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

I have recurring dreams about the military every night. I am always in a transition center waiting on assignment. There is always something missing from my uniform, wrong rank, missing equipment, last in line and late to my next appointment. I've tried to process these dreams myself because they are every night and I dream of nothing else. This morning I woke up after I was supposed to report for night duty in my dream. I am wondering if I'm in trouble tonight when I fall asleep. My processes lead me to believe my dreams are tied to the anxiety of reassignment. I've had some terrible bosses and have been yelled at plenty of times for doing exactly what I was supposed to do. I've had great bosses too. Never knowing what is next is what still bothers me. I once got out of the Emergency Surgery to find out I was in trouble because my Commander didn't authorize me to have Emergency Surgery. I've had Commander's move Physical Training formations every morning in attempts to make me, individually, late, so they could pull my retirement package. I've had Commanders secretly try to remove me from promotion lists because they felt I was advancing too fast, or better said, faster than my superiors advanced. Just going to work in those units was a living nightmare. Now I do it every time I fall asleep.

MSG, USA, (Retired)

I retired in 1994 after 22 years of happy service. I traveled the world visiting many countries. I still have dreams. What's weird is sometimes I'm there with these young troops of today and I'm at my current age. But they listen to my wisdom as I teach them about life and the importance of doing their job "right the first time".

I do all the time and I got out in 89 after doing 9 1/2 years but I have to take a buttload of mental health meds and I think that they are a big part of it. Sometimes it gets to the point I can't tell the difference between the dream and reality, and they are so real it's .....well......it's crazy.

Yes. I had the same dreams for a long time. They finally subsided after around ten years. I think they're fairly common.

Hello Sergeant DiFondi,
I'm retired Air Force MSgt Dan Harrison. I retired in 1994 after 22 years of service. And yes, I still have dreams of being back in the military. I had a wonderful career where I was stationed overseas for 18 years of my service tenure between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. There is no doubt that I could easily keep up with today's troops because unlike the Army, the Air Force (especially for Senior NCOs) is more about management and supervision. After retirement, I taught Middle/Elementary School for 16 years. Now fully retired I am enjoying my life.
Your dreams are perfectly normal. Embrace them, because you have accomplished something, seen things, and done things that only a small percentage of people in this country can relate to. And if you have someone who doesn't mind listening to your "war stories", talk.

Ha ha and laugh out loud. I retired in 2005. About once a month I have a very realistic dream about the military. My job for my last five years was as a SGM problem solver. So every one of these dreams is about some problem that is brought to me to be solved. My wife has actually told me I have talked in my sleep, me talking about some of the real bazaar problems soldiers bring to me to solve. She said a few times I even cussed and sounded very mad. Often I wake in the morning and say, OK good, that was only a dream. I am retired now.

I have dreams/ nightmares about being recalled and having to go through boot camp again before being allowed to continue at my former rank. The nightmarish part is my inability to keep up with my peers who stayed in for 30 years. The dreams are troubling, but I thought it might have to do with the fact that I was retired on disability and unable to make the Corps my lifelong career.

Yep, had pretty much the same dream about being recalled to active duty. Oh, maybe that's a nightmare.

Yes I have that dreams. I retire from the Army with 28 years active duty plus 7 years in the reserve.

All the time and we should. For most, our 20's & 30's were spent serving. There are a lot of old memories good or bad that will be remembered. I always like to tell my wife the dreams because they always have a weird twist which makes her laugh and me too sometimes. Congrats on Retirement. PS. Civilian life is quite the change. Enjoy the new challenge.