What is something that you wish that more people understood about the military?

The military life has never been captured in any movie ...

I wish there was a way to explain how deeply rooted the altruism we have generally runs. The fact that most of us are willing to accept some unkown risk or danger later on in order to help someone who is in certain risk or danger now. Even if we MIGHT have a more difficult situation in the future, we're gonna take those odds to help someone else who needs it right now. Doesn't matter for who, we're willing to do that almost instinctively, both in or out of uniform

I wish 18 year olds knew how many of them would regret not serving when they were 50 year olds.

I never heard this word after taking the oath, but when I got involved with adult military brats, I heard "sillyvilllian." Yep. Now I was born during WWII. My mother went home to have me - home being in Louisiana. So I've actually gone back to where I was born and there were friends and family there -still are. They told me Alex is my home town. I tell them, or told them, "No, Fort Sill is my home town." I actually started kindergarten there and part of 1st grade. Arty basic course, FA advanced course, refresher course for prefix 5, taught gunnery in a USAR school, etc. I'm leaving some money to my daughter so she can go there and scatter some of my ashes there. Funny thing, my late wife, a member of the Order of Molly Pitcher, who couldn't spell "army" when we met, understood the military very well. Some can. Most can't

My biggest problem with the civilian understanding is I refuse to cut corners on jobs and falsify documents at my workplace. They also don't understand why I am not still in the military. They assume I quit. I try to get them to understand I'm disabled now and can't go back. But because my disability is more hidden (exercise-induced bronchoconstriction) they dismiss it as me lying. I also try to get people to understand that military soldiers are smart people! Most people think you just have to exercise and shoot things. I try to explain that there are complex jobs that many soldiers have to do but they have a preconceived idea that most soldiers are dumb, uneducated and possibly convicts.

The largest misconception is that soldiers, salilors, marines and airmen are all war mongers and all pray for war. I tell them that no one wants peace more than those who fight wars.
I ask them, civilians, if they think a sane person would want to risk their life if there were a peaceful solution. I let them know that the reason for the military is defense of their home land and also a resolution when all other options have failed. Use of military forces is always a last resort.

I just know when I'm doing my military job there is more of a concept of teamwork than with my civilian job. That being said the vast majority of people I work with on the civilian side still call some of us baby killers. I think most of them lack the courage and strength to do the job that we do. No heart beats harder than the heart of a volunteer. I volunteered to do this job and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

That it is a privilege to serve. I think society is beginning to see the military as a corporate entity who should be exactly like the private sector and ensure accommodations are made for everyone. People should understand that we are trying to win our nation's wars and that there are negative implications behind policies that might make them feel good at night.

I have not once killed a baby. Hell, I haven't even killed an adult.

I'd tell anyone thinking of joining that it's not merely a choice between Army, Navy, USAF, or USCG.
Each of those branches has literally hundreds of different jobs to choose from.
It's far more important to pick the job you're best suited for and which branch offers the best training in that field.
After that, it's merely a matter of completing initial training.