“I never joined the army for patriotic reasons.”
Isaac Rosenberg, Poet
Advantages & Disadvantages of Joining the Army
Many people currently consider joining the army.
While there are many advantages to joining the army, there are still some important problems related to it.
Hence, if you are one of those persons who consider joining the military, make sure to check out all the pros and cons of joining the army that are discussed in the following article.
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Contents
Advantages of Joining the Army
- You can protect your country by joining the army
- Joining the military may strengthen your level of patriotism
- You can meet many like-minded people
- You can make friends for a lifetime by joining the army
- You will have a high social status
- Joining the army may give you additional benefits
- Military work is a passion for many people
- You can see many different countries
- You can experience new cultures
- The army provides you with a safe salary
- Job security is a plus
- You may get financial support regarding your rent payments
- Joining the army may give you access to free healthcare
- You may have more days off
- Joining the military can make you more confident
- Many people find a purpose in life through joining the military
- Can give you the opportunity for free college
- You will learn how to deal with stress
- You will be able to improve many skills during your military career
You can protect your country by joining the army
One important advantage of joining the army is that you can protect your country from threats that may become a danger for national security.
In fact, there are still many conflicts going on around the world and by joining the military, you can make your contribution to solve those conflicts and to protect your home country from forces that may try to destroy it.
Joining the military may strengthen your level of patriotism
In general, if you join the army, you will also learn a high level of patriotism.
The army is all about how to defend your country and how to protect its local population from potential threats.
Hence, since you will learn how to protect your country and also how to protect your loved ones in case of emergency, you will develop a high level of patriotism and even may be willing to die in case it is necessary to protect your country.
This high level of patriotism may lead to great social cohesion in our society and may give everyone of us the incentive to work hard in our jobs in order to push our country forward.
You can meet many like-minded people
Another benefit of joining the military is that you will also meet many like-minded people.
In general, joining the army is sort of a self-selective process and only people who really want to make a positive impact on their country will do so.
Hence, by joining the military, you can be sure that you spend your time with like-minded people who share similar attitudes towards life with you.
In turn, chances are that you will also have a great time in the military since you will feel like a valued member of the military community.
You can make friends for a lifetime by joining the army
In fact, since you will hang out with many people who share the same values as you do in the army, you will also be able to make friends for a lifetime.
Especially if you have to carry out operations that could potentially take away your life, it will be crucial that you trust your military friends to have your back.
Thus, by going through those extreme experiences and coming back alive, you will develop a high level of trust in your military friends and chances are that many of those friendships will last for a lifetime.
You will have a high social status
Another upside of joining the army is that you can also attain a quite high social status.
In fact, many people in our society will be quite thankful that you defend their country and will value your sacrifices quite a lot.
In turn, your overall social status will be quite high and joining the military will often also make you more attractive to the opposite sex due to this high social status.
Joining the army may give you additional benefits
If you join the army, you will also profit from many additional benefits.
In fact, in some countries, you will get free tickets for sports events or also discounts in several other parts of life.
Hence, even though the salary in the military may not be too high, the additional benefits may compensate you quite a lot and the whole package may still be quite good compared to working in many other jobs.
Military work is a passion for many people
Many people also feel the inner obligation to protect our society and to give something back to their country.
In fact, military work is more than just a job.
If you are just in for the benefits, you will not become happy in the long run.
Instead, joining the military is for people who are really passionate about what they are doing and who truly want to make a positive impact on their country.
You can see many different countries
If you join the military, you can also travel to many different countries.
In fact, you will often not exactly know where you will have to work just a few months in the future.
In many cases, you will be working in many different countries during your career and if you love to travel and to make new experiences, joining the army can be a great way to combine your passion for traveling with your job.
You can experience new cultures
Since you will have the opportunity to work in many different countries, joining the army will also provide you with the unique opportunity to experience many different cultures.
In fact, you will be quite surprised by how different social norms and cultural values will be in different countries and this can really show you the relativity of the world.
In fact, even though we often think that our way of life is the best one to go, there are so many different lifestyles out there and you should make as many experiences as you can in order to really grow in character.
The army provides you with a safe salary
Another advantage of joining the military is that you will also be paid in time.
