Some people say that characters should represent social movements or historical changes.  Readers may not get it but it makes the peace more powerful.  Like in M*A*S*H all the likable or competent characters believe that the police action is very bad.  The mess ups defend the action or the nation that made it possible.  Wile it dose give the show form and substance and make it easy to like Hawkeye....if you think about it, it is one big hate letter to the Republic of Korea.  "We wish you were dead or in North Korea captivity because saving you was so stupid."  I grew out of the show for just that reason.  But the characters are very memorable.  Thought provoking.  Why didn't they ever dock Hawkeye pay?

 

Just one strategy for making people feel about your characters, make them represent sides in social conflicts.

Well, since this is a military website, and you're probably talking about military-type stories, a good way to get people to identify with characters you're going to write would be to have the typical spectrum of archetypes we see as ordinary people in everyday life. In virtually every group situation we've been in throughout life, from elementary school, to high school and perhaps college, to the workforce, there are always the ever-present personality conflicts. Even in a group with more similarities than differences (like say - a football team, or a military unit) there are the archetypal people: The talented jerk. The anti-social one. The everybody's buddy. The insecure one. The intellectual. The slightly psycho one. The backstabber. The kiss-ass.

 

I've read some good stories where the narration is from more than one point of view - it makes for interesting perspective on how one character could be looked at from different viewpoints.