The Analysis of Military Culture

The Analysis of Military Culture and How it Compares to My Culture

Brittany Vordtriede
University of Kentucky

The Analysis of Military Culture

The Analysis of Military Culture and How it Compares to My Culture

Seven different uniformed forces and over 3 million total service members work every
day just to protect the people in our country. They all work together towards one common goalto keep this nation safe. According to the Director of the Citizen Soldier Support Program,
Robert Goodale, the mission of the military is to provide military forces needed to deter war
and protect the security of the country, (Goodale, p. 12). No matter which branch of the military
a soldier is a part of, they all have one common goal. We all have family members or friends that
are a part of the military. We have an idea of what their life is like, but we dont know everything
about it. I have decided to delve into the lives of the soldiers in the military to find out more
about their lifestyles while serving our country. For me to understand what military culture is, I
first had to understand what culture means. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, the
definition of culture is the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or
time, (Culture, p, 1). It is what makes that particular group of people different from any other
group. Even though the military comes from the cultures of the United States, they still have
their own beliefs and customs directed only towards them. Belief systems are built around the
lifestyles of a certain group of people. According to the author of American Military History,
Maurice Matloff,
Each nation adopts the military system most suited to its culture, needs, and policies.
Some nations have traditionally tended to concentrate significant segments of their
economy on the maintenance of huge military forces, and to determine national policies
largely in terms of their military implications. (Matloff, p. 13)

The Analysis of Military Culture

Our military has a certain uniqueness to it that some people do not understand. The purpose of
this paper is to go below the surface of what everyone already knows about the military and
really understand what it is like to be a soldier in the war. I would also like to compare the
differences and similarities between the military and how I have lived in the United States. In my
research, I have learned a lot about the military culture and how it affects the soldiers. I am going
to compare how the daily lives and lifestyles of soldiers are similar and different to the way I live
my life.
We all wake up every morning in a warm bed that we could stay in all day. Some of us
have jobs to go to or classes to attend. However, there are about 3 million people that wake up
every day helping protect our country so that over 300 million people can live peacefully in a
safe country. These people are soldiers. They voluntarily join the army, knowing that every
aspect of their lives for the next four years will be controlled by a superior. All the way from the
day they step on base for basic training, to the day they walk off of the plane from their last
mission, everything the soldiers do will be monitored by someone else. According to Goodale,
You need permission to leave the area, even on weekends and holidays. You are told what to
wear, where to live, and who among your fellow service members you can and cannot socialize
with, (Goodale p. 9). Once someone becomes a soldier, they can no longer walk out of their
house and do whatever they want, whenever they want. I believe that people should have the
freedom to do what they want at any time. Even though they are serving our country, they should
have a little bit of free time. I, personally, could not live in a situation like this due to the aspect
of being watched all the time. The military really does control everything about you for that
period of time. Imagine every aspect of your life, from the time you wake up to the time you go

The Analysis of Military Culture

to bed, being controlled by someone else. The way they do things, even the people they talk to,
are controlled.
There are different jobs that the military has to perform while they are an active service
member. According to Sgt. Richard Rayfield,
A normal day in the war consisted of working on the different missions that we had to
complete. For lunch, we would usually eat MREs, which are meals ready to eat. For
dinner, there would be a variety of meals. It just depends on the day. Also, the living
situation was okay. When I was in Afghanistan, I shared a room that was about 10x10
feet with one other guy. When I was in Iraq, I shared a room that was about 8x24 feet
with two other guys. (R. Rayfield, personal communication, October 13, 2014)
This shows that a normal day in the war is not the same as something that someone else would
do in a day. Their whole day is planned out for them. Even though their whole day is planned out
for them, each day is a different task that they have to complete. That is similar to what happens
in my culture. Every day is a new day with new jobs to do. But, the tasks that the soldiers have to
complete are much more strenuous. The soldiers lives in the war have some similarities and
differences from the way we live in the United States. However, they work every day to protect
the rest of the country so that we can live a free life.
What comes to mind when you think of a military base? Do you see sand everywhere and
rundown buildings? When I sat down with Senior Airman, Jason Talbott, he described that
The base was built up more than I had expected. I was expecting to be sleeping in tents in
the middle of the desert, which did happen. But, the cots were some of the most

