Youth Motivation for Joining the Military
Young men can be inspired by a variety of things to enlist in the military. Some of these motives may be personal aspirations to achieve certain goals. Whatever the motivation, one must be certain that the objectives are worthy of joining the service. This is as a result of the difficulties a military job presents. To emphasize the point, being in the service is not easy. It requires stamina and is difficult. As a result, not everyone can use it. When it's too late to change their minds, some individuals who joined the military for the wrong reasons do so. If securing a job is the primary motivation for joining the military, then one should reconsider they motives. It is much simpler to work as a civilian than serve in the military. Serving the military is very different from formal private employment. Military profession is structured on discipline and chain of command. You cannot wake up one morning and decide to draft your resignation letter, neither can you be late for work. In addition to that, any command from a rank higher than yours is a compulsory order to be done whether you agree with or not. This is due to the solemn oath to obey the president and those appointed over you. Strictness in the military makes employment in the disciplined forces a tough one for a mere high school graduate with the wrong reasons for joining the military. However, with every profession, there are the pros and cons involved. There are various eye-catching benefits to look up to when one considers joining the military.
Personal Call of Duty and Patriotism
Personal call of duty is passion in serving your nation. No one is ever going to motivate you to help the country but yourself. Serving in the military is very satisfactory for the patriotic citizens. Once you have the right attitude, you can overcome all the hurdles faced in the career. Patriotism is a significant way to serve the nation and put your selfish interests aside. There is satisfaction in protecting the territory of your country. Most retired army veterans still portray the love for their country. This is because of the dedicated lifestyle in preserving the state. The quest for happiness is everyone lifelong mission. If you find joy in protecting your nation, then the military is a good option for you.
Educational Opportunities in the Military
Serving in the military offers incredible opportunities for college opportunities. In addition to formal education opportunities, the military provides excellent training programs to equip the soldiers better. The newly established GI Bill offers officers who have served for more than three years full pay and stipend to pursue a university education. Other scholarship programs include College Reimbursement plans, college credits based on the missions and training accomplished, tuition assistance and many more. Bearing in mind the costs of college education in America, the military offers educational scholarships which can be transferred to immediate family in case the soldier does not intend to study.
Skills Development and Leadership Training
Military training offers excellent skills that can be used both in service and in later life as a civilian in addition to formal education. There are extraordinary experiences that impart skills in the field and additional formal training when off duty. All these certifications and degrees can be vital in the civilian afterlife. Also, training is not only encompassed to accreditation and legal degrees, but leadership training and experiences can also be established in the military. Due to the structured leadership and chain of command in the military, every rank is bestowed with some roles and responsibilities to oversee. Military leadership is respected and can be influential towards improving your resume for the next opportunities in line. From analysis, some of the retired war generals and military veterans have gone to be governors and presidents of America. This shows how leadership skills gained from service is bestowed respect (Loehrke, 2015).
Job Security and Financial Benefits
Job security is a crucial pillar to look into when searching for a job. The military offers job assurance of the task assigned to you. This is because before it is awarded, one undergoes various training and tests before their confirmation. The beauty of it is that once the job is confirmed, there are minimal chances of layoffs. It is quite hard to quit the military due to personal reasons. The other advantage attached to it is that the pay is excellent. There is some sense of financial security for active members. According to research, the rank of a new Second lieutenant takes home approximately $36000 a year including full benefits. In addition to that, the officer earns an additional $3000 per month in allowances. It is understood that annual incomes for military personnel are also adjusted annually in line with inflation. These adjustments cushion the military personnel against the adverse effects of inflation on their pay scale. With the unstable job conditions in the current economy, the civilians are facing a hard time. Military service offers competitive compensation that has a steady rise in more years of service. Also, pension and the army retirement schemes are quite tempting. Military retirement package provides a full pension service scheme to members who serve for more than 20 years. Nevertheless, those who serve for less than 20 years still receive structured pension schemes. For some instances, one can take home approximately 75% of base pay in retirement for the rest of your life.
Medical Coverage and Fitness Benefits
Medical covers and other health expenses are concerns for the American families. Having medical protection for your loved ones is a goal that everyone works hard for. Military members are provided with full military health cover for them and their immediate family. This immediately starts when one joins the service. In the military, Tricare is a military benefit healthcare pack that caters to families of active serving members. Tricare is one unique program that pays medical bills and offers excellent comprehensive medical covers for spouses and immediate family members. If one stays through service the whole of their career, one is awarded a full medical coverage for them and their families for the rest of their lives after retirement. This is a very enticing motivation to enlist in the forces.
Getting Paid to Stay Healthy and Fit
Getting paid to stay healthy and in shape is a joke military personnel laugh about. For fitness lovers, military service offers best gyms, drills, and training to improve your body fitness. The exciting bit of is that one is paid to perform the exercises. Training in extreme environments while traveling around the world is also a factor to look at. Not only does one enjoy the travels, but also gets paid to do so and keeps their bodies fit (Luckwaldt, 2017).
Conclusion
In conclusion, even with all these benefits in place, the military profession is more of a calling than a career. It involves doing away with your rights and putting the countries interest first. At work, there is a minimum choice of what to do but following orders. In addition to that, no matter your political inclination, the president remains the commander in chief. One should be prepared to stay away from their immediate family for long periods of time. Nevertheless, whether you are motivated by pay incentives, medical covers, the adventure in it, job stability, serving the nation, or traveling around the world, there is motivation for everyone. One of the most outstanding benefits of military service is the job stability and the pay earned. Once in the forces, one can choose how long they want to serve, the longer you help, the better the retirement package. Joining the military at 22 years and serving for 20 years before retiring gives one a lifetime quality pension bearing in mind you retire at only 42 (Clayton, 2012).
References
Amy Hagopian, K. B. (2011, January). Should We End Military Recruiting in High Schools as a Matter of Child Protection and Public Health. American Journal of Public Health, 101(1), 19-23.
Clayton, R. (2012, March 23). Should I Join the Military? 11 Reasons the Military is a Good Career Option. Retrieved from Military Wallet: https://themilitarywallet.com/reasons-to-join-the-military/
Loehrke, K. (2015). The benefits of hiring military veterans. The Business Journals.
Luckwaldt, A. (2017, May 15). The Tangible Benefits of Going Officer. The balance.
