Is there a "personality type" for military service?

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milmomsomeday

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My DH and I are neither one military. We have lots of family members (uncles, grandfathers, etc.) who served and have always been very supportive and thankful of the military. Our two oldest DS are both considering military service. The youngest of the two will enter 9th grade this fall and loves the water, fishing, etc. He is very regimented in establishing routines, keeping things orderly, so I've always thought of the two he is probably already more of a fit for the military, but last night at dinner, my DH said, "Well, I'm not sure he has the personality for the military." That got me thinking, is there a "personality type" for military service? I have personally always thought that anyone willing to sign up to sacrifice for our great country can be molded into the kind of person that fits the needs of the military. What are your thoughts?
 
I don't believe that there is any common personality type for people entering the military. What happens often however, is that a certain personality is fostered while there which follows just about everyone when they get out.

If anyone says that it doesn't change you, they aren't being honest. I personally think it's a good thing. I would do it again. It certainly doesn't define me, but it's one of a myriad of experiences that I have had which positively shaped me as a person. The more important one was meeting my wife. She says (after a quarter-century) that I am "a work in progress" but nonetheless still "have potential".
 
milmomsomeday said:
My DH and I are neither one military. We have lots of family members (uncles, grandfathers, etc.) who served and have always been very supportive and thankful of the military. Our two oldest DS are both considering military service. The youngest of the two will enter 9th grade this fall and loves the water, fishing, etc. He is very regimented in establishing routines, keeping things orderly, so I've always thought of the two he is probably already more of a fit for the military, but last night at dinner, my DH said, "Well, I'm not sure he has the personality for the military." That got me thinking, is there a "personality type" for military service? I have personally always thought that anyone willing to sign up to sacrifice for our great country can be molded into the kind of person that fits the needs of the military. What are your thoughts?
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It takes all 'kinds' to lead in Service. Diversity in all aspects is important.
 
It's been my observation that the "Personality" of people might differ greatly from their professional (military) to their private life. Although certain traits might crossover.

DS is an officer in Army National Guard. He has his military persona.
He is a project manager for a construction general contractor. He has to have his civilian persona because you cannot treat or expect the public to act like soldiers.
He has his private life in which he actually uses his middle name not his first name and tends to be more fun and easy going.

All three he carries the trait of leadership, strong thought process and learning capability. The military did bring some of these traits to the forefront though.
 
Here is one study with one conclusion: https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a401567.pdf

Google will find you lots of opinions and anecdotes. In addition to "personality types" I would suggest you look at studies on "Grit" - a character trait that I think is a better measure of who will succeed in the military.

From my personal observations: there is no one personality for the military. Some character traits that seem common are grit, a willingness to embrace the suck, believing in a cause bigger than yourself, and a strong focus on mission accomplishment.
 
Tex232 said:
For OP, how fast does your son eat?
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LOL....He is a super snacker...eats very little at one time. My DH grew up with a sister that took FOREVER to eat every meal. Apparently, that must have left a mark because all of our kids eat pretty quickly, never take long to eat.

USMCGrunt said:
Some character traits that seem common are grit, a willingness to embrace the suck, believing in a cause bigger than yourself, and a strong focus on mission accomplishment.
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This is something my DH and I talk about a lot because as school counselors see situations all the time with kids not having grit, so we hope our own parenting skills encourage grit. Great perspective and something to try to help our kids shoot for developing.
 
My husband is a Marine and not only does he never make the bed but his socks and clothes are all over the place, in every single room! (How did you ever make it in the military?) My DS recently slept on top of a bare mattress, with pillowcase-less pillow with only the dog's tiny blanket as a cover because he was too lazy to go down two flights of stairs to the laundry room and get his sheets/blanket out of the dryer! (How will you ever make it in the military?) Wives/Moms have to learn to embrace the suck too!
 
FrauTeufelshund said:
My husband is a Marine and not only does he never make the bed but his socks and clothes are all over the place, in every single room! (How did you ever make it in the military?) My DS recently slept on top of a bare mattress, with pillowcase-less pillow with only the dog's tiny blanket as a cover because he was too lazy to go down two flights of stairs to the laundry room and get his sheets/blanket out of the dryer! (How will you ever make it in the military?) Wives/Moms have to learn to embrace the suck too!
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Look at your son’s ability to sleep “rough” as a valuable skill. Military folks learn how to sleep when they’re cold, sitting up, lying on concrete, using boots as a pillow, without the luxury of clean sheets, warm blankets and a nice mattress, gaining the ability to fall asleep quickly in any situation. This is truly a life skill. 😂
 
Capt MJ said:
Look at your son’s ability to sleep “rough” as a valuable skill. Military folks learn how to sleep when they’re cold, sitting up, lying on concrete, using boots as a pillow, without the luxury of clean sheets, warm blankets and a nice mattress, gaining the ability to fall asleep quickly in any situation. This is truly a life skill. 😂
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Based on that our plebe should excel. Since he was tiny that boy can fall asleep anywhere. He has logged more miles snoring while I drive then can be tabulated. I often wondered how is head was still attached to his neck based on the horrible positions he slept in.
 
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USMCGrunt said:
From my personal observations: there is no one personality for the military. Some character traits that seem common are grit, a willingness to embrace the suck, believing in a cause bigger than yourself, and a strong focus on mission accomplishment.
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I completely agree with the above statement and believe it applies across the military. That having been said, when I see "grit" and then your screen name I get one mental picture. If I think "grit" and Fueler or Quartermaster or JAG I have a different picture. Either way, neither picture is exclusively physical or mental.
THParent said:
If anyone says that it doesn't change you, they aren't being honest. I personally think it's a good thing. I would do it again. It certainly doesn't define me, but it's one of a myriad of experiences that I have had which positively shaped me as a person. The more important one was meeting my wife. She says (after a quarter-century) that I am "a work in progress" but nonetheless still "have potential".
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I can't ponder OP's question without examining my DS's personality type along with the nuances--there are as many personality types as there are people. As a HS senior he would have been voted "Least likely to join the military" or "Most likely to be kicked out of the military for insubordination." He is an AROTC commissioned O-3 enjoying what he does, other than abiding the bureaucratic frustrations endemic to the Army and most large organizations. When I think of his "grittiness", I think "resilient and adaptable" together and inseparably. There is no other way he could have made it from point A to point B.

He is another non-maker of beds.
 
Capt MJ said:
Look at your son’s ability to sleep “rough” as a valuable skill. Military folks learn how to sleep when they’re cold, sitting up, lying on concrete, using boots as a pillow, without the luxury of clean sheets, warm blankets and a nice mattress, gaining the ability to fall asleep quickly in any situation. This is truly a life skill. 😂
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I have a picture of my crews racked out in the shade underneath our UH-60s on a hot tarmac. When I transitioned to flying civilian cargo fellow crewmembers were amazed that I could fall asleep so quickly in the crew rest area of the airplane.
 
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