Military Values

1
Military Values
2
Why the Military Does What it Does

• Military values all have counterparts in the
  civilian world the military differs more in
  degree than in kind from the civilian sphere.

3
Some Military Values

• Ceremony, Rank, and Hierarchy
• Uniformity
• Discipline and Obedience
• Group Cohesion
• Rigorous Training

4
Uniformity

• Huge personnel turnover both in peace and in war
• Uniformity assists in administration, allows
  inspectors to count on a high degree of
  uniformity from place to place.

5
Discipline and Obedience

• Nothing could be further from the truth than the
  concept of "mindless obedience
• Many people cannot defer their own gratification,
  even briefly, despite consequences. 
• Discipline and the ability to obey are actually
  very high-order mental skills.
• Automata make poor soldiers. 
• Good soldiers have to be able to adapt, show
  initiative, and be highly autonomous
• At the same time, soldiers have to be able to
  recognize and respond instantly to situations
  that require automatic obedience. 

6
Group Cohesion

• Soldiers are more effective if they can count on
  support and aid from their comrades
• Soldiers perform mostly because they don't want
  to let their comrades down
• Peer pressure used in military training to
  reinforce weak links
• Mistakes on the battlefield affect everyone
• Uniforms and military ceremonies reinforce group
  cohesion by requiring soldiers to be publicly
  identified with the military.
• Often there is an us versus them mentality
  between the military and civilians

7
Example Hair Wars

• Once insect-borne disease was recognized,
  elimination of lice became a military priority
• Haircuts became mandatory
• Soldiers returning from World War I were
  immediately recognizable
• Soon short hair became the norm for men.
• In the 1960's youth demonstrated their rebellion
  by growing long hair
• The military insisted that soldiers identify
  publicly with the military by keeping hair short

8
Training

• Military training is unpleasant always has been,
  always will be.
• The only way to teach soldiers to work long hours
  under unpleasant conditions is to make them work
  long hours under unpleasant conditions.
• Wars are won by people who push the hardest
• Modern military literature speaks openly about
  "stress inducement"

9
Training

• Rigorous training serves to identify people who
  simply cannot deal with the stress
• Comparatively few people wash out in reality. 
• For many, the military  is the only time in their
  lives they are ever pushed close to their
  limits. 
• Rigorous training fosters group cohesion by
  creating a unique shared experience.

10
Elite Training

• Elite training (Navy SEALS, etc.) has a different
  goal
• Object is not to train a large mass of soldiers 
• Object is to identify and train a small elite
  that can endure the utmost rigors and who will
  simply not allow themselves to be stopped by
  anything. 
• Ultra-rigorous training creates group cohesion
  and a feeling of being members of an elite.