Does Anyone Else Have Recurring Dreams About Being Back In the Military?

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.

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.

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.

MSG Anthony DiFondi I have those as well. Most of the time it is that I am trying to retire (again) and get back to my regular life. They are strange to say the least.

I can totally relate to having recurring dreams that feel unsettling, even when life seems stable. I’ve had similar dreams, though mine are about being back in school and feeling unprepared for a test or presentation. Even though I’m no longer in that phase of life, the pressure in those dreams feels real. It seems like your military dreams could be your mind processing past experiences, even if you’ve moved on.

I came across an app that explains what our dreams are about. It mentioned that these kinds of dreams might reflect feelings of responsibility or challenges we’ve faced, even if they aren’t connected to our current life. It helped me see that sometimes, our brain revisits old roles as a way of sorting through emotions or memories. For more details check https://dreamabout.io/.

A lot of times dreams incorporate things that happened to you during the day. Have you noticed these dreams occurring after long Rally Point sessions?

You are not the only one. I have them all the time. That I'm back on the line, doing my job. My wife says that she thinks it's because that is when I was the happiest in my work, despite the long hours, working in the weather, the pressure, etc.

I tend to agree with her.

After reading these post, I am glad to learn that I am not the only one. I have been retired for ten years, my how time fly. I have reoccurring dreams 3-4 times a month. The include everything from returning back to basic training (Former Drill Sergeant), returning from deployments, or some field exercise that something unusual happens. What is unusual about these kind of dreams is that they are extremely vivid and I will wake up from them and feel that they were real. Occasionally, I will fall back asleep and picking up where I left off in a dream. Excellent topic to bring up.

MSG Anthony DiFondi, oddly enough I have. Not very often but I do have them. Mostly it's about being back in my old units with the Airmen I was stationed with. I think it's most likely because I still miss the camaraderie and sense of purpose I had then.

Yes, it usually pre-deployment or pre Ranger School and I can't remember how to use any of the equipment. Unsettling....