Benefits of Enlisting in the Armed Forces Essay Example for Free

Benefits of sign up in the Armed Forces EssayIntroduction A scrutiny of the history of mankind, down the ages covering a period of 4000 years line from 3500BC till today indicates that in almost all the exemplars, the course of events kick in been dictated by the military prowess and the consequent superiority of oneness of the contenders. The fact continues to hold professedly even today, in this age of modernization when the emphasis is on economic power and political stability. The racy aspect of safeguarding these national interests is dependent upon one crucial factor Armed Forces. A c areer in the Armed Forces may be considered to be one of the oldest professions in the history of mankind (the other than cosmos prostitution), and it may pee-pee an important role to play in safeguarding national interests, but it is besides one of the most forget and maligned of career choices. For in epochs of peace and enduring prosperity, the general propensity of good deal is to look down upon this profession and all related aspects. It is considered to be the last refuge of scoundrels and the failed cases in society-definitely non a tune to detract if one has other woofs. But is this reputation currently based on facts?Are conditions in the Armed Forces so bad today that it is anathema to even contemplate sign up in the Armed Forces? Why do educational institutions and our society at large not countenance the idea of their schoolchilds/youngsters enlisting in the Armed Forces with a sense of congratulate and honor? Why does the cede generation not consider enlisting in the Armed Forces as a worthwhile option? Critics (and there are legion(predicate)) point come out that enlisting in the Armed Forces implies an unstated but real guess of life, separation from family for extended periods, frequent moves at brief notices , poor work conditions and lower consecrate.This parametric quantity is taking a rather biased and short sighted view of the issue, and it does not do arbiter to either the interests of the country and the multitude whom the argument attempts to dissuade. Thesis Statement My endeavor during the course of this essay is to represent the benefits of enlisting in the Armed Forces. I am of the opinion that the benefits of enlisting outstrip the disadvantages by a wide margin and general, it is just as good or better an employment option as any that is available to the unsanded generation.The scope of this thesis in terms of the nation covered is holistic in nature applicable to the entire scale of economic, racial, religious, gender and educational scale. loving Benefits During the ancient times, people enlisted for monetary and other purposes with the sole aim of garnering the spoils of war by route of loot, women, slaves and resources of the vanquished. At heterogeneous stages in history, it has been repeatedly proved that other concerns like race, national pride and religion realise also bee n a major motivating factor.The last known war entirely based on religious affinities all over with the victory of the Crusaders over the Jihadis in 1453 A. D. at Constantinople (Turkey). Upward Social Mobility Enlisting in the Armed Forces opens up a whole new world of opportunities for a mortal irrespective(prenominal) of whether he joins as an incumbent or as a GI/soldier. This immediately catapults him from his humble origins to a society much to a greater extent privileged, acknowledged and recognized as one.The change in social status leads to a subtle elaborateness in the mortal, his family and his circle of associates. Consequently, it brings about a change in the perception and reference of life for him as his options in everyday life are less weighed down by the mundane issues that he would have been otherwise negotiating. Culture Culturally, there is a huge leap due to the extensive interaction with people from diverse backgrounds and states. This introduces him to the positive and the negative aspects of life in other enculturations both inside and outside the country.Presuming that the person has the sense of purpose and ability to discriminate between good and bad (with few exceptions, most posses this quality in abundance), this exposure introduces in him a better understanding of customs and awareness of other cultures. He suffer then subconsciously or by design incorporate the good aspects in to his air of life, thereby becoming a better citizen and an effective soldier. It must be appreciated that a person hailing from a remote, under-developed and relatively backward area has a proportionately less chance of making it vainglorious in the world.With time, he settles down to a job in the same place or at surmount moves within his state or county for a steady but not necessarily surface paid job. It may not lead to much, but it provides him with primary economic security governing body. Personality Development The lump trainin g, regimental life and high emphasis on discipline permeates the very core and essence of the several(prenominal) and transforms him from a happy go-lucky, take life as it comes type of youngster into a conscientious, well mannered and disciplined citizen of the future.He is now capable of looking after his own interests in life and takes the decisions best suited to his emergencys and a secure future. The training imparts to his personality a combined sense of discipline, mental robustness, survival and physical sturdiness which is generally lacking in other competitors his age and experience in life. The training and culture within the Armed Forces lays a great deal of emphasis on development of moral set and personal integrity. This development of acquired skills leads to a multi-faceted and versatile individual who would be an asset to any organization he joins.The refined mannerism, positive attitude and basic skills make him an automatic candidate of choice for prospective employers in the future. Pride, Prestige, Honor and Duty In the prevailing national environment, it has been the experience that the prospects of enlisting in the artilleryed Forces are not considered to be a worthwhile option. Whatever be the reason, it must also be emphasize that in the rural countryside and deep interiors of the country, there still exist communities and villages which take great pride