View source for Soldier

{{short description|Someone who is in an army}}
{{About||other uses|Soldier (disambiguation)}}
{{Broader|Military personnel}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox Occupation
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| caption= [[United States Army]] soldiers in [[Baghdad]], [[Iraq]] in 2006
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| type= [[Profession]]
| activity_sector= [[Military]]
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| employment_field= [[Army]]
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A '''soldier''' is a person who serves as part of an [[army]]. A soldier can be a [[Conscription|conscripted]] or volunteer [[Enlisted rank|enlisted person]], a [[non-commissioned officer]], a [[warrant officer]], or an [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]]. Soldiers may be involved directly in armed hostilities, such as members of [[infantry]], [[artillery]], or [[armored warfare|armored]] units, or as personnel serving in support roles that rarely see actual combat.
==Etymology==
The word ''soldier'' derives from the [[Middle English]] word {{lang|enm|soudeour}}, from [[Old French]] {{lang|fro|soudeer}} or {{lang|fro|soudeour}}, meaning mercenary, from {{lang|fro|soudee}}, meaning [[shilling]]'s worth or wage, from {{lang|fro|[[sou (coin)|sou]]}} or {{lang|fro|soud}}, shilling.<ref name = Merriam-Webster>{{cite encyclopedia |editor= Mish, Frederick C. |encyclopedia= Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary |title= soldier |edition= 11th |year= 2004 |publisher= Merriam-Webster |location= Springfield, MA |isbn= 0-87779-809-5 |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/merriamwebstersc00merr_6 }}</ref> The word is also related to the [[Medieval Latin]] {{lang|la|soldarius}}, meaning soldier ({{lit|one having pay}}).<ref name = Etymological>{{cite web |url=http://www.etymonline.com/ |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |author = Harper, Douglas |year=2010 |access-date=17 August 2010 }}</ref> These words ultimately derive from the [[Late Latin]] word {{lang|la|[[Solidus (coin)|solidus]]}}, referring to an [[Ancient Rome|ancient Roman]] coin used in the [[Byzantine Empire]].<ref name = Merriam-Webster /><ref name = Etymological />
==Occupational and other designations==
[[File:Filipino soldiers in Victoria, World War II.jpg|thumb|[[Filipino Australians|Filipino]] [[Australian Army]] soldiers in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], [[Australia]] during [[World War II]], 1941]]
In most armies, the word "soldier" has a general meaning that refers to all members of any army, distinct from more specialized military occupations that require different areas of knowledge and skill sets. "Soldiers" may be referred to by titles, names, [[Nickname|nicknames]], or [[Acronym|acronyms]] that reflect an individual's military occupation specialty arm, service, or branch of military employment, their type of unit, or operational employment or technical use such as: [[Trooper (rank)|trooper]], [[tank]]er (a member of tank crew), [[commando]], [[dragoon]], [[Infantry|infantryman]], [[guardsman]], [[artilleryman]], [[paratrooper]], [[grenadier]], [[Ranger (disambiguation)#Military|ranger]], [[sniper]], [[Combat engineer|engineer]], [[sapper]], [[Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers|craftsman]], [[signaller]], [[Combat medic|medic]], [[rifleman]], or [[Gunner (rank)|gunner]], among other terms. Some of these designations or their [[Etymology|etymological]] origins have existed in the English language for centuries, while others are relatively recent, reflecting changes in technology, increased [[Division of labour|division of labor]], or other factors. In the United States Army, a soldier's military job is designated as a [[List of United States Army careers|Military Occupational Specialty (MOS)]], which includes a very wide array of MOS Branches and sub-specialties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Army MOS List |url=https://www.armyprt.com/us-army/army-mos-list/ |access-date=January 27, 2023 |website=U.S. Army Basic|date=29 December 2011 }}</ref> One example of a nickname for a soldier in a specific occupation is the term "red caps" to refer to [[military policemen]] personnel in the [[British Army]] because of the colour of their headgear.
