The Armed Forces Officer, issued as Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-2, is a classic guide to the responsibilities and ideals of the American commissioned officer. Written after the Second World War for a newly unified defense establishment, it sets out the moral and professional standards expected of those who lead service members in peace and war.
The pamphlet ranges across leadership, loyalty, military courtesy, the obligations of command, and the officer’s relationship to the nation and its civilian authority. Less a technical handbook than a statement of professional ethics, it distills the traditions of the American military into practical counsel. It endures as a touchstone for officer education and as a thoughtful meditation on the duties of military service.