Military Lessening the Educational Disadvantages

Military

Lessening the Educational Disadvantages of Military Culture

The educational culture of the military bears little resemblance to that of popular culture or health culture. Indeed, the military lifestyle is for the most part a Spartan one in which the members undergo a strict regime of physical strength-training. It should also be noted that the military lifestyle is severe to a greater extent than the lifestyle afforded by other cultures. Certainly, military culture is not for everyone, and prospective enlistees should be cognizant of the many advantages and disadvantages associated with military life. This paper provides a brief overview of some of the most pertinent advantages and disadvantages, and concludes with strategies that can be deployed in order to lessen the disadvantages.

One of the chief advantages of military life is the extreme level of group solidarity that one gains from the military; individuals spend all of their time with a select group of fellow enlistees, and people quickly learn the value of cooperation and the strength in having a strong support group available at all times. Those who struggle with personal motivation or who have never had a supportive influence in their lives are likely to find particular satisfaction in the military lifestyle. It has also been shown that the military lifestyle better prepares people for relationships later in life, particularly with regard to marriage and raising a family (Teachman, 2009). Additionally, military culture places a premium on physical fitness, and enlistees generally find themselves in the excellent physical condition. In this regard, one of the advantages to education in the military is that it is not limited to the classroom or the training ground but also refers to educating oneself on how best to treat their bodies.

It could be argued that the advantages listed above are also disadvantages of military culture, as the lifestyle of group solidarity clashes strongly with the individualistic ethos promoted by contemporary Western culture. In order to lessen the potential disadvantage of the group ethos, it is important to place a premium on interpersonal relations while at the same time retaining one's own personal values. With regard to the severe physical fitness regimen, enlistees should not view the harsh training lifestyle as a disadvantage but must apply a positive perspective to it, valuing the superior conditioning that they will achieve. One of the most successful ways of lessening the educational disadvantages of military culture is simply to view the same disadvantages from a positive standpoint, appreciating the benefits of the group dynamic and physical strength.

In addition to the physical benefits of the military, another benefit of the lifestyle is the technological acumen that enlistees acquire. Those who have an interest in technology are especially well-positioned to thrive in the military culture; the military provides access to machines and technological equipment that is unattainable in other cultural spheres and soldiers should take full advantage of their exposure to high-level equipment. Military education is also more values-driven and goal-oriented than traditional higher education; as Husted and West (2008) note, the military education forces its members to remain accountable at all times, often through policies such as honor codes, and students learn the value of honesty, integrity, and hard work. While it could be argued that the honor code is an unnecessarily harsh policy and therefore a disadvantage of military life, such policies pay off over the extended future as enlistees absorb the values that will become necessary in order to survive in society following graduation. Where traditional institutions for higher learning cater to the individual and do not hold people accountable, the military culture imposes consequences that make the transition into society significantly more fluid.

A possible disadvantage of military culture is that it does not provide as well-rounded an education as liberal arts colleges. To this end, those in the military can lessen said disadvantage through studying other subjects in their spare time, or making plans to take adult education courses following their tenure in the military culture. In the end, however, those individuals who thrive in the military are those who place a premium on more technological areas of study.