[August 20, 2015] Who makes worst soldiers in the U.S. Army is rarely discussed outside the confines of senior leader gatherings. There has been a politically correct attitude about this issue that unfortunately protects us from that analyst. Anyone who undertakes the task to identify trends will have accusations of bias and prejudice leveled against them.
In an earlier post, we identified stable families and suitable life experiences as the main predictors of “who makes the best soldiers” (see link here). It follows logically that those from broken homes and who have life experiences that retard honesty, respect of others, and mental resilience will be a predictor of the worst soldiers. Beyond that however we can say that individuals who have trouble following rules and regulations, the law, and basic social norms will not make a good soldier.1
Any person who has a pattern of trouble with following the norms of society will not fare well in the U.S. military. There have been stories about individuals who were troublemakers or ruffians that excelled in the military during combat. They lacked respect for the law and for people. However, these are usually exaggerated tales with little basis in fact. In particular, those who show a tendency toward violence are not suited for today’s military.
At one period in U.S. history, those tried in the criminal justice system for petty crimes were given a choice between jail and joining the military. Those who took the military choice often found their life miserable because of their inability to adjust to the structure and moral standards of behavior in military life. Frequently, they found themselves incarcerated by the military for disobedience of orders and disruption of military life.
Another category of persons who make poor soldiers are those with weak mental resilience. These are folks who are unable to adapt to change, cannot follow directives from others, and are dishonest. Much of military life is structured and predictable thus making it seem the ideal place for those with weak resilience. However, the demanding life of the military and the requirement to be a leader demands a gritty, tough, flexible personality.
Those who make the worst soldiers are easily predicted based on their history of getting in trouble with the law and showing they are not resilient enough to endure the flexibility required in the military. Leaders that I know will say that they don’t want them because of the time it takes to discharge them from the military.
[Don’t forget to “Like” the Leader Maker at our Facebook Page.]
————————
- Interestingly, there are many specific indicators of a person who will make the worst soldier. Here are a few:
- Have an arrest record for multiple violations of the law.
- Involved in domestic abuse in their home or abuse of animals.
- Raised from early childhood by a person not their parents.
- Failed to finish high school, often tardy, skipped classes, expelled from school, and did not participate in school events.
- Attended schools of low quality.
- Used or abused illegal drugs.
- Knowingly has possession of stolen material, especially a stolen gun.
- Hangs out with people who have a criminal record, drug abusers, thieves, or others who are of ill repute.
- Member of a gang.
- Excessively plays video games or spends large amounts of time occupied with play not with people.
- Raised in a large city environment without close parental supervision.
- Shows violent or overly aggressive behavior toward people or animals.