A Soldier's Motivation - Response

      Men and women join the military for various reasons today. Some of the reasons they join are similar to the reasons of the Civil War soldiers. Many people today are seeking adventure and glory. For example, the commercials about the military on Channel One make serving our country seem heroic and important. Escaping the boredom and monotonous routines of everyday life seems appealing when compared to the busy and active life of a soldier serving in a war. Many times, peer pressure effects the decisions of a person to enlist in the military. When everyone else is volunteering for a honorable cause, not volunteering would make you the odd one out and it is human tendency to follow the crowd. But pressure to join the military does not always come from peers; pressure could come from a family line of military personnel. If your family needs more money, joining the military helps because of the recruitment money offered. (In modern times, you are paid for your service and not just for being recruited.) Being loyal to our country or our state also caused and causes people to join the military. People are motivated to fight because of their love for the country and their love for the protection of the freedoms our Founding Fathers had established. There were and are immigrants who want to prove that they do belong to the country and just want to fit in with America, and what better way to do it than lay your life on the line for it?

     Some of the reasons people join the military differ from the reasons of Civil War soldiers. There are benefits that come with serving our country: compensation, bonuses, discounts, education, special recognitions, etc. People can make a living out of joining the military because they are paid wages instead of only recruitment money. Being in the military comes with honor and pride, which attracts some to join the military.

     Military is worth the risk involved, if that is the type of occupation that suites you. For me myself, military service would not be worth the risk involved because I am not the type of person who would last very long out on the battlefield, or even in the training camps. But for someone who is strong, adventurous, and wants a way to honor America, military service would be worth the risk. Everything in the world has a risk involved, and for some, their desire to join the military outweighs the dangers of it.
     It would be almost impossible for me to be motivated enough to join the military in the middle of a war. The main reason I would join would probably be because of the chances of higher education if I returned alive from my service and the financial gains that I would earn for serving. I would not have joined the military during the Civil War because the whole idea of the military and fighting does not interest me, but instead frightens me, and the conditions that the soldiers had to suffer through worries me. I would probably be the soldier screaming and hiding behind others, doing more harm than good.
     Everything would be hard for me if I were a soldier. Seeing people that I know being shot and killed would be very difficult, and the idea that my life could be taken away would haunt my thoughts throughout my entire time of service. Even though you can die any second, anywhere in the world; the chance seems even greater and more intimidating in the midst of war. Not being able to see my family or my friends for months or even years at a time would be devastating. No one I know closely would be there to help, comfort, or talk to me. The thought of holding a gun and shooting someone, possibly killing them, is horrifying for me. Their death would be hard on me and haunt me, even if they were the enemy and were willing to kill me. Also, the physical training and conditioning would be hard for me to endure.
     There are numerous reasons why a soldier would be motivated to serve their country in the military. But no matter the reason, the fact that they are serving their country and laying down their lives to uphold the values of freedom and equality is amazing; they are our nation's heroes that need to be honored and thanked.