Nepalese Rangers attend US Army Leadership School 150811-F-LX370-120

A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer.

Etymology

The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French or , meaning mercenary, from , meaning shilling's worth or wage, from or , shilling. The word is also related to the Medieval Latin , meaning soldier (literally, "one having pay"). These words ultimately derive from the Late Latin word , referring to an Ancient Rome, Ancient Roman coin used in the Byzantine Empire.

Occupational designations

In most armies use of the word "soldier" has taken on a more general meaning due to the increasing specialization of military occupations that require different areas of knowledge and skill-sets. As a result, "soldiers" are referred to by names or ranks which 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, tanker (a member of tank crew), commando, dragoon, infantryman, United States Space Force, guardian, artilleryman, paratrooper, grenadier, Ranger (disambiguation)#Military, ranger, sniper, Combat Engineer, engineer, sapper, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, craftsman, signaller, Combat medic, medic, or a Gunner (rank), gunner. In many countries soldiers serving in specific occupations are referred to by terms other than their occupational name. For example, military police personnel in the British Army are known as "red caps" because of the colour of their caps (and berets). Infantry are sometimes called "grunts" (in the United States Army) or "squaddies" (in the British Army), while U.S. Army artillery crews, or "gunners," are sometimes referred to as "redlegs", from the service branch color for artillery. U.S. soldiers are often called "G.I. (military), G.I.s" (short for the term "General Issue"). Troupes de marine, French Marine Infantry are called "porpoises" (french: marsouins) because of their amphibious role. Military units in most armies have nicknames of this type, arising either from items of distinctive Military uniform, uniform, some historical connotation or rivalry between branches or regiments.

Motivation

Soldiers in war have various different motivations for fighting including protecting their stated homeland, personal interests and ideological goals. Soldiers have reported not fighting for any national interests or ideological goal but commonly the friendship and connection with their other soldiers through Mutual aid (organization theory), mutual aid, this type of organization is described by horizontal connection.

Career and conscripted

Some soldiers, such as Conscription, conscripts or draftees, serve a single limited term. Others choose to serve until retirement; then they receive a pension and other benefits. In the United States, military members can get retirement pay after 20 years. In other countries, the term of service is 30 years, hence the term "30-year man".

References

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