Download or read book An American Profession of Arms written by William B. Skelton and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the formation of a regular army in 1784, a popular distruct of military power and the generally unsettled nature of national administration kept the army in a continual state of fluctuation, both in terms of organisation and size. Few officers were making a long-term commitment to military service. But by 1860, a professional army career was becoming a way of life. In that year, 41.5 percent of officers had served 30 years, compared to only 2.6 percent in 1797.