Joining the United States (US) military may seem like a piece of cake, an extremely rewarding experience, a very compelling job with all its incredible benefits. In reality, how many of us have considered the consequences behind it? Historically, military service has been a requirement rather than a choice. Nowadays, it is an all-volunteer process. Some people may want to join and some may not. Therefore, joining the US military depends on every individual core choice. However, there are many facts to consider before enlisting in the US military. Three reasons why one should not join the US military are: 1) risking life, 2) loosing body parts or having permanent injuries and 3) dissociation after trauma at war.
The US military recruiters
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Although people are told by recruiters that they would receive all kinds of benefits like job training, money for college, etc., the truth is that it has become increasingly difficult to find recruits due to the tragedies in Iraq and Afghanistan. As stated by Garett Reppenhagen, former member of the US military, at a military lecture he made at the Community College of Aurora campus in 2013, “the recruiters have a giant book of excuses to make you join the military”. He explained that all he was told before signing the contract with the US military was nothing but a big lie. He further explained that recruiters do not tell the negative parts. Once one signed the contract, he/she has no privilege of even asking questions and that means they are part of the armed forces for
Ever since World War II, the last war that garnered full American support, the percentage of American citizens enrolling in the U.S. Army has diminished significantly. The U.S. is a major military power in the present world; American soldiers are engaged in many multi-theater positions, consequently dispersing troops over various regions worldwide. As only one in ten citizens has served in the US Army, American knowledge of military conditions is rapidly lessening along with the national harmony that complements such knowledge. Therefore, the comprehension that American security is closely associated with a formidable military never resonated within the greater part of modern American citizens. Although antiwar activists may decry compulsory conscription as unconstitutional, it needs to be reinstated in order to solidify the meaning of being an American citizen, boost the economy by providing jobs, and unify the American people with enhanced homeland security.
This paper will not bore with the definition of a profession. The United States Army is about more than words, it is about action. The action of over 238 years of tradition and service. The Army is a profession. A profession requires its members to adhere to prolonged training and learn specialized skills. A member of a profession must wholly commit himself and his skills to a calling which is entrusted by the public. A profession provides its members with intrinsic value which motivates beyond financial gain. The Army is a higher calling which demands all of these qualities and more.
There you stand over the body of a fallen friend, a brother or sister in arms. You are asking yourself why them, why not you? What could have I done to save them? That is when you wake up, sweating, panting. It was just a night terror, yet it feels the same as the day they died, even though it has been ten years. This is just one of the many emotional scars soldiers of war face. Though why do we go to war when this is the cost? For many it is because they are unaware of the psychological cost of war, they are only aware of the monetary cost. Tim O 'Brien addresses the true cost of war in The Things They Carried. O 'Brien suggests that psychological trauma caused by war impedes daily life in young Americans drafted into the Vietnam war. He does
Accepting risk and the danger that follows can be a daunting task for anyone to bear on their own. Like the soldiers on the battlefield in Vietnam, they understood the risks of enlisting in the military and would soon realize the dangers
Suicide, mental illness and worsening relationships with people around are all causes of psychological injuries sustained by soldiers in the frontlines because of war. Henry from The Red Convertble and Lt. Jimmy Cross from The Things they carried both had to deal firsthand with the Vietnam war and the mental hardships it caused them. They are firsthand examples of the deep cuts war can install on somebody’s wellbeing. Humanity and war have existed side by side from the beginning, and will continue to do so. And all throughout human history, and its future, the psychological aspects of war will never
Within a recent context, the intangible, and often dismissed damage that war inflicts on a soldier’s mental health, has been reaffirmed and reexamined. The invisible injuries of war, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression, have proven to be as deadly as noticeable damage, such as infections or wounds. This issue of the mental health has been given an increased importance in light of the gruesome influx of suicides and murders committed by unstable returning soldiers. With the potential increase of the United States’ military involvement in the Middle East being a relevant issue, it is incredibly important for all people, from those with direct power to those who have the sole power of their voice, to thoroughly understand the potential long-term repercussions that are involved with war, before committing men and women to fight in this conflict. Most crucially, society must ensure that proper care and services are made easily accessible for returning soldiers, in order to assist with their successful transition back to civilian
Many high school students often wonder what they are going to do after graduation. Some might go to college, others will go straight into the workforce while a small amount will join The United States Military Forces. These forces include the Air Force, Army, Navy and of course the Marine Corps. The Marines are a tough branch to get into seeing that there are many mental and physical requirements. Being in the Marine Corps does not only mean being in combat, but becoming a better person. Being a part of the Marine Corps comes with a lot of benefits, but to acquire those benefits, there requires a lot of open minded learning and preparation to get there.
