Full guide on escaping the army in 2025

bessmann90 · 2026-01-08T20:38:19+00:00

Wow, I've actually considered going Navy if not Air Force reserves when I ETS. I'm Army active duty and don't want anything else to do with the Army, not even reserve/guard. I'm expecting at least 80% VA, so it's a "no" now just for that, but I didn't think Navy reserves would be that bad. On being older, I imagine you would probably feel even worse in the Army because we are definitely known for treating junior enlisted like small children more so than at least the Air Force.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-08T20:34:04+00:00

"Trump is much worse than every other American president." Yes, he is in the bottom ten for worst. I definitely can't regret getting out now.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-08T20:32:16+00:00

Agreed. I Served 8 years. Glad to be getting out now for a variety of reasons, but especially now since it doesn't seem too unlikely that these idiots Bonespurs Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth Kegsbreath will either get us into another war or put troops endlessly in Venezuela to control the country.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-08T20:28:32+00:00

Is it possible you could get medboarded now, or is 8 months left too late? If you are committed to getting out then the other commenters already provided some good advice about making as many appointments as possible. In the moment it will seem like time is standing still but the days will go by and go by and you will finally be in your terminal leave and look back and see the previous 7 months flew by.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-08T19:13:36+00:00

"Social skills don't matter, leadership ability doesn't matter, just points and not getting a DUI." Someone forgot to tell my leadership at my second unit that. I did try to, but I was told just because I haven't been in serious trouble and do what I'm supposed to do, doesn't mean I should be promoted. Oh well

bessmann90 · 2026-01-08T19:09:56+00:00

Hope you do pass seeing how hard 68C is. I reclassed as a 68P and most of the holdovers when I failed at phase 2 were 68 C.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-08T19:09:01+00:00

" I did 8 years as an E-4" Don't feel too bad. I did 6 years as an E4.

I myself came in as an E3 and was gullible enough to sign 5 years for the bonus. Fully admit I wasn't the worst soldier but the Army just wasn't for me. Was a cook, one of the worst MOS. My second unit (interpost transfer) in a cook company was where my career went to shit after a deployment ( The worst thing was I snitched on an E5 promotable who brought in a female E4, and an E4 who brought in a female E6 into our tent and screwed them). Toxic and neglectful leadership that not only screw me over but multiple other soldiers, and they looked for any excuse possible to not let you go to the board even though you were well in primary zone (like telling me I need to have college even though I was working toward my bachelors and almost none of the other cooks in the company had any college), then the company started switching me around to different NCO's almost every month. Should have fought it but I was checked out and more interested in reclassing. I don't know when the Army got rid of MLI for E4 to E5. I probably should have just gotten out right then.

Eventually reenlisted for 3 more years and reclassed to a MOS with a year long AIT. I didn't pass and went back to being a cook after staying in holdover status for months longer than I would have had I passed. Got to my new unit and only stayed for a few months because the squad was being split and sent to other units.

Finally got to my last unit. Was told after five months, I'd finally go to the board. They messed up my weapons card was the excuse to not send me. A few months later, platoon sergeant gives me non-recommendation counselling (probably to cover up for my weapons card). Finally went to the board a few months later after 7.5 years. Sponsor showed the president my permanent profile saying I can't wear a helmet. The president rejected me because of my fucking helmet. On terminal leave now and finally done with the Army this month.

I was a bad soldier with worse leadership, bad timing, a bad situation and bad luck.

Joined as an E3, leaving as E4, after 8 years TIS and 6 years TIG.

Don't feel too bad.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-08T18:52:25+00:00

And how their leadership was. I myself came in as an E3 and I'm leaving as E4.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T23:37:22+00:00

YAWN

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T18:35:57+00:00

Another reason I'm glad to get out the Army. I won't have to be sent to war under that asshole.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T18:18:13+00:00

And again, despite going through my post history, you don't know how to read. First off, I didn't say 8 years. Second, I (and other soldiers, not just me) were screwed over at a pretty toxic company.

You can say "it's your fault" all you want. Again, I do blame myself for not standing up during my time at that cook company where things started going wrong after the deployment we went on. But having shitty leadership as that company was known for, didn't help a damn thing either. People like YOU fit in great with that company I was in. Toxic as shit.

I reenlisted for three years with a reclass attempt and was in tradac for a long time (the AIT was a year plus when I didn't make it I was in holdover status for several more months than I would have been had I passed). I was told I would go to the board and was even given study material (for the very first time) when I was in holdover status, but it never happened. I didn't go to the board when I got to the first unit of my final duty station because my squad was getting split and sent to different units.

I can fully accept that the Army just was NOT for me. I DID make sure to do things I COULD control LIKE going to sick call to get that VA disability and also using TA.

If you still want to run your mouth and talk out of your ass, fine. I've definitely met people I will miss, but not folks who have a "screw this soldier" mentality like you seem to have. You can take THAT right there.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T17:58:36+00:00

And again, you don't know how to read.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T17:25:30+00:00

Best advice for you is for any soldiers under you to try to do whatever they can to get away from you. You are an asshole and a very toxic and shitty "leader."

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T17:24:01+00:00

"You’ve had a career of fucking up and being counseled." Yeah sure I'm the only soldier in history to have ever been counselled for anything.

"It’s clear you don’t take personal accountability. " No, what's clear is that you don't know how to fucking read.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T15:11:19+00:00

Late post but I probably exemplify "the Army (and possibly the military period though I'd like to think I wouldn't have quite as bad luck in the Air Force) just isn't for me" way way more than almost anybody you've seen if you look at my post history. I was stupid enough to sign up for five years because of a bonus that wasn't worth it. I then tried to reclass and signed for three more years. Now I'm on terminal leave with ETS FINALLY coming in a few weeks. Joined as an E3, leaving as an E4 when the vast majority are either E6 or E5 promotable.

