[April 24, 2023] The privilege to serve in the military is an opportunity to work with America’s best citizens. They come from all walks of society, backgrounds, education levels, and subcultures, a very diverse mix of upbringing, intellectual capability, and maturity. I saw that Soldiers who grew up without fathers stood out from rest and that this phenomenon was not good.
This group, those Soldiers without fathers, were either highly-dedicated and loyal to the military and America, or they failed quickly and tragically due to their own deficiencies. They often joined the service because it was a way to escape their mothers. Psychologists would say they have replaced their missing fathers with the military. I’m not sure, but my observations on their lack of success in the U.S. Army are relevant to our military.
The upside to these fatherless young men joining the service is the discipline imposed upon all who join, and that has a positive impact, especially as their hormones are pumping through their veins. They could have found other outlets with lesser outcomes, such as joining gangs (incidentally, many had been members), college, video games, or, as we often see, in criminal behavior.
It isn’t easy not to have a father. Boys without fathers have a difficult time (girls too). Sadly, our institutions today tell us that there is absolutely no difference in the kind of family you come from. That is dead wrong. There is no empirical evidence that supports that claim. I see it in those fatherless young men who struggle in the military and fail due to behavioral issues. It is much better to have two parents.
These fatherless young Soldiers frequently have difficulty accepting responsibility for themselves and are prone to giving excuses for their failures to meet military standards. Those with fathers who have encouraged their sons and showed them proper discipline achieve success far better in every performance category.
I found that the U.S. military ignores this distinction and therefore overlooks a strategy to improve the chances of success for these young fatherless Soldiers.
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Please read my books:
Communists/Socialists/Progressive radical leftists always blame others for their policy failures. Maybe they should just looking at themselves more critically.
ZB, they won’t do it because their ideology – which is their old Marxist religion – tells them otherwise. They can’t even define “What is a Woman.”
https://www.theleadermaker.com/what-is-a-woman/
Fatherless families most directly affect blacks. But our political class and all the SJWs ignore it. Why? Because their ideology says that it is “white privilege” that causes lower black success and higher incarceration rates. Remember that socialists blame everyone else for their failures.
And the fatherless families are growing for all races. This is not a good thing. Because now, many look to the government for their “daddy.”
Yep, and because it effects Blacks the most, our leaders will put the blame where it does not exist and the problem will not get better until they stop doing so.
This is one of the more important articles that Gen. Satterfield has written because it reinforces what we’ve heard for a long time, that fatherless families produce dysfunctional kids. You may not like my comment but it is the science that is well documented. Ignore this to our peril.
Thanks Gen. Satterfield for pointing out that our society sees “all families” as exactly equal but we know that is false and, frankly, this is a big lie.
Right and it takes more than an a$$ wopping to solve the problem.
Just anther reason to read this blog. Gen. Satterfield cuts thru the typical BS. ❤
Reading this blog is a breath of fresh air.
Without fathers, boys will lose every time. It is like being lost in the world. Those who claim that single mothers can provide this to their boys are delusional. All evidence points the other way that boys without fathers are at a distinct disadvantage.
Some recover, some fail, but I think most will fail as men when they had no father in their lives. I see it every day. These men children let their emotions take over and drive them, they believe they are privileged and protected from the consequences of their actions, and they rarely form long-lasting relationships with others.
Got that right JT. 👍
Well said.
The psychological effects of our childhood experiences can have an outsized impact on who we become later in life. Earlier today, I read an article that provoked what one might describe as a panic attack. As I read this very disturbing article about the psychological ramifications of growing up fatherless, it all just sunk in for me—that I was damaged. My state of mind was completely altered when I finished reading about the scientific studies on fatherless sons.