Importance Of Soldiers Morale

The final use of troop entertainment, and the main reason for the foundation of the USO, is that it boosts soldiers’ morale. Entertainment has always been one of the most important ways to keep up soldiers’ morale during wartime. Morale can be defined as “the intangible characteristic of the warfighter that embodies the determined will to fight. It draws its strength from confidence in oneself, one’s equipment, one’s unit, and one’s leadership. It possesses an innate belief in the unit, its cohesion, and its purpose” (Michaelis 3). A high morale is necessary within the military and within military units because it strengthens soldiers’ courage, their energy and their will to fight and those factors all contribute to raised efficiency. On the contrary, a lowered morale can have severely negative influences on soldiers’ performances. Factors such as inactivity and boredom can lead to lowered morale amongst soldiers, which could in turn lead to “absenteeism, desertion, high sickness rates, general untidiness and frequent disciplinary offences” (E. Jones 5). Therefore it is of utmost importance to keep soldiers’ morale high. President Roosevelt stressed the importance of troop entertainment in a telegram sent on June 12, 1943, to the National Conference of the Entertainment Industry for War Activities: “Entertainment is always a national asset. Invaluable in times of peace, it is indispensable in wartime. All those who are working in the entertainment industry are building and