A soldier is one who fights as part of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription or volunteer Enlisted rank, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. An individual who fights on behalf of a polity which is not their own, is referred to as a mercenary.[Steinhoff, Uwe. "What are mercenaries?." Private Military and Security Companies. Routledge, 2009. 33-43.]
Etymology
The word
soldier derives from the
Middle English word soudeour, from
Old French soudeer or soudeour, meaning mercenary, from soudee, meaning
shilling's worth or wage, from sou or soud, shilling.
The word is also related to the
Medieval Latin soldarius, meaning soldier (literally, "one having pay").
These words ultimately derive from the
Late Latin word solidus, referring to an
Ancient Rome coin used in the
Byzantine Empire.
Occupational designations
In most armies use of the word "soldier" has taken on a more general meaning due to the increasing specialization of military occupations that require different areas of knowledge and skill-sets. As a result, "soldiers" are referred to by names or ranks which reflect an individual's military occupation specialty arm, service, or branch of military employment, their type of unit, or operational employment or technical use such as: trooper,
(a member of tank crew),
commando,
dragoon,
infantryman,
artilleryman,
paratrooper,
grenadier, ranger,
sniper,
Combat Engineer,
sapper, craftsman,
signaller,
Combat medic, or a gunner.
Other terms
In many countries soldiers serving in specific occupations are referred to by terms other than their occupational name. For example,
military police personnel in the
British Army are known as "red caps" because of the colour of their caps (and berets).
Infantry are sometimes called "grunts" (in the United States Army) or "squaddies" (in the British Army), while U.S. Army artillery crews, or "gunners," are sometimes referred to as "redlegs", from the service branch color for artillery. U.S. soldiers are often called "G.I.s" (short for the term "General Issue").
French Marine Infantry are called marsouins (porpoises) because of their amphibious role. Military units in most armies have nicknames of this type, arising either from items of distinctive Military uniform, some historical connotation or rivalry between branches or regiments.
Career soldiers and conscripts
Some soldiers, such as
Conscription or draftees, serve a single limited term. Others choose to serve until retirement; then they receive a pension and other benefits. In the United States, military members can retire after 20 years.
In other countries, the term of service is 30 years, hence the term "30-year man".
Women as soldiers
According to the United Nations, 10-30% of all soldiers worldwide are women. 70-90% are men.
See also
External links
