Joining the Military

Today in the United States, I think that men and women join the military today mostly because they think that it is their duty and obligation to help the country, and that they want to give back to their homeland. To join the military today is a big commitment, even more so than back in the Civil War, and I don’t think that anyone would join for just any reason, especially with the hardships of being away from family, and the risk of dying. Some reasons for joining the military in the 1860s still exist today, such as loyalty to the country and the respect you get. However, I think that joining the military today is much more complex, because of the way war is fought today, with new technology. That takes away a lot of the adventure that soldiers felt in the Civil War. The adventure still exists for some people, just not all of them, like in the Civil War.

Comparing military service to the risks involved is really a personal question. Some people would feel that it is not worth it, and that it is too high of a risk of dying, while others say that it is for the country, and if giving your life is what it takes to help, so be it. I personally would not have joined in the Civil War, because there would be too many hardships for me, and I don’t feel the strong affection towards America that people in the military do. Pretty much everything would be hard for me if I was a soldier, but being separated from everyone I know, both family and friends, would be most difficult to me.