Search Posts

Pros and cons of joining the military

Joining the military may be a life-changing decision that must be carefully considered. The reasons for joining or not joining the military are very personal. As a result, if you are considering joining the military, make sure read all of the pros and cons of joining the military that is covered in the following article.

The pros of joining the military include developing discipline, learning, acquiring new skills, earning a sense of patriotism, and getting perks like education and health care. The cons of joining the military include the risk of being deployed to a combat area, the possibility of injury or death, and the separation from family and friends. There are a variety of pros and cons of joining the military. So here are the 10 pros and cons of joining the military from a soldier’s point of view.

Here are the listed of top 5 pros of joining in Military:

  1. You get to learn new skills
  2. Retire Earlier
  3. You learn a lot about yourself
  4. Paid Vacation
  5. You get to travel

Here are the listed of top 5 cons of joining in Military:

  1. Standardized Rules
  2. You can’t quit
  3. You can be away from your loved ones, friends & family
  4. Free Health care
  5. A well-defined yet Rigorous Life

Related article: Pros and cons of joining the army

Top 5 Pros of joining the military:

First of all, let’s have a look at the pros of joining the military and these are as follows:

You get to learn new skills:

The military offers a variety of career opportunities, and you can learn new skills and knowledge while serving. The military place a strong focus on its soldier’s ongoing and regular development. If you have other interests, the military will even support you in your goal to always learn and advance.

Retire Earlier:

You might be able to retire earlier if you join the military when you are young. US news and world report state that people who have worked for at least 20 years often qualify for retirement benefits. Those who sign at 17 or 18 would theoretically be able to retire before the age of 40, receive military benefits, and yet be young enough to start a second profession.

You learn a lot about yourself:

The military has strict requirements for how you should present yourself. You need to appear and act the part because you represent the military as a whole, especially while you are in uniform.

Paid Vacation:

Each month in the military, you are entitled to around two months of paid leave. In addition to your weekly off days and paid holidays, you also receive these. Additionally, you can accumulate your leaves for as long as your command allows it and redeem them all at once in a single calendar year.

You get to travel:

While hardly a vacation experience, you could be stationed anywhere around the globe where you will acquire the unique life experience that comes with it. Traveling and living in another country is not in and of themselves reasons to join the military, but the perspective you would get is undeniably noteworthy. Being in the military is a difficult career that requires self-sacrifice.

Physical Fitness and self-control:

There are several physical requirements during basic training and during serving in the military, which will maintain you in the top physical condition and teach you important soft skills like self-discipline.

Related article: Pros and Cons of Joining the army as a woman

Top 5 Cons of joining the military:

Now let’s discuss the cons of joining the Military and these are as follows:

Standardized Rules: 

Rules in the army apply to everyone. Therefore, you will adhere to the same standards for appearance, which are frequently stiff and not your style.

You Can’t Quit: 

You will sign a contract when you sign up, and you will serve the number of years you agreed to. There are methods to leave early, but the majority of them include spending time in jail or being discharged dishonourably by court marshals, which you definitely don’t want.

You can be away from your loved ones, friends & family.

Joining the military can be a very demanding lifestyle, requiring long hours and often leaving little time for family or personal life. Being stationed in another corner of the earth can suck at times. Birthdays, holidays, weddings, births, and even deaths will pass you by. You won’t be able to take your family to field regions and will have to spend that time apart. Military members may be required to deploy to locations around the world, away from their homes and loved ones.

Free healthcare:

Free healthcare should be beneficial, right? It is on the surface. When you look more deeply, you realize that this could also be a drawback. You aren’t allowed to pick your own doctor in the military. Under Tricare, a physician who is referred to as a primary care manager is allocated to you and your dependents.

A well-defined yet Rigorous Life:

Joining the military can be a very dangerous decision, as members are often put in harm’s way. Military life is unquestionably different. You get up early for PT, then have breakfast, go to theory classes and then have PT again. You have the afternoon to yourself before engaging in games or other activities. In addition, You may have to work long hours and in difficult conditions.

Related article: Military spouse benefits

Thank you for reading this article. If you have any queries regarding our article on the Pros and cons of joining the Military then do comment in the comment section below.

Explore more information: 

  1. Pros and Cons of Joining the Airforce
  2. Pros and Cons of Joining the Marines
  3. Pros and cons of joining the coast guard
  4. Pros and Cons of Joining the navy
  5. Pros and cons of the National Guard
  6. Advantages and disadvantages of NCC

 

Author Profile

Divya Chauhan
Divya Chauhan is an expert writer with 10+ years of experience as a content writer. They specialize in making complex topics like IT, Health, and general topic easy to understand. Divya has written over thousands of articles to help people with their content. Prior to joining Way2benefits’s editorial team in 2020, Divya worked as a Professor of BCA college and freelancer blogger.