WHY IS A CAREER IN THE ARMY NAVY AIR FORCE NOT POPULAR ANYMORE

WHY IS A CAREER IN THE ARMY NAVY AIR FORCE NOT POPULAR ANYMORE ?

Musings

By

VIKRAM KARVE

A few days ago there was an impromptu gathering of ex navy buddies. A few army and air force officers also joined in.

While talking, we realized that all of us were from defence background.

Yes, the father of each and everyone of us had served in the armed forces – army, navy or air force.

In many cases, not only the father, but even the grandfather had been in the armed forces.

We talked about our children.

Most children had migrated abroad, mainly to the USA, and settled down there.

Of those working in India, the majority were Engineers, mainly “Techies” in the IT Sector, many were MBA’s and worked in the financial sector, some had taken up other civilian professions like medicine and law or joined the hospitality industry, others had become entrepreneurs.

But no one had joined the defence forces.

Yes, not even one child had joined his father’s profession and become a naval officer.

Neither had anyone had joined the sister defence services, to become an army or air force officer.

None of our children had taken up our profession of arms.

We discussed and talked about many our course-mates and batch-mates in the defence services and their children.

It was the same story. Nobody’s children had joined the armed forces.

The changing trend of career choice was evident.

When we were young, most children of defence officers opted for a career in the defence services.

Today, children of defence officers prefer a career in the civilian world.

Children of defence officers do not want to join the defence services.

I wonder why ?