(There's currently no "for" argument, so @ whoever posted this, apologies if I don't effectively respond to your opinion.) A major qualm I have with the military is that it often takes advantage of poor youth and their lack of post high school opportunities by flaunting the accessibility and extensive benefits (I personally went to a low income high school and a wealthier one and noticed extreme differences in the amount of recruiters who came to each). This whole practice of relying on the impoverished to fight our wars simply because they feel they have no other option feels a little slimy. However, while this may be a problem on the military's side, from the perspective of the individual joining the military (as this question is addressed to the people joining, not recruiting), joining for this reason has the opposite connotation. When one is presented with two options - 1., serve your country (how it is presented) and get a lifetime of benefits, or 2., work at McDonald's for the foreseeable future because you can't even afford college, it seems like a pretty clear decision. Beyond understandable, I think it is totally morally justifiable to choose to take care of and set up a sustainable life for oneself even if it means joining a flawed organization. Now, if the military was an inexcusably terrible organization, that might be a different story, but it currently does provide some essential and even beneficial services. It also depends on what the person knows about the military (if all of their information is from the recruiter who is getting paid to fluff it up), because "morally justifiable", in the real world at least, depends on each person and the choices they could have realistically made given their actual circumstances.

(The following concerns specifically the United States Military, although pieces of this argument could be extrapolated to fit other international militaries) The armed forces are, and – unless human nature radically changes in the near future – will likely always be, necessary to “serve the American people, to defend the Nation, to protect vital national interests, and to fulfill national military responsibilities” [1]. It’s comically naive and ignorant of human nature to hold the belief that, had the US no military, every other player in the international community would sit back and simply wish us well. From Iraq (67% US disapproval rating) to Yemen (69% US disapproval rating) to Lebanon (71% US disapproval rating) to Pakistan (73% US disapproval rating) to Palestine (80% US disapproval rating) [2], to nuclear threats from North Korea, to the rise of ISIS, to the rise of China, to Russian cyberattacks, and to the storming of the US Capitol, threats to the international order and to the security and existence of America have been, and will most likely continue to be, very present and very real. Even more, despite the International Community’s best efforts to (often) engage in civil diplomacy, not all countries play by the same rules. Since 2013, for example, China has been illegally constructing forward operating aircraft bases on man-made islands in the South China Sea. “China’s ‘war without gunsmoke’ strategy had already resulted in the near-normalization of its South China Sea military buildup and its ‘nine-dash line’ claims...Combined with Chinese disregard for a 2016 Hague ruling that invalidated Chinese nine-dash line claims, it is obvious that China will continue to persist in its claims. [3]” Complete disregard for the International Court of Justice’s ruling illustrates that countries have their own international agendas and, often, have no intention of yielding to toothless international condemnations. Such antagonists pose threats to international stability, human rights, and, often by extension, US security. Accordingly, the armed forces act as an effective deterrent to those who would antagonize peace, domestically or abroad. Our military enables us to engage in international collective defense pacts (think NATO) which deter international bullies and drastically reduce the likelihood of (potentially catastrophic) hot wars. The leverage inherent in collective military action or in mutually assured destruction ensures that diplomatic promises will have tangible consequences, compelling/ensuring international peace and cooperation. Moreover, the US military is an apolitical entity. It is jointly commanded by Congress and by the President, both of which are, as elected delegates, servants to their constituents – servants to American citizens. Thus, military action is ultimately a result of the representative will of the American people. “The Constitution of the United States divides the war powers of the federal government between the Executive and Legislative branches: the President is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces (Article II, section 2), while Congress has the power to make declarations of war, and to raise and support the armed forces (Article I, section 8)” [4]. In conjunction with the 1973 War Powers Resolution, all military force must be moderated by the collective judgement of Congress and of the President, and the President must consult with Congress before introducing armed forces into hostilities [4]. The military has no political agenda; it is simply the fist to the Government’s brain. Thus, moral implications of military action fall on the collective American conscience. Citizens are ultimately responsible for the military’s actions; thus, abstaining from military service does not clear us of the nuanced moral determinations which are inherent in using force to resolve conflict – that responsibility is all of ours to bear. Accepting the premise that the military is a natural and necessary component of modern societies makes those among us who voluntarily sign away their free will to call the shots as to what is right and wrong morally laudable; those who volunteer to do our country’s dirty work personify the ethos of service to our society. Sources: [1] https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/us-army-overview.html#:~:text=The%20Army%20exists%20to%20serve,National%20Security%20and%20Defense%20Strategies. [2] https://time.com/60466/9-countries-that-hate-america-most/ [3] https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2020/04/17/chinas-island-fortifications-are-a-challenge-to-international-norms/ [4] https://www.loc.gov/law/help/usconlaw/war-powers.php#:~:text=The%20Constitution%20of%20the%20United,and%20support%20the%20armed%20forces

The problem with the US military is that it takes advantage of high school students who are unsure of their future paths if they do not plan on going to college or are financially unstable. Most people who I know that went to the military went just so they could get free college, or that their family member joined so they did just because they didn't know what else to do, or simply because they had no other plans. Those were all the reasons I've heard, and I've met about 7 men and 3 women who joined. Yes, they all care about protecting civil liberties and our country, however, this was not their primary motivation to join.

I'd argue that whether or not its moral to join the military depends on the behavior of your particular country's military. If a country is very critical of where they fight, and tend to fight for humanitarian problems, or provide relief to other countries during natural disasters, then sure, join your country's military if that's what you want to do. Even if your country's not 100% just in absolutely all military decisions, just make sure they're doing much more good than harm. Now, is there ever a moral justification for joining something like the US military? NO. Edit: To clarify, it doesn't mean that naive high school students with no idea what they wanna do with their lives who join the military are bad people. Soldiers aren't innately bad people. But deliberately joining the US military is a pretty rough blunder, and one that I don't think people would make as often if we actually taught kids about America's diverse multitude of atrocities.

Joining the military though it could just be for earning money is a patriotic and heroic thing to do. People in the military work hard to keep our country safe and not only that they keep our country safe so that we can share our opinion so that we can tell them that we don’t agree with them. It is because of them that we can say that they are wrong for being in the military because of their sacrifice and their work we are free to say and do as we believe.