Since the election of Mr. Trump, and giving the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth his due credit, our military is enjoying tremendous recruiting success. Folks do not join a military organization to be woke and share a fighting position with a sexually confused person. The motivations are many and I applaud this resurgence in the popularity of our Armed Services. Recruiters are well schooled in answering the questions that are posed by folks interested in this early option in life, but I have seen little written about the long term effects of military service. Until now.
You WILL change as a result of your experience. Some changes are in your face, some very subtle. I am an Army brat and served a hitch in the US Army, replete with a tour in Vietnam. The memories are etched into my mind.
We are all proud of some aspects in our life. The military is going to instill pride in your soul. You will learn to function in tandem with another soldier, squad, platoon and company. You learn to feed on the strengths of your fellow men and women and to understand human frailty. I was an artillery Fire Direction Control specialist. It was my computed data that was fed into an artillery piece guiding the deadly munition to an appropriate target. While proud of this experience, I have an unbridled respect for the incredible power of a well led rifle company. The combat arms branches, where steel meets flesh, is but a small part of the massive machine our military represents. There are millions of good soldiers, airmen and sailors who have supported the point of the spear, the combat arms. Your post military pride will know no bounds, nor should it.
You will learn to do as you are told, with no compromise. A combat action requires a carefully choreographed weave of disciplines and duties. Our young people today desperately need this discipline and for once in your life you will know and appreciate it. You will understand the necessity for uniformity in your existence. If subjected to a deployment, you will learn to manage fear and turn this emotion in to strength. The very real possibility of dying sharpens your mental and physical reflex in ways you could not have imagined.
You will develop a lifetime and deep appreciation for the concept of leadership. The military quickly separates bullshit artists from leaders. This ability will follow you in life. You will develop an appreciation for your limits in life, whether they be physical or mental. Your ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment will be sharpened and you will rely on this ability for the rest of your life.
Finally, you will have earned the standing to raise hell about the political climate in our country. The proliferation of the aforementioned bullshit artists that permeate government will cause you to wince and smile simultaneously, another skill you will have developed.
If your son, daughter, or grandchild is headed in this direction, smile. Rest assured they will be better for it!
Have a great week!
SR
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