Our Children’s Careers (Part 3): Should We Encourage Military Service?

Anyone who follows my postings (including here, here, here, and here) knows how proud I am of being an officer in the United States Army Reserve. Seen being commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the Spring of 2001, I have been activated and served three overseas tours (Germany, Kuwait/Iraq, and the Horn of Africa), met my wife and some of my closest friends and colleagues, and had the greatest adventures I can imagine. Being a member of the military when 9/11 occurred made me feel I was already part of the system that would step up to defend our country. And twenty years later as I continue to serve as a field grade officer, I realize how blessed I am for the opportunity to help usher in the next generation of American Soldiers.

But just because I had a great experience serving does not make me automatically advocate that all young Americans do the same. After all, don’t we serve so that our next generation does not have to? As our 9 children approach high school and college age, my wife and I struggle with how much to push them to follow in our footsteps.

Outstanding Life Experiences and Benefits

For me, nothing comes close to the experience of feeling like your efforts are part of something much bigger than yourself. Over the past two decades our country’s military has been heavily involved in matters throughout the world. To have even some small role in this process is something to be exceedingly proud of. Experiencing the far corners of the globe, and serving with Americans from all walks of life, is something that few people will do particularly at a young age.

Diversity and inclusion? While these terms are thrown around in popular culture, in the military we actually practice them. In the armed forces it does not matter where you came from, what color your skin is, how wealthy your parents are or what religion you practice. What matters is how to perform your job, and whether your brothers and sisters can rely on you to get their back. The poorest and least politically connected can rise to the heights of the enlisted or officer ranks judged on nothing but grit and determination. While schools and corporations play games with “DEI” buzzwords, for members of the military it is a way of life.

Then there are the practical benefits. The GI Bill and other forms of educational assistance are there to help fund college and even graduate school. Beyond the network of active-duty medical facilities, Reserve and National Guard servicemembers have access to TRICARE which is outstanding medical and dental insurance. You can obtain high levels of DoD security clearances which are very marketable in the private sector. And twenty years in the military will earn you a pension, which you collect either immediately (for active component servicemembers) or upon retirement age (for reserve and national guardsmen). While a military career may not make you rich, there are a vast array of benefits that few outside the services are likely not even aware of.

A Range of Career and Service Opportunities

What is also often overlooked is the vast multitude of how and in what capacity one can serve. Within the Army alone there are a vast array of options within three career categories: combat arms (such as infantry, armor, artillery, cyber), combat support (such as military intelligence, military police), and combat service support (such as transportation, finance, JAG, and medical). There is the enlisted route, generally more available to those younger and who have not pursued a college degree, or the officer path which follows either a service academy or ROTC or a graduate program like law or medical school.

There is also the critical question of whether to make the military a full-time career or take the citizen-Soldier path and serve in the Reserve (federal) or National Guard (state). It one opts for active duty either by choice or to fulfill a service obligation, one can either do the minimum and transfer to the Reserve or National Guard or stick with it for a 20+ year career. You can also do the opposite, as I have known people who start out as reservists but find a passion for service and make it their life.

The point is there are many ways to serve, and I cannot say how many times people have commented “I always thought about the military but never really looked into it…” Unlike many other paths the military does favor the young, so the best time to explore it is early in those post-high school or college years. If children wait too long to consider service, the chance can very well pass them by.

A Big Cultural Change

One very big difference in the two decades since I joined the Army is how service is portrayed to our younger generations. For much of the last half-century, opposition to first the Vietnam War and then the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy led to colleges and universities ending their ROTC program and effectively banning recruiters from campus. But for the past decade things have liberalized to the point at which much of higher education – while maybe not enthusiastic about the military – are at least less openly hostile. The hope is that this will broaden the range of students and younger Americans who will consider service, and that is good both institutionally and as a nation. We should want a diverse group in our armed forces for so many reasons, and I am optimistic this trend will only make us stronger.

Dangers and Downsides

Let’s face it – military service is dangerous, and nobody wants to see their children in harms’ way. From the first day of basic training, every servicemember is essentially being trained and must be prepared to exert serious and even deadly violence against our fellow human beings. There is no downplaying or getting around it. I cannot speak to how things were in the 1990s, but for the past two decades we have operated on a high OPTEMPO pace and both active and reserve Soldiers could expect multiple combat tours to Afghanistan, Iraq, or elsewhere. Things are at a lull right now, but it is naive to expect that will last for long.

Another thing to keep in mind is while there are many opportunities to grow and excel within the military, the fact is you also have a lot less control over your fate than in virtually any other occupation.

On the micro level, if you have an awful military boss or hate your place of assignment there is very little you can do about it. You cannot refuse to work, or quit, or demand a transfer. Even a two- or three-year assignment can be grueling if you are very unhappy with your day-to-day yet cannot change things up as with a civilian career. For the current junior workforce who seem happy jumping between jobs every year or so, military service does not work like that. While I happen to think being required to work through a tough situation is a good thing, it may be a shock to members of younger generations.

You also have to think about things on a macro level and accept you are at the direction of civilian policymakers who ultimately decide how the military is utilized. For years the tactical and operational performance by the military in both Iraq and Afghanistan was outstanding, but they were dictated by strategic priorities set by Washington that were not always well thought out. The catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 was not the fault of the military; it was the result of the White House demanding withdrawal by a certain date despite the fact there was no plan to execute it. The armed forces were placed in an awful position and did the best they could.

Bottom Line

For my wife and I it’s not an easy call, but ultimately we will encourage each of our children to consider some form of military service. Active or reserve, enlisted or officer, before or after (or in lieu of) college, there are so many ways to serve in uniform and be part of something vital to our nation and our allies worldwide. Just look at what is happening in Ukraine and in Gaza and how necessary it is for younger generations to defend their country and their culture. I acknowledge it is not for everyone, and that there are many other very noble ways to serve your country including as a civilian or in the Peace Corps or another domestic or international NGO. But if America needs us again (as I am certain it will), I much prefer my children be ready to answer the call rather than be standing on the sidelines.

This article contains my personal views and does not constitute legal advice. For more information feel free to message me directly via LinkedIn or X (@JosephMoreno).