[[Infantry]] are sometimes called "grunts" in the [[United States Army]] (as the well as in the [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]]) or "squaddies" (in the British Army). U.S. Army artillery crews, or "gunners," are sometimes referred to as "redlegs", from the service branch colour for [[artillery]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. ARMY BRANCH SCARF (ARTILLERY, ENGINEER, USMA FACULTY) |url=http://www.uniforms-4u.com/p-army-bib-scarf-scarlet-artillery-for-engineer-13444.aspx |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=www.uniforms-4u.com}}</ref> U.S. soldiers are often called "[[G.I.|G.I.s]]" (short for the term "Government Issue").  Such terms may be associated with particular [[wars]] or historical eras. "G.I." came into common use during [[World War II]] and after, but prior to and during [[World War I]] especially, American soldiers were called "[[Doughboy|Doughboys]]," while British infantry troops were often referred to as [[Tommy Atkins|"Tommies]]" (short for the archetypal soldier "Tommy Atkins") and French infantry were called [[Poilu|"Poilus]]" ("hairy ones").
[[File:U.S. Army and French Soldiers Participate in Marara 22 7193591.jpg|thumb|[[United States Army|American]] and [[French Army|French]] soldiers during a water obstacle [[Military exercise|training exercise]], 2022]]
Some formal or informal designations may reflect the status or changes in status of soldiers for reasons of [[Gender role|gender]], [[Race (human categorization)|race]], or other social factors. With certain exceptions, service as a soldier, especially in the infantry, had generally been restricted to males throughout world history. By World War II, women were actively deployed in [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] forces in different ways. Some notable female soldiers in the [[Soviet Union]] were [[Soviet women in World War II#Infantry|honored]] as "[[Hero of the Soviet Union|Heroes of the Soviet Union]]" for their actions in the army or as [[Partisan (military)|partisan]] fighters. In the United Kingdom, women served in the [[Auxiliary Territorial Service]] (ATS) and later in the [[Women's Royal Army Corps]] (WRAC). Soon after its entry into the war, the U.S. formed the [[Women's Army Corps]], whose female soldiers were often referred to as "WACs." These sex-segregated branches were disbanded in the last decades of the twentieth century and women soldiers were integrated into the standing branches of the military, although their ability to serve in armed combat was often restricted.
Race has historically been an issue restricting the ability of some people to serve in the U.S. Army. Until the [[American Civil War]], Black soldiers fought in integrated and sometimes separate units, but at other times were not allowed to serve, largely due to fears about the possible effects of such service on the institution of legal [[Slavery in the United States|slavery]]. Some Black soldiers, both freemen and men who had escaped from slavery, served in [[Union Army|Union]] forces, until 1863, when the [[Emancipation Proclamation]] opened the door for the formation of Black units. After the war, Black soldiers continued to serve, but in segregated units, often subjected to physical and verbal racist abuse. The term "[[Buffalo Soldier|Buffalo Soldiers]]" was applied to some units fighting in the 19th century [[American Indian Wars|Indian Wars]] in the American West. Eventually, the phrase was applied more generally to segregated Black units, who often distinguished themselves in armed conflict and other service. In 1948, President [[Harry S. Truman]] issued an [[executive order]] for the end of segregation in the [[United States Armed Forces]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Black Americans in the U.S. Army |url=https://www.army.mil/blackamericans/timeline.html |access-date=23 January 2023}}</ref>
==Service==
===Conscription===
[[File:Norwegian soldier during Saber Strike 2015.jpg|thumb|[[Norwegian Army]] soldiers, conscripts, and officers during a [[NATO]] exercise in [[Latvia]], 2015]]
Throughout history, individuals have often been compelled by force or law to serve in armies and other armed forces in times of war or other times. Modern forms of such compulsion are generally referred to as "[[conscription]]" or a "draft". Currently, many countries require registration for some form of mandatory service, although that requirement may be selectively enforced or exist only in law and not in practice.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Countries with Mandatory Military Service 2023 |url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-with-mandatory-military-service |access-date=January 29, 2023 |website=World Population Review}}</ref> Usually the requirement applies to younger male citizens, though it may extend to women and non-citizen residents as well. In times of war, the requirements, such as age, may be broadened when additional troops are thought to be needed.
