How much does the military attempt to desensitize soldiers to violence?

Question

This may be an obvious question...

I have friends that have finished basic training and said it wasn't drastic but I've heard reports saying soldiers are trained to appreciate violence until it dosen't phase them.

How much of this occurs? Does anyone else think this would be wrong? Is this necessary for any army to be victorious?

Answer 1

Absolutely it happens.

They used to do target practice with bottles and targets and such then they realized that soldiers didn't shoot people in combat. So they switched to human shaped targets.

Desensitization to death is paramount to be able to kill effectively. That is what they are called- "kills" not "shooting someone" or something along those lines.
Also the military does a particularly horrendous job dealing with those who have PTSD from combat stress and traumas.

Also the military uses video games to practice, this rapidly leads to a desensitization of soldiers to committing violence.
http://www.commercialexploitation.org/news/articles/armyrecruits.htm
I think the whole thing is very extensive.
There is way more information out there than what I have given you here. I recommend you to look into it more if you are interested in it.

It does seem wrong and bad for one's mental health. Well what is war, what does it mean to be victorious? It means to be better at killing, bluntly put.

Answer 2

The military doesn't try to desensitize as much as train soldiers to allow them to function with violence happening around them. In a way, the military makes soldiers and marines MORE sensitive to violence by making what happens to other soldiers and marines even more distressing.

As far as dessensitizing, the closest you can argure to desensitization training is the use of human-silhouette targets for training and the use of moulage (fake wounds) for training medics/corpsmen and some others during first aid/combat lifesaver/buddy aid/medical training.

Answer 3

actually they don't train you to be desensitized the argument that would support this is that if they wouldn't hurt so much when they lose one of their own in the same regard with would kill anyone in the fire zones, man woman or child and a soldier will risk his life to protect a civilian in a combat area the human shape targets are designed to allow a soldier to not think about what he is doing when he aims and fires it only stops the mental process of" I'm going to kill a man " the training allows the soldier to keep functioning when his brain is screaming what the hell is going on its like playing music after awhile you play the notes with out think b flat c a minor etc even in the most horrible war ever WWII with the things that both sides did 99% of US soldiers didn't kill without a reason but I will admit that it becomes a job and the job has violence in it

Answer 4

This is a problem in many of the military service branches, perhaps more so in the Marines because of the internal culture. It's all a question of what actions are allowed by the leadership and which are suppressed. People aren't allowed to rape and sexually harass people in the civilian world, and that's because the powers that be actually enforce these rules. Obviously, the rules aren't being enforced in the Marines, from the lowest levels to the highest. After some people lost their jobs, you would soon find that the level of rape and harassment would be about the same as it is in the rest of the population.

Answer 5

It isn't so much that soldiers need to be desensitized to violence as it is that they need a realistic understanding of it.

Most civilians simply don't have a realistic grasp on the violent nature of Life, and that's great for them, but having that illusion is made possible by the men and women that DO understand it, and know how to apply it in a controlled and effective way.

No, it isn't wrong, and yes, it's entirely necessary.

Answer 6

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don't get all worried about the girls in the military. when i served we knew that they expected things to be that way. be realistic, you have a group of men that need to believe in our macho invisibility working along side a few women and the men, especially if we are stationed in some crap azz destiny in the middle east, aren't getting any from the local girls. the women that get raped knew it was probably going to happen at some point. most of the time they take it like good soldiers for the good of the corp. it makes them better soldiers too. i knew a couple that never complained. that tells me all i need to know.

Answer 7

In the Marine Corps the Targets are shaped like a mans body one standing and one in the prone position. This is to get them use to shooting at a man.

It is more of a trianing to get you to react instictivley rather than thinking of what you are doing before you do it.

The only real thing that might be considered what you are talking about is the songs we sing while running.

Pretty little birdie with a yellow bill landed on my window sill, I lured him there with a piece of bread then i squashed his F@cking head, Blood and guts thats for me oh rah.

there are much more like that.

We are however taught to bring swift extream violence upon the enemy. That is how battles are won.

Answer 8

A lot of work has gone into learning how to desensitize soldiers to violence and preparing them to kill. A former U.S. military psychologist, Dave Grossman, describes how in his book "On Killing."

Answer 9

You are taught to appreciate life and death.

Those few soldiers that do combat mission outside the FOB’s are encouraged to go to combat stress sessions, it helps to balance your feelings, enough said.

Before Iraq war it was party time, now it’s putting what you have learned from training to use.

The party’s over!

OIF 2004-2005/2006-2007 Peace

Answer 10

SOLDIERS are men/women that sign up to fight for their country and they go in knowing they will kill or be killed. THAT'S WHY I'M GLAD IT'S A VOLUNTEER FORCES, BECAUSE THOSE ARE YOUR BEST SOLDIERS. ALL SOLDIERS WANT TO BE VICTORIOUS BECAUSE THAT IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF WAR. THE ONLY THING I DISAPPROVE IS THE DEMAND OF A SOLDIER TO DO MORE THAN 2 TOURS OF DUTY ON WAR ZONE. THAT TAKES THE LIFE OUT OF A SOUL TO SEE SO MUCH VIOLENCE. GOD BLESS! AMEN! SHALOM!