Personality and Genetic Associations With Military Service

• Author: Donald P. Haider-Markel,Matthew R. Miles
• Date: 01 October 2019
• DOI: 10.1177/0095327X18765449
• Published date: 01 October 2019
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

Personality and Genetic

Associations With

Military Service

Matthew R. Miles

1

and Donald P. Haider-Markel

2

Abstract

Existing literature connects military service to regional characteristics and family tra-

ditions, creatingreal distinctions betweenthose who serve and those who do not. We

engage this discussion by examiningmilitary service as a function of personality. In the

second portion, we examine military service as predisposed by genetics. Our findings

indicate thereis a significant heritabilitycomponent of serving in the military.We find a

significant genetic correlation between personality traits associated with progressive

political ambition and military service, suggesting that military service represents a

differentform of political participationto which individuals are geneticallypredisposed.

We discussthe long-term implicationsof our findings for policy makersand recruiters.

Keywords

recruitment/retention, public policy, psychology, political science

But I fear they do not know us; I fear they do not comprehend the full weight of the

burden we carry or the price we pay when we return from battle ...a people unin-

formed about what they are asking the military to endure is a people inevitably unable

to fully grasp the scope of the responsibilities our Constitution levies upon them.

—Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressing the

civilian–military divide in a 2011 West Point commencement speech (p. 5).

1

College of Language and Letters, Brigham Young University–Idaho, Rexburg, ID, USA

2

Department of Political Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

Corresponding Author:

Matthew R. Miles, College of Language and Letters, Brigham Young University–Idaho, 525 S. Center

Street, Ricks 262J, Rexburg, ID 83460, USA.

Email: milesma@byui.edu

Armed Forces & Society

2019, Vol. 45(4) 637-658

ªThe Author(s) 2018

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DOI: 10.1177/0095327X18765449

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Only 12 U.S. presidents had no military service experience prior to their becom-

ing commander-in-chief; one fourth of those have served as president in the last two

decades. Although military leadership was once a vital component of any presiden-

tial candidates’ resume, recen t trends suggest that military ser vice and political

office no longer go hand in hand. The trend is similar among the members of

Congress. In 1945 (79th Congress), half of those elected had also served in the

military and that number gradually increased until it peaked at 75%in 1967 (Peter-

sen et al., 2014). Since then, the percentage has gradually declined to its lowest point

in the current Congress, in which less than 19%of congressional representatives

have prior military experience (Manning, 2017).

If some people are more likely to serve in the military, it can have policy impli-

cations. For example, citizens who have sacrificed less tend to be more inclined to

the use of military force and less likely to hold elected officials responsible for

failing to withdraw from costly military engagements (Feaver & Gelpi, 2011; Jen-

nings & Markus, 1977; Kriner & Shen, 2016) . Likewise, prior military service,

especially exposure to combat, shapes elected officials’ willingness to use military

force to achieve political goals (Horowitz & Stam, 2014; Lupton, 2017).

There is some evidence that military service is not random, and instead is linked

to regions, such as the south, and is conditional on family traditions (Bailey, 2009;

Johnson & Kaplan, 1991; Kane, 2005; U.S. Department of Defense & Readiness,

2017; Watkins & Sherk, 2008). Some people join the military because they have a

strong sense of loyalty to the country and a desire for public service (Moskos, 1977),

others join for financial reasons or b ecause they want to have new experienc es

(Griffith & Perry, 1993). Recently, scholars have noted the relationship between

military service and personality traits. People who score higher in some personality

traits were more likely to choose military over other forms of public service in

Germany (Jackson, Thoemmes, Jonkmann, Lu

¨dtke, & Trautwein, 2012). Not only

are personality traits remarkably stable throughout the life course, they are also

genetically heritable (Jang, Livesley, & Vemon, 1996; Specht, Egloff, & Schmukle,

2011; Vukasovic´ & Bratko, 2015). Advances in political psychology demonstrate

that certain personality traits strongly influence the types of political activities in

which one participates (Mondak, 2010).

Those high in extraversion are more interested in the breadth of activities than the

depth. In groups, they tend to assert themselves, dominate conversation, and enjoy

interacting with others. Extraverts have numerous friendships, enterprising voca-

tional interests, and activities and have high interest in politics (McCrae & Costa,

2008). They also have a strong sense of political efficacy (Mondak & Halperin,

2008) and are more likely to be interested in running for elected office (Dynes,

Hassell, & Miles, 2018). Emotionally stable individuals are less likely to view

ordinary situations as threatening and are less likely to have long-term negative

reactions to everyday experiences. They often have a greater interest in politics, but

they also tend not to have a large social network and are less comfortable trying to

persuade people to support a particular candidate (Gerber et al., 2011). Emotionally

638 Armed Forces & Society 45(4)