Military training means more than the physical rigors of boot camp; new recruits also learn about the state-of-the-art developments in weaponry, surveillance, and information technology. A potential political career and professional military career are other potential outcomes of early military service and training. Because of the vast educational and professional development opportunities available to the new and youthful recruit, military service also entails valuable personal and social skills development. The basic training endured by all new recruits taxes both body and mind. Getting into physical shape is one of the possible benefits of military duty. Military training is also notoriously rigorous and highly demanding. Senior officers require continuous respect and obedience and therefore the young recruits learn about deference to authority. Consequently, the new officer develops admirable self-restraint and self-discipline, traits that come in handy throughout the rest of their lives. Troubled teens or at-risk youth may therefore benefit most from early military service. Joining the military immediately after graduating high school might preclude the young adult from embarking on a lifetime of criminal or deviant behavior. In addition to personal psychological development, the new recruit also develops valuable social skills. Living in close quarters with peers engenders trust and leads to lasting friendships with people...

Service yields such rewards because to serve the nation is an honorable privilege. Thus, the new recruit learns self-respect and self-confidence. After serving in the military, family and community members will likely view the young person with greater respect and admiration than had he or she simply taken a job at a fast-food restaurant. Moreover, educational and career development will yield ancillary results: the high school graduate who becomes a specialist in military intelligence boasts of a far more rewarding and challenging career than a fast-food clerk, for example. Those graduates who serve for any length of time will earn benefits including preferential treatment in certain situations because they have proven their merit, integrity, and personal strength.
Military service after high school is not a popular choice. Because of the potential dangers associated with military service, many parents would prefer to see their children go to college or take a job. Some parents and students may oppose military service on political grounds, too. However, the benefits of military service after high school far outweigh the disadvantages. Military service proffers financial, vocational, educational, psychological, and social rewards and is also a tremendous and enduring honor.