What is a military essay and how to write it?

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Planning to get into the military academy? In this case, writing a unique military essay that will stand out from the rest of the applications is a must. If you are not sure what to do and where to start, we are here to answer the questions that bother you the most.

How to write a military essay step by step?

As you may know, there are different types of works like this, for example, military accountability, argumentative, or appearance essays, and each of these types defines the content of the work. That is why research is so important here, especially if you are a newcomer and know almost nothing about the given subject.

If you feel unsatisfied with your army essay format and structure, look at a few quality military essay examples and see whether you like the way any of them is organized. Afterwards, decide what would be the best structure for your work and make necessary changes.

We have devised a simple step-by-step plan for writing a good military essay:

1. Start working on your paper by composing a detailed military essay outline and noting some key ideas and arguments you are going to use in the body part.
2. Come up with a catching “hook”, i.e. first sentence, for the introduction and think over a good thesis statement.
3. Start arguing your point of view based on the outline you’ve composed.
4. Make sure that every body-part paragraph is structured as follows:

• introductory sentence including the main idea of the paragraph;
• arguments in favor or against this idea;
• conclusive sentence.

5. Conclude your arguments and either confirm or refute your thesis statement.
6. Proofread your paper and check the grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Remember, writing a persuasive essay is what you should aim for in the first place. Thus, make sure you sound like someone who has done their research and knows what they are saying. Also, be sure to stick to the military essay format you were asked to follow. If you are not sure, request an example or a guide you can follow.

How to write a good introduction for your military essay?

Your first task when writing any interesting text is to create a “hook”, i.e. some statement that can interest the reader. Try to be original, but don’t overdo it. You should find what characterizes your topic or the problem posed most accurately. It can be a quote of a well-known military person or a seemingly unremarkable fact that fits the main idea of your essay.

It is not necessary to start working on your essay by choosing the right hook (you can find it in the course of writing the main part). However, in the final edition of the text, its presence in the introduction is highly desirable.

Further, develop the thought in order to gradually come from the hook to the main idea of the work. Describe the problem posed in a few sentences and come up with a catching thesis statement.

Tips from experts

Meet our advisors

Read the essay question carefully!

Look for these words:

• Describe/summarize means give the facts
• Explain means analyze the topic
• Argue means to reject/accept a viewpoint
• Discuss refers to presenting a point of view
• Critique means give both positive/negative sides
• Compare and contrast discuss similarities/differences

Structure an essay

Beginners use the five-paragraph structure with references. Advanced writers use a variation of this method.

Writing

Write the first ugly draft – using first/third person depending on the requirements. Know how to paraphrase and summarize. Don’t plagiarize – everyone checks if the essay is unique.

Editing & Formatting

I use the chainsaw and surgical methods. Chainsaw cuts material that isn’t relevant. Surgical involves fine-tuning spelling and grammar.

What is the formatting style? APA, MLA, or CMS? What is the word/page count? Follow the rubric.

Penny J. Larsen

College professor with 30 years of teaching experience

What to write in a thesis statement?

As a rule, the topic of the essay is a controversial question or judgment and it does not imply a definite answer. That is why your task is not to search for an objective solution, which, most likely, does not exist, but to develop and argue your own point of view.

Here are some common mistakes students make when formulating a thesis statement:

• Interrogative form.
  The main task of the thesis statement is to express your opinion, so you should not use interrogative sentences. By asking a rhetorical question, you run the risk of approaching it too philosophically and, as a result, not expressing your own opinion.
• A lengthy sentence.
  By definition, a thesis statement itself is a succinct assertion. You should distinguish it from the arguments and not devote a huge paragraph to it.
• 
  You shouldn’t use the thesis for further controversy - the reader should easily follow your train of thought. The vagueness of the thesis only raises additional questions and gives the impression that you simply decided not to share your opinion.
• Impossibility to be proved.
  Try not to appeal to abstract or subjective criteria and concepts that are difficult to justify. For example, good and evil, philosophic concepts, etc. If a thesis is difficult to prove, it means that it will be difficult to come to any specific conclusions.

How to write argumentation in your military essay body paragraph?

At its core, argumentation is an attempt at persuasion. At this stage, it is already necessary to describe the reasons that determined the choice of your thesis. Dedicate a small paragraph to each of these reasons and keep track of their conciseness and completeness.

Moreover, you may try to play on their contrasts and try to make each next paragraph different from the previous one, without breaking the logical chain. The main criteria that must be observed when arguing your point of view are:

• subject matter,
• sequence,
• chronology,

Argumentation is the presentation of evidence, explanations, and examples to substantiate any thought for the readers. Therefore, you should avoid short statements without any reasoning. You need to build a context for each argument instead.

Writing a conclusion in a military essay: what not to do?

Students often make the following mistake when working on a conclusion: they begin to list the evidence. There is no need to do it and you may even get some points off for this. The conclusion should present your attitude to the problem based on the arguments you have presented.

Additionally, avoid:

• New arguments. The conclusion is not an informative, but a summary part. Don’t add new reasoning at the end, but rather add another paragraph to the main body.
• Unnecessary reiteration. There is no need to describe the structure of the written work and literally repeat what was written above because, if the reader has reached the conclusion, they already know what the essay is about.

Working with sources

If your essay on army requires large amounts of factual information, you need to understand how to work with the sources properly. The best place to find the information you need is scientific literature and original scientific articles. But even in this case, take a critical approach to information, because many books were written dozens of years ago and could lose their relevance. And often, authors may be members of some political party which is why their works lose impartiality.

Why military service is so important?

The role of military service in life and safety of each separate country is priceless. Every officer, irrespective of their rank, status, and merits, serves the entire country and its civilians. Nonetheless, to become such person, it is often important to know a lot about the past and the present of your country. History of each country teaches its citizens what needs to be done not to make the same mistakes twice, since very often, the price of such mistakes is human lives.

Knowledge and understanding of your strengths and weaknesses are key points if you want to write a decent military essay. A proverb says “practice makes perfect,” and the same goes for any type of military essays and the training itself. It is worth adding that such essays constitute an important part of the soldiery-training program, as cadets need to master many skills, for example, critical thinking, tactics, attention to minute details, and compliance with approved manuals and rules.

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