In The Eyes of Soldiers, Everything Sucks

It has been said that if a soldier is not complaining to you, then your soldiers do not trust you. So many people think that “everything sucks” for them. Today’s soldiers focus on everything they don’t have instead of everything they are privileged to have. I am currently deployed on my fifth combat tour as the Provost Sergeant in Bagram, Afghanistan. The biggest complaints that I have heard in recent weeks are how sub-standard the living conditions are, how slow the internet is, and how junky the non-tactical vehicles are.

During my last tour, I slept in a tent with seven other soldiers. Some of them snored so loud that they drowned out the noise of the air conditioner; other soldiers were labeled as the stinky kids, and others needed company so desperately that they would knock on the door constantly to see what people were doing. And, without fail, the wind would pound against the tent, night or day, for 100 days at a time.

Currently, I live in quarters that are makeshift storage containers (connex boxes); these buildings compete for quality with low-income, stateside apartments. My bed is a standard-size, twin bed with the same frame that my son sleeps on; I get to use linens just like he does. Now I have a hard structure to sleep in, with only one roommate; my junior soldiers only have three people to a room, max. There are indoor restrooms within three doors of all rooms, regardless of where you are on base - that sure beats walking in flip flops through sand or rocks in the middle of the night.

Even with all the improvements to living conditions, “everything sucks” for soldiers.

In 2007 or 2008, I was forced to stand in line outside a trailer for 30 minutes in order to use the phone or check my email. I remember phone conversations with my family; after I spoke, my wife would hear the words two minutes later. There were often nineteen other soldiers in the same trailer trying to talk on the phone at the same time. Often, we found ourselves shoulder to shoulder or back to back, jockeying for position. I remember soldiers would complain back then because of the lines being so long; however, in today’s operational environment, soldiers are walking around with cell phones in the middle of a war. They get the opportunity to FaceTime, Skype, or instant message anyone and everyone back home. Yet, there are still the complaints of how slow the internet speed is. Looking back at how conditions were only a decade ago, these complaints are truly mind boggling.

Having junky Non Tactical Vehicles (NTVs) is another complaint heard through the base. A NTV is a basic car - basically anything other than a military vehicle. There are thousands of NTVs located on post for general transportation. Yes, it is far to walk if you travel to the opposite side of the base; however, most people are placed within 400 meters from where they work to where their barracks are. There are dining facilities located within walking distance from any point, yet still people insist on the need to drive everywhere. They drive the 400 meters to work, and then they drive down the street to go eat. It’s insanity.

There has been a weight problem in the military for a few years now - perhaps people will start putting two and two together and realize that all the driving is an issue. During my initial four tours, I walked everywhere I went; NTVs were not even an option. Now, military police are responding to minor traffic accidents and pedestrians being struck by vehicles. All of these vehicles are just serving to convenience laziness.

We’ve been at war for over a decade, nine months at a time. There have been great leaps and bounds in technology that have improved the quality of life while forward deployed. Consider for a second that you can fly across the United States in six hours! How many weeks did it take our ancestors? Or even our parents? And still, the plane seats are uncomfortable and the Wi-Fi doesn’t work. Complain, complain, complain. In order to combat the “everything sucks” mentality, leaders need to lead from their position with an attitude of gratitude. Soldiers don’t know what they don’t know.