re: Does the military ruin people or make them more of a man/woman?

Both sides. Military creates men/woman or it exploits the pussies and makes them even more of pussies.

These days, I run into more of the latter.

Stepping on those yellow footprints has changed a lot of people.

SF and God Bless the Marines!

It really depends on your mindset and your experience in combat.

There are some who are strong of mind that handle the pressure of being shot at and killing others. Some people just break down completely

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I am a young licensed architect (at 31 we're infants in the practice). While there is a very good role for me to play in society, I would have absolutely destroyed any branch in the military I served in. I am way too awkward, irregular, and intellectually rebellious to be productive in the military.

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Dude, boot camp would kick that out of you.

I say yes, more people that come out are 10x better people, no all, but most.

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Does the military ruin people or make them more of a man/woman?



yes

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the or makes yes the answer.

For someone from a place of non discipline, following an external set of regs heals.

For someone who lands in a war zone with the variety of hellish frickups and well armed locals, psych ward is an oasis.

Who learns love in war?

Ruin is the operative word if the environment scrambles the warrior.

The discipline taught in any branch of the military should give any willing person the tools to succeed in life. Now if that person digests and latches onto the discipline taught they can instill that in any facet of their lives. People enlist for different reasons, from different backgrounds it’s really on them to make the best or worst of it.
I enlisted to ease the burden of student loans and join my brother, was older and enjoyed my time in the Army NG. We did an employment to Iraq and both came back unscathed. To me it’s all what the individual makes of it. Work hard, play hard and follow your training and you can come out a motivated, well adjusted person. I had a good time, made some great friends and paid off student debt, but that’s just me.

I think it depends on who you are surrounded with. I signed up to go airborne and take an airborne slot on a whim. I was surrounded with folks that demanded excellence from everyone around them. Excellence was the standard day in, day out.

I got out and anything less than my total effort was not acceptable to me. Honestly, I would think “would Sgt Myers think this was acceptable”? I did everything I’ve undertaken to the best of my ability with full effort at all times. I learned that drive in the airborne. Since then I’ve risen professionally way higher than anyone could expect myself included. Everyone knows I give everything my “all” every time without exception. It’s propelled me a long way.
My time in the Army is solely responsible for that.

I was a 2.0 student in high school, averaged a 3.0 in some online classes I took in the Marine Corps and now i'm out and have a 3.75 at a state university.

It did wonders for me.

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was a 2.0 student in high school, averaged a 3.0 in some online classes I took in the Marine Corps and now i'm out and have a 3.75 at a state university.

It did wonders for me.

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Similarly, I was just unfocused in HS and college, worried about trying to be cool and frick girls instead. Joined the Army which gave me the kick in the arse I needed. I excelled in the military but ultimately decided it wasn't for me and I needed to do whatever I had to do so that I didn't have to come back into the military unless I really wanted to. Now I have an amazing job and I don't see how I could've arrived here without the military.

I know former military that span the spectrum of success. Some have turned into nurses, physicians, lawyers, some are back to mediocrity, and some are strung out on drugs, or dead. The military does enable you to do great things with your life, but it's up to the individual's motivation to get their plan into action.