Josianna Winnings
Professor Kerr
EN 101-5H4
10-20-2010
Military: Then and Now.
Observing today’s military there are many elements that contribute to its evolution. The military strives to stay cutting-edge with its technology and to stay modern with its approaches. We’ve witnessed revolutionary changes throughout the years, some more effective than others and some still developing. According to Peter Warren Singer, a Senior Fellow and Director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative at the Brookings Institution, “Mankind’s 5000 year old monopoly on the fighting of war is breaking down in our lifetime”(PW Singer on Military”). The identity of weapons, soldiers and strategy are always transforming yet some factors never change and sometimes the new fails to surpass the old.
Not only having the most advanced weapons, but having the most effective ones, is an important part of any military. In our nation’s history we’ve witnessed the invention of shotguns, submarines, tanks, machine guns and atomic bombs. The creation of these systems has always been about going further, shooting faster, having a bigger boom and that still translates into today’s warfare with new technology . (“PW Singer on Military”). Examples of this new technology include fighter jets, missiles, and robotics. The new technology being developed appeals to many because of its innovativeness, effectiveness, plus the fact that it’s more streamlined and has the potential to be safer than past weapons systems. The upside to our older technology is that much of it, like tanks, has been fined-tuned with larger supplies and various forms. These circumstances contribute to the weapons being more reliable and easily accessible. There are disadvantages to both new and old technology though that should be taken into consideration. With newer weapons, just like when buying the latest cell phone, there’s possibility for malfunctions because of the new technology plus bigger price tags and less availability. On the other hand, older weapons have opposite concerns being that the technology may be outdated, therefore less effective. In addition, with mass production the older weapons have potential to be replicated.
Any weapon, new or old, is useless without the soldier behind it. As technology changes, society changes and vice versa, therefore the identity of a warrior changes with the times. When reflecting on the history of soldiers in our military there’s segregation, sexism and discrimination. Those who were colored, homosexual or female used to have limitations in the military. The draft was also a significant part of the past when it was in effect from the 1940’s to the 1970’s used as a backup for manpower. (Powers).While it is still customary for men to sign up for the draft when they turn eighteen, it is currently not in use and the military is all-voluntary with more equal opportunities. A time of change is happening as we speak with our soldiers and we continue to see progress. All races are now accepted and women have moved up from nurses into officer positions ("Facts About Women "). Sexual orientation sensitivity has also progressed with the introduction of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy” (Murphy) where homosexuals are no longer dismissed due to their preference. With these progressions we are also reminded that we still have room for improvement being that women still aren’t typically seen in combat and sexual orientation is still a sensitive topic.
With modern technology and soldiers being redefined, we see a change in strategy also. There was movie years ago about the Revolutionary War titled “The Patriot”. This movie demonstrated soldiers fighting in battle lines being that it was an effective strategy at the time. Weapons in the past weren’t always as accurate, nor did they have much range so in battle soldiers would mass together for attacks (“civilwarhome.com”) which often resulted in many causalities. Another shortcoming to how we’ve fought in the past is the fact that many wars were fought overseas which caused a disconnection between soldiers and their home life. However, our military has been very effective in the past and with experience has become fine-tuned over time("infoplease.com"). There are some concerns with the new direction our military because of new technology and the costs behind them. Also, as with any new inventions, there is a trial and error period before it can become fine-tuned and fine-tuning these new approaches with technology has become a competition. With our innovative new technology though, we have converted to covert approaches utilizing our long-range weapons. There is also less life risk with new unmanned devices resulting in soldiers having more opportunities to stay on base within the country.
No matter what approach the U.S military takes, they strive to bring honor to our country through past and present efforts in weapons, soldiers and strategy. It is clear that we have come a long way with the advancement of our military and it’s those cutting-edge advancements that help our country succeed. It’s impossible to progress without developing innovations and while many past methods have been effective and are still practiced today, it is the progressions that will allow us to continue to be the top military power of the world. (aga)
Works Cited
Aga, Clifford, . "top 10 nmilitary powers of the world." buzzle.com. buzzle.com, 2010. Web. Oct 2010. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/top10-military-powers-of-the-world.html>.
"Civil War Weapons." civilwarhome.com. N.p., 26112006. Web. 25 Sep 2010. <http://civilwarhome.com/civilwarweapons.htm>.
"Facts About Women in the Military, 1980-1990." feminism.eserver.com. EServer, 2005-01-19 . Web. 25 Sep 2010. <http://feminism.eserver.org/workplace/professions/women-in-the-military.txt>.
Murphy Patrica,. "Military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy Blocked in Senate." politicsdaily.com. aol news, 09 2010. Web. Oct 4. <http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/09/21/republicans-block-dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal/>.
PW Singer on military robots and the future of war." TED2009, . " ted.com. TED Conferences, LLC, 04 2009. Web. 25 Sep 2010. http://www.ted.com/talks/pw_singer_on_robots_of_war.
Powers Rod ,. "History of the Draft." usmilitary.about.com. The New York Times Company, 2010. Web. Oct 2010. <http://usmilitary.about.com/od/deploymentsconflicts/l/bldrafthistory.htm
