The Meaning of Life for a Soldier

[April 25, 2026]  Here is an interesting observation that I don’t really understand.  When I was in the U.S. Army, I noticed that being a Soldier had a differential impact on men and a particularly significant impact on racial minority men.  This is a good news story.

For example, black men, particularly from the rural Deep South (like I was), who had not done well in high school, had an ambiguous relationship with their peers, and didn’t have any goal they could identify while being in school. They were not very motivated as civilians, but since joining the Army, that had changed. 

My question at the time was, “Why did the Army impact minority men in so many positive ways?”  The effect was so strong that it was impossible not to see it. 

White men were already doing well in the Army. They seemed to be adjusted to a regimented, restrained life. On the other hand, Blacks and Hispanics initially struggled with the Army but gradually changed to be more like their white male peers. 

Motivational change is what I noticed most, and so why did that occur?  Looking back, that’s a good question to ask, especially when compared to their white male counterparts.  White men were doing better in the Army, I believe, because they are already predisposed toward the military.  If a system sets out a structure and says here’s a pathway to attainment, the white males won’t rebel against it, and they’ll go along with it.  And that is working out well for them.

White males score highly on the conscientiousness scale of personality types. People scoring high on this psychometric scale are organized, responsible, self-disciplined, dutiful, and goal-oriented. They naturally prefer structure, follow through on commitments, and comply with rules and norms because they value order, reliability, and long-term outcomes. They also regulate impulses well, avoid risks, and see rules as helpful for achieving goals.

While white males remain relatively unchanged over their time in the military on a scale of conscientiousness, that is not the pattern for racial minority men.  Older military studies suggest that minority men initially enter the U.S. Army with lower conscientiousness but progressively change, eventually becoming ‘more’ conscientious than their white counterparts.  

This shows up later, where Black and Hispanic men are overrepresented in the NCO ranks, particularly in Drill Sergeant roles, where following the rules, orderliness, and emotional control are highly valued.  Dr. Jordan Peterson’s speculation on the differences between men’s and women’s personalities, focusing on extremes, can explain this phenomenon.  Those men at the extremes of high conscientiousness are almost all minority men.

I thought, wow, that is weird.  What’s going on here that minority men are overrepresented in the Drill Sergeant ranks (approximately 20 to 25%)?  Many say this is an example of upward social mobility for minorities.  And while that is true, it doesn’t explain the higher motivation in these men or their taking on difficult NCO roles that require an exceptional degree of conscientiousness.  

These highly structured, high-visibility NCO roles are also those with the most responsibility and require a high degree of motivation, and that is what gives a Soldier meaning in their life.  They carry a heavy load, but with that comes real respect; a significant shift away from their previous civilian life.  

With my four decades of real-life experience in the U.S. Army, I’ve been able to observe this up close: those who join the military and are less conscientious tend to change dramatically, for the better, in their own interests and in the interests of the military.  We call this “success,” but that belies the underlying cause.

Men are hungry for responsibility and unbelievably so.  The U.S. military has used this idea of taking on responsibility in its advertising.  “Be all you can be” is an older but useful example of how they play on men’s desire to attain respect for themselves.  And it’s a very effective recruiting tool, as it sells military life.

A Soldier’s life is one of a voluntary adoption of responsibility.  And orderliness.  And respect.  That is the meaning of life for a Soldier.

————

Please read my books:

1. “55 Rules for a Good Life,” on Amazon (link here).
2. “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” on Amazon (link here).