Military bond with service members you served with - fact or fiction?

SPC David S. — Tue, 12 May 2015 12:17:05 -0400

Many of us have heard the phrase "A band of brothers" - sisters included as well, and I was curious if there was any truth behind the phrase. For me some of my closest and most trusted friends are people I served with. Is my experience just a fluke or it there an unspoken bond that goes along with serving?

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made May 12 at 2015 12:24 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Tue, 12 May 2015 12:24:01 -0400

NO, It's not a fluke. There is definitely something there when you "chewed the same dirt". I still experience it when I run into fellow colleagues.

Response by SFC Joseph James made May 12 at 2015 1:07 PM

SFC Joseph James — Tue, 12 May 2015 13:07:24 -0400

There is a bond, but it is for only a few guys and gals that i served with. Over 9 years i've met thousands of people, but only a few i keep in touch with. Usually i bled with them, either in basic (lol i know) or during my 4 deployments. We are brothers that need each other to vent or talk about crap we went through. No one else understands, even other service men and women.

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made May 12 at 2015 1:12 PM

SCPO David Lockwood — Tue, 12 May 2015 13:12:10 -0400

Because no one other than military personnel has been put in a situation, other than police and firefighters, to depend on your buddy to watch your back. Because of this our bond, no matter the branch of service, remains strong. It doesn't matter if your currently serving or retired or a veteran, that bond is forever.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made May 12 at 2015 1:14 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 May 2015 13:14:35 -0400

My closest friends are those I served with. There isn't a day I don't talk to at least one of my brothers or sisters. We always talk about buying some land together and making our own subdivision.

Response by SFC Douglas Davis made May 12 at 2015 1:17 PM

SFC Douglas Davis — Tue, 12 May 2015 13:17:46 -0400

Two of my closest a friends are people I served with I also maintain contact with several others.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made May 12 at 2015 2:03 PM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Tue, 12 May 2015 14:03:47 -0400

I had a friend who I hadn't seen in probably 4 years. We lost each others phone numbers. After she got back from Oki, she called information, and got the phone number of an "Aaron Kennedy" in Stafford, and called, not sure it was me. Asked to speak to Aaron, and I said "Hi Kim, how's tricks?"

I've had a couple other friends who I hadn't seen in 15~ years, and it was like seeing family, because it was seeing family.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made May 12 at 2015 2:59 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 May 2015 14:59:15 -0400

To me yes there is a bond but I never really notice it until we go our seperate ways and the communication now just buy phone. I have met a numerous of great people through out my career but only a few do I hold a bond with. It can sometimes be hard in the military to know who your friends are or are not at least for me but a true friend is someone you stay in touch with even when apart.

Response by COL Charles Williams made May 12 at 2015 11:11 PM

COL Charles Williams — Tue, 12 May 2015 23:11:41 -0400

Fact SPC David S.. Only we get us. When you serve with someone, especially in combat (under fire) you are bonded like no other.

Response by SSgt Jim Gilmore made Dec 20 at 2015 8:52 PM

SSgt Jim Gilmore — Sun, 20 Dec 2015 20:52:23 -0500

It is a bond that only those who have served can understand.

Response by LCpl Mark Riley made Aug 9 at 2016 1:27 PM

LCpl Mark Riley — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 13:27:32 -0400

There is a bond I met my best friends in the Marines I still in my civilian life have very few friends like that

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2016 2:36 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 14:36:45 -0400

FACT! I tell non-veterans all the time: Its a brotherhood that can only be understood, not explained.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made May 9 at 2018 1:02 PM

SGT Philip Roncari — Wed, 09 May 2018 13:02:32 -0400

Although I served fifty years ago and have only seen a few of the guys from my platoon in Vietnam many years ago I still do feel a special bond for my Brothers, something I don’t think can be duplicated in the civilian world.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 9 at 2018 5:36 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 09 May 2018 17:36:23 -0400

When I was a Soldier, I complained a lot. After experiencing the civilian world and society, I sort of calibrated my view of the way things were when I was a Soldier. In comparing civilians to some of the Soldiers I used to work with, especially in the two Combat Engineer battalions I was assigned to in Germany and Hawaii, I developed greater appreciation for my fellow Soldiers from that time and I remember that there are new "versions" of us serving now and will be in the future as well. I have greater respect and seriousness toward Soldiering now that I'm done with it than I remember having when I was there. I wish I could have deployed with the units and Soldiers I was with, but I was gone before any of that happened.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made May 9 at 2018 8:40 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Wed, 09 May 2018 20:40:41 -0400

So true- when we meet- it's like a family reunion!

Response by PVT Mark Zehner made Mar 7 at 2019 10:37 AM

PVT Mark Zehner — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 10:37:00 -0500

I went in in 1985 and have some of these guys still as friends

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Mar 7 at 2019 11:30 AM

SGM Bill Frazer — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 11:30:11 -0500

Yes, tho it is harder when you go your separate ways- but I still stay in touch via social media

Response by SGT Carl Blas made Mar 7 at 2019 6:42 PM

SGT Carl Blas — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 18:42:58 -0500

When I met my Army buddy in jump school 42 years ago, he was laying flat on his back gasping for air after a 5 mile run, that was June 1972.
After jump school, he and I got stationed at Bragg together with the 2nd 508th Infantry.
December of 1972 we both were PCS to Korea, him to TDC Camp Casey and me, to the DMZ, and that's where we lost contact until 2014.
Lucky for us we live on a small island and would never have met again, if not for our civilian jobs to bring us back together. Him the owner of an engineering firm, and me, over seeing contracts with the Department of Education.
We today are the best of friends and Army brothers, and always tell the people of our Army history together.

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Mar 8 at 2019 1:12 AM

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 01:12:28 -0500

Fact, and in many, many cases its a lifetime bond !

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 9 at 2020 11:07 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 09 May 2020 11:07:18 -0400

I feel more close to those I served with then my own family, so fact on this end of survey.

Response by SPC Robert Bobo made Jan 27 at 2022 4:40 PM

SPC Robert Bobo — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 16:40:49 -0500

I loved those guys, a call from a couple few years ago was like we were back in Bamberg both re-enlisted , I have several close Veteran friends from other Army units and a very close navy friend