Military Service Research Paper

Military service starts with recruiters announcing their intention to make a new man of every trainee. The modern military recognizes a duty to train military personnel to be both ethical and effective. The most common military characteristics often include integrity, honesty, courage, and loyalty. Surely, drill sergeants believe they can change personalities; but can they really or do they just scar the trainee for life?

In my opinion, military service builds character, if the trainee goes willingly. They break all your bad traits and build you back up with moral characteristics, how does it not build character? Many veterans agree with me, they believe joining the military was the best decision they have ever made. Take Joleen Brantle for example, she says that the army has provided her with consistency, “battle buddies”, the opportunity to see diverse cultures, and she even said “the military builds character” Yes, psychologists generally believe that our personalities don’t change much over time, but Josh Jackson, an assistant professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis had something to say about that.

“One of the goals of the military to break down the mentality you had in the outside world, and they’re going to build you up as a soldier, if you’re going to find some life experience leading to changes in personality traits, it seems like one of the best environments for that to happen would be the military experience,” said Jackson.

Since the psychologist still weren’t convinced Jackson decided to test his hypothesis. Jackson, along with several colleagues in Germany, tested the hypothesis on a group of 1,300 German men, about 250 of went into the military. They followed them for six years, giving them personality self-test at four points. They concluded that the military does change a soldier’s personality. Are you convinced

yet?
Joining the military doesn’t just provide the characteristics I listed before it provides many more; which also adds to your character. For example, it provides teamwork, dedication accountability and drive. In the military, everything is a team effort; if someone isn’t doing their job it will affect everyone else. When serving, you are pushed to obtain the unreachable. You have to be willing to do things that you’re not really comfortable with. The level of accountability that comes from military experience provides the ability for an organization to save resources and time. A natural determination is a well known quality in those in the military. They try their best to exceed results every day. If this doesn’t convince you I don’t know what will.
It has been scientifically proven that the military builds character, which is one of the reasons I believe the same thing. The military provides moral characteristics such as, integrity, dedication, and teamwork, along with many more. Once the drill sergeants break the trainees down they build them back up, that makes all the difference. If psychologist can see that the military really does build character so can you.