Anyone here ever been in the military? What was your experience like?

[Sinndra]

Something that upsets me to this day is that after my second deployment, someone had broken into my home and stole my digital camera and my external hard drive with 800 pics from that deployment.

damn thats more depressing than not having taken any in the first place. Sorry to hear that.

seems like we gotta back up our back ups and lock those back ups in a safety deposit box. ... - sounds like ive heard somebody saying that before.

[Begrudge]

3 years here, infantry, i drank a lot and tried to get my shit buddies to stop beating each other up over who was fucking whosever wives

[Theinquisition]

3 years here, infantry, i drank a lot and tried to get my shit buddies to stop beating each other up over who was fucking whosever wives

Dependas will dependa and jodies will jody.

[Independent voter]

Dependas will dependa and jodies will jody.

Dependa, lol! First time I've heard that one, it took me a little while to figure out.

[Bellfour]

I was born in the summer of 69..thats as close as I get to the vietnam conflict.

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so what was it like or is there some unwritten rule about being in the milatary where you guys don't talk about it?

Don't talk about it because unless you have experienced it, most people wont understand it or get the black humour involved!! Served 32 years and counting....! I'm obviously institutionalised!

[Dentelan]

Goin myself in finnish or russian army for a year, havent decided yet. Im also curious about what ts is asking, being in army its not same as being at war. I have many friends that were at Chechnya war in 90-s, also professor in my univercity that was in USSR army in Afghanistan, and ofcourse my grandfather that was in USSR army in WW2, joined army in 1941 as a tankman (not sure if right word), and ended war drinking vodka with americans on Elbe river (true story), so i heard a bunch of stories about war, without any romantic, veterans never like to talk about these times, so what i can say - it is really true hell, only good thing that all veterans said about war, is that it shows peoples real face, who is who.

[Deleted]

only good thing that all veterans said about war, is that it shows peoples real face, who is who.

Seems like a really, really bad way to get to know someone, though.

[Rudkobing]

War is Hell.

[Ghostpanther]

Goin myself in finnish or russian army for a year, havent decided yet. Im also curious about what ts is asking, being in army its not same as being at war. I have many friends that were at Chechnya war in 90-s, also professor in my univercity that was in USSR army in Afghanistan, and ofcourse my grandfather that was in USSR army in WW2, joined army in 1941 as a tankman (not sure if right word), and ended war drinking vodka with americans on Elbe river (true story), so i heard a bunch of stories about war, without any romantic, veterans never like to talk about these times, so what i can say - it is really true hell, only good thing that all veterans said about war, is that it shows peoples real face, who is who.

True. My one uncle served in Patton's Third Armor Div in WWII and saw a lot of bad shit. He never talked about it much. Seemed to be something he would rather not discuss.

[Theinquisition]

Goin myself in finnish or russian army for a year, havent decided yet. Im also curious about what ts is asking, being in army its not same as being at war. I have many friends that were at Chechnya war in 90-s, also professor in my univercity that was in USSR army in Afghanistan, and ofcourse my grandfather that was in USSR army in WW2, joined army in 1941 as a tankman (not sure if right word), and ended war drinking vodka with americans on Elbe river (true story), so i heard a bunch of stories about war, without any romantic, veterans never like to talk about these times, so what i can say - it is really true hell, only good thing that all veterans said about war, is that it shows peoples real face, who is who.

The only thing romantic about war is jacking off in a portajohn

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Been in the military for two years. It was okay. But our military isn't known for degrading and de-humanising their soldiers (exception happen as they do everywhere)

Is that supposed to be a dig at someone?

[mickybrighteyes]

this, so much this.

[petej0]

Don't talk about it because unless you have experienced it, most people wont understand it or get the black humour involved!! Served 32 years and counting....! I'm obviously institutionalised!

This is so true!

I only served 4 years Army, deployed to Bosnia as part of Operation Joint Endeavor. I loved every bit of my time deployed and training. I hated every bit of being in "the rear" and all "the dog and pony shows".

[Coombs]

I was infantry. All movies are complete bullshit hero fantasies. Most importantly everyone in the military is a boasting pathological liar. So don't believe the change your life or hell on earth stories. The truth is 90% of the jobs are the same as non military jobs, just with a stricter uniform while doing tedious paperwork.

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Something that upsets me to this day is that after my second deployment, someone had broken into my home and stole my digital camera and my external hard drive with 800 pics from that deployment.

Shipped my computer home and when it finally arrived there was no computer. Hundreds and hundreds of photos and videos. Slimy mother fuckers.

[Theinquisition]

I was infantry. All movies are complete bullshit hero fantasies. Most importantly everyone in the military is a boasting pathological liar. So don't believe the change your life or hell on earth stories. The truth is 90% of the jobs are the same as non military jobs, just with a stricter uniform while doing tedious paperwork.