In fact, you can be sure that you will get paid according to your military contract since the government will back military expenses and there will be no risk for bankruptcy.
In contrast, if you work in the corporate world instead, you can’t be sure that you will actually get paid in time, especially if the company you currently work for experiences financial difficulties.
Hence, the safe salary is another plus related to joining the army.
Job security is a plus
Apart from the safe salary of soldiers, also overall job security in the military is quite high.
In fact, as long as you don’t do anything that is against the law, your chances to get fired are close to zero.
Consequently, if you are a person who wants to have high job security, joining the military can also help you in this regard.
You may get financial support regarding your rent payments
In many countries all over the world, you will also get financial support for your rent payment in case you join the army.
This can be quite convenient, especially if you live in areas that are quite expensive and where a normal job would not be enough to cover your expenses.
Hence, joining the army can also make quite a lot of sense from a financial perspective, especially for people who don’t have high qualification levels and would have to work in a low-salary job otherwise.
Joining the army may give you access to free healthcare
Depending on where you live, joining the army may also provide you with free access to healthcare.
This can be quite important since medical treatment is often quite expensive and many people will simply not be able to afford it.
In fact, many people around the world still don’t have proper health insurance and in case of emergency, those people will often not be able to financially afford proper medical treatment.
Thus, if you don’t have the money to pay for health insurance right now but still want to be insured, joining the military may be a great way to also benefit in this regard.
You may have more days off
If you join the military, you will often also have more time off compared to working in the corporate world.
In fact, soldiers will often have up to 30 days of each year while corporate workers often only have half of that.
Thus, joining the military may also help you if you want to have more days off from work.
Joining the military can make you more confident
Since you will learn many new things during your military career, chances are that you will also become much more confident.
You will also really grow in character and will learn how to deal with emotional issues.
In turn, during your military career, you can greatly increase your overall level of confidence, which can help you in various parts of your daily life.
Many people find a purpose in life through joining the military
For many people, the army is more than a job. Some people also find a real purpose in life by joining the military.
Hence, if you currently feel lost in life and don’t know what you want to do, you may want to inform yourself about a military career since it may offer you things that are currently missing in your life.
Can give you the opportunity for free college
In some countries, you will also be able to get free college education by joining the army.
College education can be quite expensive and many students suffer from serious student debt once they graduate from college.
Quite often, people will have to pay back their student loans for many years or even decades.
By joining the military, you could remove this financial burden since there will often be no need to get a student loan at all.
You will learn how to deal with stress
Joining the army can also help you to learn how to deal with stress.
In fact, many military operations are quite stressful and you will really have to learn how to deal with your emotions in order to stay mentally healthy in the long run.
In fact, learning to deal with stress is not only crucial in the military, but it is also crucial to succeed in various other parts of life.
You will be able to improve many skills during your military career
In general, if you join the army, you will also learn many new skills during your military career.
Many military operations are quite demanding and you will always have to improve yourself further and to be the best version of yourself.
In turn, this will lead to a state where you feel like nothing can really bother you, which can also be quite important to achieve your goals in life.
Disadvantages of Joining the Military
- Joining the army can be dangerous
- You don’t know where you have to go
- Difficult if you have a family
- Your wife and kids may worry all day long
- May be hard to plan for the future
- You will not get rich by joining the army
- You may suffer from serious injuries
- Military jobs can be demanding
- You have to comply with things you don’t want to
- Rather limited chance to quit
- Many soldiers experience mental issues in the long run
- Your overall level of freedom will be pretty confined
- You will not see your friends too often
Joining the army can be dangerous
Although there are numerous advantages of joining the army, there are still many issues related to it.
For instance, one major problem with joining the army is that it can simply be quite dangerous.
In fact, you will never know where you will have to work and you may be sent to rather insecure areas all over the world.
In fact, many soldiers lose their lives every year during military operations.
In turn, make sure that you are really willing to risk your life for your country before joining the army.
You don’t know where you have to go
Since it is rather unclear where the next conflicts will happen, you will often also not know where you will be located in the future.
Thus, you will often have to be rather spontaneous regarding your work location and therefore, for people who want to play way in advance, joining the military may not be the way to go.
