There’s a good reason why we have holidays that celebrate the sacrifices of people who choose a career in the U.S. military. It takes a lot of courage and determination to get through boot camp and take on the challenges of a military lifestyle. At the same time, so many people pursue these careers because there are several benefits that make it a good experience.
Military car insurance is often cheaper than it is for other professions. People who are in the military together often build bonds and personal friendships that last long after they are retired. On the other hand, people who leave the military often don’t have savings or retirement funds, making their post-career life very difficult.
We’ll talk about all of the pros and cons of pursuing a career in the military. By the end of the discussion, it will be easier to decide whether joining the military is a good career choice for you.
Pro: Building Friendships with Other People in the Military
Being in the military is an experience that is hard to understand from the outside looking in. Because of the unique setting of the military compared to other jobs, people often need to lean on others who are in the military for friendship and support because these friends are the only ones who understand each other.
Going through boot camp is a mentally, emotionally, and physically gruelling experience that requires a brotherhood to get through. You often have to leave your family and other loved ones for months, and even when boot camp is over, getting stationed away from home throughout your career will require you to bond with those around you.
People in most other careers don’t get the opportunity to build these friendships with their co-workers. Adults often have a hard time making new friends. With the influx of people working remotely, there really is less of a chance to meet new people and have new social experiences.
Being in the military makes it easy to be around a variety of like-minded people who will support you during tough times and celebrate your achievements and accomplishments. It’s something that everyone should be excited about if they are on the fence about pursuing a career in the military.
Con: It’s a Very Dangerous Profession
This con is usually the first one that jumps into people’s minds when they think about the military. There are tons of horror stories of people dying gruesome deaths in the military. Some people who are sent to battle do come back home eventually, but they are stuck with lifelong trauma and emotional scars that need years of therapy to recover from.
You don’t always have to think of death and violence every time you think about the military, though. Those who are on the battlefield often don’t have as many skills as others who are higher up in the military.
If you have specific skills that can be of service to the military, you often don’t have to worry as much about being in the line of fire. There are engineers, IT positions, human resources jobs, recruiting positions, and many other paths in the military that don’t put you in a position to be killed in a conflict.
In the end, though, you have to be comfortable with the fact that being in the military is a risky profession. If you are afraid of being put into traumatic situations, you probably shouldn’t join the service. Being unconfident is a surefire way to fail at almost anything in life.
Pro: You Get Cheaper Auto Insurance
People sometimes forget there is more to life than just their job when they are in the military. People in the service need to buy the same things to provide for their families as anyone else does, and getting good auto insurance is one of those things. Fortunately, many auto insurance companies provide extra discounts for military members.
The best insurance company for military families is USAA. They make it very clear in all of their advertising and marketing campaigns they sell insurance exclusively to military members and their family members. They have a car insurance score of 4.73, which ranks higher than all other insurers for military members.
USAA understands some of the unique issues that military members and families face when it comes to insurance. Being in the military requires a lot of travelling, and USAA provides insurance policies that grant you coverage when you are on the move to your next location.
Other insurance companies might make it more difficult to find coverage so quickly when you are out of state. USAA understands the needs that are unique to military people and their families and everyone who pursues a career in the military should go through them for insurance.
Con: You Often Don’t Have a Good Retirement
It can be hard to get your finances under control no matter what profession you choose, but being in the military presents a lot of challenges in retirement. The military has tried to get better in recent years by providing a pension and other benefits to retired members, but veterans are still more likely to become homeless in retirement than in other professions.
There is no exact reasoning for why military members have a hard time staying financially successful after retirement. Some research indicates there is a connection between the higher amount of mental health problems and drug use in veterans compared to other professions.
Many people go back to work and find a second career after they retire, but this is much harder for military members if they are handicapped or have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after many years in the service.
It’s important to plan your retirement from the military early and decide how you are going to support yourself and your family. Veterans Affairs has several programs that can help retired service members.
There are a lot of assumptions about being in the military. It’s vital to evaluate all of the positives and negatives before making a decision on whether to join the service. You know you are sacrificing yourself for the greater good of others, but is that enough? The aftermath of being in the military may not be worth the pros.
Shawn Laib writes and researches for the insurance comparison site, Clearsurance.com. He wants to help people decide whether being in the military is right for them.