The youth of India today usually aims for getting a high paid job in a top MNC or join parental business after they graduate; and till some time ago even I thought along similar lines but I am a bit skeptical about it now. Should money be my sole criteria of enjoying life? What about ideals like patriotism, pride and honor? And to draw inspiration, I don't have to look far, as my father is a Naval Officer himself.

The most difficult stage in a teenager's life comes when it is time to contemplate professional goals or chalk out a career path. Many teenagers, out of high school and college, are confused and aimless about what they want to do in life. But, away from such mainstream professions, there are as many off-beat professions today as there are ideas floating around. One of such being THE INDIAN ARMED FORCES. It is a matter of honor and pride to join the Armed Forces as these personnel are looked upon as saviors or defenders of nations and its people. It is one of the few noble professions left today.

The Armed Forces mainly comprises of three arms or services, that of the Army, Navy and Air Force. Apart from defending the borders from external threats, the Armed Forces are often involved in humanitarian missions like the UN Peacekeeping forces and in disaster management. In the event of earthquakes, floods or avalanches, the Army, Navy and Air Force are the first to reach the disaster-prone areas for search and rescue missions. In the recent tsunami disaster, the Indian Navy did yeomen service in sending its ships and its men with food and medicines to Sri Lanka for relief operations.

A few years back when General Deepak Kapoor was interviewed about the lack of enthusiasm among the youth to serve in defense services he said,"Patriotism as a motivation for the youth was not so strong today as it was soon after the country's independence. Post-independence, youth would forego much higher paying job opportunities to serve in the military. In England, the Queen's sons and grandsons have all been in the Service. So that is not for money. But some of those ethos have perhaps undergone a bit of a change. That is why the army is trying to ensure that its culture, ethos and that respect and dignity that the Indian public accords to the army is maintained,".

Indeed, the armed forces isn't about the lucrative pay packages. There are no expectations of rewards in Seva, for seva is considered its own reward. It gives you a glimpse and understanding of dimensions that people in the civil sector, can only wonder and feel over- awed about. When you see a soldier brave the shower of artillery shrapnels to rush to rescue his bleeding colleague just wounded in the shelling you KNOW the meaning of the word ‘camaraderie’. What it means to be an ‘Officer’ is something which is difficult to comprehend.

Hollywood tried to bring about a differentiation, calling the phenomenon, ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’, little knowing that being a gentleman is inherent when you are an OFFICER. Being a gentleman is his primary nature, not second-nature.In the corporate world you would never come across the word ‘honor’? In uniform the soldiers serve only for honor, not the ‘package’. Naam, Namak, Nishan – are alien words in the corporate world.

Here I list out the things you stand to gain from joining the armed forces:

1. A head start in career - In the Armed Forces, you get to begin your career early in life. Candidates begin their career and training when they are anywhere between 15 - 20 years of age. An advantage of this early head start in career is that after 10 - 15 years of service, you are still young enough to choose a career outside the Armed Forces, if you so desire. Moreover, the military training and service, by its very nature highly equips you for other jobs, say in managerial positions.
2. Complete Funding of Education by the Government - Training and education in most defense academies is free or, at least, highly subsidized. Considering the prohibitive costs of education in other streams, this is quite a scream. Academies around the world have tie-ups with university programs and along with military training you stand to get a graduate degree or a diploma.
3. Physical Fitness and Discipline - Military training lays great emphasis on physical fitness and discipline. As part of the training, you will get to indulge in a wide variety of sports - from sailing and mountaineering to horse-riding and rifle shooting. Later, into the service you can continue with the adventure sports either as a hobby or take it up seriously as a profession. The silver medalist in shooting in Olympics 2003, Major Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is a professional archer apart from being an Army officer.
4. Leadership Skills - Life in the Armed Forces also gears you to rise above individual aspirations, forget differences and work as a team towards a common aim. It calls for great leadership skills and fosters the spirit of camaraderie which shall stand in good stead in any walk of life.
5. Quality of Life - Military personnel are constantly touring foreign countries for expositions or exercises, whether it is air shows, fleet reviews or peacekeeping missions. Many go on diplomatic postings or are sent for undergoing certain formal courses.The pay scales in the Armed Forces are fairly competitive and in most cases, the perks include accommodation. The living quarters - the cantonment areas or the designated townships - invariably have good surroundings and are ordered. The officers are the cream of society, and they have an unmistakably enhanced quality of life.

Serving in the Armed forces is indeed a matter of respect, honor and valor. A career in the Armed Forces makes for a wholesome personality, and indeed, a wholesome life. In my father's own words ,"Working in the armed forces is not a profession, it's a way of life"

Image Courtesy: journeybasket blogspot