What Things Did You Learn About Yourself That Were Unexpected or Surprising During Your Military Service? Login & Share to Win!

I found that balance was the driving aspect of my life. I realized I could only control my thoughts and not others. Positive thinking became my goal. It took 20 yrs but I realized I had to change to build connections.

That it was a huge mistake personally, professionally, and mentally to re-enlist and I should have started my post-military career earlier.

There is one other thing I learned about myself. I have a very low tolerance for other peoples stupid actions.

I learned a lot while I served in the Army. The biggest thing was I learned who I was. So many kids today grow up confused about who they are and what they can do and end up turning to all the wrong things in life. I was headed down that path as well. But my experiences helped me grow up and deal with issues. Instead of hiding behind bad things. Or using dangerous things to mask my fear and anger, I turned to the truth. I can see why so many young adults turn to “society” to help them feel better. But that’s not what works.

Doing the hard work of getting yourself out of trouble and not choosing the easy way out is the best long term solution. Being a soldier taught me to look at the different possibilities and find the one that will help in the long run. Even if it hurts in the short term.
I spent a lot of time at night on CQ duty reading my Bible and those quiet times taught me so much. And during the day, doing the work of a soldier taught me I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me.

I learn what trigger my anger and what to do positive . So, that I would not act negatively about anything I disapproval of in the military or any where else. I learn I could achieve positive things in my life. I learn I am capable of learning , working and maintaining my health. I learn how to also resolve problems when they come in my life. I learn how to relax when I need to enjoy r and r time. I learn how to go and talk to spiritual leaders when there was crosses in my life.. ( family or any negative things going on ) Most of all I learn not to give up on the positive things I am interested in doing. I went in the. I litany when I was young. I became an adult in the mi.itary.

So many things I could not have imagined when I went in. I had a 9th grade education when I entered service, I retired with a BA. Becoming a Military Training Instructor, then Master MTI. Every deployment I saw things I never even imagined. Living in and visiting Countries that existed only on a globe. Becoming part of a Brotherhood only a Veteran can understand. So many other things that cannot be expressed in this medium.

I learned that a lot of most difficult duty assignments were the most easiest and that came down to accepting a folded American Flag from a member of the Honor Guard casket team and the presenting the flag to the next of kin and looking them in eyes and saying those most sacred words “On Behalf of a Grateful Nation” easy assignment right up until you look the next of kin in the eyes and start saying those words the out comes the vice grips putting the squeeze on your heart, but the job can be done and the surprise is how difficult saying those words are for such an easy assignment and every time you do this it is surprising that is never gets any easier no matter how many hundreds of times you do this those words never ever get easier to say no matter how many times you say them or practice them it’s always a surprise that it never gets easier I guess it’s because it’s not supposed to.

If I had to narrow it down to a few things, I'd say this:

1. There is NOTHING more lethal than the right man in the right place at the right time. Because while yes, the Artillery can go boom and say "screw that guy and everything near enough to think about him," it is the knife in the dark and that man in place who knows his objective that is truly terrifying.

And 2. There is no more powerful a weapon that your own willpower. No matter the struggle, no matter the challenge, no matter your state of mind, if you tell yourself that you'll be fine and that you'll make it, you will. If you tell yourself that nothing will stop you without killing you, nothing will. If you tell yourself that you are the baddest mfer in the Valley, then thats exactly what you will become. It is as it was written: I think, therefore, I am.

Officers are treated a whole lot different than enlisted., I found this out when I graduated from OTS and became an Officer. But I still had very good friends who were enlisted.

I learned I had to juggle coming home and cooking dinner, making sure my two children got their homework done, prepare for the next day's work, boots shined. My husband was working the night shift, so we passed in the shadow. I was Strong! The Military made me Stronger.Then am, I was off before the kids got up, so I prayed they got off to school on time. They did. You have to change things sometimes, but my children adjusted well. I was so happy for that. It made me do my job better. The Pressure sometimes at my job did not get to me. I dealt with it. Hooah!!