Special Publications

THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE: A BRIEF HISTORY OF U.S. ARMY CIVILIANS, 1775-2015

THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE: A BRIEF HISTORY OF U.S. ARMY CIVILIANS, 1775-2015

Stephen J. Lofgren, General Editor

Special Publications
CMH Pub 70-124, Paper
2016; 60 pages, maps, illustrations

GPO S/N: 008-029-00603-1

From the earliest days of the republic to the present, Army civilians have been critical to the success of the total force, delivering "beans and bullets"; treating the sick and wounded; procuring and maintaining equipment and supplies; operating state-of-the-art technologies; managing posts, camps, and stations; and caring for families. Too often overlooked, these quiet professionals have always been a vital part of the Army profession.

This short history is intended as a general overview of that important story. The careful reader will find two themes. One is the broad range of ways in which Army civilians have supported the service and the nation in war and peace. The other is the growth and maturation—the continued increase in professionalism—of civilian employees that began to spread across the federal government in the early twentieth century and continues to this day.

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