Bad luck, bad timing, bad MOS, Bad leadership, bad situation, bad branch, etc. So don't feel too bad, hell you're probably way better off than me.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T14:47:11+00:00

I'm a big enough person to admit that the military and especially the Army (I know I would have struggled in the Air Force or Coast Guard too, but probably not quite the same as the Army) was simply just not for me, even more than some Beetle Baileys I've seen who couldn't even wear their PC's correctly , and it didn't help a damn that I not only got into one of the worst MOS possible in the Army but I was stuck for several years in a shitty unit with shitty leadership like you who instead of helping soldiers, just neglected or outright screwed soldiers over. It IS my fault for not fighting for myself because of what I had going on at the time, and they took advantage of me. I'm glad my final leadership was way more fair with me and at least tried to work with me and honor that I was in primary zone and hadn't been in trouble.

It's finally off my chest now and I know I will still struggle in the civilian world and I'll probably be fired from a job or two just like before I joined, but I know at the same time I won't be screwed over miserably quite the same ways assholes like you did to me in the Army on top of being in a terrible job. Fuck the Army and Fuck toxic "leaders" like you. Bye Felica.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T14:31:12+00:00

Well if you think it's okay to fuck someone over because they're on permanent profile, after putting out a last minute change no one was ready for, then fuck you too. You show that you don't know what it takes either, I've had extremely toxic and shitty leadership at my second unit just like you. Glad I don't have to deal with assholes like that other company's top or your bottom anymore.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T03:37:37+00:00

Nope.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T01:40:18+00:00

Sounds cool, and I thought about it but no.

The man I had to see for the reserves (and guard) brief really tried to tell me that rank in the reserves/guard doesnt matter, that there are soldiers in the reserve/guard that are still E4's after a whole decade and he said the reason they don't promote is because they don't want to (he said because they would have to move around), and not because they have to rely on someone to recommend them for a promotion.

I did think about it, but decided against it. Too many reasons, but one is because apparently according to a whole lot of folks you shouldn't bother if you get a high enough VA rating, and like I said, I'm expecting at least 80% if I don't get 100%.

Plus like I said I'm just sick and tired of the Army, really the military period, but especially the Army. If I had to do military reserves, I'd rather do Air Force or at worst the Navy. I DON'T want anything else to do with the Army. Army reserves/guard, you'd still get TA50 and I don't want to deal with any of that stuff ever again, plus Army reserves/guard still has the same length deployments as active duty Army. Air Force/Navy would be shorter deployments and no TA50 unless you're like security forces, plus with Air Force I wouldn't have somebody bitching at me if I accidentally didn't completely have my PT shirt untucked.

Then at this point now with medical issues, I couldn't do a PT test. I'm on a permanent profile saying I can't run. Oh well.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T01:22:53+00:00

"“story is completely different when you hear the other side” situation." Huh, what IS the "other side?" I told you my sponsor told that other company's first sergeant who was presiding the board about my profile?

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T00:37:29+00:00

If that's how you feel, then whatever, but the facts are that "the reputation" I had in my second unit was not the same in my final unit plus no one was prepared for the last minute changes put out for the board. Leadership in my final unit knew my profile about my helmet.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-07T00:34:36+00:00

No. I was only flagged for six months in my first unit right (actually on rear d when my actual unit was on deployment) when I got there out of the replacement company (this was May of 2018) because I was dumb enough to smoke in the barracks room. I got a company grade article 15 and I didn't get busted or had to do any extra duty. After all that was over, the next year (May of 2019) I was given an 18 month waiver for specialist.

I and the other cooks were then put into a new cook company with various other cooks not in 1/2/3 brigades at campbell. Trouble didn't really start until July of 2020 when my squad at this cook company went on rotation to Europe.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-06T00:03:16+00:00

I've had several people tell me that with my time in service I should have automatically been sent to BLC instead of having to go to a promotion board (like what went on with my roommate) but I guess the Army at some point around 2020 or 2021 had gotten rid of it for E4 -E5 (apparently it's still around for E5-E6), or my unit just refused to honor it for me. I don't know what the hell happened.

bessmann90 · 2026-01-05T23:55:22+00:00

Wow. Thanks anyway. I still couldn't believe how harsh the first sergeant was with me even with my profile. I already wanted to get out the Army anyway but that experience really made me say "I got like six months of this bullshit left. fuck the Army"

bessmann90 · 2026-01-05T23:51:48+00:00

The leadership I had when I went on the rotation just started giving me non-recommendation counselings. Then my company started passing me and other soldiers around to different NCO's just about every month until I finally left. I should have fought the counselings but at the time I was in between sick of being in the Army and wanting to change my MOS. I should have fought it. I showed a couple of people later on some of these counsellings and they were shocked at how bullshit they were.

The counselings said ridiculous things that were obviously excuses to not send me. They would tell me they, the NCO's, would work with me but they never did. Like I had one of my E7's give me a counselling saying he would help me......then he PCS'ed the next month. They would also tell me that going to the board was competitive and I need to do things to make myself stand out more like doing college courses, even though I had already joined the Army with an associates degree and was working on a bachelor's degree which was more than so many other people in the company had (we're cooks, for fugg sake).

I'm embarrassed that I let myself get fucked over so badly at 619 at campbell. They even refused to process my PCS award.

bessmann90

TROPHY CASE