There is a great deal of difference between joining the military because you want a career and to defend your country (for example joining the Japanese Defence Force) and joining other militaries.<p>It is perhaps naive to join the US or UK military and not expect to deployed to fight in often pointless wars with no clear strategic goals beyond &quot;something must be done, this is something ergo we must do it&quot;.<p>That said the entire PR effort of both militaries is around serving your country and been the &quot;good guy&quot;, it&#x27;s not until you are inside the factory you see how the sausage is made, remember most of us aren&#x27;t 18-19 year old kids often from a poor background.<p>Lots of people do things I think are strange (going to a cold stone building to worship a being who most likely doesn&#x27;t exist, blowing yourself up because a man who claims a better of understanding of being who probably doesn&#x27;t exist than you says so etc etc).