US military members/veterans

[jrf773]

skipping the US bashing, i wanted to ask how is life after the military especially for the people who actually served in a war zone.
What are you all doing now?

Never did time on the ground,but I was in the national guard before I joined the navy (lack of capitalization intended) and we did something in the early 90's where we'd man fighting positions an hour before dawn an hour after dusk, as they claim that those were the most common times to attack (And I guess some of the old timers told me that Korea/Vietnam backed that up, but with even the most backwards of insurgents having night vision, not sure that really is accurate anymore.) And to this day, I wake up at 0430 no matter what time zone I am in.

On a submarine, you have multiple fans running. And air blowing. If something changes, like fan cutting off, it is an indication of something that is wrong(SHit hitting the fan HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!). I can't sleep without a fan or an AC going, and if I go to sleep, if something like a loud noise wakes me up, due to having to fight several causalities(General Alarm. Buddy did that to me a few times after I got out, and after the third time, I decked him, and he decided it wasn't a good idea... ((Fire,Flooding, Hydraulic Rupture, Diesel engine exploding, etc etc etc)) the adrenaline is pumping and you have to do something or else you are laying in bed fidgeting. So I got for a walk, getting a water from the grocery store and walk back.

As far as sleep goes, even after ten years, I love to sleep. I can't get enough. I say I am catching up from the fast attack fleet. And as far as that goes, the submarine rack is abut two feet wide, six some odd feet long, and about 18 inches high, and to turn over, you learn to throw yourself in the air, and turn doing that. I still do that, and I still sleep in the same space that is equivalent to a submarine rack. I also sleep pretty much on my sides, whereas before joining the navy, I loved sleeping on my stomach. Now I can't.

Injured my knees while in, and I suffered because of that. Healed them via various alternative treatments, but to this day (Torn meniscus, which according to a navy doc, the pressure that is present when they heal themselves remains, as they can no longer regulate their own pressure, so you become very sensitive to barometric changes) when the weather changes, I know when rain is coming. Bad back from the shitty sub racks, and migraines that many believe are caused by the untested Anthrax vaccinations they forced on us (I got one dose on one boat, 6/7 treatments, Doc didn't document it in my medical record, so got to my new command and got it again.) And because I was an FT, I spent a lot of time dancing with the one eyed fat lady(spinning in circles looking through the periscope.) and because my right eye was my dominate eye, I spent most of the time looking out the scope with that eye. As such, my left eye is much more sensitive to brightness than my right eye. If close one over the other, I notice a difference. This is due to natural day light vs the interior of the sub which is all florescent lit.

To this day, I love sunshine and sunsets and sunrises beyond most other things. Fresh air and food, I have an appreciation that some do not understand. I still love what many term as the smell of the ocean, (Which is actually supposedly the smell of land) as when you have been underway for a spec op for 100+ days, and they first open the hatches, and you smell that, it means the ordeal is over.

Despite that being as bad as it sounds, I get along pretty well in life, and I have learned to adapt. The study of philosophy has helped me to find peace with most of it.

Oh, and the smell of amine. It makes me puke to this day.

The service always affects you. Not much you can do about it. Adapt, or don't. You can only control how you react to things.

[bladeXcrasher]

I spent a lot of time dancing with the one eyed fat lady(spinning in circles looking through the periscope.) and because my right eye was my dominate eye, I spent most of the time looking out the scope with that eye. As such, my left eye is much more sensitive to brightness than my right eye. If close one over the other, I notice a difference. This is due to natural day light vs the interior of the sub which is all florescent lit.

Oh, and the smell of amine. It makes me puke to this day.

I have that same eye issue, NavET...but I miss the smell of amine, my last remaining poopy suit has the faintest of smell left. I also miss the smell of diesel.

- - - Updated - - -

Google "milgram experiment". Or don't, if you want to trust people or sleep well at night...your choice.

So your way to defend ISIS is to reference the Milgram Experiment? Many people in that other thread referenced plenty of groups with the same grievances as ISIS that don't blow the limbs off women and children. You got caught in a lie, own it and move on.

[Deleted]

skipping the US bashing, i wanted to ask how is life after the military especially for the people who actually served in a war zone.
What are you all doing now?

I'm not US, I'm British. I went Afghanistan and now I mostly stay up late at night and drink a lot.

[Deleted]

I'm not US, I'm British. I went Afghanistan and now I mostly stay up late at night and drink a lot.

Same here, I drink most nights and fuck around until common sense tells me I am well past my bed time.

[Deleted]

Same here, I drink most nights and fuck around until common sense tells me I am well past my bed time.

Hey Rich, yeah I was on here before and remember you. I had to change my account because I got locked out my email.

[Deleted]

Hey Rich, yeah I was on here before and remember you. I had to change my account because I got locked out my email.

That reminds me, I need to change this accounts email address to a current one, the one I signed up with was a throwaway.

[Chetnik]

skipping the US bashing, i wanted to ask how is life after the military especially for the people who actually served in a war zone.
What are you all doing now?

Served in Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn in 2011. Life while deployed is a pain in the ass. Every company in my battalion was pulling at least 12hr shifts with only 1 day off per week. I had to do ADOC for a month in the middle of the summer, and that sucked because it was 120+ Fahrenheit everyday, and we had to wear armor and helmet and carry lots of ammo. The schedule was slightly better as it was a 14hr shift and 1 day off every 4 days.

As for life in the civilian world, it's pretty much back to normal. The first year or so after I got back was anything but normal as I was still getting used to civilian life and not having to worry about a mortar falling on me in my sleep, but you get used to being back eventually. I'm about to finish a BS in Computer Science, which has taken me significantly longer than I thought it would take, but I'm happy I won't have any debt coming out of college, and I'll be in a much better position to get the job that I want because of the 6 years I spent in the Army.

