The US Armed Forces and their Role
The US Armed Forces is an agency of highly trained individuals who are ready to respond immediately to a short notice regarding natural or human-made calamities anywhere within the US territory or the world (Halvorson, 2010). However, most Americans’ have limited knowledge and information concerning the Navy acquired from novels, movies, news reports, and books. Few understand the culture, values, and people who make up the US military force. Like any other institution in the American territory with well-recognized history, the military has its language, culture, values, and strategy of performing their businesses. The President of the United States, who is the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces has ultimate authority and control over the military in a civilian capacity (Rohall, Ender & Matthews, 2006).
Responsibilities of the Military
The military is an organization within the US government, which has the role of implementing the policies passed by the Congress and Commander in Chief. Given that the institution has a range of responsibilities in the land, the state divides it into branches of service to enhance the provision of services to the countrymen. Consequently, the paper will explore the military service by interviewing a military personnel with the aim of understanding the values and branches of the institution. The paper will consist of two parts; section I will encompass the interview questions with the responses while section II will offer the reflection on the findings obtained during the session.
Part I: Interview Questions and Responses
1. Can you please identify your affiliation: branch, rank and job?
I have been in the U.S Navy for more than seven years. The U.S Navy is an organization with a strategic offensive responsibility of projecting force into regions and territories beyond America’s shores. I was in the enlisted rank where I worked as private officer.
2. Please what is your current military service status
I am currently on active duty.
3. Why did you pick the service branch that you are serving?
I have always had the desire to protect the territories beyond the boundary of the US region as well as my country since I was a teenager. I believe most criminals and terrorists use the territorial waters to gain access into a country thus offering my services to the Navy was a dream come true.
4. Do you love the experience so far gained from the service?
Yes. The experience has helped to understand a lot of life aspects that I underestimated when I was a civilian. Moreover, I have met various people who later became my lifetime friends.
5. Can you please summarize your permanent change of station (PCS) and deployment experience?
My first permanent change of station and deployment took place nearly two years after joining the military. The experience gained from this cause supported me in appreciating the different environment that fellow officers go through in the course of protecting our country. Furthermore, I acquired various survival skills and knowledge to advance my service level in the military.
6. Why did you join the military?
People join the military institution for various motives. However, some of the reasons that motivated me to become a member of the military service include leaving my hometown and traveling the world, serve the country and safeguard the nation’s liberty, as well as supporting the fight against terrorism.
7. Why did you separate?
I decided to separate from my family members and relatives to pursue my dream of protecting my country and its people against terrorism and other attacks organized by global criminals. Another motive of separating was the call of duty and honor for the US flag and land.
8. How would you characterize your experience in the military?
I can characterize the experience gained as educational and adventure. Moving from one station to another over the last five years has empowered me to acknowledge the aspect of humanity in dealing with people from various cultural and social settings. A deployed team often acquire skills necessary for survival and handling villains from various cultural and social background when on duty to protect the nation.
9. How did/does your military experience affect your family?
My military experience has considerably influenced the social and economic life of my family members especially during deployment. I have received complain from my wife on several occasions regarding stress about my well-being when am on duty, feeling lonely, overwhelmed, facing financial struggles, concern or panic as well as added family duties (Newby et al., 2005). These incidents have sometimes affected my concentration in the field on various occasions.
10. Identify some positive and negative aspects of your military experience.
Some of the aspects that I can identify as positive connected to my military experience include getting free college education, guaranteed paycheck, paid vacations, free flights, training on survival skills, travelling and getting free health care. However, some of the negative elements associated with military experience involves following orders without questioning your superiors and one cannot quit the job if they do not want to serve in the military anymore. Moreover, one is forced to stay far away from the family members as well as friends besides they have to follow a particular dressing code accepted by the state.
11. How would you describe military culture in general?
The trainers often impart the culture of military in personnel from the beginning of their career. Irrespective of how an individual enters the army, they spend their time training on lifestyle and culture of the service. For instance, they learn history of their institution, traditions and courtesies, dressing code, military values and principles as well as military bearing. Another important facet in the training is understanding how to fire a weapon and safeguard their lives as well as colleagues’. The bond of brotherhood or sisterhood is the greatest aspect in the army culture taught to every new member. The trainers always expect us to value, protect and nurture this pledge until death.
12. What are some memorable experiences about your military life?
Military services has allowed me to make friends with various people within and outside the service. For instance, when I was stationed in Mexican water territories, I managed to interact with colleagues from diverse cultural and social background. The opportunity enabled me to understand and appreciate other cultures and races within the American territory as well as other parts of the world. Moreover, it was the furthest I ever went after joining the military service hence it is the most memorable moment in my life as an army officer.
