Posted on Mar 19, 2016
MSG Anthony DiFondi
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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?
Posted in these groups: Retirement logo RetirementSleep Sleeping
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SGT M M
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I just had another recurring dream that I rejoined the military. I’m not retired, but I left after I married and my spouse wanted out because we had children. It was leave the military or divorce. I followed my spouse and kept our family together and today we are almost at 20 years of marriage. I sometimes wonder what it would have been like had I stayed. I really loved the service and I had incredible potential, but at the same time I’ve had an extraordinary and blessed life so really can’t complain.
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PO2 Johnny Terrell
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I spent eight years in the U.S. Coast Guard. It was a rough couple of tours mostly aboard ships up in Alaska but I never disliked my time in the Coast Guard. I have been out since 1988.

For the last ten years or so i have had a recurring dream where I am rejoining the Coast Guard or some type of naval service involving ships. I arrive at my ship and go aboard but there is never a place for me to stay. They can't find a rack or a locker for me to put my gear into so I just have to walk around with no permanent place to live. It is a very disheartening dream.

I asked my brother, who was in the Air Force for several years, if he experienced these types of dreams and he said he too had a similar dream on occasion.

I suppose my dream comes from being a part of something which over time became very ingrained into my being. You might forget about all those experiences during the day but at night your mind goes back to what it knows best when you are asleep. They probably have some meaning but I have not really been able to determine what it is.

Strange.
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PO1 Joe Rapoza
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I have these dreams way to many times a month. I mostly dream that I have to get my retirement paperwork complete and never seems to get it done. The keep telling me I don't enough time or something is wrong with my uniform. Strange because I was a Yeoman and uniforms was just another day. I enjoyed my career to the extreme. I have removed all military items from my house and don't wear anything military related anymore. These dreams are annoying. I can understand it. I wanted to retire and it was my best choice. I have done well for myself since. Anyone else there with these issues.
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SGT Thomas Darilek
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I have them all the time. It's weird, it's usually me back in the army in the present time, but intermingled with my current civilian life. I've been out almost fifteen years. I served almost ten years.
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CWO4 Dale Sale
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I thought that these would stop after I retired. It's been 7+ years and no let up. Granted, I never saw the horrors that some on here have, however they are still very real to me. Several nights a week my ship is: in a rescue, on fire, flooding, in a collision, aground, terrible engineering disaster that I am responsible for fixing with no help and pressure to make it happen so the mission gets done.. In these people often die and I am the one that informs the next of kin (Yes, that actually happened once). I am never the one that suffers, I must watch everyone else perish... My wife asks, "Did you sleep well?". How do you answer that?
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Sgt Wayne Wood
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Dreams or nightmares?
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MAJ R. Andrew Hoskinson
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I have the exact same dream periodically- this after being off active duty for 21 years, and out of the USAR for 12 years!
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PO3 Steven Thorn
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Try this one i was in the navy for 10 years i keep on having the same dream that after i got out i enlisted in the army wich never happened these dreams are very real i even went to jump school at ft benning this is not stolen valor i have never tried to claim any army background it is just a dream that keeps on showing up
When i was a child i had wanted to join the army like my father so maybe thats what it is
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MSG Paul Weller
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Tony, ha ha ha Yes, all the time.
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SFC Stephen Carden
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I was in for a total of 26 years, and I have been retired for 2 years. I have dreamed about being back in, and I think it is for two reasons. One, I regret retiring when I did, but I was too broken to continue so intellectually I knew it was time, but emotionally I wasn't ready. Two, life was much simpler in the Army! I always knew where to be, what time to be there, and what to wear. I never knew how spoiled I was until I became a civilian. My solution: work as a military contractor!
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PO2 Jennifer Meyers
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I dream I'm back in and I feel happy about it but then I start to feel anxious because some part of my uniform is missing. I dream like this often, I have no cover or sometime no belt or boots. Usually that's the only problem but lately I dream I'm lost and can't pass because the spaces are to small and I don't fit inside so I have to stay behind.
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CPT Company Commander (Hhc, Cyber Protection Brigade)
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I still have that while still being currently in. I wish I had dreams vice versa!
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PO2 Jennifer Meyers
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I was honorably discharged in 2004 from the Navy I spent some time on 2 separate aircraft carriers, I have never gone beyond the shores of Virginia on trainings. Although I have never seen battle or have been on any missions I always dream I'm back on the ship and in tge middle of some conflict. If I'm not dreaming about that I'm on the ship and don't have all of my gear (cover, my id, boots etc). The dreams always make me fearful. It's atleast twice a month this happens.
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SFC Jim Ruether
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I sure wouldn't call them dreams. More like nightmares! I woke up many mornings and thought I had overslept morning formation!
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SCPO Bill Milani
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I have dreams of being back in the service all the time. I miss the comraderi of my shipmates that "sand crabs" don't understand
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LCpl Basil Atamansky
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I got medically discharged in 2007 and have been having reoccurring dreams of being in and sometimes being back in basic it's so real to me and I am a lucid dreamer I can take over and do whatever I'd like in my dream like a video game, but when I wake up I'm uneasy and confused I do suffer now from PTSD anxiety iv had three tbi's and now have severe narcolepsy and sleep apnea from that idk why I have these either but I am kind of ok to find out I'm not the only one
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SCPO Bill Milani
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I dream about being back in the service all the time. I retired over 25 years ago. Senior Chief
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SPC Steven Depuy
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Happened for about 20 years. I kept dreaming the Army grabbed me again and sent me to Germany without my family, used to happen a lot, been a long time now. But I would end up at "The Rock" again doing another tour counting the days till I could get home to my wife and kids.
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Capt Ray Lummus
Capt Ray Lummus
9 y
I did for about 5 years after I retired from Marines but no more.
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PO2 Chris Wilkinson
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I would if I was given the chance.
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PO3 Pilar Michka
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I left the military in 2000 after only 4 years of active service in peace time. Now every now and then I dream of being activated because they need me back or I dream of signing up for more years.
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Capt Ray Lummus
Capt Ray Lummus
9 y
I retired from Marines over 20 years ago. Had dreams about it for ago of 5 plus years then they pretty well stopped.
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