Why do we serve in the military?

Frequently, those who serve in the military are asked why they chose to serve and why they continue to do so. It is practical, fitting and admirable to explain these decisions with an answer that simplistically refers to an inescapable emotional tide of selfless service and call to duty. I, like others, have tailored my answers in this fashion numerous times. In truth, the reasons why I serve my country are both numerous and complex. In this essay, I will explain what I believe to be the three primary motives for my continued service: (1) a sense of duty, (2) a common bond and (3) security. Some may be more powerful and influential than others; however, they undoubtedly all play a significant role.
As mentioned, a sense of duty is the most common response given for one’s reason to serve their country. It is undeniable that this call to service is a key component to my core values and my professional fulfillment. Although it does not guide me alone, it would be difficult to argue that it is not the overriding factor in many of my decisions. Officers and Soldiers may join the service for many reasons; however, I believe that few would continue to serve beyond their obligations if they were not driven by some manifestation of a sense or call to duty. This internal motive is often more conveniently packaged in the term of selfless service.
Selfless service is ultimately evoked by feelings of loyalty to one’s country and nationalistic pride. Raised in a family rooted in military tradition, I believe that I grew up with an internal sense of loyalty and pride that makes military service a perfect fit. Most people envision themselves in a career that is both fulfilling and meaningful; I am no different in this capacity. Presented with decision points, I have always chosen to remain in the service. In retrospect and forward thinking, I just fail to see myself in a career that provides such a tangible opportunity to feel good about what I am doing and a feeling that I am making a difference. Likewise, when I see others who have made the opposite decision and harbor visible feelings of regret (such as my wife), I am convinced that I would respond in the same.
However, loyalty and duty can be fleeting when the supporting conditions do not support and maintain their existence. Moreover, I am human and therefore respond to other motives. While, it would be difficult to shake my sense of duty, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that I am at least subconsciously influenced by other factors that are not entirely selfless.
One of these factors is can be characterize as the sharing of a common bond. The Army is my way of life and has been for my entire life. My father served in the military for thirty years and continues to hold the mark for the shortest term of military in our family (his brother and my grandfather each served beyond thirty years). When I am around others in the military I feel a sense of familiarity. The military is an extended family. There is no experience or job outside of the Army where I could ever imagine experiencing the bonds or level of camaraderie that I experience with my peers and Soldiers both in and out of combat. I serve in the military because I am comfortable with the people, the mission and the values.
Is this common bond intertwined or related to the previously described call of duty?...Absolutely. But conversely, one could say that I remain in the military because I fear the possibilities or uncertainty in the “outside world”. This assessment may be true to an extent. However, it is my choice to follow this path which, while to some degree is self serving, remains admirable and, in my opinion, in parallel with the majority of those who serve.
Finally, and least altruistically, it would be significant case of omission if I did not list security as an important reason for my continued service. Security is predominately categorized as economic security which I will address, but takes forms not exclusive to money. The military demands a high level of flexibility and sacrifice but provides numerous forms of compensation. While offset by deployments and other activities that take me away from my family, I am fully aware that the Army provides a level of time compensation that is not always available in the civilian sector. How many civilian organizations offer as non-working government holidays, thirty days leave, and a supervisor’s prerogative to grant absences or tardiness to “take care of family issues”. We often take for granted the flexibility provided to attend to a sick child or attend a early recital without the consequence of expending leave.
Economic security is provided by the Army in the forms of comparable pay, job security, health benefits and retirement. The latter two have always been driving influences for continued military service but as the economy remains in a slump, job security is emerging as a viable compliment. Few other industries offer the opportunity to secure retirement pay and health benefits at such an early age. While I am admittedly not concerned about my ability to acquire a comparable position in the civilian sector, I am strongly influenced by the goal of retirement. Anyone with a reasonable economic acumen would conclude the same thing that I did when I entered the down slope of a twenty year career; leaving at this point just doesn’t make fiscal sense.
I have provided a broad stroke in trying to cover the reasons for my military service. While the call of duty, sense of common bond, and security are true factors, they only highlight the top layer of a complex network of mental and physical factors that influence my decisions. Further introspection, may reveal factors that are more dominantly weighted than others; however, as a true Operations Research and Systems Analyst (ORSA), I believe that I cannot truly define their individual impacts and sensitivity unless a factor itself is either removed or changed. In the meantime, the context of time will likely shape my answer and lead me to describe a palatable call to duty and selfless service.

Major Mark Zais
Student, Command and General Staff School
U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
Fort Belvoir, Virginia

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.