Are soldiers brainwashed to become killing machines?

Question

I've seen documentaries and had friends in the army, and have heard about the demeaning way people are treated when they enter. Is this done to strip of all emotion and break them down into mindless drones? I dont know, but that is the conclusion I'm starting to come to, especially after seeing high school friends leave for the armed forces, and returning as hyper masculine people that I cant stand to be around.

well it sounds like people missed the point. i was trying to spark debate about a subject, instead i get personal attacks? i'm not whining or complaining about anything, just bringing up a subject. it just sucks to see friends come back and be complete douch bags cause the army messed w/ their heads.

also, how can you be against the war and still support the troops? i've struggled with this one as it seems the troops signed up for the armed forces w/ the understanding they might have to kill people....anyways, thats another subject. maybe a new question, this one is obviously bringing people out of the woodwork!

while i am getting some excellent, educated responses, many are asuming i did nothing with my life cause i've questioned my friends' choice in going into the military. once again, this is personally against me, and avoids the question. either way, i am going to go ahead and say that i personally have gone off to university and am nearly completed with a mech. engineering degree. also, i have several friends in the armed forces. please stop confusing my personal choices, with a question that was meant to stir debate on that topic, not bring into question my own personal political beliefs.

Answer 1

CPT A.B. hit the nail on the head. Some of the other answers are about right, minus the personal attacks.

I won't attack you personally, but you have to understand where some of these folks are coming from... saying that soldiers are mindless drones programmed to dole out death and destruction with no regard to the value of human life is neither accurate or fair, and is only going to get you in trouble, particularly with those who are in the military, have been in the military, or have relatives in the military.

Are your military friends fresh from training, or have they been in a little while? Have they been deployed? If so, try to bear in mind that deployment is easy for no one, particularly if they're in a combat role. If they come back from training OR from war and act like arrogant douchebags, though, that's because they choose to; not everyone in the military acts that way. Some of the brighter ones still wisely maintain a sense of courtesy and humility. In my experience, I've generally found that the people who went in as pricks, come out as pricks. Those who go in as decent folks, come out as decent folks. The military forces you to learn to react in a necessary manner to save your own life and the lives of others; training is an absolute essential fact of life in the military. The only ones who suffer from any degree of "brainwashing", as you put it, are those who were idiots in the first place. You can take your training to heart and easily maintain your personality, and still perform well when put to the test... or you can take your training to heart and let it completely change your personality, and turn you into the real life version of the act that drill sergeants put forth during training (most of them aren't like that in normal life). I can relate to you, somewhat, in that I wasn't overly fond of the arrogant, pushy types during my military service; but be careful not to confuse arrogance with confidence. Folks in the military, especially those with combat experience under their belts, have earned the right to walk and talk with confidence; no one has the right to walk and talk with arrogance, be they military or civilian.

Answer 2

Okay. First of all, people never get brainwashed by religion. They choose which religion they would like to practice. I don't see how I could've gotten brainwashed.. because I didn't grow up in my church, nor did I come from a religious family. I have studied the bible and know what I believe. I know that people debate about religion, and not always in a good way. But this is just becasue they feel strongly about it. Quite Frankly, I think it is sad when people asume that their is no God. I highly doubt every athiest person has actually even heard the gospel. So, there.

Answer 3

They are not made into mindless drones. They are broken down to be made into a team that works well together. They have to be able to instantly take and obey orders, otherwise people WILL die. The military wants people who think, but they also have to be able to follow the orders of the officers above them.
The hyper masculine thing is due to the intense physical training that is second only to professional athletes. When you have that much adrenaline pumping through your system, you will become more masculine. But it's still better than roid rage.
It is possible that you are just not on the same physical, political, and emotional wave lengths as they are, and that's why you can't stand to be around them anymore.

Answer 4

Never in my 6 years as a Forward Deployed soldier did I kill anyone. As a current Law Enforcement Officer of 3 years I still have not killed anyone. Not once did I get brainwashed into become a killing machine. Having come from 3 generations of American warfighters, I can't say that any of my ancestors were mindless drones. It is appears that your style of questioning and choice of words puts those who have been there feel like you are the one making attacks. By the way, I was in Combat Arms so I just might know what I am talking about.

Answer 5

I think that you are right the military forces of this days have many problems in creating the "perfect" soldier, so...they improvise. The harsh training is not a problem, the psychological preparation in order to kill is not a problem...but what happens with a soldier after the fight is over that is a real problem. You can see ex-soldiers gone crazy shooting around, you can see family problems that turn to drama, you can see that many soldiers find it difficult to return to the civilian life. Why? Because the army doesn't teach you to give flowers, they teach you to fire a gun...

I friend of mine died two weeks ago...he was a career soldier with missions in Angola, Somalia and Chad (so I can say he was a good soldier), but in the same time an awful husband and father. After retiring from the army he was always hiding from his friends and family, he was an alcoholic and a gambler (finally this lead to his death - he was found by the neighbors bitten and in a coma). He left behind him three children... someone dare to explain to them why they didn't have a "real" father, why the army took out all the humanity in him...

Answer 6

First question - No.
Second question - No.
From those on the outside who only see glimpses of what happens in Basic Training, I can see how many come to the conclusions that you are touting. The purpose of all the shouting, yelling and what appears to be endless harassment is to put the recruit through a continuing series of stressful situations. Reason is so that if the day ever comes that the bullets are flying it won’t come as total shock. Combat is extremely stressful and if a Soldier freezes it could cost the lives of many. Recruits now a days, I wouldn’t say have it easy, but they don’t have it near as bad when I went through it 18 years ago. And I had it easy compared to what my father and uncle did when they went through it during the Vietnam and Korean Wars respectively.

There is a lot more to Basic Training then learning how to pull a trigger. You learn about team work, taking care of your Buddies, and values that many in society no longer care about. The military isn’t for everybody. If your friends have changed, except it. If they really are your friends it won’t matter.

Most in the military are not killers nor will they ever be put in a spot where they have to kill. But we all have to be trained so that if that day does come, we will be ready to perform our duty. And for those of us that have already been there, it’s not something we look forward to doing again. It is an ugly profession at times and it is full of emotion no matter how hard some go to hide it. It can’t help to be.

Answer 7

Everyone is affected by their life experiences. You apparently still live in much the same environment in which you grew up. Your friends have moved on and experienced things that can't help but change them. That hardly makes them "brainwashed drones", just more worldly wise and life-savvy. That you can't relate to your former friends now is as much a problem with YOU as it is with them.

Edit: Sorry, but going to university is not like being out in the real world. You'll find that out eventually.

Answer 8

As a former soldier, I can tell you that military training is a life altering experience and it is specifically designed to change the way the personnel think. However, it is not demeaning in any way. Soldiers, in general, are taught to be suspicious of their surroundings and to use any means necessary to defend themselves and accomplish the mission at hand. Most soldiers are not combat soldiers; they are support soldiers and as such, are not trained to be killing machines. However, those who do decide to branch combat arms are trained to kill in a cold and objective manner because their missions call for them to take undesirable action in order to defend the American way of life. They endure mental and physical sacrifices so we don't have to and as such, deserve our support, even if we don't care for what they do.

Answer 9

Hi,
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it's a perfectly working link!
Act of War: Direct Action is a strategy game that includes the essence of a lustrous techno-thriller, combined together with live action footage.

Answer 10

no lol , they are trained to follow orders , they have to be trained like that because they are being taught how to kill another person , all the physical training they go through is tough plus theyve got good diet plans and exercise routines so there bodys will be alott better by the time they come out