in sending their young ones to the Armed Forces.Then there exist certain(prenominal) demographic and regional detail patterns wherein the propensity towards enlisting in the Armed Forces is higher (Mavor 41-3) It is taken as a matter of pride and prestige by both the family of the individual and the individual himself as an act of repaying the nation for all it has bestowed them with and also as a matter of tradition. But the idea is a non starter and gradually starts loosing steam as we progress from the rural courtsides and deep interiors towards the cities and the power cent ers.Purely from a moral ground, it should be the duty of severally citizen to do his time in the Armed Forces and contribute to the national effort. After all if democracy bestows certain unquestioned castigates, then it also imposes certain unstated obligations. It must be kept in heed that, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Similarly, it is inappropriate to feign that one can proceed to enjoy the benefits of democracy for free without bothering to fulfill our own obligations to the nation.Every right has a corresponding duty and this is no exception we cannot open the nations requirement of men to just the people from the interiors, highlands and the so called lower classes alone. This burden has to be shared by all of us who swear by democracy and the nation. Economic Benefits When speaking about the Armed Forces, the general refrain is that it is not a well paying job, and that the connected hardships of separation from family for extended periods, the frequent moves on duty at short notice, and the attendant risks to life and health is not worth it.In the subsequent paragraphs, I allow for examine the merits and demerits of this presumption on a factual basis. wrinkle Security What would be the prospects of a person in his native syndicatetown of landing a job consistent to his qualification? What are the chances that he retains his job in the event of some constraining circumstances either to the person or to the employer? The answers to these questions are obvious. Whereas, in the case of the person employed in the Armed Forces, there is an assured degree of job security that is unmatched in any other form of employment.The individual has to do something really drastic or be extremely incompetent to be considered unfit for retention. The chances of retrenchment are virtually non-existent. On The Job Training(OJT) Until the end of World War II, the aspect of enlisting was more or less considered as the beginning of the military career. Ho wever, with the modernization of weapons and delivery systems, the process of refining the enlisted personnel in to a trained and in effect(p) operator has to be taken up in earnest and and so the pauperism of putting the person through rigorous specialized training schedule(Buck 204-6).The Armed Forces provide training pertinent to the aspect of speciality specific to the individuals branch before formal induction in to the respective arm or service. There are approximately 360 specialist jobs in the US Army alone of which 20% have similar jobs in the civilian world in departments related to communication, IT, software and allied function (Goldberg 59-60). Upon reporting to the parent unit, the individual brookes further training at the concerned facilities for a period depending upon the requirement of the job and the laid down parameters.This is to say that depending upon the arm which the individual opts for the training on the specialist equipment, weapons and other syst ems are guaranteed. The stipend during this period is paid for by the government. It implies that the individual is undergoing training and at the same time also making up his experience profile simultaneously and he is being paid for it. How many other jobs can boast of this facility? Job related risks It is often stated that the attendant risk and hardships of a career in the Armed Forces is a negative factor influencing the new generation from enlisting.It can be argued that the so called hardships are not a way of life and depend entirely upon the get of conflicts and skirmishes the country is involved in. Again, how many other jobs do not involve frequent moves at short notices? The aspect of living out of suitcases is generally well described in all forms of literature and media, hence ingest not be repeated. Needless to say frequent moves and separation from family is a factor that is straight for most other forms of employment.The only difference is in the period, which a gain is taken care of by the system of rotation of troops that is strictly adhered to by the Defence Forces. As regards physical injuries and risk of death, it is a master key hazard and needs to be taken on its merit and statistical figures. The ratio of casualty carry on in comparison to the name of personnel inducted into the combat zone is very low, especially in the case of the developed countries like the USA, UK, France and other European countries.This is so, due to overwhelming superiority of these countries over the adversary in terms of sophistication and capability levels of weapon systems, logistics, and ensuring of an adequate standoff distance during delivery of tactical executions of strategic plans. Besides, the other major factor influencing Government decision making is level of intolerance by the media and the country to higher casualties of own nationals. This attitude is in stark contrast to the disdain that the average citizen professes on the issue of enli stment in peace time.What I am implying here is that the possibility of being injure or killed in the war zone is not as high as is being make out to be. It is just a professional hazard which hypothetically states the possibility, but does in no way categorically confirm the same. Fatal casualty/Grevious Injury Having deliberated on the aspect of the very low luck of grievous injury and death, let us presume the case wherein either of these possibility does indeed take place. In that case, the government looks after the individual depending upon the nature of his injury, makes efforts to ensure his rehabilitation and employment in another(prenominal) form of work.In the event of death in action, the full regularise of military honors and government supply are laid out to the individual and his family. This is only to