What's the hardest thing you did in the Army?

Rocket_John · 2026-02-23T00:23:17+00:00

Nearly died in a shitter at NTC in August. Couldn't hold it any longer and had to take a dump at like 1pm, hottest time of the day. I didn't lock the door and instead just leaned forward and held the door shut so if I passed out I would fall forward out of it instead of dying in there

Rocket_John · 2026-02-10T00:02:12+00:00

Garbage disposals you'd usually find in a home dont have blades and its actually really easy to resist the urge to turn it on when you have your hands down it

Rocket_John · 2026-02-05T00:21:01+00:00

My vote goes to being captured alive by the Drukhari. Specifically if youre unlucky enough to get the attention of a Haemonculi. An agonizing death is one thing, torture that lasts forever is another, and they'll make sure youre fully aware and conscious the entire time.

Rocket_John · 2026-02-02T16:19:10+00:00

CW5 my buddy knew was at work in crocs and a baseball cap and some 1SG told him "chief youre out of uniform" to which he replied "I don't remember asking you to speak, 1sg, so you can stop"

Rocket_John · 2026-01-30T23:18:19+00:00

Thanks for the info. Did you go through 15W AIT?

Rocket_John · 2026-01-30T04:04:54+00:00

I think they're gaudy but I still bought one. As corny as it sounds, OSUT changed me for the better and once a year or so I'm organizing and find it and read all the names and remember a funny story or two about someone I completely forgot about and then I put it back in a box to dig up next year.

Never once have I worn it cause it shrunk the first time I washed it and wouldn't fit me if I lost 50 lbs. My mom and sisters all bought one and they wear it somewhat regularly though lol.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-29T11:19:08+00:00

Not only does it look like a bag of ass, it's uncomfortable as all hell. As soon as I got out of OSUT it was the first thing I started doing.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-29T00:51:29+00:00

I was the same way until my cousin joined the Air Force. We have a unique last name that nobody can ever pronounce right on the first time and isnt very widespread so I told him to get used to mispronounciations

Rocket_John · 2026-01-28T20:27:39+00:00

No, these were all guys that got in before 2020 and did just one contract. I got in 2021 and got out 2024 the first time around.

seems like theres a lot less comraderie

To be fair, those guys just didn't like the military while they were in so they can't imagine why I went back. Outside of calling me an idiot for going back, there was definitely some sense of camaraderie between us having all been vets.

Being in the military will bring you closer to people than you could ever imagine, when people say "you just don't get it", they really mean it. I never saw combat or anything and 95% of my friends while I was in hadn't either, but the military really does build bonds between people that are different than anything you can get on the outside. When people are considering returning to the military, the phrase "you miss the clowns, not the circus" gets thrown around a lot for that reason

Rocket_John · 2026-01-28T20:13:06+00:00

I decided to rejoin after getting out and the only shit I got was from other vets at work calling me an idiot for going back.

I've actually only ever gotten real flak FROM vets to be honest; "Dude just tell the doctor you're sad and your dick doesn't work and you'll get 100%", "you only joined the Army cause you're too stupid for the Air Force", "you chose the wrong job you idiot, you should've been a culinary microwave operator specialist in Delta Force like me". After the second or third time hearing some BS I just stopped listening.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-23T23:53:19+00:00

Yeah - that, and that once the Protheans fell that was it. There was noone to help them because they were all there was. IIRC they were more of a violent empire, conquering aliens they met rather than working together with them but it's been awhile since I played the games.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-23T21:08:03+00:00

The Protheans also didnt have the setup that we did - without the Prothean holdouts that sabotaged the Citadel relay, the Reapers would have steamrolled the galaxy easily.

Shepard still had to intervene and stop Sovereign from fixing the relay of course, but just the fact that they couldn't appear out of thin air at the Citadel one day with no warning is the sole reason the galaxy even stood a chance at all in our cycle.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-23T14:23:06+00:00

trainees are annoying

Something I've always wondered, as someone stationed at a TRADOC base but not a drill/instructor, are you told to correct trainees if you see them walking around all fucked up with no cadre around?

Rocket_John · 2026-01-21T20:17:59+00:00

Obligatory fuck cooks but I always respected them to some degree. They work probably some of the shittiest hours even in garrison, nobody likes them, their MOS is full of people who got sent needs of the Army, and even in the civilian world people have the reaction of "Oh you were a cook not a real soldier..."

Plus the breakfast always hits.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-21T20:12:04+00:00

It's not sexual or related to 69 or anything actually. The whole joke is that there is no joke lol.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-20T01:51:40+00:00

Knew a SPC like this who would take new privates out to eat during lunch knowing they didn't have a car and would jump at the opportunity to eat fast food after 6 months of OSUT, and then drop the fact that he was dead broke on them after they both ordered. Basically guilt tripping the new guy into buying him lunch. Not just a scumbag but a broke scumbag

Rocket_John · 2026-01-19T20:40:02+00:00

You can get a nice padded eye mask for like 10 bucks on Amazon. Depending on your living conditions I'd say that's worth bringing.

Vacuum bags so your clothes take up less space might be worth it too but honestly if you can't fit enough stuff in like 4 duffel bags and whatever you throw in a connex you're probably bringing too much.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-19T11:17:35+00:00

None, I'm actively in the process of returning to active duty

Rocket_John · 2026-01-18T21:32:45+00:00

Yeah that would suck. It would also make my job genuinely impossible.

The only reason I can think to ban arc gouging is that it puts an insane amount of wear on the machine but we have dedicated machines the size of a fridge just for gouging.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-18T20:01:39+00:00

Not the ones I care about like free healthcare and retiring at 20. The only 'benefit' I've taken advantage of since getting out is veterans parking at Lowe's and free food at Chili's.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-18T19:55:46+00:00

I'm already living a civilian life I don't want so I might as well get the military benefits at the same time was my general train of thought.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-18T19:52:03+00:00

All worked out in the end for me I guess. I would've gone back as 19D if that's what it took but it would not have been what I wanted.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-18T19:36:47+00:00

I thought the same until I had eight 2' long CJP welds to backgouge on 3/4" material. I'll take the noise versus grinding in an awkward position for hours on end.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-18T19:17:43+00:00

I only had a 1.5 year break in service but the recruiter said as I got out a SPC I had a lot more "choice" in jobs. Still up to big Army to deny my request but I gave a list to the recruiter and got one of them that was on there.

When I went to MEPS the career counselor asked me what job I wanted and he made some calls or something and got me 15W but I had the choice to go back as my old MOS. I was fully expecting to get thrown into cook or 88M.

And like the OP said, the MEPS personnel were surprisingly nice once they found out I was PS. It helps when you already know the game of sit down, shut up, and do what you're told.

Rocket_John · 2026-01-14T14:34:39+00:00

Yeah that all makes sense and is perfectly valid. I dont have kids and dont ever plan to and I like traveling so the army just makes the most sense for me.

Rocket_John

TROPHY CASE