At different times and places, some individuals have been able to avoid conscription by having another person take their place. Modern draft laws may provide temporary or permanent exemptions from service or allow some other [[Non-Combatant Corps|non-combatant]] service, as in the case of [[Conscientious objector|conscientious objectors]].
In the United States, males aged 18-25 are required to register with the [[Selective Service System]], which has responsibility for overseeing the draft. However, no draft has occurred since 1973, and the U.S. military has been able to maintain staffing through voluntary enlistment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Selective Service |url=https://www.usa.gov/selective-service |access-date=January 29, 2023 |website=USA.GOV}}</ref>
===Enlistment===
Soldiers in war may have various [[motivation]]s for voluntarily enlisting and remaining in an army or other armed forces branch. In a study of 18th century soldiers' written records about their time in service, historian Ilya Berkovich suggests "three primary 'levers' of motivation ...  'coercive', 'remunerative', and 'normative' incentives."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Cozens |first=Joe |date=October 2017 |title=review of Motivation in War: The Experience of Common Soldiers in Old-Regime Europe |url=https://reviews.history.ac.uk/review/2183 |access-date=January 31, 2023 |website=Reviews in History}}</ref>  Berkovich argues that historians' assumptions that fear of coercive force kept unwilling conscripts in check and controlled rates of [[desertion]] have been overstated and that any pay or other [[remuneration]] for service as provided then would have been an insufficient incentive. Instead, "[[Ancien Régime|old-regime]] common soldiers should be viewed primarily as willing participants who saw themselves as engaged in a distinct and honourable activity."<ref name=":0" /> In [[Modern era|modern]] times, soldiers have volunteered for armed service, especially in time of war, out of a sense of patriotic duty to their [[homeland]] or to advance a social, political, or [[Ideology|ideological]] cause, while improved levels of remuneration or training might be more of an incentive in times of economic hardship.  Soldiers might also enlist for personal reasons, such as following family or social expectations, or for the order and discipline provided by military training, as well as for the [[friendship]] and connection with their fellow soldiers afforded by close contact in a common enterprise.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15027570701755398|title=Comrades or Friends? On Friendship in the Armed Forces|first=Desiree|last=Verweij|date=December 6, 2007|journal=Journal of Military Ethics|volume=6|issue=4|pages=280–291|doi=10.1080/15027570701755398|s2cid=144653282 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/91782040|title=Will to Fight: Analyzing, Modeling, and Simulating the Will to Fight of Military Units|first1=Ben|last1=Connable|first2=Michael|last2=McNerney|first3=William|last3=Marcellino|first4=Aaron|last4=Frank|first5=Henry|last5=Hargrove|first6=Marek|last6=Posard|first7=S.|last7=Zimmerman|first8=Natasha|last8=Lander|first9=Jasen|last9=Castillo|first10=James|last10=Sladden|date=December 9, 2018|journal=RAND Corporation EBooks|quote=The second type of cohesion at the unit level is social cohesion. Mission accomplishment develops bonds. Social cohesion is bonding based on friendship, trust, and other aspects of interpersonal relationships. The essential argument here is that soldiers fight because of the close interpersonal bonds formed in their primary social group through shared experience and hardship. Social cohesion includes both horizontal (peer) and vertical (leader) bonds in the so-called standard model of military group cohesion.67 Some research on U.S. military forces after the Vietnam War questioned the primacy of social cohesion, but it is consistently emphasized in contemporary scholarship.68}}</ref>[[File:Indian Army soldiers and U.S. Army paratroopers evaluate a recently concluded simulated combat patrol at Fort Bragg, N.C..jpg|thumb|U.S. Army [[Paratrooper|paratroopers]] and [[Indian Army]] soldiers after a simulated [[patrol]], 2013]]
