Does being in the military make you a puppet?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 23:36:11 -0500

Just asking to see what everyone thinks.

Response by PO3 Shaun Taylor made Nov 12 at 2014 12:44 AM

PO3 Shaun Taylor — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 00:44:16 -0500

The military teaches uniformity, but that doesn't make you a puppet.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 12 at 2014 12:47 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 00:47:38 -0500

Even if we think so, all you have to do is look at the guy who works crazy office hours 5 days a week and realize that the cubicle gets smaller for him. Its how you make it really. I talk to some if my friends who have corporate jobs and I feel the military has more freedom than they do...

Response by SFC Vernon McNabb made Nov 12 at 2014 12:51 AM

SFC Vernon McNabb — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 00:51:01 -0500

No. It does not. I have noticed this and another post from you, both stating negative thoughts about the military. Don't hold back, just say what's really on your mind. Do you feel like a puppet? What constitutes someone feeling like a puppet? Because they follow orders? Because they are told when to do something, and not why they are doing it? Something I have learned in my career is that I may not always know why, up front, but I complete my mission regardless. If this question is derived from someone else stating we are puppets, then you calmly tell them if they have never served, then they will never understand.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 12 at 2014 8:06 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 08:06:59 -0500

This was a question a friend wanted me to ask, however I know we are not puppets.

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Nov 12 at 2014 8:15 AM

COL Jean (John) F. B. — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 08:15:02 -0500

Only if you allow it to.

While there is certainly more regimentation and uniformity in the military than most civilian professions, military members are still individuals.

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Nov 12 at 2014 8:26 AM

TSgt Joshua Copeland — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 08:26:37 -0500

No matter what you do, even owning your own business, you are going to have someone somewhere telling you what to do. Be it a direct supervisor or the end customer.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Nov 12 at 2014 8:43 AM

SFC William Swartz Jr — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 08:43:38 -0500

While we tend to attempt to strip individuality to ensure the success of the "team", we never lose our individuality, I never did in the entirety of my 26-year career. You will have certain outlets that wish to have others in society view us as "puppets of the government" blindly following all orders from on high, but these for the most part that do not believe in the need for us to have a standing military to begin with; they view US as the problem with the world instead of all the bad guys out there. One need not lose themselves completely to be a good Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine or Coast Guardsman, IMHO.
"TREAT 'EM ROUGH!!"

Response by SSG Jason Cherry made Nov 12 at 2014 8:50 AM

SSG Jason Cherry — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 08:50:20 -0500

Anyone, anywhere could be a puppet... if they allow someone else to speak and act on their behalf, and they fail to act on their own free will. Being in the military is no different in that respect than any other job or profession. If you someone does what they are told, without question, without thought, without hesitation, then perhaps they are a puppet. Certainly you are someones puppet acting like that. Critical thinking is something that is stressed in the military, and while we do train a list of tasks to a point where it becomes an automatic response, it does not make people into puppets. Critical thinking is something that just doesn't apply in respect to being a "puppet".

I think any good leader would encourage critical thinking and questioning. I prefer to hear my troops asking "why are we doing this?" because it gives me an opportunity to broaden their perspective. I was that way when I came up from E1, but I was viewed as being insubordinate. Really, I just wanted to know the reasoning so I could make the right decisions on my own in the future and not have to have someone tell me why or how.