[Deleted]

Every company in my battalion was pulling at least 12hr shifts with only 1 day off per week.

You got days off?

[Deleted]

You got days off?

Kek, I know. We considered it a good day if you got to check your emails and got to have wank.

[Deleted]

Kek, I know. We considered it a good day if you got to check your emails and got to have wank.

So... Funny story (depends on your stance). Last week of a 7.5 month tour, located in the RSOI at KAF Airfield. I'm in the wooden constructed portaloos just outside (opposite poo-pond) the Canadian PX. Trousers round ankles, cracking an almighty wank (it was majestic!) when I hear a bus-load of Canadians RIP into theatre. I've spent the best part of a year 'in-country' so I'm loathe to stop; I continue. Then in walks some Canadian dude (he's shouting that it's his first shit in Afghanistan - I think irony was wasted on him!) he continues to bomb China... I continue to tug away...

No sooner had this happened but the IDF alarm goes off for the billionth time.. A Chinese 107 rocket goes whistling over our heads then thumps into HESCO about 50ft away whilst I strangle my snake.. I'm doing well and I can feel myself almost near completion. Not talking, not company, not Canadians, not exploding Chinese rockets can stop me now...... Until the Canadian soldier starts sobbing uncontrollably...

FUCKING PUT ME RIGHT OFF!

Of all the contacts, dead people, mates injured, IEDs my enduring memory is trying to wank myself into oblivion whilst listening to some Canadian kid cry like a baby whilst being rocketed. If you can wank to that, you can wank to anything............

[Deleted]

So... Funny story (depends on your stance). Last week of a 7.5 month tour, located in the RSOI at KAF Airfield. I'm in the wooden constructed portaloos just outside (opposite poo-pond) the Canadian PX. Trousers round ankles, cracking an almighty wank (it was majestic!) when I hear a bus-load of Canadians RIP into theatre. I've spent the best part of a year 'in-country' so I'm loathe to stop; I continue. Then in walks some Canadian dude (he's shouting that it's his first shit in Afghanistan - I think irony was wasted on him!) he continues to bomb China... I continue to tug away...

No sooner had this happened but the IDF alarm goes off for the billionth time.. A Chinese 107 rocket goes whistling over our heads then thumps into HESCO about 50ft away whilst I strangle my snake.. I'm doing well and I can feel myself almost near completion. Not talking, not company, not Canadians, not exploding Chinese rockets can stop me now...... Until the Canadian soldier starts sobbing uncontrollably...

FUCKING PUT ME RIGHT OFF!

Of all the contacts, dead people, mates injured, IEDs my enduring memory is trying to wank myself into oblivion whilst listening to some Canadian kid cry like a baby whilst being rocketed. If you can wank to that, you can wank to anything............

Nothing put me off, to this day I wank twice a day despite having a sexual partner. One thing does embarrass me though is when I was on watch at maybe 0200-0300, anyway it was pitch black. Time for a wank, I was tugging away away and finished way too quickly only a few minutes before handover. I walked over to my maggot for a good nights kip and got a round of applause, I forgot that every cunt had night vision and they could see me.....

[Deleted]

I have that same eye issue, NavET...but I miss the smell of amine, my last remaining poopy suit has the faintest of smell left. I also miss the smell of diesel.

- - - Updated - - -



So your way to defend ISIS is to reference the Milgram Experiment? Many people in that other thread referenced plenty of groups with the same grievances as ISIS that don't blow the limbs off women and children. You got caught in a lie, own it and move on.

On the one hand we have the findings of a series of academic studies conducted over five decades, on the other we have the opinion of a GI-Joe wannabe.

And yes, there are exceptions to Milgram, that's why I said "most". 80-90% of the population go along with the torture. People like you in fact.

[Deleted]

Nothing put me off, to this day I wank twice a day despite having a sexual partner. One thing does embarrass me though is when I was on watch at maybe 0200-0300, anyway it was pitch black. Time for a wank, I was tugging away away and finished way too quickly only a few minutes before handover. I walked over to my maggot for a good nights kip and got a round of applause, I forgot that every cunt had night vision and they could see me.....

The fact that they were on Sangar - not watching their arcs and watching you, indicates this wasn't their first time at the rodeo!!

[purebalance]

I wouldn't be able to serve in the military... I have a strong reflex against even the idea of shooting someone, and knowing that I might have to do that would make it a no go. I wouldn't mind working in the office in Pentagon or something though!

I did 11 years as a lab technician and never had to shoot a person. As usual your preconceptions are way off.

[Deleted]

The fact that they were on Sangar - not watching their arcs and watching you, indicates this wasn't their first time at the rodeo!!

This was round 2 for me and plenty of others, it was pitch black though and I was the one on guard along with a few others. Still, who says you cannot wank and watch at the same time?

[Deleted]

skipping the US bashing, i wanted to ask how is life after the military especially for the people who actually served in a war zone.
What are you all doing now?

No one was "US bashing". Soldiers are generally repulsive scum whatever country they come from. Of course all of them believe they are special and different for some reason.

[Deleted]

No one was "US bashing". Soldiers are generally repulsive scum whatever country they come from. Of course all of them believe they are special and different for some reason.

Oh stop it you!!! :blush:

[Deleted]

No one was "US bashing". Soldiers are generally repulsive scum whatever country they come from. Of course all of them believe they are special and different for some reason.

My partner did 15 years in the Military and retired at a higher rank than me, go ahead and call him scum.

[Deleted]

My partner did 15 years in the Military and retired at a higher rank than me, go ahead and call him scum.

OK, he's scum.

[Deleted]

OK, he's scum.

He is a Medical Doctor that is also a consultant trauma surgeon, he has literally saved thousands of lives. What do you do?