. HUMAN NATURE 99 XII. GROUP NATURE 110 XIII. ENVIRONMENT 121 XIV. THE MISSION 131 XV. DISCIPLINE 139 XVI. MORALE 147 XVII. ESPRIT 158