The popular belief is that working in the military is the most
soul-crushing experience that you could probably have in your life.
It's a belief that's been propagated by the stereotypical images that
we see on TV shows and movies. It's not exactly a complete lie. A
whole lot of training goes in to creating a good and dedicated soldier
and some of this training is to break the individual and turn him into
a cog in a machine.
That isn't exactly bad. Most companies emphasize the need for an
employee to be a part of his corporate team, but the big difference
here is that a soldier is not part of a corporate team. He's part of a
team that is focused on mostly defeating an enemy, mostly through very
violent means. Teaching someone the killer instinct can be very
dangerous. I make no bones about it - there are some pretty
frightening men in uniform.
The army tries is best to filter out the psychos and to instill a
sense of honor in its ranks but still some slip through the cracks.
Sounds creepy but you have to understand that national defense is a
serious business. George Orwell best put it when he said that men
slept well in the assurance that there were some big, dangerous men
willing to do violence in his name.
But then soldiers aren't all cold-blooded killing machines. I've known
quite a few soldiers who did it right and are living pretty good
lives. One of the overriding principles of being a good soldier is
discipline, and no life has ever suffered from having too much
discipline. Quite a few kids who started out on the wrong side of
tracks had their heads put on straight a tour in the army. Having
esprit de corps and the ability to control yourself can go a long way.
The sense of personal pride helps too. Young men who enter basic
training at an army camp are molded into soldiers who would obey
orders and who would willingly sacrifice themselves to save their
comrades and their country.
Of course, people don't enter the military to improve themselves. The
usual reason for entrance into the armed forces is a chance to escape
poverty. The military provides excellent education and benefits for
those underprivileged individuals who would not be able to ordinarily
support themselves. A solid source of income with low entry
requirements is usually what they need and the military can provide
this in spades.
High school kids from rural areas and townships often take a tour or
two to earn themselves some seed money for the future and give
themselves a vocational education that they would normally not have.
For the lucky few who reach officer rank, military scholarships are
also available to any soldier who wants it.
There are risks, of course. Being a soldier is a very high-risk
occupation, especially now in these dangerous times. It used to be
that a young American could expect a quiet time in the military,
punctuated by bouts of training to keep in tip-top condition.
Actually, there are still people who have that life, supporting the
troops via performing logistical operations and other things that make
sure that a modern army keeps on moving. However, the risks of combat
encounters are higher now and being in the Army can be a stressful
time for anyone.
Life in the military may not be as devastating as it has been shown by
Hollywood, but it's still definitely a risky proposition.
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