Be All That You Can Be

Soldiers have been held in high regard throughout history by many diverse societies. But what does it really mean to be a soldier in the modern world? Because the dynamics and weapons of warfare have transformed radically in recent times, the romantic image of the courageous soldier as an exemplary human being, even if once valid, no longer applies. In this essay, military enlistment is considered from both moral and prudential perspectives. The moral status of killing the conscripts of countries such as Iraq is examined, as are cases involving freely enlisted soldiers who have been lied to by their government. For some people, the best professional opportunity available may be military service, which suggests that some modern professional soldiers from modest backgrounds have been economically coerced to accept contracts to kill. In the end, people of sound body and mind have not only moral but also prudential reasons not to enlist, given the plight of the veterans of the Vietnam and the Gulf Wars.