Why does military service tend to run in families?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Delilah Vanquish HM
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Delilah Vanquish HM

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My friend's father, two uncles, cousins and brother have all served in the army.... she's the only one who doesn't want to join.

Why does it run in families? Is it just a coincidence or are they pressured into it?

How would you react if your child was the only one in the family who didnt want to join?
 
I think it is the same with any profession. An aptitude can run in a family. For instance, my Dad has been in sales for about 45 years, and I went into sales because I seem to have a natural talent for it. My Mom has a degree in sociology, that is what my sister got her degree in as well - again, she is a natural.

On my husband's side of the family, his grandfather was in the Navy, his father was in the Navy, his sister married a man in the Navy, our nephew is in the Army... but my husband is in media marketing. There was never any pressure for him to be in the military. Interestingly enough, he and I are very involved with a few Veterans Service non-profit associations, so in a way, we do have a military connection too.

I would hope that most families would allow the children to develop their own interests and aptitudes, and my husband and I will support our daughter in whatever profession she decides is right for her.
 
I suppose because in some families, one member joined a long time ago, served, and encouraged younger members to do the same. You'll often see the opposite as well-families where nobody has served in the military. Having served one's country is often a source of pride, and many people wish to have their children feel the same sense of accomplishment that they had felt.

If I was part of a military family (I'm not) and my child didn't want to join...I wouldn't force them into it or disown them if they chose not to serve, but I think I might feel like they were missing out on something. I've seen something similar in my own life; my mother went to a prestigious university for her undergraduate studies and seems almost embarrassed when it comes up in conversation that I go to a community college.
 
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