Pros and cons for joining the military

Joining the military Pros

Here is a list of the advantages of joining the military

Joining the military Cons

Here is a list of the disadvantages of joining the military

Serving your country.

Leaving your town or city, get to travel to different part of the country and the world.

Learn about other cultures and customs with different people you meet around the world.

Getting an education package for college ( the GI Bill which could provide over $40,000 towards your college education), also learning new skills you will not learn otherwise.

Opportunity to learn technical, job related skills such as computers, logistics, mechanical skills, etc.

Learn about yourself, about how the world work, things you can’t learn from colleges.

Meeting new people, opportunity to build new friends and lifelong friends.

Get commissions $$$ and big bonus.

Best medical, health, dental and life insurance for you and your family.

Testing yourself physically and mentally.

Great way to save up money because the military provide all the things you need even though soldiers don’t make a lot of money.

Allow to escape from dangerous neighborhood where there are little opportunity for jobs.

Military provide structure for people who might need guidance, discipline and direction.

Lifelong career in the military provide great benefits, pension and other retirement plans.

Free housing and free meals.

Will keep you physically fit.

In wartime, you may ask to go into battles where you are put in a position to get kill or seriously injured in combat or kill another human being, by joining the military you are saying that you’re comfortable with those risks.

When you are in the military, you do not have real freedom because most of the decisions are decided for you without your input (you will take an oath before joining the military whereby you swear to put your military career and your country first).

You forfeit some of your right while serving.

Once you sign up with the military, you can’t walk away before your time is up without serious penalty.

There is little privacy, for example, you will have to share your room with other soldiers.

Promotion is not always about merit.

You go where and when the military tells you.

If you know the right people in the military, you can go far.

You have no choice on your clothing and your hairstyle.

Many higher officers don’t know how to manage, this can impair their subordinates.

You don’t get to see your family when you’re on duty, you have no or very little family life.

The statistics on divorce in the military is very high.

You get deploy months at a time, 6 – 12 months deployment or more is normal.

People get promotions when they shouldn’t.

You may come in the military to do one or two jobs but ended up doing 10 different jobs.

You are force to do things you do not want to do.

A lot of hard work and long hours.

The food is not always the greatest.

If you are in a junior position, you could be treated unfairly.

You might be working for someone younger than you, who doesn’t know what they are doing and you have to call them sir.

You need to be tolerate for being told what to do.

Can be boring and frustrating, a lot of waiting and sitting.

Disobedience for doing something you’re not supposed to do will get you in a lot of trouble.

You might get injured from too much exercise.