The Analysis of Military Culture

comfortable cots I had ever slept on. (J. Talbott, personal communication, October 12,
2014)
The bases really are not rundown places in the middle of the desert that most people think of
when they are thinking about military bases. Even people, like Jason, expected to live like that.
The military bases in wars are built up so that the soldiers can be comfortable. The living spaces
are much smaller than what I am used to living in, however they are not as bad as what I thought
a military base would be like. Granted, they do have their ups and downs, but, for the most part,
they are comfortable living spaces. The sand did get everywhere, Talbott said, and the camel
spiders were fun to deal with too, (J. Talbott, personal communication, October 12, 2014).
There are just little things around the base that are downsides. Nevertheless, the bases are clean
and livable.
Over the years, the military has evolved. However, the core values of its culture have
remained the same. According to the Chinese strategist Sun Tzu, To the military student able to
adapt its principles to modern warfare, it even now, twenty-five centuries after its preparation, is
a valuable guide for the conduct of war, (Tzu, p. 7). When you look at the military, it really has
evolved a lot over time. You dont see soldiers walking around with swords anymore like they
did three hundred years ago. Over the past few decades, technology has evolved drastically over
time. Ten years ago, no one had iPads or touch-screen computers. They werent even thought of
at this time. Now, it is hard to find someone that doesnt know what these things are. The
amazing advance in technology around the world has caused the military to be able to create
more powerful ammunition like guns and tanks. It also helps protect the soldiers more.
According to Talbott, When I was on duty, I would sit around in the bunkers in full chem gear,
(J. Talbott, personal communication, October 12, 2014). The chemical gear was there to protect

The Analysis of Military Culture

them from the gas that could be let off from ammunition. It was only a small part of their overall
protective gear. The military wants to keep their soldiers safe. The soldiers are more protected
than they have ever been before. They have a lot of different items that help keep them safe.
These items include chemical gear or hearing protection, to protect them from situations that
could happen at any moment.
We all think differently. We have all grown up with different customs and beliefs that are
unique to our family and surroundings. Over time, we might change our beliefs based on what
we learn or who we meet. This also happens to soldiers in the military. The way they think has to
change. According to Rayfield,
Now that I am out of the war, I put a lot more thought into the decisions that I make.
Before I left, I just went along with whatever was happening. Now that I am back, I do
make sure what I am doing is right for everyone, including myself. (R. Rayfield, personal
communication, October 13, 2014)
When soldiers come back from the war, they do put a lot more thought into their decisions and
actions. I think I put a lot of thought into the decisions that I make now, but I still dont think as
much as the soldiers that come back from the war. Through my research, it has made me realize
that I do need to spend more time thinking about my actions. It would be better if I could think
about how my actions affect other people, as well. Before the soldiers even step foot on base for
their basic training, they have to start thinking differently. This group of people has to prepare
for the hard work that they have ahead of them. The soldiers have to be ready to be away from
their family and close friends for an extended period of time. Everyones customs and beliefs
change over time, but some things happen that drastically change the way someone thinks very

