Why Do I Want to Be a Military Officer

Why Do I want to be a Military Officer?

I grew up surrounded by military officers. My older brother and two of my cousins are in the military, and they are admired by the rest of the family. I wanted to be admired like them, but above all I knew that joining the military is one of the most selfless acts. 

My passion to join the military has only grown with time. We live in the greatest nation, a peaceful nation where every individual gets to enjoy their freedoms, unfortunately, this is not the case for all nations. Knowing that I could play a small role in bringing peace to war torn nations shows me that there is more to the military than patriotism. Joining the military will make me leave a real impact in the world. 

Because of my keen interest in the military, I also believe I have the right qualities to join the army. The leadership requirement model states the competencies and attributes that to guide members of the military and those in leadership positions. The attributes include: character, presence and intellect. Discipline is an important aspect of my character. Having grown up with few military members in my family, I learnt that discipline is a core value. An army officer must listen to the superiors always, and must show high levels of discipline in all aspects of life. Mental agility and innovation are some of the other characters I possess that will make me a good military officer. 

Military officers are held to a higher esteem by the members of the society. The society expects military officers to maintain high levels of discipline and fulfill their duties as military members to their best ability. While each profession has its codes and standards, the society believes that military officers must adhere to the code by all means. Any scandal involving military officers taints the image of the whole institution, therefore, military officers must be disciplined at work and in the society (Army Pamphlet 600-2, 1988). Military members are also expected to be productive community members that work towards the maintenance of peace in the community. A career in the military comes with respect, but it also attracts a lot of responsibilities. Military members are expected to be at the forefront of community activities such as counselling the youth and volunteering. Military members are often given informal leadership positions in the society because they are disciplined, hardworking and knowledgeable. 

According to the Army Pamphlet 600- 2 the general responsibility of military officers is service to the nation, unit, community, family and religion. Military officers have three forms of responsibilities: specified duties, directed duties and implied duties. Specified duties are the ones related to the job position, such as taking directives from training officers. The second type of responsibility is directed duties, which are not specified as part of the job position, rather a superior gives them orally. Lastly, implied duties are not related to the position, they do not come as instructions from the supervisor, instead they depend on individual initiative. An example of implied duty is ensuring that one’s appearance and equipment are up to the required standards of cleanliness all the time. 

I believe that we should pursue what we truly love to be happy in life, I love serving my country. There is no greater purpose in life than serving others, and the military enables me to serve others to the best of my ability. 

Reference American Forces Information Service. (1988). Army Pamphlet 600–2: The Armed Forces Officer.