Who Makes the Best Soldiers?

[August 19, 2015]  U.S. Army senior leadership has always been hesitant to say who among the general population makes the best soldiers.  While such a politically correct stance is not unexpected, there are many who have served and studied patterns that help us predict who will be the best soldiers.  Although these attributes and experiences of those in our population possess applies to the Army, it’s also valid for other services.

On a number of occasions here at theLeaderMaker.com there has been general commentary that the best soldiers come from stable families and who have suitable life experiences growing up (see link here).  While there are no guarantees that a person will be a good or even a great soldier based on their past, it is nevertheless an exceptional predictor of success in life as a military member.  A person possessing these experiences will be more resilient and have the strength to endure the arduous life in the military.

A stable family means that a person grew up with both parents present, not divorced, and with other siblings present.  Those families that do things together are especially helpful in the development of a young person. While psychological research has supported this idea historically, the confirmation is also from the close observation of the many thousands who joined that we see the positive results of a good family life prior to joining.

Suitable life experiences growing up can mean many things but here it refers to how an individual behaved when exposed to challenges.  Some of these experiences include graduating from high school with better-than-average grades, having been a member of a sports team for several years, and having been a long-term member of a group outside of school (e.g., church, boy scouts).  It also means that they have experienced conflict and difficulties along this path and maintained their passion for doing good things for others.¹

The course of our life growing up is determined by three things; the relationships we form with family and friends, the decisions we make with them, and the actions we take to act for the betterment of others.  People who make a good soldier have successfully navigated these murky waters of childhood and who comes out of those years with an attitude of decency and goodness.  Many a leader has told me that they would rather have a soldier with a good attitude than one who is sullen yet smart and strong.

Tomorrow: Who makes the worst soldiers?

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1. Interestingly, there are many other indicators of a person who will make a good soldier. Here are a few that quickly came to me:

• Member of and regular attendance in a mainstream Church or Synagogue.
• Active membership in a high school club or volunteer in after school activities.
• Active member in a non-school values-based organization like the Boy Scouts.
• Family members, outside the immediate nuclear family, that take an interest in them and
• Possesses an animal and has responsibility for its upkeep.  A large dog or farm animal are examples.
• Volunteers their time in some capacity to help people who are less fortunate than them.
• Team member of any sport (more than one sport is better) and shows good sportsmanship.
• Coaches or mentors people younger than themselves.
• Completes some college education, especially in difficult technical fields.
• Active physically and makes time to stay in all-around good physical shape, care is taken in what they eat, and stays on a regular sleep-wake cycle.
• Successfully finds a way to overcome obstacles in conflict and difficult situations that test their morality and courage.  It means doing the right thing even when it’s unpopular and frowned upon.