state that the individual is not a forgotten chapter in case he is rendered invalid for active service or in case of black casualty. Perks and Privileges Every nati on bestows upon the personnel of its arm forces a wide range of facilities and privileges which would otherwise adversely encroachment the monetary status of the individual.The facilities and privileges are not sacrosanct and every nation follows a different yardstick to determine what it gives its personnel, e. g. free Medicare facilities given to the personnel and also extended to their families, accommodation at subsidized range etc. Now if these perks and privileges extended by the government were to be quantified in terms of costs, it would work out to a high figure, when added to what the individual already earns, amounts to a fat salary bill (Ostrow 219).The idea I am trying to highlight is that the privileges which are not considered while describing the low pay also need to be included just to put things in their proper perspective. And I have deliberately avoided discussing the various allowances which every nation provides its armed forces personnel in recognition of t he hardships and limitations endured by them during times of operational deployment and commitments. The allowances by themselves amount to a substantial part of the remunerations and are by and large a realistic notice of the hardships endured.Pensioner Benefits The armed forces have a stipulated period of service for their personnel, and this duration varies from country to country and within the forces from arm to arm and service to service (Roza 10-11). However, the bottom line is that the personnel are free to leave active service and proceed home with all pensionary benefits as laid down by the Government. If the individual is smart and has planned his moves well in advance, he can join a new employment which means he has effectively two incomes to go by.It lends him a strong base for procuring home loans and enterprise related loans from banks as his degree of financial security is considerably higher than that of the average citizen. The pensioner benefits also entitle him to medical and other related facilities which result in considerable savings to the overall financial planning and outlay of the individual. Educational Benefits A sound education is defined as the basic foundation upon which rests the edifice of a persons career.Very often, and in most cases, the inclination, interest, and urge to undergo formal education from a standard university or college exists in individuals. However, there is a large facing pages in the ability of the quick education system to provide to the needs of each aspiring student due to various factors. Government education institutes in most democracies have an unstated but existing drawback on the quality of education they provide. Quality education in a democracy comes at a price, which not everyone can afford.This leaves a large number of potential aspirants without quality education. However, by enlisting in the Armed Forces, this drawback is also addressed. The Armed Forces offer specialist training in a wi de range of professionally oriented courses and degrees with a view to produce qualified and expert specialist in their respective sphere of tasks. Apart from this, the government provides for the service personnel opportunities to enhance their education skills before, during and after enlistment. The Montgomery GI Bill and Tuition Assistance Programme are a case in point(Asch 57).Enlisting for the armed forces thus gives the individual the opportunity to complete a degree or an education that he could otherwise not have achieved (Paradis 106). Infact the consequent experience that the individual gains (mostly under pressures of time and combat) puts him in an advantageous opinion when looking for a job elsewhere upon termination of his contract with the Armed Forces. Counter Claims Critics of the proposal for enlisting into the Armed Forces cite the attendant risk to life, possible injuries, extended periods of separation and comparatively lower pay packages as the principle reas ons to avoid the Armed Forces.This reasoning has been discussed by me during the course of the essay and I have proved that on the surface, these points are apparently valid. However, they do not measure up to an unbiased and unbiassed scrutiny based on facts and statistics. Conclusion To conclude, it is again reiterated that the proposal of enlisting in the armed forces is highly beneficial to a large section of the society and country. The stated disadvantages regarding enlisting and the advantages I have highlighted need to be weighed against each other.It would be inappropriate to come to a conclusion that affects the lives and careers of a large number of people just because we think that a particular line of thought is correct. It is more important and relevant to analyze the issue based on facts and arrive at the correct conclusion, before propagating it as a statement of fact. Work Cited Asch Beth J. Contextual Information on Recruiting array Recruiting and Retention After the Fiscal grade Military Pay Legislation Ed. Asch Beth A, et al Rand Corporation(2002) 57 Buck Peter Adjusting to military Life The Social Sciences Go to War MilitaryEnterprise and Technological Change Perspectives on the American Experience Ed. smith Merritt Roe MIT Press (1985) 204-6. Hearings on National Defense Authorization ACT for Fiscal Year 2003H. R. 4546 and lapsing of By United States Congress. House Committee on Armed Services. Subcommittee on Military personnel department Summary The Supt. Of Docs. , U. S. G. P. O. (2003) 75-7 Goldberg Jan Careers for Patriotic Types Others Who Want To Serve Their Country McGraw-Hill Professional(1999) 59-60 Jerome Johnston, Jerald G. Bachman Young Men and Military Service land for Social Research, University of Michigan (1972) 195 Mavor Anne S. et al, Attitudes, Aptitudes, and Aspirations of American Youth Implications for Military Recruiting National Academies Press (2003) 41-3 Ostrow Scott A. Guide to Joining the Military Tho mson Petersons (2004) 219 Paradis Adrian A. Opportunities in Military Careers McGraw-Hill Professional (1999) 106. Rand Corporation The Rand Paper Series Rand Corp (1946) Roza Greg Choosing a Career in the Military The Rosen PublishingGroup Careers / Jobs (2001)10.