What's the best advice you've ever gotten from someone in the military?

"It's only ever temporary" in response to high levels of stress.

There's always a light at the end of the tunnel for your position. Whether it leads to another tunnel is entirely up to you.

Nothing you do on a daily basis is worth being stressed out about.....if you are stressed out, take a breath, re-evaluate the situation, develop a new plan, and execute!!

Best advice I ever got was from a SFC that simply told me to "Talk it out".

I was feeling overwhelmed by a group of problems, and f-ing up by the numbers... which just created more problems. He just sat there and listened to them. By the time I got done I realized that they were solvable and insignificant if I prioritized them and hit them one at a time.

Embrace the suck. I can take that saying into anything I do whether it's out in the field or back home in school or at work.

The best advice I have ever received in the military was to make sure you personally check your records for completeness. Just like any records you might keep at home, insurance policies, registrations etc. When they are needed you want them to be right.

In BMTS, in the chow hall, "Don't go in the snake pit" (where the TI's ate).
Actually, this advice almost got me busted out of the Air Force before my tenure began.
We were warned, do not go into the "Snake Pit", you'll get chewed up, spit out and digested if you do.
Well one day, while quietly minding my own business in the chow hall, I was singled out by one of the "snakes" in the "pit". He said, Hey You, Airman, yeah you, *#!! head, get over here..., I marched to the entrance of the snake pit and stood at attention: He said, "Get your #!! in here. Standing at attention I yelled: Sir, Airman Gelfand reports as ordered, "I am not allowed in the snake pit, SIR!"
The TI went berserk, "What do you mean you're not allowed in the snake pit you (insert expletive here!!) Get your (expletive ) in here right NOW!!!!!
SIR, AIRMAN GELFAND REPORTS AS ORDERED, I AM NOT ALLOWED IN THE SNAKE PIT, SIR"
"WHY I OUGHT TO RIP YOUR HEAD OFF AND @!$! DOWN YOUR NECK, GET YOUR !@# IN HERE!"
"SIR, AIRMAN GELFAND REPORTS AS ORDERED, I AM NOT ALLOWED IN THE SNAKE PIT, SIR"
This challenge went on one more time...
Now, mind you, there was no written rule that I remember about us not being allowed in the "Snake Pit", but it was ingrained in my puny head that we weren't allowed.
And I was standing there challenging this TI in front of 200 people.
I don't know how I made it out of boot camp, but I did end up in front of the Squadron Commander for that one.

As odd as this may seem, in 1979 at Fort Dix, NJ, one of my Drill Sergeant's (SSG Smith) said as we entered the mess hall, "Get all you want, eat all you get, take your time, you have 5 minutes!" That's a life lesson! I learned I get out of it what I put into it, so put all I have into it. And be quick about it because I'm not promised tomorrow.

Did I figure all of that out on the day he said it? Nope! I'm not even convinced he knew how I'd interpret it (seriously, we were outside in formation marching off to the days training less than 10 minutes after he uttered those life changing words).

But whenever opportunities arrived, I jumped on them like there was no tomorrow. I've been retired from active duty for almost 15 years and I still do!

Get mean as a junkyard dog. From my Marine brother. Heading to Afganistan

When I took my first command, my new next-higher told me:
1. You will not be able to successfully accomplish all you will be asked to do.
2. As a commander, you get to choose what you are going to fail at.
3. Where you choose to succeed, go at it 100%.

My boss at my last command told me: Stay on top of weird. He meant that before things go wrong, they get weird. Fix it then.

Wonderful responses, everyone! I do miss the Army.

Never Volunteer for Anything...