If I had a son/daughter who asked me what I thought about him/her joining the military, I’d answer it as follows:
- Don’t join the military, risk of death is high for the value you get in return
- If you must join the military, pick the Navy or Coast Guard (low chance of death)
- If you pick the Navy or Coast Guard become an officer, do not enlist
Don’t join the military, risk of death is high for the value you get in return
No military recruiter or flashy ad on TV is going to tell you joining the military is a risky endeavor. Instead, they will hype up the good stuff (money, benefits, grants for college, seeing the world, protecting the homeland, etc.) and completely ignore the elephant in the room which is the risk of death. When you join the military, chances are you will be shipped straight into a war zone where you will become a giant target thanks to America’s hostile foreign policy and “chronic interventionism” into other countries’ affairs. (See graphic below)
Once there, you are expected to follow orders, even if your superior is a total douche or incompetent. You will be ordered into combat with subpar equipment that constantly breaks, jams, and overheats. Meanwhile, high-velocity projectiles will be flying your way from all directions and your protective gear is guaranteed to be insufficient because they were made by the same shitty subcontractor who made the rest of your equipment. You will experience many lows and very few highs. Your lowest low comes as you realize you are not a hero who liberates the world but only a cog in a giant money-making machine. Self-delusion is a bitch. If you are so lucky to survive all this and return back home, your mental health will have suffered greatly. Tons of soldiers return from war with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), some treat it with medications, others commit suicide. Joining the military is, in reality, a dirty job. Any job that involves killing people fits that description. This is why the military often recruits from poor/vulnerable neighborhoods and small towns where desperate people might live. It is therefore imperative you find alternatives to joining the military including considering moving to a larger city, where more opportunities exist.
If you must join the military, pick the Navy or Coast Guard (low chance of death)
Some people may try to make joining the military into a dick-sizing contest where the riskiest job and/or branch is equated to having a large member. In reality, those who join the riskiest branch/job are neither big in the pants nor very bright in the head. Those who fall for that garbage end up six-feet-under and become a statistic on a spreadsheet. Don’t get caught up in the herd mentality. The Navy and Coast Guard have a low chance of death and a high acceptance rate. You will be on ships and submarines, far away from danger. You do not have to worry about bugs, difficult terrain, IED’s, or ambushes. Since most of the Naval operations happen remotely, the chance of PTSD is also much lower in the Navy and almost non-existent in the CG. The only time a sailor disembarks is when they are on a leave (vacation) or returning home. This does not mean there is no risk with the Navy or CG but comparatively, it has a much lower chance of death than say the Marines or the Army. If the US goes to war with a developed nation, the risk of death increases for all branches. Technically, the Airforce has the lowest death rate but also the strictest admission rules — if you can pass admission, I’d recommend joining the Air Force, of course. The riskiest branch to join is the Marines.
If you pick the Navy/Coast Guard, become an officer, do not enlist
Not only do you earn more $ as an officer, you will also be ranked higher than all enlisted personnel allowing you to give orders instead of receiving them. Your pay raises are typically larger and your living accommodations are better than that of enlisted personnel. Additionally, it will give you the opportunity to hone in your leadership, planning, and organizational skills which are readily transferable into the civilian and business worlds. The required college degree may even get you to consider an alternative path to the military in college. Don’t let anyone tell you “you are not smart enough to become an officer” anyone can do it, it requires a little bit of perseverance.
Stay Frosty =)
