In his book Made, Not Born: Why Some Soldiers Are Better Than Others Bruce Newsome makes an argument:
Is it not the other way around?Newsome argues that the capabilities of combat soldiers are acquired through military training and other forms of conditioning, but he does not entirely discount the role of a soldier's individual character. In the age-old nature vs. nurture argument, he finds that intrinsic qualities do count, but that extrinsic factors, such as training and environment, matter even more.
He concluded:
Does this conclusion make sense?The Conclusion summarizes the research and makes suggestions for policy and further research. Soldiers are made more than born. To assume otherwise leads, at best, to wasted effort and unnecessary discrimination, and, at worst, retarded combat performance and increased illegal violence.
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