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Shipped my computer home and when it finally arrived there was no computer. Hundreds and hundreds of photos and videos. Slimy mother fuckers.

Baltimore airport was famous for stealing from returning service members personal gear.

[Aeula]

It's just like in the movies. You get to shoot shit up, engage in sexual intercourse with all the attractive femal's and save the day. All while walking away from explosions without looking back.

Also for every twenty five people you kill the US government gives you a nuke to use on anything you want!

[Allenseiei]

I always hear stories that it changed their lives for the better and stories where it was hell on earth.

I'm just curious.

I was conscripted in the Republic of Korea navy if you want that story for 23 months.

[the game]

In the US we get free stuff on Veterans day, bring your dd214


Bob Evans: Free meal from a special menu available all day. Military ID required.

IHOP: Free red, white and blue pancakes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Little Caesars: Free Hot-N-Ready lunch combo from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Applebee's: Free meal from a special menu and get a $5 coupon that can be redeemed Nov. 12-27.

Red Lobster: Veterans, active duty military and reservists get a free appetizer or dessert with a valid military ID on November 10th and 11th.

LongHorn Steakhouse: Free appetizer or dessert, and veterans and their guests will receive 10% off their meal.

On the Border: Veterans and active service members get a free create your own combo with a choose two or choose three selection. Good for dine-in only and must have a vlid military ID or proof of military service.

Fazoli's: Veterans will receive a free "Build Your Own Pasta Bowl" on Nov. 11.

Chicken Salad Chick: Veterans get a free Original Chick meal, which includes a chicken salad scoop or sandwich, side, pickle and cookie, with a drink. No purchase necessary. Find locations here.

Baskin-Robbins: For every ice cream scoop sold in the U.S., the company will donate 11 cents to United Service Organizations.

Outback Steakhouse: Free Bloomin' Onion and a beverage. Outback also is offering active and former service members 15% off their meals and their families' Nov. 12 through Dec. 31.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews: All veterans and active duty military get a free Red’s Tavern Double Burger and bottomless steak fries at participating restaurants nationwide. Red Robin is also donating $10,000 to United Service Organizations.

Ruby Tuesday: Free appetizer up to $10.

Buffalo Wild Wings: Free small order of traditional or boneless wings with a side of fries.

Chipotle: From 3 p.m. to close, all U.S. military, military spouses and veterans get a buy one get one free burrito, bowl, salad or tacos.

Chili's: Free meal from a special menu.

Olive Garden: Veterans and active duty service members get a free entree.

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Cracker Barrel: Free slice of Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake.

Denny's: From 5 a.m. to noon, active, inactive and retired military personnel get a free Build Your Own Grand Slam.

UFC GYM: Active duty and veteran military and their families will receive VIP status at more than 130 locations across the United States from Nov. 11 to Nov. 13. VIP members receive total gym access.

Shoney's: Free all-American burger for veterans and active duty military service members at participating locations across the country. There is a limit of one per day per service member and is only available dine-in.

Bar Louie: Free entrée for active service members and veterans. Throughout the weekend, every time an item is ordered off the restaurant's 'Limited Addition" menu, 10% of sales will be donated to Operation Homefront to support their Emergency Assistance Program.

Tractor Supply Co.: Provide proof of service or military ID and get 15% off entire purchase at Tractor Supply.

Great Clips: Veterans who go to Great Clips for a haircut on Nov. 11 will receive a coupon for a free hair cut valid through Dec. 31.

Golden Corral: Veterans get a free beverage and buffet meal from 5-9 p.m. Nov. 14.

American Family Care: American Family Care urgent care facilities will offer military veterans free flu shots on Veterans Day.

World of Beer: Free beer for all veterans and current service members with military I.D., VA card or proof of service, on Nov. 11 at participating locations. Guests in Ill., Mass., Md., Ohio, Ga., S.C., Ala., Texas, N.C., Va., and N.Y. will receive $5 off any food item due to state laws, World of Beer said in a statement.

Free movie tickets at iPic Theaters : On Nov. 11, all veterans and active duty military can get a free movie ticket by showing proof of service with U.S. uniform services I.D. or in uniform. Here's a list of locations here.

Free entry to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio: Free admission with proof of I.D. to the Pro Football Hall of Fame courtesy of Goodyear. Active military, veterans and up to one guest will receive free admission to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Veterans Day and through the month of November.

World of Coca-Cola: World of Coca-Cola offers free admission to military members (active duty, reserves and retirees) year-round, but Nov. 11 through Sunday, Nov. 13, members of the Armed Forces can purchase up to four half-price general admission tickets. Must have valid ID.

In Ohio we don't need the DD=214 anymore. Veterans now get a special stamp on their drivers license so we just have to show that.


