Posted on May 28, 2017
How do you describe the day to day life of a young enlisted Soldier or Officer to those who aren't in the Army themselves?
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More specifically, how about when training is slow such as during Red Cycle? This could be interesting and fun.
79R: Recruiter
Infantry
Infantry Trainee
11A: Infantry Officer
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 16
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If anybody asked me about Army life, I would probably tell them "It's one of the easiest jobs one could ever ask for, and yet, it's one of the hardest jobs one can ever do." They probably would say something along the lines of "That makes no sense!" or "I don't understand." from there I would simply smile and respond "Tell me about it."
Some things in life just have to be experienced to understand.
Some things in life just have to be experienced to understand.
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CW4 William Kessinger
I remember trying to explain to my new (collage educated) civilian co-pilot one day about obeying orders as an enlisted man or junior officer. Particularly in combat! He said I would not do that! I then told him he would not make it out of boot/basic as an American military service member!
They that have never serviced, just could not understand! And you can't explain it to them.
They that have never serviced, just could not understand! And you can't explain it to them.
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Laying all your units BII out at 0900 then guarding it all day and finally at 1713 your platoon sergeant will tell you to just put it up because the layout will be tomorrow morning. Then at 1720 when everything is back in the connex the XO, 1sg and commander will show up and wonder why all the BII isn't laid out. Then you and 3 other people if you are lucky will quickly try to lay it all out again. The whole platoon was supposed to be there helping and at the beginning there was plenty of people there, but now the workforce has slowly diminished throughout the day and only about three people are there because they couldn't think of a good reason to disappear. The broke dicks will milk their profiles and the smokers will take 30 minute smoke breaks. Then at 1730 a mass text will go out saying that no one is released until the layout is finished. Most of the people who have been hiding all day will slowly start to trickle back in complaining everyone else has been gone all day. Everyone will be pissed off and they will put up the BII all half assed. Some of the Specialists will be muttering about comp time and not coming in for pt the next day but then they will be heartbroken when the 1sg says 0630 pt. When you are finally released everyone will haul ass away from the motor pool as quickly as possible so they don't get called back.
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Cpl Westin Sandberg
PT at 630? We always PT'd at 0330... after getting released from not doing anything all day at like 2100....
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COL Charles Williams
CSM Eric Olsen - I live in the Fort Leonard Wood Area, and have been here on and off since 2003.... I remember standing on line at OSUT to make a call (collect).... I remember ATT phone phone centers when deployed... I don't understand (I never worked in the TRADOC training based; I did run the MP LTs and CPTs course after Battalion Command) why IET Soldiers have phones... I was OK without a phone.... Phones and social media are not all good.
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
Although I do have a cell phone I limit who can have the number, I find that and the home phone annoying distractions. I call the telephone a home invader. I'd rather be dealing with people face to face. In between keeping My self busy reading, on My home , Yard, family , work and organizations I belong to. I keep busy each day which is what i want anyway. I'm retired from both the USAF and a Civilian Police Dept but not willing to slow down completely and continue to work.
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SPC (Join to see)
I can give my thought on it Sir. In Basic we were allowed per our phone on Sunday at Drill Sergeants discretion. As you can imagine it didn't happen often. Typically it was 5 minutes for hi, how's the family, bye. It was usually taken away for... Basic reasons.
For when it wasn't though... I didn't think anything of it at the time Sir because I was allowed a moment to speak to my family and I enjoyed that. Not everyone had that enjoyment. I watched fellow Recruits break down from news from home. Girlfriends getting with Jodie not even 5 weeks into training, things like that. We shouldn't be allowed to have them at all Sir, the distraction didn't help anyone. Minutes ruined weeks for some guys.
For the purpose of Basic I think it should be reduced to 1 call at Reception, hi bye done.
Then 1 call to coordinate Family Day/Graduation to ensure families know where their going, etc. Then the phones can be returned on family day/graduation day.
For AIT
We were allowed access to our phones after final formation, when we were in our rooms, or on the weekends if we were not engaged in some form of activity.
That I'm not so much against as I can't think of a reason to disallow it.
For when it wasn't though... I didn't think anything of it at the time Sir because I was allowed a moment to speak to my family and I enjoyed that. Not everyone had that enjoyment. I watched fellow Recruits break down from news from home. Girlfriends getting with Jodie not even 5 weeks into training, things like that. We shouldn't be allowed to have them at all Sir, the distraction didn't help anyone. Minutes ruined weeks for some guys.
For the purpose of Basic I think it should be reduced to 1 call at Reception, hi bye done.
Then 1 call to coordinate Family Day/Graduation to ensure families know where their going, etc. Then the phones can be returned on family day/graduation day.
For AIT
We were allowed access to our phones after final formation, when we were in our rooms, or on the weekends if we were not engaged in some form of activity.
That I'm not so much against as I can't think of a reason to disallow it.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
SPC (Join to see) - There used to be a means of communicating with family called mail. The good thing about mail is that the Army let you have your mail at the earliest time possible no matter what or where you were at. Non-Girl friend/wife letters and pictures got passed around, didn't take much to distract you after looking at your squad mates for 10 or 11 weeks.
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