Re: "A Soldier's Motivation"

      The reasons people join the military today are as varied as the people. Some join out of patriotism or sense of duty to their country. Some join for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities such as riding in submarines or jumping out of planes. Others may even join to travel the world. Some join simply to escape a certain lifestyle they may have been leading back home. Oftentimes individuals will join for beneficial reasons such as education and healthcare. Some join in pursuit of the disciplined and structured environment where competency proves more important than social statuses and how financially equipped you may be. Overall, I think the reasons one chooses to enroll in the military today are not so different from the reasons back then.
       I would not have joined the Civil War because I lack the courage and mental stamina to do so. Being so far from everyone I know and only being able to contact home occasionally would be distressing as well. Although technology has helped weaponry to advance greatly, the risks of death still exist. The potential of receiving a serious injury is also very high. In addition, joining the military could result in psychological harm. Very few people, if not none, join for the opportunity to kill. In fact, many join in hopes of never seeing actual cases of combat. It would be most difficult for me to cope with such deaths. On the other hand, I feel that it would not be as hard to deal with the physical training. It would be a nice experience to escape from an everyday routine and focus on professional and athletic abilities alone. In conclusion, because the disadvantages of joining outnumber the pros for me, I would not have felt the urge to enroll.