The military, despite its somewhat “extreme” image they carry, isn’t a service that only goes to war or serves the country–it has been effective in its approach to assisting new recruits with something that has grown valuable in the 21st century; experience. Specifically, experience that would benefit cadets that could resume a civilian career after leaving the military such as becoming a police officer, a detective, or other criminal justice jobs.
The necessary experience that would be built is important to shape disciplined officers in the future, which would be needed in order to have more American citizens be inclined to trust officers with proper training rather than fear those who don’t take in their training experience. By having more disciplined officers, there would be less cases of police brutality against black Americans, or racial profiling against other minorities. The military would help develop the skill with its strict regime that every recruit must follow, such as training and the behavior standards they uphold. If someone were to act out or not follow their specific standards, they would be disciplined swiftly.
Another way experience is gained is by perseverance. Perseverance would improve the way police officers behave in the way they would achieve success, like when they search or apprehend an alleged criminal. The persistence some cops may show would be single-minded and rather rough, resulting in the apprehended individual to be hurt or maybe killed, which is where another skill, critical thinking. Critical thinking would be applied in situations of arresting citizens as it would help officers adapt to whatever situation they would face, such as a violent arrestee, an intoxicated one, an emotional arrestee, etc. These specific skills are vital in the criminal justice field because it allows officers to assess the situation and act accordingly, and most importantly when it may be necessary to use excessive force. The military greatly helps with how critical thinking and perseverance develops when in training, specifically in boot camp where they would be in intense training for weeks or months, and makes them rely more on their strength in their skills to get through foot drills and such.
Joining the military before becoming a police officer allows future officers to gain a certain expertise their colleagues may not have, and would help shape a better and safer future for America.
