# So what kind of personality is attracted to the modern military? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 30, 2012, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296 "2012-09-30T07:40:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296/141 "2012-10-03T00:14:41Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > We’ve all experienced topic drift in a thread before but holy shit. Seriously? We’ve gone from talking about what kind of person joins the military to whether or not the American Revolution was justified. This is nothing. There’s currently a thread about the legality of [conversion therapy and minors](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15544393&postcount=1). The first post on the second page is about [penguins](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=667299&page=2). ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296/142 "2012-10-03T01:19:54Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Just because you believe in stupid shit like dousing doesn’t mean you are extraordinary. Tell me, do you actually believe that statement? Just for the record, I don’t believe in dowsing. What I believe is that James Randi keeps losing his challenge through his own stupidity, then lies about the results. The lies are transparent, everyone can see through them, and they cause considerable harm to skeptics. Is that clear? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296/143 "2012-10-03T02:09:33Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Just because you believe in stupid shit like dousing doesn’t mean you are extraordinary. This is totally off topic and it is a personal attack that is neither pertinent nor allowed. Take it to The BBQ Pit if you need to make these sort of attacks. > [@Loach](#): > > Nah. I stay out of the mass masterbation that is GD. Yet, here you are. Knock it off. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296/144 "2012-10-03T02:53:53Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > There are a lot of reasons why people still join the military: > > You get to play with some really cool shit that you’d never be able to. My wife is of an age where, had she joined up when she was young, that would not be true. I rib her that today even the Coast Guard might let her play with a .50 cal machine gun and if she were Army in Afghanistan she could ride on an APC with a machine gun of her very own. She cries a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296/145 "2012-10-04T06:57:39Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Surprised by this one. Most people would have called these two the other way. What criteria did you use? > > Here’s my picks: > > Revolution - justified > War of 1812 - not justified > Mexican-American War - not justified > Civil War - justified > Spanish-American War - not justified > Philippines - not justified > WWI - justified > WWII - justified > Korea - justified > Vietnam - not justified > Grenada - not justified > Panama - justified > Gulf 1 - justified > Afghanistan - justified > Gulf 2 - not justified My two cents: Revolution - justified War of 1812 - not justified Mexican-American War - justified Civil War - justified Spanish-American War - justified Philippines - not justified WWI - justified WWII - justified Korea - justified Vietnam - not justified Grenada - justified Panama - justified Gulf 1 - justified Bosnia/Kosovo - justified Afghanistan - justified Gulf 2 - not justified Libya- justified Middle East/Southwest Asia/North Africa (since 2001)\*- justified \*-I refer to the various miscellaneous military actions in the War on Terror in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia etc. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296/146 "2012-10-04T07:03:19Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Spanish-American War - justified A friend of mine thought that until he visited the Naval Museum in Philadelphia, which has a lot of information on the propaganda with which the American press built that war up. If you ever get a chance to visit it, please do (I loved all three ship visits, personally). ---
**Author:** ![Nom\_de\_Plume](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85f322/32.png) [@Nom\_de\_Plume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nom_de_Plume)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296/147 "2012-10-04T18:53:21Z")
The list of military actions shouldn’t be limited to wars. I was with the deployment of a MASH unit to help the victims of earthquakes in Pakistan, and had friends that joined military medical professionals bringing much needed care to very poor parts of Africa and Asia. I have friends that deployed to Haiti to help with brining in supplies, medical care, and keeping the peace. And when civilian authority broke down in New Orleans, who did we count on to restore the peace? US men and women in uniform. We do more than invade other countries. I think if you asked most people why they joined the military, you would get answers like a steady job, money for college, a chance to see the world or whatever. But I also believe there are easier ways to get those things. I think, deep down, most people who join have a certain sense of service that they may not talk about. I grew up in a small town and wanted to see the world, and maybe get money for college. I did both. I was stationed in Italy, Spain, the Philippines, Turkey, Japan and had temporary duty or