Value of Military Service

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This is a follow-up to the question on the value of higher education. What do you see as the benefits of kids serving in the military for several years after high school? Personally, my opinion:

It offers a place to provide maturity outside the home environment.

It offers discipline. There is a world of difference between, "Honey, please take out the trash" and "Private, take out the trash."

It offers exposure to people of multi-cultural backgrounds and religions, perhaps for the first time.

It offers skills in most of the field appliable to civilian life, not only free, but you are paid while you are being educated.

As an inducement they offer extremely generous college and vocational assistance after discharge, and it doesn't need to be used immediately.

While doing public service tours may be laudable, I don't know of any which offer the above benefits.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 30, 2000

Answers

Ken,

I consider my years of service to the US Army (I'm retired now) the best in my life. I do not feel, however, that military serivce is appropriate for everyone, for a number of reasons. The discipline is externally imposed on service members and some never seem to be able to internalize, or I should say develop their own self-discipline. I've come across many long term service members (mid-termers, at least on their second enlistment) who can't seem to manage their personal affairs and are always in need of the extra support the military offers, i.e. it seems to me many need help with money (emergency loans from the local Army Community Services) because they can't make and stick to a budget.

I agree that the diverse exposure to other people, places and cultures offered by the military services to members is good. I feel, personally, that serving in a combat arms unit challenges a young person more than holding a support MOS - at least in the Army. A young soldier holding a combat arms MOS may not pick up many civilian transferable skills but he'll be challenged in ways that build character.

I'm not sure about the college incentives, great for filling the ranks but you should of heard the whinning in August and September of 1990 - "Gosh Top, I joined to be able to go to college, not to go fight a war" or "Uh Captain, I really just joined to get my student loans forgiven, do I have to deploy?"

For most all members I think military service is a positive experience, getting a kid away from home, meeting folks he or she never otherwise would of encountered, trying new things, being tested physically and mentally, and then realizing how hard one can really push oneself. The opportunity for advancement is always there and all the services offer ways for dedicated and capable enlisted soldiers to earn a commission.

Most importantly it offers what many young people crave and need; a sense of purpose. Giving of yourself for a greater cause. That why I joined and I'd do it all over again (well, most of it, anyway).

Bob

-- Robert (STBARB@usa.net), August 30, 2000.


Wow, thanks Bob, I enjoyed reading your answer. Very interesting! God Bless! Wendy

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), August 31, 2000.

I perfer an alternative method to military service. I think eveyone should serve two years at age 18. During this period they should due public service. Disasters, cleaning and paving of roads, and general duties.

After growing up around Fort Knox, I have seen a totally different picture of military service. The largest assembly of drunks and drug addicts ever to put on the color green. They made the streets unsafe o walk after 6 pm !

We do have need of a working army but the present system is more like a party !

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), August 31, 2000.


Hubby came from and Army family, lots of his brothers served, and he has been a recruiter, medic, and drill instructor. So we know something about the Army. We have SYRONGLY advised the eldest of our sons (who is a senior this year, and big and buff) NOT to join any of the armed services, esp. with the commander in heat that we have (that guy will send any of our children anywhere, to save his "legacy" Humph....). NOTE: I call the president that. Hubby isn't supposed to say stuff like that, but I will.

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), August 31, 2000.

I would say that military service can be very positive for some and very negative for others. For sure it would be a learning experience one way or another. In a truly free country however, nobody should be forced to join or serve any organization. ( I even extend that to include mandatory schooling for children. That is a decision for the parents and child only.) I sure dont trust our "bought and paid for" elected leaders to make wise decisions. If a war is necessary and just, then enough will volunteer. If not then it probably wasnt worth the bother in the first place. Further if the country itself is in danger of being taken over and enough citizens dont want to voluntarily defend it, then maybe it has served its usefullness and should no longer exist as an independent entity.

-- Hermit John (ozarkhermit@pleasedontspamme.com), August 31, 2000.


Monday, my oldest son leaves for the Army. I'm very glad. He has just drifted the last 9 months. He wasn't ready for college. He spent most of the last year on his own. I felt he had a lot of growing up to do and since he wouldn't live by my rules, he chose to live on his own. He thought it would be so great and wonderful. Well, after a very hard year, he asked to come home and it has been good. He grew up alot but, he needs more. I have worried about my sons being good men when they have so few positive male role models in their lives. There are things that I am not prepared to teach them My son is also a real patriot. I have tried hard to teach my all of my children the responsibilities of living in this country. We certainly do not agree with 99% of the politicians (where are the statesmen these days?) however, the fact that we can disagree is precious to us. On the other hand, I have discouraged my second son from contemplating the same career. He questions every task and if he doesn't understand or agree with the answer, he just will not do it! My husband served in the Army and the Air Force, my father, brother, cousins all served, in fact one is still MIA in Nam. It is honorable to serve your country and I for one am grateful there are people who are willing to do so. I know my son will return a better man who has training and can stand on his own. He is ready for this experience.

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), August 31, 2000.