OT: I was in the Army as Military Police (stationed at Ft Hood), but was put out after a year and a half because I have bipolar disorder. I enjoyed the job but disliked the people that I was surrounded by every day. I was fortunate enough to deploy in January of '02 to transport taliban detainees from Khandahar to Guantanimo Bay.

For the most part I think it being in the Army. When we were on deployment me and my team got a pass to go off base at Incerlik and it was interesting to see what other cultures live like. I did enjoy the scenary in Turkey though. The mountains that were on the other side of the flight line was so beautiful.

Parts of my service that I won't go into hurt me mentally but there were definitely some positive changes to my morals and my values that I still live by today. Given the change I would serve again.

[Felicia]

I'm not in the military (I can't join. T1 diabetic.). I'm both a Navy wife, and a Navy brat. My dad served 23 years, and my mom served 9. My uncle was in for 26, and his wife for 15. My great uncle was also a Green Beret. He won't talk about it AT ALL. My cousins are in the Navy, too. One is a crypto, the other is an AG (weather). My husband is an AE.

My husband deploys every 13 months for 6-8 months at a time. He's on his 3rd one, and will be back in April. He's in the Navy (4 years this past October), and he's an aviation electrician that works on p3s. No where near boats. He works anywhere from 9-16 hour shifts while deployed, and he's on call when he gets back to his room. He falls asleep quite a bit on skype :P Has a love/hate relationship with his job. He works hard, and puts a lot of effort into it. He's up for 1st class in September. I'm incredibly proud of him, and support him in everything he does. Even when he's not enjoying his job because of the politics, or dealing with dumb 18 year old airmen.

I can't even begin to understand what he does at work. Bunch of electrician talk on things in a plane I'm outwardly familiar with. But I knew him before he joined, and after. I can tell he's happier. The structure and the reward... if you can even call it that... keep him sane. He needs the routine, and his old jobs never provided that. He's proudest when he's solved particularly complicated gripes. It's been amazing watching him.

[Perryn]

I always hear stories that it changed their lives for the better and stories where it was hell on earth.

I'm just curious.

Guess it depends on whether you're after US experience or military experience in general. In Norway 1y military service was mandatory for all males over 18 when I grew up so while there was plenty of people who got out of it on the merit of medical or w/e reasons I never contemplated this as an alternative (albeit both my dad and my brother did). Rather, I applied for the officers school (army side) right out of high school and was accepted to the "testing period" - about 6 weeks of physical tests, being subjected to various menial tasks for the purpose of building team spirit and testing your motivation, random inspections, middle of the night exercises and so on and so forth. I was physically unprepared (never had done any conscious training for it) which in turn made the experience stressful and eventually I pulled out just after hellweek started.

I was then transferred to regular conscripted service in a logistics company meaning I went from being amongst top motivated and physically fit peers to the kind that would shirk any duties, smuggle booze into camp, have a f**k all attitude about where they were and what they did and basically everything opposite of what I experienced in the officer's school test group. I loved them all While this year also (for a time) tempered my drive to show initiative and "stand out" it also showed me the true meaning of cameraderie and friendship and for all their faults and lack of discipline, we were all working hard and taking care of each other and that is where I truly learned to work together in a team, not for my own sake but to solve a task quickly and efficiently for the better of the team as a whole.

Long story short after my year in the military I studied economy for 2 years then applied to officer's school again, this time navy, and this time I stuck through it. I was better physically prepared and mentally I "knew all the tricks" used to shake us and I was eventually one of about 120 accepted (out of about 1400 applicants in total). Spent one year studying navigation, leadership, communications and so on and so forth and then another year on a patrol boat sailing up and down the Norwegian coastline, hiding out in fjords, participating in exercises, helping put out a major fire in one of the fishing villages on a chilly winter's night, having a few charges in operation room and radio & seeing some truly beautiful nature. It was one of the best years in my life.

After that I left for further studies however, the great big (such as it were...Norwegian military was never very significant :P) downsizing had started in the norwegian military as a whole and while I had some great experiences I wasn't willing to make the sacrifices necessary to remain (primarily the intensity of the service, lack of a life outside and constant uncertainty as to whether you'd have a job next month as well).

The military taught me the value of teamwork, to a certain extent how much you are able to take without buckling (your own strength is always far beyond what you think), practical leadership and that while military service frequently is derised among those who haven't served, it is valuable and serve a real purpose even in peacetime, frequently you will see military forces deployed to help out at some disaster or other, help keeping order at certain events and generally providing a civic service that most often goes unnoticed.

Norway started contributing to the international response forces some little time after I left but while I did consider joining up I eventually decided against it, as I was still in school and didn't want to interrupt my studies.

So yeah, I'm biased but positive to it, absolutely.