Military service & the changes over the years...

[DeadPoolX 9]

I was just thinking. I want everyone to mark their calendars, because this is a momentous occasion.

Okay, seriously... I was thinking and it's in reference to the military and those who've served in the past and are currently serving in it today. I don't just mean the U.S. armed forces either; I'm talking about armies going back centuries... to medieval and ancient times.

What got me thinking about this was one of the many discussions on this board. Something about how "underprivileged men and women end up enlisting in the military" and often use the assistance for a college education. Well, okay... I can certainly understand the whole "college education" thing, but why are those predominately of lower socioeconomic status signing up, whereas those with a higher socioeconomic status forgo military service?

The answer may seem immediately clear from a modern perspective: the danger is high, the benefits are so-so and the pay isn't so hot. So why wouldn't someone go for a higher paying job if they could get one? Especially if the chance of being killed is much less.

But what interests me is that centuries ago, during the medieval era (and before that even, during antiquity), it was not only considered an "honor" to serve in the military, but something of a "right of passage." While the common foot soldier was made up of the lower ranks, the upper echelons of the military were generally filled by nobility -- those with power, wealth, status, and sometimes even a title. It was extremely common for the elite to have their sons go into the military and it wasn't looked down upon at all.

So I was just wondering (maybe those of you who've served in the modern military might have a better idea of this than me), when did the shift in attitudes towards the military occur, how did it happen and why did it happen? Obviously, there's a lot of things today that are different from Medieval England or Imperial Rome, but putting aside the socio-cultural aspects, what changed about the military?

[Jasman0717 9]

Could be the same reasons