... into joining the military, with all of its benefits and opportunities. The military also acts as a reminder to stay in school and out of trouble. Although some argue that recruiters lie, most teens already know the truth and have made the decision whether to join after high school. If high schools did not allow recruiters, high school students may never see the option to join the military and change their lives for the better.
"A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living." When joining the military you must perform your best to protect our country. Tons of men and women around the world fight for the country and make a career out of it. There are three major branches and many different jobs to go with each one. Each have many specific tasks. (Robbie Hughes Interview)
The military has expanded its recruiting program to compete with the private sector and to lure qualified applicants into joining the organization. The United States military is extremely diverse, offering job opportunities and career progression to every applicant regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, or religious belief. Everyone that serves is given the same opportunity and benefits to be successful while serving their country. Diversity is important for any organization to have because it allows for a variety of perspectives, ideas, and experiences on the table, which can lead to creativity and innovation.
Have you ever seen someone come home after surviving in war and be depressed? While friends and families of returning service members, many of them welcome home service men who are struggling with emotions. In life-or-death situations, military personnel should be held accountable for their actions. When you join the military, you get told what to do, and you can’t say no to the general. Some evidence of why they get told what to do so much is because they don’t want to mess up on the battlefield.
Going into the military isn’t all bad because you can learn all the stuff that American soldiers go through to protect America. We could learn not to take what they do lightly or for granted. Being in the military could be helpful if another country ever decided to try to invade America. No other country would want to invade a country where every man or woman that is there is trained for almost any situation. Not that many people would worry about break-ins or someone mugging them in an alley if everyone had discipline. There's no reason as to why able men and woman shouldn't be obliged to serve their country in times of warfare crisis and/or be prepared for hypothetical wartime. Not only that, but it provides a great amount of benefits, such as: physical conditioning, mental toughening and a chance to help promote equality between young men and women. There are so many immature, feeble-minded, snobbish people in the US nowadays who need to be taught a lesson or two
You are at a young age and once you join you are eligible to die or be injured. “Mandatory military service, which normally enlists able-bodied young people, puts the next generation to serious harm and, at worst, death.” (10 meaningful pros, para 3) When you are at risk of dying, that can affect your friends and family in many ways. It puts you through a variety of injuries and physical stress to the point where it can cause disability.
Mandatory military service is a course to make a fit and capable citizen. First of all, military service can help one's character . More specifically it gives good tools so that people can work well in a team, be more organized in everyday event and good discipline. Secondly, it can offer education to people in need. Furthermore it will help people in bad neighbourhoods or is living trough a thought time and give those without the means to be in a home and have a job. Thirdly but not least mandatory military service could be looked at as a dept owed to one's country, loved ones who are protected if ever needed and most important to our right to democracy.
The day I finally signed up to join the military I knew I was taking a risk in my life. I believe it is important to take risks in life to move into bigger and better things. My first huge decision I made in my life was to join the United States Air Force. My uncle was the main person who put the idea in my head but my dad and my friends thought otherwise. My parents were divorced when I was young and I didn’t have the privilege like my friends to sit down and talk their decisions through with their parents. My father was excluded from the draft after he got in a car accident and I didn’t think he was very fond me joining the service. The main reason I chose to go into the military was make the decision to serve the country. The major decision in my opinion to join the military is to have the privilege to serve your own country. I think it is great for young men and woman to have ambition to serve and it can change a person into very motivated individual. My uncle and my mother were both very supportive and thought that it would be a great decision in my life. My mother knew it would be hard to see me go but was excited of the idea of coming to visit me in Texas. I knew it was taking a big risk being on my own but I was ready for a change in my life.