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

Learning I could shoot better than I thought since I had never fired a rifle before. Also being picked as a leader by fellow Marines.

I learned that my mind had a wall. If I hit it and pushed through there were two other walls. And when I pushed through those walls, I experienced ever increasing levels of euphoria. Then I’d puke.

That I was stronger and braver than I ever thought!

I actually had what it took to become a Navy Sailor and Chief Petty Officer.

A surprising fact to learn about the US Military, in general; idiots get promoted, smart people get out while they can.

A million things, all of which keep me going from one day to the next.

I learned I am a lot more intelligent than I gave myself credit for, and if I have an incentive (dishonorable discharge, or team goal) I can accomplish anything. Since I have realized this, I consistently receive 90% or better on all exams. I wish I learned this lesson while attending high school. I always say, the kid who listens with understanding to their parents life learned lessons, could go on to lead our great nation. Great question, can't wait to read the responses.

Probably the undetermined about of grit, the willingness to just keep going, the endangering amount of self sacrifice, the motivation and and stubbornness to get er done.

During short time I was in, during Vietnam war, I learned that one will fail in military life if he feels more responsible for civilian matters than he does about military matters what applies to men does not in any way apply to women; & ignorance is "ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE."

Actually, ONLY thing I learned DURING my time on duty was iterated in only UCMJ class I attended: ignorance is no excuse, but first, I must explain attitude about feeling more responsible for civilian matters than about military matters. As oldest of 7 my parents ultimately had, was told by my dad that firstborn (NOT first male) is responsible for younger siblings when parents are no longer able to be responsible for their children--when the children become orphaned, firstborn must step in.

Which leads to next point: what applies to men in no way apply to women. With a few days remaining in emergency leave I had been given to deal with death of my mother, I went to my recruiter to request leave of absence. If I had been firstborn male, I might have been told there was no such thing & would have been offered hardship discharge instead.

Though my maternal grandfather died while his son was in the Army, there were other siblings to look after my grandmother--& they were all grown up, with families of their own. To my knowledge, mine was first family to become orphaned while oldest male AND female were in military service, & we had nobody to tell us anything about military life or protocol--both of us went in with tabula rasa (clean slate; knowing nothing--ignorant). My brother & I have never spoken about his military service so I have no way of knowing how much he knows. My platoon was halfway through Boot when I attended only UCMJ class, & only thing I remember from that class is that ignorance is no excuse. My brother & I had both been discharged when he told me that military personnel have rights that cannot & must not be violated. It is only in last 21 years since learning I could call myself a veteran that I have learned I had been discriminated against--according to gender AND culture.

During these last 2 decades, I have also learned that many of my brothers- & sisters-at-arms have been bound to non-disclosure, denying them all merit that they deserve; by same token Armed Forces/DoD can not only fail to disclose, they can mask their statements/disclosure with ambiguities.

I learned I had a seething, roiling inner power and could use it to influence the people and environments around me, for better...or worse. I could make a needy subordinate cry, and bring the sunshine to a tent-erecting "party". You gotta know...before the Army taught me how to handle unruly g.i.s, and how to make any task a happy piece of cake...I was the little, tiny wallflower in the corner. Life opened wide for me when I found my inner lion!