What things do you remember about adapting to military life?

I remember having to be self-sufficient, not relying on my parents to take care of me as I left for basic three days after my high school graduation. I was scared. Scared of failing, not being strong enough to make it, but then I remember when I got my airman's coin and U.S. Air Force badge. I then felt so proud. Proud of my accomplishment and to be a part of my new family in the military!

I remember the tremendous devotion to the mission mowst of us felt. We felt a sense of family with those we served with.

It's 05:30. No sane human should be up this early...

Raising my right hand and signing a check for an amount up to and including my life. Taking an oath I knew would never expire for the rest of my life.

I was 29 when i joined, and female, I quickly learned you have to be twice as good as any male to prove yourself as a female, and you have to never show emotion or weakness.

Early morning wake ups and getting straight business. Prior to the military you are in high school you wake up and take your time go to school but in the military its 4 am or before wake ups or even no sleep to 15 min sleeps and just always doing something and if not you're in formation waiting just there. So the sleep change factor was the biggest change that sucked the most and has never gotten back to that I to 10 hr sleep ever again

I needed to join the US Army. I was 18 when I went to San Francisco to live and work for almost two months. My grandparents, aunt and uncle, and cousins lived there. I freaked out. People were walking bare-footed and they were selling tabs of acrid out in open. So, I returned to Chicago and enlisted. I learned how to make my bed and to type. I'm a Viet Nam vet. I was in Honolulu for two months of training. Experiences that I will never forget. I'm also of my local VFW.

The schedule. I was not ready to have someone tell me when I had to be somewhere or when I could and could not eat.

The extremely structured military life took a little getting used to, but once in the rhythm of things, it all got so much easier.

For me personally it was getting used to having a team mentally. Before the military I came from a broken home where everyone fended for themselves and it lacked proper discipline and tools to teach me to be prepared for every situation. My biggest adjustment was getting past myself and realizing that the only obstacle in my way and my teams way, was me. Once I got past that everything started clicking, I started performing better and feeling more comfortable. Because it wasn’t how you did it, it was getting the task done.