Let me say that I have respect for our military and believe them to be much more honorable, noble, and worthy as a path when compared to many other paths and people. There were/are five different paths I thought about in my life 1. business, 2. religious life, 3. higher education/art/music, 4. military, 5. wasting my life away to make a bigger point about human capital and opening opportunities. Each comes with their own benefits and detractors. When your young you don't know which way to go because the paths seem endless Consider interests and abilities as a guide. (If you still don't know, do that with the greatest benefit to society so you have no regrets.)
My belief on the military is simple. You won't find people who gave something up in the normal and civilian world. In this world, people sacrifice often and reap the reward of post right of passage men and women with a higher calling. In many other life arenas, money and image are everything (I have been caught up in it a few times like many. Some of my friends still laugh at my 30's as a baller. I had to look up the term. At that time, when it seemed I had everything, I took a good look around and thought what is the end game of constant consumption with little substance? or friends that look great but seemed to talk about relatively trivial things? I kept the nerds and ditched the rest. Half my friends were nerds and I liked them for their depth and values. A few of the cool people are still around ad we hang out but mostly people went their own way. I think in my older years there is a balance to everything be cool and nerdy! I'm too old to be a baller now but I could be maybe just a smaller baller. 😏)
Anyway, joining the military is not for the faint of heart because you have to face bigger things (You will have support but they are bigger things). The true version of self can be found in the military and that includes what is in the center of ever man and woman (worm at core). The things they never knew about themselves. That is the beauty of challenge and the beauty of serving your country and people. You might give up pay, but you gain purpose and a greater facet of life you will never experience anywhere else.
Two things I think can appeal to young people are....
1. Honor: A history of honor and duty to a purpose that makes one a cut above others (I'm sorry that is how I view our military men and women. It means your not a selfish human being all the time. While there is variability, it is noble to sacrifice. It was an older value before mine and my parent's generation. Also the military is an institution like a boarding school which I think was great. You can learn very similar concepts of collective self.)
2. Opportunity: The military offers an opportunity to enhance and develop one's skills. This could be an important selling point for the military. The military can develop people for success, give them skills, get them education, give them meaning, belongingness, and give them the structure they may never had before to achieve their goals (It could take a little more of a grooming approach for the non-rich who never went to an ivy league school or boarding school. Think about it before you knock it.). They can do that through challenge and through encouragement. When they walk out the other end 4-25 years later, they are full adults with advanced skills (relative to general population but sometimes the top of the market)
Notice, much of this isn't about money. Money is secondary. It is about purpose, belonging, and self-development. Our businesses should also do more in hiring our military and putting them to good use when they get out. The military may need to get more creative with support and with combat ready units. Sometimes a little more of one lessens the need for as many as the other. Technology will also impact that equation. However, grooming the best combat ready troops on and off the field is important.
(I used to write a lot about the military. I think I'm going to do more of that in the future as well. Just to encourage community support. If our politicians, civic leaders, and businesses did the same thing, we could probably solve much of that recruitment problem. I would support the military almost any other institution except the process of democracy itself. Upholding Democracy is sacrosanct to me because it empowers people and is a trust from generation to generation. That is a little different take then I suppose those who sometimes pervert it for personal or political gain. A couple of past articles I wrote. Military Honor through Ages)
My two afternoon thoughts....
The Uncertain Future of the U.S. Military’s All-Volunteer Force(p.s. we as a nation also need to develop innovation and supply chains)
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