deployments in other places. I met and married the love of my life, who was also in the military. Like I said, there are easier ways of life. We did both stay in once we married, but we spent about 4 years apart for assignments or deployments after we were married. (The military tries to station married couples together and the Air Force especially does a pretty good job, but the needs of the military come first.) Like others have said, the benefits really are pretty good in the service. If you stay 20 years, as both my wife and I did, you have a paycheck for life and pretty good medical service. While you’re in, it’s possible to get money for college, if you don’t mind going while doing a full-time job. Most people I know have pursued college degrees and many have gone on to graduate degrees. Most of my friend are enlisted folks, not officers. I think I read somewhere that 40% of enlisted folks now have a college degrees. For a guy like me, who had nothing but a high school diploma, the military was a great chance to gain job skills, get a degree, see the world…all while serving my country. It’s not necessarily for everyone, because, yes, you can’t choose where they send you. And, yes, you sometimes have to follow the orders of butt-heads. But you also get a chance to meet some pretty wonderful people and make friends for life. The military also does a pretty goodjob of integrating people of different races and sexes; better, I think, than society as a whole. You do spend a lot of time away from your family, at times, but do get to see some things you would not have had the chance to see. All in all, it was a great experience. I’m very glad I served. ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296/148 "2012-10-04T19:50:07Z")
This whole thread reminds me of the dicks, pussies and assholes speech from Team America: World Police. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296/149 "2012-10-04T20:24:02Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > They have no moral fiber to attack. According to this thread reasons for joining th military are: > > 1- I’m poor and need money > 2- A college education > 3- I love America!!! > > well, you could join the police department, the fire department, go to nursing school, teach, etc etc etc. Every single “reason” people give for joining the military can be fulfilled some other way. Sure, it’s a lot harder to actually go look for a job than it is to take the 15 minutes it takes to sign up at the recruiters office, but maybe just maybe they could of made that effort. If you know so little about the American military that you think it’s easy to join and takes just 15 minutes at a recruiter’s office, then you really ought to educate yourself more before making such extreme statements. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296/150 "2012-10-07T22:56:22Z")
> [@Malden\_Capell](#): > > This whole thread reminds me of the dicks, pussies and assholes speech from Team America: World Police. see post #105 ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296/151 "2012-10-07T23:03:30Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I’ll give you my own personal take on this. > > The military is one big team. Everyone works together for a common objective. Whatever the team does, every single member of that team is responsible. If, working together, they kill 100 of the enemy, then every member of the team has killed 100 people. It doesn’t matter who fired the actual fatal shots. > > The team is large and has a lot of different jobs. You need, for instance, to transport stuff (e.g. missiles) to a war zone. So you have people to load stuff into trucks, and other people to drive the trucks to the destination, and other people to maintain the trucks and keep them working, and other people to process the paperwork to buy that equipment from the defense contractor, and so on. Every last one of these people are killers. When those missiles arrive at the destination, and are fired, everyone is jointly responsible for those deaths. That includes the medics, and the chaplain. > > I do not have much respect for someone doing any job in the military who tries to tell me that he doesn’t kill people. It’s been a while since I spoke with someone who felt that everyone who served in the German military during WWII, regardless of their capacity was a war criminal the same as Eichmann. At least that is the logical extension of your argument. Anyway, then, if you don’t mind my asking, following the end of WWII should we then have executed every person who served in Germany military for war crimes, or do you think we were wrong to execute people like Eichmann, Goering etc. and they should have been jailed instead. If you feel that Goering and every person who served in the German military didn’t deserve to be executed how long should they have been put in prison for, or do you feel they shouldn’t have been put in prison? Thank. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296/152 "2012-10-07T23:39:47Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > Hi. I guess I’m still new here… > > What’s the difference in rules for posting in GD vice IMHO? In GD there is a specific rule against calling someone a liar. In other forums you might get away with it, if you are polite and can justify the accusation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-kind-of-personality-is-attracted-to-the-modern-military/636296.md?page=7)