Well, when I got out of HS in the mid 60s, you either went to college or got a free trip to SE Asia courtesy Uncle Sam. I tried college out of HS--only because I didn't want to get drafted; about one quarter was all I could stand...so, I enlisted in the USAF to hopefully avoid going to Viet Nam...Ooops! Saigon here I come. Truely, it wasn't all that awful and, in a year, I was back stateside and spent the rest of my tour in Myrtle Beach, SC...not a bad assignment! The whole 31/2 years I was in I hated it; after I got out, I saw how much more I had learned about 'living' then my college graduated counterpart...plus, they then had to face the draft anyhow---because the war dragged on. I decided to go to college using my VA benefits and was surprised to see how much I knew courtesy of the Armed forces. I was trained to be a computer programmer back when IBM cards were the cutting edge, so part time jobs were just looking for me to suppliment my income while attending college for free. I was much more "experienced" than my fellow college students who were smack out of HS; and knew how to play the system and get the most out of what there was to be had. I took my learning process much more seriously and was tops in all my classes for the first time in my life---academics came easy...why?? I can only guess it came from my mental preparedness and discipline I had gotten by being in the military for 31/2 years.

I can't quantify how spending time in the armed forces helped me mature and learn about life. Even though at the time, I despised the establishment, the government, the war, I now know that it truely was the "best of times and the worst of times." I DO NOT regret one minute of my time spent serving in the military...

Today, most of my peers from that era who managed to avoid the draft and the military all kinda regret not having participated...easy to say after the fact, but I believe their regrets, I really do.

-- JimR (jroberts1@cas.org), August 31, 2000.


My advise to anyone considering the military today is...

"If you didn't vote for the Commander-In-Chief, then for God's sake, don't serve under him. Because HE is giving the orders. Not your country, not your flag, not your mother, not your minister."

In today's all volunteer military, do it right or don't do it at all. There are other ways to mature into adulthood if wearing a uniform is not your bag. I would second Joel's suggestion that some sort of public service after high school should be required. Entering college should not get you off the hook. You should have to give public service in you major field of study, such as legal clinics (wills, deeds, conflict resolutions out of court), medical clinics( house calls to poor rural and inter-city areas), financial clinics(how to fill out a tax form, how to manage your money no matter how much you make), educational tutoring, etc. And a little good-old-fashioned physical sweat never hurt anybody. How about helping out the aging farmer population during harvest time and help keep family farms from being swallowed by the mega-farm guys.

I guess it sounds like mandatory Job Corps or Peace Corps, but I see nothing wrong with that as an alternative to military service. I would insist that the government make funds available in the form of block grants to private enterprise and then stay the heck away. My teen-age daughter spent several weeks this summer with a church youth group repairing houses in West Virginia and she came back absolutely thrilled by the experience.

(:raig

-- Craig Miller (CMiller@ssd.com), August 31, 2000.


My step son was always on the verge of going to jail. Unruly, angry, rebellious etc. Similar to anothers story he wouldn't abide by the rules of the house so moved out and had a very rough year. Couldn't hold a job etc. Finally we pushed and dragged him into to the recruiters office and enlisted him into the navy. It was a good move because he's straightened out nicely.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), August 31, 2000.

Ken, Remember when a judge would give a young offender the choice of prison or sevice? The penal system has even proved using "boot camps" helps with young offenders. I recall reading where a govoner was trying to set up where his young offenders that completed penal boot camp could apply to military for service (the liberals were opposed). I think a mandatory service program would benifit everyone. It would give kids a sense of accomplishment, the service would get a broader spectrum of personnel skills, this country would be better prepared. A mandatory system could even accomidate contientious objectors (not draft dodgers) with civilian support positions or medical support. I have read where other countries with madatory sevice use this technique with excellent results. Something on the humorous side of mandatory draft. In the 60s when our families initial was due to come up, my brothers and other relatives that were up for lottery draft, chose instead to volunteer for the service of their choice. Our elders were Army all the way, some of the kids went Army, no problem, some went Navy, Air Force and Marines, a little grumbling from the elders, but they were doing their duty. Anyway , one of the cousins joined the Coast Guard, talk about elders looking like they were gonna choke. Story end with, Cuz knew the war wouldn't last forever, after being attached to the Navy then, he finished off in the CG, retired with more combat time than all the rest combined, the family elders still kicking talk about him with pride now.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 31, 2000.


I can honestly say my time in the Navy was the best job I ever had. I did 9 years and my husband retired out of the sub service. Just as in real life there are those who drink/drug and play around, it's just noticed more due to the concentration in one place. Our dear son wanted so badly to join the Marines or AF but due to medical allergies they said no. It would have been so good for him. It does give many a chance to mature and take responsibility for themselves and others. As a nurse now, I see my time as a corpsman as a time I am glad I had. Many other nurses will ask me how I know how to do that, or how I can get all my work done or how I can deal with "that patient"=answer is the military. I agree that the current "leader" is not one I would be happy to serve under but thank God - this too shall pass!

-- Margie B (bromens5@navix.net), September 04, 2000.

We have a son ten years in the Marines. He is getting out in Dec. Says things have changed so much since he joined. He doesn't regret his time there, but doesn't want any more. Military may not be the best answer for some.

-- Barb Fischer (bfischer42@hotmail.com), September 05, 2000.

Been there, done that. If you have the resolve and confidence, I do not believe there is a better profession. Teacher, maybe. But being a retired military guy, I am reminded of the story of the group of military guys in heaven who were discussing what was the "best" branch of service. They discussed and argued for days, until it was decided that they should ask God for His (OK, maybe Her) opinion. The answer came in the form of a letter: "I do not think it makes any difference which branch of the service you served in. All are fine institutions staffed by the finest people on earth. Be content that you did a noble job to the best of your ability. There is no point in bickering over who might have been a little better than another! /signed/ GOD, U.S.Coast Guard (retired)

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), September 06, 2000.

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