In 2018, the [[RAND Corporation]] published the results of a study of contemporary American soldiers in ''Life as a Private: A Study of the Motivations and Experiences of Junior Enlisted Personnel in the U.S. Army''. The study found that "soldiers join the Army for family, institutional, and occupational reasons, and many value the opportunity to become a military professional. They value their relationships with other soldiers, enjoy their social lives, and are satisfied with Army life."  However, the authors cautioned that the survey sample consisted of only 81 soldiers and that "the findings of this study cannot be generalized to the U.S. Army as a whole or to any rank."<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Helmus |first1=Todd C. |url= https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2252.html |title=Life as a Private: A Study of the Motivations and Experiences of Junior Enlisted Personnel in the U.S. Army. |last2=Zimmerman |first2=S. Rebecca |last3=Posard |first3=Marek M. |last4=Wheeler |first4=Jasmine L. |last5=Ogletree |first5=Cordaye |last6=Stroud |first6=Quenton |last7=Harrell |first7=Margaret C. |publisher=RAND Corporation |year=2018|access-date = August 11, 2014}}</ref>
===Length of service===
The length of time that an individual is required to serve as a soldier has varied with country and historical period, whether that individual has been drafted or has voluntarily enlisted. Such service, depending on the army's need for staffing or the individual's fitness and eligibility, may involve fulfillment of a contractual obligation. That obligation might extend for the duration of an armed conflict or may be limited to a set number of years in [[active duty]] and/or inactive duty.
As of 2023, service in the U.S. Army is for a Military Service Obligation of 2 to 6 years of active duty with a remaining term in the [[Individual Ready Reserve]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Service Commitment |url=https://www.goarmy.com/army-life/intro-to-army-life/time-commitment.html |access-date=February 1, 2023 |website=goarmy.com}}</ref> Individuals may also enlist for part-time duty in the [[United States Army Reserve|Army Reserve]] or [[National Guard (United States)|National Guard]]. Depending on need or fitness to serve, soldiers usually may reenlist for another term, possibly receiving monetary or other incentives.
In the U.S. Army, career soldiers who have served for at least 20 years are eligible to draw on a retirement [[pension]]. The size of the pension as a percentage of the soldier's salary usually increases with the length of time served on active duty.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Retirement & Pension Plans |url=https://www.goarmy.com/benefits/veterans/retirement.html |access-date=February 1, 2023 |website=goarmy.com}}</ref>
==In media and popular culture==
{{Further|Military in the media}}
[[File:Singing games - Soldier, Soldier, will you marry me.jpg|thumb|An illustration of a children's [[singing game]] about a woman's attempts to court a soldier, 1890]]
Since the earliest recorded history, soldiers and warfare have been depicted in countless works, including songs, folk tales, stories, memoirs, biographies, novels and other narrative fiction, drama, films, and more recently television and video, comic books, graphic novels, and games. Often these portrayals have emphasized the heroic qualities of soldiers in war, but at times have emphasized war's inherent dangers, confusions, and trauma and their effect on individual soldiers and others.
==See also==
* [[Airman]]
* [[Combatant]]
* [[Marines|Marine]]
* [[Mercenary]]
* [[Military compensation]]
* [[Military rank]]s
* [[Paratrooper]]
* [[Prisoner of war]]
* [[Sailor]]
* [[Veteran]]
* [[Women in the military by country]]
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
==External links==
* {{commons-inline}}
* Catherine Calloway, "War in Literature and Drama," Oxford Bibliographies: https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199791279/obo-9780199791279-0004.xml
{{Military and war}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Soldiers| ]]
[[Category:Military specialisms]]
[[Category:Military life]]
[[Category:Combat occupations]]