Do you have to be hardened to be in the military?

Question

I mean, like showing no feelings and stuff. hardened, like cold and able to deal with gory stuff.

Answer 1

Only a psychopath will shoot someone dead with a smile on his face. Having said that, to be successful in war, one needs to be able to apply professional disassociation! This is what doctors do when they lose a patient, or a fireman when he can't save a baby, or a policeman when he fires and kills a felon!

For these people to survive in their profession, they must be able to disassociate themselves from the victim or suffering party. It will drive the average person to post traumatic syndrome, or worse, unless they are able to walk away from anothers misfortune.

You call it hardened and cold, it's not that at all, it's a shield, a deflector from the horrors of life. In this way, these people are able to cope with the realities they see, sometimes on a daily basis.

Answer 2

Yea, maybe a little but it is more about completing the mission and being capable of doing what it takes. That is what the training is about; NOT to make you "hardened", but to make sure that you come home!

You will see and participate in "gory stuff"; it is called WAR and the STRONG prevail.

Here is an example. I was on an OP in the middle of the night and the hair went up on the back of my neck BIG TIME! I turned and saw a figure with a large machette ready to take my head off. Before I could react I heard a "POOF" and a body fell into my arms. It was a girl of maybe 15 and the shot had been taken from maybe 200 yards. I completed and got back to see the shooter in tears. He just said, "I had NO choice and I probably have waited a couple of seconds for you to deal with your own "SH%^, but my reactions took over; I hope that it didn't HURT her".

We talked for a minute and he said, "OK, I've had my time so lets get the hell out of here, 86 days and counting".

I heard later that he went home, married his high school girlfriend and lived on a farm. He also hired the local kids to shoot the gophers on his farm and never picked up a firearm again.

Now is that hardened or DUTY?

We ALL do things in WAR out of DUTY and hopefully regain our mentality for a civilian life and put things in perspective back in the "World".

Some have such HORRIFIC experiences that they are just not capable and that is TRUELY SAD.

You can come back home and CONTRIBUTE while you leave the "hardness" behind. One gains a posture and confidence that says, "Please do NOT mess with me because I am capable of HURTING you if you cross the line. The true BEAUTY is that you NEVER have to raise your hand in ANGER again.

I hope that this helps.

J
USN 1964-

Answer 3

I think you have to be a little hardened to be able to do your job correctly. My sister boyfriend had to dig up mass graves in Bosnia and he couldn't really handle it. If you weren't able to deal with gory stuff you wouldn't be able to go out onto the front line. That doesn't mean you have to be a crazed lunatic who enjoys killing people for fun. I think it's also about strategy and intelligence.

Answer 4

I personally would, just for mental survival so no one would walk all over me. That's why you gotta step up to the plate and be a toughy. yeah, tough minded all the way around. practice this behavior right now w/everyone and watch gory movies ahead of time. Then the shock of it all'll be ....oh maybe 50% or less.

Answer 5

no your trained to do that. thats why you do basic training. i mean they let fat people into the US army dont they.

I am joining the British army soon and i have never had a fight nor have i ever been punched. I have hit someone myself as a warning but thats all. The British are a stronger unarmed nation than america and we dont need you to be a full blown grappler with 200 scraps behind you. They wind you up to make you angry then teach you how to control that anger and use it against your enemy. America should be the same

Answer 6

The millitary has changed with its ideas and ways. The millitary wants free and logical thinkers that can work as a team even the Mairnes. IE the more college you have the higher your rank out of basic. Do not wear you emotions on your sleave, but they will teach you what they want in a solider in the greatest millitary today.

Answer 7

If you objective is to be a front line troop I would say yes. If your vocation is medicine or Chaplain Services then I would say no. There are still cooks, clerks, computer operators and other vocations in the military.

Answer 8

No, they will make you that way once you are there. Actually, all types go into the military. If you have heart, and can handle being yelled at from the time you wake up to when you go to sleep, you should do fine.

Answer 9

No, you can't be hardened. If you join the military "hardened" then you won't learn anything, and you can't become hard. . . . Unless you want to join the Marines.

Answer 10

No, it just seems that way. The main thing is that they want you to be able to endure. Its an endurance thing. If you can handle the stress and strain of getting shot at, if you can handle the sight of your buddy getting blown away, and still be able to save the rest of your company. Then you will be able to handle anything that life throws at you.