Although academically elite, many SAF officers should not be considered
professional in the theoretical sense because they do not meet all of the necessary qualifications
outlined in civil-military relations theory. Samuel P. Huntington states that
the career officer is a professional because he or she sees military service as a call to
serve society. Many officers, especially scholar officers, do not view their military service
as a lifelong calling and instead see it as a mere occupation and as a stepping stone
to other careers in politics, business, or the civil service.

The rapid promotion and
limited operational experience that SAF officers (again, especially scholar officers)
possess means that many, albeit not all, officers are not experts and should not be
considered true professionals.

As most scholar
officers spend only eight years in the ranks and their training appears to focus more
on sharpening managerial techniques rather than combat skills in preparation for
future civilian careers, their experience and competence in military matters is often
limited.

an abstract from Sean P. Walsh’s book, From Armed Forces & Society, Volume 33 Number 2, January 2007 pages 265-285.