My experience has taught me that it is only people who have a very strong sense of self who are truly able to repress their individual needs for the greater good of their community or society. Governments and their armed forces are empowered to preserve and protect their societies, recognizing the fact that the job is better done cooperatively. The concept is also biblical. In the Old Testament, one of the king's jobs was to look after the welfare of the weaker members of his kingdom. But maybe that sense of altruism was not the governor's motivation.
Some people enlist in the special forces purely for their own ego needs.
They wish to demonstrate how much better they are than everyone else. They feel they prove it by completing the rigorous training, and the dangerous missions. The fact that they must subjugate their own needs for the good of the team, the military or the nation is secondary to the sense of personal achievement. The sooner we realize this, the better off we are as a culture. In the meantime, it would be in our best interests to acknowledge, celebrate and practice our need for interdependence.