The organization that
deters states from imposing their political will on other states by force. In the case of
America, it provides the muscle necessary to back up the
Bill of Rights' guaranteed
freedoms. Members of the American military give up most of their
civil rights to protect (by force, and with lives, if necessary) the rights of the
civilian population at large. A good example would be the
free expression of opinions, such as
krimson's writeup below.
Many people confuse the military with the
military industrial complex of contractors and
congressmen--
Congress and
corporations both work for money. Look at a military pay chart, and you'll realize that nobody in the military is in it for the
paycheck.