The Analysis of Military Culture

fast. One example of that is being a part of a war. The way the soldiers think in the war is way
different than how someone would think that has a normal job in the United States.
When they return from the war, some veterans develop post-traumatic stress disorder.
According to NIH Medline Plus, Post-traumatic stress disorder can be caused by any terrifying
event that happens to a person. It can even be developed if someone is around another person
with post-traumatic stress disorder for too long (PTSD, 10). This disorder can happen to anyone
in any situation. When soldiers are in or around the war, they listen to guns being fired or bombs
going off all the time. It is part of their job to be around that. This can cause them to think
differently when they get home. According to Talbott,
One difficulty that I had to deal with when I came back from the war, was getting used to
hearing loud sirens. I am a paramedic here and sometimes it is very hard to work around
the sirens. When I am not expecting something loud, it can bring back flashbacks from
when I was in the war. It can be kind of scary sometimes. (J. Talbott, personal
communication, October 12, 2014)
Not all of the soldiers that go into war develop post-traumatic stress disorder, but it can happen.
When it does happen, it can be scary because they tend to distance themselves from people that
they used to be really close to like family members or close friends. I think it would be hard to be
one of the family members dealing with their loved ones going through this. Soldiers can have
very vivid memories of what happened when they were in the war. Loud noises, like sirens, can
trigger the memories. Depending on the person, different things can bring back the flashbacks.
Soldier Garrison E. Haning was talking about one of his flashbacks in a journal. Haning said, I
can still remember when we left Muthanna. Moving nearly 40 miles to the border of Dhi Qar
Province, Iraqi army soldiers in Humvees lined our return route every one hundred meters, as far

The Analysis of Military Culture

as the eye could see, (Haning, p. 1). This quote shows how vivid the memories can be from
soldiers. It is very hard for them to get these memories out of their head. If it becomes too bad, it
will cause post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder can last a very long time
or a very short time. It just depends on the person and the situation that caused this disorder.
Our whole world is constantly evolving around us. Everything we do is becoming
something new. Soldiers, also, have to be able to adapt to the evolving military culture.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Karen O. Dunivin, The military is made up of two different
types of culture. They are the traditional and the evolving military culture (Dunivin, p. 2). The
military culture is constantly changing and soldiers have to be ready for anything at any time.
This can really take a toll on anyone. When you think about it, what you expect and what you are
prepared for is not always the same as what happens. According to Rayfield, the missions are a
faster pace than what he was expecting to go into. You never really know what to expect when
you go into a new situation. When Rayfield joined the army, he was hoping for the best but
expecting the worst. The five hour plan ride gave him a lot of time to think about what he was
getting himself into.
Through my research and interviews, I have evaluated the similarities and differences
between the military culture and my culture. I have learned about the lives of multiple soldiers
that were a part of the war. It has helped me get a better understanding of the lifestyles of
soldiers in the war. The military culture is a very demanding and strict culture that has a lot of
different aspects to it. A soldiers day is very strenuous for them. Their whole day is controlled
and planned out by their superiors. They could be doing anything from going out on missions for
the entire day to sitting at the bunker guarding the base. I have realized that the military does a
lot for our country every day. The military culture has evolved over time, however, the culture

The Analysis of Military Culture

that I live in has also changed. The way the soldiers think has to change when they go into war
so they can be ready for anything at any time. Since the soldiers have to change their way of
thinking, it can be hard for them to adapt to the real world when they return. They are used to
thinking one way in a very fast paced environment. Sometime soldiers isolate themselves from
the outside world when they return from the war. This is one of the many symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. One hard thing that soldiers have to do is leave their families behind
for an extended period of time. Talbott was only allowed to call his family once a week. Some
soldiers are very close to their families, so this can be a very difficult task. The military culture
does work towards one common goal. This goal is to protect the United States and the citizens in
it. There are over 3 million soldiers in several different armed forces that help protect our
country so that we can live a free life every day.

The Analysis of Military Culture

Works Cited
Culture. Merriam-Webster.com. http://www.merriam-webster.com (5 November 2014).

Dunivin, K.O. (1997). Military culture: a paradigm shift? Air War College Air University. 10, 137.

Goodale, R. Military culture 101: Not one culture, but many cultures. October 21, 2014.

Hanning, G.E. (2014). How self-expression shapes warrior identity. Winning the battle of
perception, 1, 26-27.

Matloff, M. (1996). American military history. Conshohocken: Combined Books.

(2009). PTSD: a growing epidemic. NIH Medline Plus, 4, 10-14.

Tzu, S. (1944). The art of war. Harrisburg: Military Service.