Difficult if you have a family
Another downside of joining the army is that it can also be difficult for your family life.
In fact, if you are located in a foreign country and don’t see your wife and your kids too often, chances are that your wife will cheat on you sooner or later or that you will simply lose the emotional connection to each other.
Your wife and kids may worry all day long
Even if you are able to maintain your marriage in the long run, your wife and your kids will often worry about your safety.
In fact, many women all around the world fear that they will get the notice that their husbands died in military operations.
In turn, if your family worries all day long, this can also result in a significant emotional burden and in mental problems for your family.
May be hard to plan for the future
In general, if you join the military, it will also be quite hard for you to plan for the future.
Since you will not know where you will be located in a few months or years, it will be hard for you to buy a home in a certain region or to make other long-term commitments.
You will not get rich by joining the army
Opponents of joining the army also often claim that the salary in the military is rather low.
In fact, while you will be able to make a decent salary, you will not get rich in the army.
Thus, if you really aspire to a demanding career where you can become a millionaire, joining the army will likely not be the way to go for you.
You may suffer from serious injuries
Depending on where you will have to work during your military career, you may also be at risk for serious injuries.
In fact, in some regions, there are still serious conflicts going on.
In turn, your risk of getting attacked and seriously injured will be much higher compared to the average job in the corporate world.
Military jobs can be demanding
Military jobs are not only physically demanding, they can also be mentally exhausting.
Hence, don’t expect your military career to be easy all the time.
There will likely be periods where you want to quit and you will have to push through those periods from time to time.
You have to comply with things you don’t want to
Another issue with joining the military is that you have to comply with all the commands you get.
In fact, you may have to do many things that will actually not be in line with your ethics and this can result in serious emotional pain.
Thus, make sure that you are willing to act against your inner voice before you decide to join the military.
Rather limited chance to quit
Before you join the army, make sure that you considered all the pros and cons carefully.
In fact, once you signed your contract, there will be almost no chance to get out of the military before your contract term ended.
Therefore, make sure that the military is really the way to go for you since you will have to stay there for an extended period of time.
Many soldiers experience mental issues in the long run
Another disadvantage of joining the army is that many soldiers will suffer from serious mental issues in the long run.
In fact, many soldiers make really bad experiences during their operations and are often not able to deal with all they had to do during their military career.
Hence, make sure to take this fact into account when it comes to the decision whether you want to join the military or not.
Your overall level of freedom will be pretty confined
In general, if you join the military, your overall level of freedom will be pretty confined.
In fact, in many countries all over the world, you will need permission from the military for various things in your daily life.
In some countries, you will even have to get permission from the army before you are allowed to get married. Thus, joining the military can also greatly affect your private life.
You will not see your friends too often
Since you will often have to work in foreign countries during your military career, chances are that you will also not see your friends too often.
Sure, you can make video calls.
Yet, this is just not the same as hanging out together in person.
Top 10 Joining the Army Pros & Cons – Summary List
| Joining the Army Pros | Joining the Army Cons |
|---|---|
| Joining the army can improve your confidence | Joining the army can lead to mental issues |
| Joining the military can let you grow in character | Joining the army can be dangerous |
| You can meet like-minded people | Joining the military may hurt your family life |
| You can make friends for a lifetime | You will not see your friends too often |
| Joining the army can increase patriotism | Your family will worry about you |
| You can defend your country | Military jobs can be demanding |
| You can travel in the army | Once you sign, you commit |
| Joining the army can help you deal with stress | Your freedom will be confined |
| You can get free college education | You will have to do things you don’t like |
| You can learn many important skills | You may suffer from injuries |
Should You Join The Army?
As we can see from the previous discussion, there are several advantages and disadvantages of joining the military.
In the end, you have to evaluate all the pros and cons of joining the army by yourself in order to make the best possible decision regarding your individual circumstances.
Sources
https://www.usa.gov/join-military
https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/army-recruiting-faqs.html
https://www.goarmy.com/learn.html
About the author
My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these issues.
As I went to university and got my Master’s degree in Economics, I did plenty of research in the field of Development Economics.
After finishing university, I traveled around the world. From this time on, I wanted to make a contribution to ensure a livable future for the next generations in every part of our beautiful planet.
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