Professionals in the United States Marine Corps distinguish themselves from others engaged in particular careers in the civilian world. Although many vocations contain some of the characteristics of a professional, many careers do not include all of the elements necessary to distinguish oneself as being as close to a professional as a sailor. Professionalism increases with the amount of time and service they have in the Marine Corps. A professional has specialized knowledge and skills that can only be acquired through prolonged training and experience. These skills and experience form the basis of objective standards of professional competence that separate the practicing professional from his or her peers and measure that professional's competence. This professional knowledge must also be of an intellectual nature. The second characteristic of professionalism is responsibility. General Responsibility creates moral responsibility for Marines and helps us understand the set of values ​​that guide us. But in addition, Marines must also possess the values ​​of other human beings and question service to a society that does not respect these values. These values ​​include justice, civility, human dignity and humility. A government that does not respect these values ​​is illegitimate and cannot be considered serving the society it governs. In the case of the U.S. Marines, U.S. values ​​must be examined in the context of the military profession. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution provide clear statements of these values ​​and ethics. Ethics is a standard according to which everyone must act according to values. Values ​​are fundamental beliefs such as honor, courage and commitment that motivate attitudes and actions. All the values...... middle of paper ...... didn't make the story work in my favor when I should have called earlier to tell them I would be late because of what happened. Instead, I waited for them to call me on the way up. All the effort I had put into work over the past three months is now diminished by my one ignorant act of not calling and lying when I arrived. I could have made the situation simpler by just calling when I knew I would be late and cleaning up, instead I exaggerated the whole situation and tried to make myself look like a victim. I lost the trust of my peers and superiors involved. This essay was a learning experience, the more I wrote about professionalism and its qualities, the more knowledge I gained. This essay alone can be used as a guide on how to conduct myself as a sailor, not only reading it but also using the information available in it.sm,