Myths & Facts: The US Military

The United States Military, by far and away the most powerful standing military in the world, it consists of 7 branches(with the new US Space Force that formed in 2019) each with their own training and logic among other quirks.

But, there are a few things that people get wrong about the US Military, or the media exaggerates. This wiki page will cover the myths surrounding the US Military.

## Myth #1

You often hear that it is easy to enlist in the US Military as anybody young and old, the teenager who ran away from home, or even the socioeconomically disadvantaged enlisting in the US Military.

### Fact

One thing that the US Media exaggerates is that the US Military enlists anybody who wants to join, but this is because of the draft which the US Military hasn't imposed since the days of the Vietnam War. If you wanted to join the US Military today you need to meet a certain criteria.

1. You need to live in the United States legally, either be a US Citizen or a legal immigrant.
2. You need to have at least a high school diploma or a GED.
3. You need to be at least 18 years old at the youngest.

You also need to pass a medical exam, and you also have to take what is called the "Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Exam" or "ASVAB" for short. This test is designed to test your mathematical skills, your grammar, your knowledge of science and engineering among other things. This also led to a myth in itself that the test isn't that important, but the fact is that you must pass this test in order to join the US Military, and the passing grade varies between branches with the Air Force having the highest passing grade.

Each branch of the US Military has their own set criteria that you also must meet. In the Air Force, you must be a certain height and weight, and have near perfect eyesight, and in the Coast Guard you can not have more than 3 dependents. Officer positions are also highly competitive with most of them requiring a college degree, though some officers have a post grad certification.

## Myth #2

When you begin basic training, you will have to face a senior drill instructor and he (or she) will constantly scream in your face and if you dare disobey him (or her) you will have to do 30 push-ups, clean the entire barracks with your own toothbrush, or peel mountains of potatoes.

### Fact

Though, this was true back during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, but if you were to join the US Military today, you'll find that times have changed. The US Military now forbids the use of "hazing" and there's a zero tolerance policy for those caught doing it, though it still may be used today but it is no longer encouraged or officially sanctioned, and the senior drill instructor is not allowed to treat their privates in any way they see fit. According to the uniform code of military justice, the use of derogatory comments, excessive physical activity, and violent contact are forbidden.

## Myth #3

The news media usually show video of soldiers fighting in any kind of war zone, especially in the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, this makes the public believe that every soldier in the US Military has seen active combat in one way or another.

### Fact

The US Military tries to creates huge job opportunities for their soldiers and their are descriptions in the US Military that have nothing to do with fighting in a war. You can be a computer programmer, a mechanical engineer, a doctor, a dentist, and a psychologist among other things. The newly created Space Force for instance has job descriptions that have nothing to do with active combat.

## Myth #4

Fighting a war is a dangerous and horrible experience, and it's assumed that if a US Soldier has a weapon and there is one intention; kill.

### Fact

Though it is still true even today that US Soldiers go through dehumanization of the enemy in their training. But the psychological impact of killing another human being may mean that soldiers go into battle without the intention of killing. There little evidence, but it is shown that this intent actually varies from battle to battle, from war zone to war zone.

## Myth #5

Popular media depicts that a US Soldier with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) must be violent or dangerous. This is from the fact that a majority of soldiers that were deployed develop some form of PTSD.

### Fact

Despite the fact that Violent tendencies being a symptom of the disorder, but a soldier strickened with PTSD doesn't automatically mean that they are violent. In fact, most soldiers with PTSD can live normal lives and never harm anybody.

## Myth #6

Many people believe that US Soldiers have very low pay and struggle with their salaries.

### Fact

This is only half true, just any job you apply for pay varies within the US Military. A recruit with less than 2 years of service earn on average around $40,000 a year whereas a General with more than 20 years of service earn on average $200,000 a year, and depending on what branch of the US Military you're in and which state you currently live in, you might just be taxed on your base pay. Those in the US Military also have a way to take their pay much further with some compensation and other benefits to provide for food and housing and even a higher education. Speaking of which, the US Military has something called the "Post 9/11 GI Bill" Program which can help pay for college tuition, even for private or foreign college as well.

That'll do it for this page, don't forget to check out my Games and Movies wikis too. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.