Military Stereotype Essay

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Imagine being in a group of people that has been categorized and judged because a couple people decided to ruin the self-image of the group by using negative stereotypes to affect the way the group is portrayed. A stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular group or thing. Stereotypes have been around for a long time and have continued to grow and evolve into this generation. Stereotypes are based on a truth, but are usually exaggerated. The exaggeration of a truth leads it to become a stereotype and many times ends up leading to the negative social categorization of a group of individuals. People in the military have suffered from negative stereotypes by others who are not knowledgeable of military …show more content…

Many soldiers are perceived as people that never really wanted to join the military but became aware of the benefits and decided to join. That is not necessarily true. Myra Guillen, a sergeant in the U.S. Army, stated, “ Many soldiers that I know joined the military because of 911 and they want to play a role in strengthening our country.” This terrible attack on the U.S. is the main driving force for most of today’s military personnel. Most soldiers join the armed forces in order to achieve safety for the country and keep the citizens safe. Soldiers are judged as taking advantage because some come from poverty-stricken families. Benefits in the U.S Military include tuition assistance, medical insurance for the whole family, and a retirement plan. At the end of the day many soldiers do not end up going to college because of the devotion to the military on 24/7 basis. The reality is that many of the soldiers could have gotten the same amount of money for college if a FAFSA application was completed, so money is not the motivation for the majority of the armed forces. The fact is that soldiers have a wide range of reasons why they join the military but benefits is not the main …show more content…

People need to be able to understand them. According to Task and Purpose online article, 6 Military Stereotypes That Are Just Plain Wrong, Sarah Sicard, a staff writer, emphasizes “ The reason for joining the military reported by the highest percentage of respondents (96%) was to serve their country.” Many soldiers join the military because it is a dream of theirs to serve for the United States of America. If society wants to know the real reason that soldiers join the military, then one must be willing to listen and believe the reason that soldiers joined, which is to serve their country. According to Business Insider online article, Sarah Sicard, a staff writer , explains, “ The Business Journals, among various employment sites, cite the ability to think on their feet as major advantage when hiring soldiers.” This shows that not only are soldiers quick thinkers but that soldiers are known to be able to react to a major event. Soldiers are used to responding quickly to unpredictable situations. According to The New York Times online article, Dave Phillips, a staff editor and writer, interviewed a soldier named Chris Marvin expresses, “We need to make sure everyone sees soldiers as assets and encourages them to continue to serve in the community.” Instead of pushing away military service men and women, the citizens of the country should give soldiers a hand. Soldiers are compassionate and caring towards their families

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