Leadership refers to the ability of an individual to guide or manage a team or an organization. It is characterized by qualities such as integrity, effective communication skills, conflict management skills and creativity. Leadership is closely linked to servant leadership which involves leading by putting the interests of others first rather than taking an authoritative approach. A career in the military is one form of servant leadership. As a soldier, an individual puts his/her life to protect others. Normally, an authoritative leader expects to be protected by his/her followers. However, a servant leader puts the interests of others first.
The recent years have seen a rise in conflicts in various parts of the world. The army is charged with the responsibility of protecting people and maintaining law and order. This means that it has to intervene by deploying soldiers to regions that are experiencing conflicts to restore peace and stability. To perform this role effectively, the army has to look for capable servicemen that are willing to join the army. The search for these service individuals is conducted through recruitments that are conducted regularly. However, the army has recorded a low turnout in the number of people who are turning up for recruitment (U.S General Accounting Office, 2003; McClain, 2008). This trend has been attributed to the negative impact that a career in the army has on a soldier. The effects range from physical injuries, unstable family life, psychological problems and in some instances death. This paper examines some of the issues that are contributing to the low turnouts during the recruitment exercises as a contemporary challenge facing the army.
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Soldiers are bound to sustain physical injuries in the course of their duty. Some of them might be minor while others are severe. A fatal physical injury may cause a permanent paralysis whereby a soldier cannot perform any roles. This kind of a scenario can lead to discouragement and immense depression. Many soldiers derive their purpose in life from their career. Therefore, when a person is impaired, he/she lacks the essence of life. In addition, fatal injuries that impair a soldier also have a negative impact on the army. It means the loss of essential workforce. Furthermore, the army has invested a lot of resources to train the soldier. Today, people are scared of careers that pose a danger to their lives. Many people want to feel safe in their job. Therefore, a career in the army poses a huge risk that they are unwilling to undertake. This explains why there are fewer people turning up for recruitment exercises.
Soldiers also experience psychological and emotional problems in the course of their duty. These problems can range from post-traumatic stress to traumatic brain injuries. Some leaders from the army have argued that psychological and emotional problems are more difficult to handle compared to physical injuries. This difficulty is attributed to two factors. The first one is the stigma that is associated with soldiers seeking help due to psychological problems (Zimmerman, 2010). The second one is the fact that psychological problems are invisible hence difficult to address. I have a friend named Ben who has been in the army for the last six years. I have watched him break down due to psychological trauma that he acquired from foreign mission’s deployment. For instance, he said that he was very distressed because he watched his colleague die when he was shot in front of him. It was also very devastating for him as he watched the bodies of his closest friends in body bags. This kind of distressful stories from soldiers also contributes to the decreased number of people who are turning up for recruitment. Many people are scared of finding themselves in such distressful and painful situations.
The service in the army also has a negative impact on the family of the officer (McClain, 2008). The people who are affected include the parents, siblings, spouse, and children of the soldier. The family members are forced to live in anxiety as one of them is sent on a mission. This anxiety can worsen into depression and even diseases. Additionally, the spouse of the soldier is forced to live a lonely life because his/her partner was sent on a mission. Deployment also has a negative impact on the children due to lack of attention from one or both parents. The situation gets worse in an incident that the soldier loses his/her life while at work. This puts the family through a difficult period especially if the deceased was the breadwinner. Today, many people are putting the welfare of their families first. Therefore, there are avoiding a career in the military because it might cause suffering to their family. Personally, I have watched Ben’s son suffer from depression when his father went on a mission. His grades dropped drastically. Upon examination by a physician, he was diagnosed with depression. He also had a difficult time relating to his father upon his return. They used to argue and quarrel frequently.
A soldier plays a noble role in protecting the country. However, his/her duty compromises his/her wellbeing in various ways. Today, most people are concerned about their wellbeing and there are unwilling to take risks. Therefore, they are evading a career in the military because it is too risky. This explains the reduced number of people who are willing to recruit as soldiers. However, a career in the military is much more of a sacrifice rather than a career. It is about putting the wellbeing of others first as a servant leader. Therefore, the incentives that the army is offering to attract more volunteers might be an ineffective method of attracting more volunteers (McClain, 2008).
References
McClain, J. (2008). Army recruiting challenges in the 21st century. Retrieved April 20, 2018, from https://www.dtic.mil
U.S, General Accounting Office. (2003). Military recruiting: More innovative approaches needed. Washington, D.C: National Academic Press.
Zimmerman, T. (2010, October 14). Army leadership discusses today's issues with Army War.