13. How did your experience in the military help form or influence your identity?
One of the motives of the military service is to break the attitude and approach that an individual had in the outside world and build them up as combatants. Consequently, I believe some of the life experiences such as survival skills, as well as following rules helped transform my personality features. For instance, I have never had the impulse to go to parties when am on vacation because it is not one of the values and habits nurtured in the navy.
14. Consider someone who wants to work in a professional capacity with military personnel, active, retired, or reserves. What is especially important for this individual to know about military culture? Why is this especially important?
Working in a professional capacity with the military personnel who is either active, retired or reserves is possible. However, it is essential for the expert to understand that military culture appreciate the aspect of brotherhood or sisterhood when in the service or on retirement. They believe that the bond helps them to stay together and win their battles with determination linked to solidarity and cooperation. The bond of brotherhood or sisterhood is indispensable because it is teammates who fight by their side that will come to the rescue of their wounded or dead colleague during a battle.
15. How can helping professionals help support military personnel and their families?
Just like any other civilian in the society, military personnel require the support of professionals such as psychologists, therapists and psychoanalysts in helping them overcome the trauma associated with living in the forests and fighting to protect their country such post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD). Their families also need the services of a counselor to help them overcome the panic and anxiety linked to living without a brother, parent, husband or sister.
16. Does gender determine those joining the military service? If yes, how does it come to play?
Gender does not determine those joining the military although the number of men in the service is higher than women because it is considered a man’s profession. However, I would encourage more women who have the dream to serve and protect their country to apply and train with the experts to help them achieve their visions besides gaining some privileges as a military personnel.
17. What is the U.S military and which caliber of people fill its ranks?
The military is civilian monitored institution and the absolute control is bestowed upon the US president. Military ranks are about responsibilities and leadership within the agency. As a person receives promotion through the ranks, they take up more responsibilities for more equipment, personnel, missions, and resources. Therefore, those filling these grades are civilians who apply for the service, recruited and trained to combat crime within and outside the country and through diligence and determination they get promoted to higher ranks.
Part II: Reflection
The interview with the military personnel helped me acquire more information about the service. For instance, I was able to understand and appreciate the role of military culture and values in the life of a navy personnel. However, I feel some information is missing that I could obtain only if I get to interview a reserve or retired officer. For instance, how long does it take one to serve in the navy before retiring?
However, the data acquired through the discussion has helped me appreciate the role I can play as a professional to assist these individuals to enter in the society and adapt easily without facing challenges associated with changing the environment. The interview reformed my viewpoint regarding the military culture. I feel that the staffs in the service have a strong bond on the battlefield. The navy recruits believe that when in combat, you remain to be your brother’s keeper hence you cannot leave them behind even if they are dead or dying.
Nonetheless, I did not learn anything about myself. One of the misconceptions I discovered through the conversation is that military service has a thorough training process not to keep away people but to prepare those joining the service to be ready for the task ahead of them. The rigorous exercise is to help officers protect themselves from attackers which is the first value nurtured in the navy. Some of the aspects that stood out in the military culture were the concept of brotherhood or sisterhood, which helps a unit to stay together in difficult times. Moreover, the individuals receive preparation on how to use guns in a bid to defend themselves when on the battlefield.
However, I would need to expand on the aspect of survival skills gained by the military personnel during training. I will also want to grow my knowledge on mental health issues affecting both family members as well as those in the service. One of the greatest mental disorders facing those in the military is post-traumatic stress disorder commonly abbreviated as PTSD. The exercise will help me understand and devise means of assisting the families and personnel to overcome these mental health concerns they encounter on a daily basis.
References
Halvorson, A. (2010). Understanding the military: The institution, the culture, and the People. Retrieved on May 2, 2018 from https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/military_white_paper_final.pdf
Rohall, D. E., Ender, M. G., " Matthews, M. D. (2006). The Effects of Military Affiliation, Gender, and Political Ideology on Attitudes toward the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Armed Forces " Society, vol. 33, number 1. Retrieved on May 2, 2018 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240719161_The_Effects_of_Military_Affiliation_Gender_and_Political_Ideology_on_Attitudes_toward_the_Wars_in_Afghanistan_and_Iraq
Newby, J. H., McCarroll, J. E., Ursano, J. R., " Tucker-Harris, Y. (2005). Positive and negative consequences of a military deployment. Retrieved on May 2, 2018 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7337389_Positive_and_Negative_Consequences_of_a_Military_Deployment
