Military Values
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.
Some Military Values
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Ceremony, Rank, and Hierarchy
Uniformity
Discipline and Obedience
Group Cohesion
Rigorous Training
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.
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 highorder 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.
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
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
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"
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.
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.