The reason the United States exists is because of the professionalization of its army. When a rabble of militias banded together, it was Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben who created the first American military training manual and drilled the young American army in its first exercises. This discipline not only enabled America to throw off the yoke of Imperial Britain, but it also gave rise to the traditions of the branches of the US military that exist to this day, from marching in formation to dining in.

Active duty or reservist, life in the U.S. Army isn't quite like any other job. It means vigilance when at work and dignity when on one's own. The army teaches its members how to do things efficiently enough "for government work," which, if not the final perfection of an act, is always a good place to start. The purpose, of course, of army training, is to enable soldiers to focus on the really important things, namely the sort of decision making for which all training exists. If one cannot put the sound of battle out of one's mind, then one cannot decide what to do after all, but this extends into other areas of life where shutting out distractions can be key. Do you think we can tease out if you are a soldier in the U.S. Army?