A screenshot of an image used in the Army's new field manual, which is available now after being in the works for over a year. Using drawings and reader-friendly language, the book serves as an Army primer. (U.S. Army)

A new Army field manual unveiled this week bills itself as a primer in the profession of arms, with easily understood language and assorted sketches that distill the essence of being a U.S. soldier.

The book is divided into 10 chapters and has four appendixes, which together cover 84 pages. The first three chapters refer to soldiers’ roles as warriors, professionals and leaders.

Subsequent chapters cover the Army’s mission, structure, soldiers and obligations. “To Our Civilian Leaders” and “To Our Fellow Citizens” are the titles of chapters 8 and 9, respectively.

The foreword was written by Gen. Randy George, the Army’s chief of staff. The manual “touches on values and concepts through stories” and is meant to be read from cover to cover, George said.

“While the stories may be of past battles and heroic actions, it also reflects the increasingly challenging times we live in,” George wrote. “It offers the reader a serious, solemn, and sober perspective of the Army’s tasks ahead.”

The full title of the book is “FM 1, The Army: A Primer to Our Profession of Arms.” While its primary target audience is new lieutenants and sergeants, it will be a resource for junior leaders to explain where they fit in the “Big Army,” according to a statement issued Tuesday by the service.

The cover of the U.S. Army’s latest field manual. The foreword, written by Gen. Randy George, the service’s chief of staff, says the book’s 84 pages touch on values and concepts through stories. (U.S. Army)

Notably absent are tables or graphs, which are common in traditional field manuals. White space is filled by drawings of U.S. soldiers in action, from colonial to contemporary times.

The manual is “more like a welcome letter to new leaders” as if to tell them “Hey, welcome to the team, get your stuff together. It’s going to be an exciting ride, and here’s what we expect of you,” Rich Creed, the head of the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, said in Tuesday’s statement.

The manual has been in the works for more than a year and was originally going to be combined with an existing Army publication, but George opted for a shorter standalone work instead, the statement said.

In addition to its Army readership, the manual also has an external audience including congressional leaders, members of other branches of the U.S. military and multinational partners, according to the statement.