Military defence has several different meanings dependent on what criteria you apply the reference to. The term can be used in an individual sense in respect of a single soldier and what methods the individual soldier takes to defend himself such as; wearing protective equipment, utilising armaments or constructing protection such as a digging a trench or a foxhole.

Defence is also a term used when describing a military unit’s defensive tactics when working against an opposing forces offensive, perhaps by seeking to circumnavigate the enemy position, delay an enemy attack, or to wage a war of attrition whereby the enemy will lose numbers eventually allowing the defensive force to form a defensive line or perform an offensive manoeuvre.

An excellent example of employing defensive strategy tactics can be seen when used against American soldiers in the Vietnam Conflict. The Vietcong employed both regular army units and guerrilla units in order to fight an offensive and defensive strategy. By the use of smaller mobile guerrilla forces the Vietcong waged a war on the resources of the American soldiers, which included destroying supplies and supply routes. They also used the Americans resources when producing booby traps, including discarded items such as tin cans as well as unexploded bombs which they would collect and use for mines.

Eventually the efforts of the smaller mobile defensive guerrillas caused such an effect that the main army was able to overrun the American forces with a massive attack know as the Tet Offensive.

Defensive military strategy is also hugely apparent in the arms race, and more recently the nuclear arms race. The opinion being that with a nation holding such powerful weapons it would be inadvisable to attack unless of course the offensive nation holds weapons of a similar nature.

Nowhere is this example more outlined than in the Cold War stand offs of the mid to late twentieth century. One specific example of this is the Cuban Missile Crisis which involved the US and the Soviet Union in 1962. The Soviet and Cuban authorities had placed nuclear weapons on Cuba as seen by American reconnaissance planes and, with the tension between the two countries already palpable, a standoff ensued with the ‘very real’ threat of a nuclear war occurring. Fortunately diplomatic proceedings ensured that the crisis was settled relatively amicably with the dismantling of the weaponry and a no-invasion agreement in place from the American authorities.

Military boot camps are camps where adolescents are trained by military personnel to endure the rigors and discipline of military life. Parents of teens who are out of hand send them to boot camps after exhausting all other methods of making them behave better. The structured discipline imparted to teens to take on the challenges of a life serving in the military prepares them to become more responsible and well adjusted adults.

Military boot camps are beneficial to troubled teens. It teaches them the qualities of discipline, leadership and training for a systematic and sensible lifestyle. All the beneficial qualities that are attributed to the military system are imparted to adolescents. They learn to cope with themselves, their problems and with others. They learn to face the hardship of the real world with courage and rectitude.

Military boot camps have their disadvantages in helping troubled teens. The discipline taught at the camps is too harsh and may have an adverse effect on a troubled teen. Parents should consult with a qualified counsellor before taking the step of sending children to structured camps. Insubordination is not tolerated at the camps even if the insubordination is reasonable. Some programs are expensive and unruly behavior will result in expulsion before completion and the teen will not be re admitted once expelled. Experts believe that teaching blind obedience will not help to develop a rational attitude or spirit of enquiry in adolescents.

The significance of military camps is that they teach teens to act responsibly and in a disciplined manner with their peers and with their parents. They help to make the teen emotionally and physically tough. Their mental balance improves when they follow a regimented routine. The lessons taught at military boot camps are lessons that will keep adolescents in good stead all their lives.

The effects of teen behavioral improvement at a military boot camp are that teens get rid of their negative attitudes and learn to face life positively and with confidence. A range of problems from addiction to psychological disorders can be treated at military boot camps. The routine demands hard work and discipline and leaves no room for negative thoughts or behavior.

Military boot camps can help discipline troubled teens. However, experts believe that sending teens to the harsh disciplining atmosphere of a military boot camp must be a last resort option for parents.