- Basic Training Sucks:
I wish civilians knew how gruelling the basic training is and how truly amazing the Drill Instructors (or seniors) manage it. This said, don’t ask what it is like to be trained in the Special Forces. Read more about it here. Ask your NCC friend or a friend in the military about it and they will tell you.
- We too crave for rest:
Most civilians haven’t learned that it is possible to catch a power nap standing up and military people do it whenever they find time, anywhere. People in the military get to have only about five hours of sleep. They don’t come into work on Monday and brag about lost because it is not to be complained about. Civilians playing video games might think being bored is a fate worse than death. But a man who works for a living knows that a chance to relax is worth something.
Must Read: 11 Things Only A Military Buddy Can Do For You That A Civilian BFF Probably Won’t
- “Seniors” are not like the ones in civilian world:
Civilians see their juniors as a newbie for their first few years and they are just the ‘Seniors’. But in the military, it means a lot. Seniors in the military are your teacher, they are your mentor, they are your parents, they are your support till you, yourself get some juniors to teach to. Everything passed on from a senior gets more modified and better till the time it reaches your junior and then their junior. And when the time comes, seniors are the ones who will be harsh on you from rough punishments to shoving that rifle in your as**ole (not literally, of course).
- The better your turn-out, the more respect you get:
Respect starts with turn-out in the military. Forget about crushed jeans and yesterday’s polished shoes that it will do today or the latest fashion of hairstyles. A civilian may seem interested in it but in the military, it’s like disrespecting your seniors. And when you do that you know the outcome (see point above). An ironed shirt isn’t to impress the ladies; it’s the starting point for situational awareness.
- Co-workers in military are much closely bonded:
The bonds you develop with people in the military are very close, especially co-cadets you get trained with or get deploy with. It’s just so different than anything else that you need to experience it to feel it. They are not your brothers and at the same time, they are neither like your civilian friends. You just know them on a different level.
Must Read: 15 Ways Military Buddies Are Different From Civilian Friends
- It’s not done until it’s not complete:
There’s no policy of ‘half-baked is half done’ in the military. It is not completely done until it is not completely done. Period. And it requires undivided concentration not only to be careful that it is done right but also to make sure that it is done right.
- We are normal people too:
Except that we get our asses kicked a lot of times during training, we jump off planes behind enemy lines, we get to use a lot of bullets to kill, we stay away from family for months, we are frequent travellers and get to go to places no one have ever before, yes we too are just like you.
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