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.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of the military is the opportunity for cultural advancement it provides. In particular, the military has been shown to improve personal status in the areas of socioeconomic status, intellectual functioning,...
Accordingly, those who are deficient intellectually or academically, or who come from impoverished or socioeconomically underprivileged backgrounds will find an avenue for personal advancement through military culture. The inherent cultural barriers that one faces in society do not exist in the military, as everyone is placed on an even level; the ethos of equality is particularly successful in improving the self-esteem of those who come from underprivileged backgrounds and have been denied educational and professional opportunities.
The military offers many educational advantages, relating to interpersonal relationships, intellectual growth, physical betterment, and socioeconomic status. Potential disadvantages are limited and can be lessened through adopting a perspective that openly accepts the singular lifestyle of the military. Ultimately, while the military is not optimal for everyone, it promotes values that are inherently beneficial across many different cultural environments.
References
Husted, S.W., & West, C.T. (2008). Developing leaders of character: The case for military higher education. The John Shepperd Journal of Practical Leadership, 34-44.
Teachman, J. (2009). Military service, race, and the transition to cohabitation. Journal of Family Issues, 30(10), 1433-1454.
Wang, L., et al. (2012). Status configurations, military service, and higher education. Social Forces, 91(2), 397-422.
