Hew Strachan: The Nature of War: Why fight? The Problem of Combat Motivation 

Another way to describe ''job'' would be that it is a piece of work done for hire or profit. Therefore to call being in the army a ''job'' is somewhat nihilistic, if after all, killing people is just thing to be hired for profit to do - why not then hire a mercenary to fill the position instead of soldier? The transaction in which duty is sacrificed to private advantage? Also there is more implied in the phrases ''good job'' and ''bad job'' than just something impacting upon the personal willing of the doer - it is a descriptive term too, for instance ''Dick Cheney did a very bad job of Iraq'' In this sense you might say a soldier is doing his duty is doing a ''good job'' but a soldier, raping a woman or shooting a father in front of their child something, is doing a ''bad job'', especially at selling democracy to foreign nations. The problem I'd say, is the army command did a lousy job at the state of affairs in other countries. They haven't done a '''good'' job yet. The difference is that when a bad job is done in this field, they waste lives as well as people's labours and society's wealth.

This notion is as crucial as important: underlying values of the civil society (christianity, humanism) are in opposition with military values. Mr. Strachan's lectures are best what I - as unprofessional spectator - have found on these matters from the net. Next step is to try to find articles or novels from this guy. Any clues, anyone?

It is refreshing to se someone speak of war who has actually studied it and I agree with his notice that there is a widening gap between the social norms of civilian society and that of the military. Though I believe it is the social norms of civilans that should change rather than that of the military.