Posted on Mar 19, 2016
Does Anyone Else Have Recurring Dreams About Being Back In the Military?
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I retired from the Army with 24 years of service back in late 2011. In the last 3 years, I have had dreams that I had to go back in the Military and I am now unable to keep up with the young troops and all the changes to the equipment and gear. The dreams are unsettling and very real to me. I know they are not about having an unsettled life that needs structure again, as I have an excellent job and great post-military career. I am finally settled in one spot and am very happy, so it can’t be an unhappy thing. Anyone else have these dreams?
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Edited >1 y ago
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Responses: 163
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I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one having these weird dreams. Mine often involve being recalled to active duty because of some major emergency or catastrophe. In the dreams I'm actively involved in rescue missions or in the middle of a major storm or event. I am sometimes wondering how I am able to keep up because I know I've aged and am not in the best physical condition. The best part is always seeing old friends and shipmates and feeling like I'm a part of something meaningful.
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PO1 (Join to see)
Trust me, you’re not alone. These dreams can get really crazy, very real, very fast... sometimes I just don’t want to sleep.
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I've been retired from the Air Force for 18 years. I served for 20 years. Since I retired I often have dreams about being in the military again. I dream of struggling to understand the changes that have been made since I retired and what I consider a lack of other people being able or willing to do their jobs. Not sure why I still have these dreams. Often the dreams are a mixture of military service and my job after service (I worked for an employment agency) where it seemed that people really didn't want work. Anyway, my point is I think it's natural to dream of things that mean a lot about who you are. I'm happier now than I have been at any point in my life. I have my own jewelry business and I don't work for corporate America or the government anymore so I think the dreams are just part of who we are as veterans.
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MSgt John McGowan
Some of the people that did interviews where I worked could tell some good stories. I had one interview that went south on me but after the interview I had no desire to work there. In another I was more experience than the man doing the interview. Needless to say a he picked a young lady with no experience.
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TSgt Pennie Snyder
MSgt John McGowan - It used to irritate me when our clients didn't select military personnel because they were "overqualified" What it really meant was they were afraid the military person would take away their position or get promoted before them.
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
I had one experience being called for a job interview that had 450 applications, He picked Mine out of them all and it was the Military background that did it. The gentleman that picked that out though had enlisted service and later rose to Captain in the US Marines. He knew what the experience meant. He tried to get me what I asked for in pay, He wanted me there, that din't happen due to others senior to Him. A job i did take though the interviewer was a retire Air Force Officer, once again that worked. When I hired people Myself I loved getting Military Veterans, they already knew about teamwork and doing things not because You always wanted to but because You knew it was needed and they didn't complain about things, attendance was good and so was the work ethic. They were almost always people You could count on !
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I'm usually out on patrol a few nights every month. I've gone from killing someone to trying to find my equipment, getting things together, all sorts of crazy stuff. In the last few years it's slacked off a bit and mostly comes if I've talked to someone for a while, watched a movie or such. I guess I just learn to deal with it.
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SGM Mikel Dawson
SSgt Scott Walters - That's pretty much me. It's amazing how clear they are, kind of scary.
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MSgt Frank Saucedo
I believe it's the old 'inner-us' that's still there in our subconscious. Still ever ready for a fight! With the present state of our nation & those in prime positions that we used to respect or admire that have worn out the prestige that once held it together; no wonder we have these constant troubling dreams. In my recent dream, I was actually executed for treason by a bunch of Candy-assed Turncoats that forgot what Semper Fi really means! The sounds, scents & emotions are quite real... as I awoke soaked in sweat with a blazing headache. But the worst was the anger I felt deep inside afterwards. Literally the whole day I bit my lip, trying hard not to snap anybody whom addressed me! But it did wear down over time, as have the re-occurring memories of my first kill...
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SFC Dave Parker
Maybe our subconscious is trying to stay proficient in our military skills, so it keeps us in practice in our dreams.
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PO1 (Join to see)
I have exactly the same problem brother!
I hate waking up to migraine and sweat and my heart racing.
I hate waking up to migraine and sweat and my heart racing.
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