Good "living" book for someone interested in the military?

[Homeschoolmom3]

My middle son is interested in joining the military.  He has talked about it for 2 yrs.  so I am thinking he is serious but I want him to be really aware of what life is really like making it a career and thought he would benefit reading real stories about people's lives or the types of jobs and what it would entail.  We have a few military people in our family but not who have been enlisted lately.  Any ideas would be great!  Thanks in advance! 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

One we enjoyed recently was In the Shadow of Greatness  It is different, in that it represents the experiences of many members of one class at USNA.

 

Others that we enjoyed are:

 

The Caine Mutiny (WW2)

The Things They Carried (Vietnam)

Thunder Run (Iraq War, opening campaign)

Black Hawk Down (Somalia 1990's)

Making the Corps (USMC Boot Camp)

Sailors to the End 

 

 

[Tsuga]

 

 

I want him to be really aware of what life is really like making it a career

 

As a mom I hear what you are saying and I think that starting with modern military literature is great.

 

As a kid of military aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents and ex-Army wife, I have to say, it's not possible. Of course you knew that. I am not trying to talk down to you. But I mean, it's less possible than with other careers. You think they're joking, but you can't make jokes about how extremely ridiculous some of it is.

 

I think that in addition to reading literature, I would suggest meeting up with some veterans' groups and active duty groups at the local college. See what they say. They might be very discouraging. They will also have a ton of good advice about how to go about joining the military in the way that gets you the most out of your service. I know young men often want to serve for their country and don't think about what they're getting out of it. I was a young fool once, too. But as a parent you will want to be aware of which services will treat him with the most respect, how to best use his GI bill, and so on.

Best of luck to your son.

 

 

[Homeschoolmom3]

Thanks for the ideas and comments!  Will look into those!  

[nobeatenpath]

Further to Tsuga's excellent comments - be aware that a lot of literature written from past campaigns (say Vietnam and before) often has little relevance to modern military life. Some things may be universal, but most are not.

Is there a cadets program anywhere near you? Even if it is not the service that your son wants to join, it is a good start regarding getting an idea around the discipline and mindset required (my husband did Air Cadets but ended up becoming an Army Officer for example). And I second the suggestion to meet up with currently serving and recently serving Service personnel (though not recruiters or recruiting stations - they are not going to give you the whole story!!)

[Homeschoolmom3]

Further to Tsuga's excellent comments - be aware that a lot of literature written from past campaigns (say Vietnam and before) often has little relevance to modern military life. Some things may be universal, but most are not.

 

 

Yes, I agree with both of you that is why I was needing advice.  Thanks for all of your comments and suggestions!

[Homeschoolmom3]

Is there a cadets program anywhere near you? Even if it is not the service that your son wants to join, it is a good start regarding getting an idea around the discipline and mindset required (my husband did Air Cadets but ended up becoming an Army Officer for example). And I second the suggestion to meet up with currently serving and recently serving Service personnel (though not recruiters or recruiting stations - they are not going to give you the whole story!!)

 

Yes, he is thinking of joining the Civil Air Patrol (only thing available in this area).  Thanks for the suggestion!

[FriedClams]

http://www.amazon.com/Brotherhood-Fin-Coast-Rescue-Swimmers/dp/1587367440

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0061766305/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_2?refRID=1324DEJ5VH4FB0RCMPPY

 

Not that I'm biased.... :-)

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I think that there are a lot of commonalities across time and service.  I remember reading about WWI nurses bleaching their aprons so the red cross would fade and look less new.  Similarly, Englishmen who joined regiments with kilts would put dirt on their legs until they had time to tan and look like the veteran soldiers.  I can read something from a distant war and recognize some of the same experiences.  (Wipers Times a movie on Netflix, felt very familiar, despite being about WWI.)

 

On the other hand, there are books that are so detailed but just don't describe my experience.  I Love My Rifle More Than You, for example, is about a woman serving in the early days of the Iraq War.  But despite the fact that we are both women, I didn't experience most of what she describes.  I wasn't enlisted, Army or serving in a wartime combat zone.  

 

Even within the Navy, there are a lot of differences in what people experience.  The experiences of a maritime patrol pilot and the experience of a submariner and the experience of a communications specialist will be quite different.

 

The more you can read, the more hints you get of what it is like.  But in the end, words do often fail to convey.  I can say a couple phrases and instantly connect with 50 years worth of Naval Academy grads.  But I could use pages and still not be able to get across the same emotions to someone who doesn't have that background.  I could give details but not the visceral reaction.  

 

Having said that, there are some good blogs that might be of interest.  

 

CDR Salamander

http://navycaptain-therealnavy.blogspot.com/

http://www.askskipper.com/

https://medium.com/the-military-writers-guild   (This last one may help find good writers or good books.)

[Homeschoolmom3]

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions.  Checking them out!  

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I read this essay today and thought it was really good.  Its explanation of how the professor teaches Russian literature and why students should care comes close to my feelings about reading military literature.  Why College Kids Are Avoiding the Study of Literature

 

I didn't read The Caine Mutiny until I'd gotten out of the Navy, after having worked for a chief engineer who was an unhappy person, intent on spreading unhappiness to others.  The Caine Mutiny was a revelation to me.  I could not believe how well it spoke to my own experiences, despite the differences in the specifics of each case.  It was a matter of my empathy with the book characters being in strong accord.  But because even the protagonists in the book were flawed, it also helped me realize that there had been times when I'd contributed to the negative situation in various ways.  

 

I think that is what you can get from books about the military, especially military fiction and memoirs of more distant events.  I haven't read many of the memoirs of guys who were in elite units (Lone Survivor, American Sniper) so I'm not sure how that type of book is.  I've also found that some books have suited me at different times.  I enjoyed the writing in Master and Commander when I read it in my 20's, but just couldn't finish it.  I picked it up again 15 years later and it was an entirely different book (in part because I was older and more able to understand the frustrations of the characters).