Rosa Brooks surveys the reasons that Americans join the military:
Some people sign up because — reared on old World War II movies, or maybe just on first-person shooter video games — they want to “go to war.” (It’s an unrealistic aspiration for many military personnel: Even in the post-9/11 era, many military personnel never deploy, and even fewer see combat.) Others dislike the idea of going to war, but believe that a strong military will prevent war by deterring potential adversaries and want to be part of such a deterrent force. Others still join up for reasons that don’t really have much to do with the nature of the military: They’re attracted by the military’s educational benefits and free heath care, they’re looking for opportunities to travel and learn, or they simply view the military as a stable job with benefits during economic hard times.
A 2011 Pew survey asked post-9/11 military veterans to list the most important factors that had motivated them to join the military.
Nearly 90 percent listed serving the country as an important reason for joining, and 77 percent listed educational benefits as important. Upwards of 60 percent said they wanted to “see more of the world,” and 57 percent said that learning skills for civilian jobs was an important factor. In contrast, only 27 percent said that difficulty finding a civilian job had been an important factor in the decision to join the military.
She also notes a common misconception:
The perception that “the military is right wing” probably stems from studies that focus on senior officers. Although senior officers make up only about 6 percent of the Army, they are substantially more conservative (and more Republican) than junior officers, and dramatically more conservative than enlisted personnel, whose views tend to more closely track those of the general population.
Update from a reader:
I joined the United States Air Force, serving from 1984-1992 as a Security Policeman working in Law Enforcement. My family had a rich history of serving this country, from my great-great-grandpa, who at 10 years old ran away from home to serve as a drummer boy in the US Army during the Civil War; three uncles who served in both fronts during WWII, and one who was onboard a cruiser during the Cuban Missile Crisis; and my father who served during the Korean War. So for me, it was a family tradition.
In fact, all through high school I wanted to join. But it wasn’t just a patriotic calling; I also wanted to see the world. I grew up in a small town in central Illinois and I shuddered at thought of attending college locally. I just wanted to get out. My folks didn’t have the money to send me to school, so being able to get funds via the GI bill was another reason I served.
So off I went, and after completing Basic Training and Law Enforcement school, I was stationed at Clark AB, Philippines. That was in 1985, just one year shy of the People’s Revolution in the Philippines. Here I was just a 19 year old, witnessing the overthrow of President Marcos while most of my friends back home were partying in college.
I worked Town Patrol later on and saw a lot for a young man (we had something like 100 bars packed into a two-mile radius with US Airmen, Navy, Marines, Army, as well as several other allied countries enjoying the Angeles City night life). It was wild and I saw a lot of tragedies: murders, decapitated heads, stabbings, prostitution, shootings, corruption, robberies – you name it. Then in 1987, a good friend and K9 handler was brutally shot to death, along with several other Airmen and Naval personnel. That had to be the worst thing I ever experienced. I rushed to the hospital and was allowed to see his body. I had seen people shot before, but this was so different. It’s hard to imagine a friend (he was only 21) and fellow Airmen lying there dead with his wife next to him. Hell, we had only been out partying a couple nights before and now he was gone. To this day I can still see his body lying there in the hospital emergency room. Nothing prepared me for that.
Then in 1991, Mt. Pinatubo erupted and all hell broke loose! I have never seen such a powerful natural destruction and was never scared more in my life. I lost everything in that disaster and was reassigned back to the US. I got out in 1992 and attended college locally with the GI bill money I received.
I will never forget the experiences I encountered during my service. I guess I was able to see a lot more since I was working Law Enforcement. Some great memories abound, but there are other horrible ones I just can’t forget.
The Dish 