How did Roger Sterne's military career shape Laurence Sterne's early life?

Roger Sterne’s career as an infantry officer significantly shaped Laurence Sterne’s early life by subjecting him to a childhood of poverty and instability. As the son of an officer of the lowest rank, Laurence spent his early years following his father’s regiment across Ireland.1

This upbringing left a lasting impression on the novelist. Later in life, Laurence Sterne drew upon these formative experiences to create the sympathetic and gentle soldier characters of Uncle Toby and Corporal Trim in his famous work, Tristram Shandy.1