Could I have some help from anyone with military experience please?

ananthan

my grand father is a military officer. he says he feels detached from the civilian world when you returned home on leave.

old fuzz

When I first returned home after Basic Training, the first thing I wanted to do was yell at my brother to shine his filthy shoes.

The "detachment" you speak of is short lived. As you get used to the regimented way of military life, you can find the civilian life style somewhat chaotic. But you start to realize the why of the different mindsets. You are now the sheep dog guarding the sheep instead being a sheep.

Duty, honor, country are now what is important to you. What is important to civilians is finding a high paying job that will allow them to buy toys and go play. You have moved well beyond that and, sometimes, you will find yourself impatient with self absorbed fools who simply can not understand why you would take on such responsibility and obligation; and, worse, do not appreciate your service at all.

As a warrior you are going to find that your best friends will be other warriors.

God bless you, serve well.

Gone Fishing

This is a very common phenomenon and can take as little as a few weeks. Most civilians have no idea what Service life is like so there is nobody to talk to about it who understands. So you can't wait to get back to your base where the people you now have most in common are.

It is rather sad that few civilian friends stay thecourse but there is no doubt that Service life is all embracing. You socialise with the people you work with, you live alongside them as well. Even when you retire your friends are usually those with whom you have served although it is perfectly possible to make new civilian friends then.

SAOIRSE

The difference is that your comrades in the army will be there for you unconditionally. in the army teamwork is what holds you together you come to rely on your friends and them of you. this bond does not exist outside. i had friends outside but they were not as close. When you eat sleep and soldier with mates you establish a bond that civilians just wouldn't understand some people may call it conditioning i call it true camaraderie. best of luck in your career.

You are experiencing the onset of an Institutionalised feeling. The Camp seems familiar anything out side of it is strange and uncomfortable. The Army provide everything for you and you start getting used to it. The novelty will wear off eventually and you will yearn to be back in civvy life with your friends but you will also make some great friends in the Army. The army friends are different from all others, these are people that you know will back you up in any given situation. Don't worry too much about it tho as things do balance out in the end. I wish you luck with your officer training, I wish you well. Lo xxx

Biff

I found basic training to be hard and very disciplined. However the modern army do not need puppets. The state of the art equiptment requires people who can think ahead and make decisions quickly both in the commisioned and none commisioned ranks.
Get your head down and get stuck in ..... You'll love it.
The friends you make will be there for you for life.
I hope you stick with it.
Remember our guys are fighting as you read this.
Ex Army Commando

Mike C

The simple answer is yes. Once back into the C world you realise that the comeraderie is non-existant, trivial things wind you up. And life seems dull. Your mind-set changes, as does your attitude to your friends from your teenage years. You'll also end up dispising egocentric "professionals" such as politicians, solicitors etc. Your approach to dealing with a problem is different to non-military people, so you need to keep that in mind when dealing with a major emergency. Many people don't appreciate how much the military do for you when you're in.
Join up, respect your seniors and other ranks, and above all, enjoy yourself. Good luck

rude boy

within 2 months you would have conform to military thinking.after 6 months you think as soldier.after 3years you are a soldier for life.you will never forget your army number.

Hello

It's a fine line that comes with more experience. It's appears to be a lot harder TODAY due to the public's perception of the Armed Forces based on the media deluge of what is happening in Iraq TODAY.. irrespective that AFGHANISTAN is the real source of this recent conflict Tony Blair committed UK Armed Forces to today.

Joe and Jane public are taking out thier frustrations on the Service Personnel, because they happen to be in the same pub together... or in Tescos... or wherever you just happen to be. Whereas the politicians are more inclined to be cocooned well away from Joe and Jane Public - for that very reason.

One only has to check out the home return of the Armed Forces from the Falklands to see the VAST difference in the public support for us today... it's truely shocking !!

Stick with it.

Listen to God when he's exercising his vocal chords on the Parade Square... he KNOWS what he's doing with, and to you to make you feel proud of YOURSELF, which in turn will make a LOT MORE people than you think also be proud of you.

Trust me.. I KNOW... ;-)

pimpy

Yes you Bloody civvies have no idea what its like for guys returrning from the sand pit when i got back i hated being i big groups of civvies (etc shopping centres) just because i know they nether knew or cared what the armed forces are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan

Bob the Boat

Hi Davey,
I appreciate your question, having done 15 years in the RAF many moons ago, rising to the dizzy heights of Squadron Leader. (Land based)
It was easy to fall into the comfortable arms of military life.
Everthing was looked after.
No domestic bills, no shopping for stuff, free transport to wherever. A warm comfortable place to live in etc.

For me, the transition back to civilian life was OK, in that I had bought a house and car, arranged a job as a consultant bod in the CCIS world, and now enjoy the gratuity & pension.

One bloke I know though was a tad less organised.
He was so used to just donning a uniform every day, he did not have a decent thing to wear upon leaving.
He also took to calling senior citizens Sir, and was lost in a shopping mall.

It is a fine thing that you are doing, and all praise, but do not let the "you" become dis-engaged with the facts of the "outside" world.

You could of course make the military your whole life of service, which is comfortable, but don't loose track of what is ouside the gate.

All the best
Bob

stewart 873

Once you have gone though the Military "Mill" you come out the other side a soldier (as long as you pass that is). The longer you stay in the more difficult it is to adapt back to civilian life and there way of thinking as you have been trained a lot of the time to react instantly to certain things and also to rely on you fellow soldiers which dose not happen in life outside and yes your life will change forever after the Army.

Joseph

well just want to express myself. After I got out of the marine corp I missed it because I had a lot of good friends and I was so use to the life style. I worked as a security guard and I was doing things the military way. When ever I had a Bose come by I report my post and did things as if I was still in. Even if I did not have to do it I did it because I was just so use to the life style

joe

Yes, one is imbibed into that environment,and it takes a while to settle down to civilian life that seems mundane.

Airborne82nd

I served in the 82nd Airborne for the US Army. I know exactly what you are talking about. When I first got out, it seemed that things I had thought important before I got in suddenly weren't. Even though while in the service I was looking forward to doing some things, after I got out I asked myself why I wanted to do them in the first place. I felt no satisfaction from being able to do some of those things I had longed to do for such a long time.

I have been out of the service for over five years now and I have found that it does get easier. Integration into civilian life may not happen overnight, but it does eventually happen. It just takes time to adjust.

one shot

You will find yourself becoming more detached as time goes by.

Mostly because those in civvy street have different values to those in the military.

Friends you now have will fade away as they will not appreciate what you are saying or the context in which it is said.

I did 15 years and found the above. My son has done 8 years so far and is in the same boat. He rarely visits those he knew pre-military as he considers they live on a different planet and hold values which are, to say the least, pathetic.

rotorhead

It took me about 3-4 years to fully decompress after coming of 9+ years of active duty as an officer and pilot in the USMC. I still hold and live by many of the traits I developed while on duty.

Honor, service, commitment, loyalty, integrity, honesty, courage, freedom, bravery.

You don't have to shelve these when you take off the uniform.

Cagen

ofcoz my man a civillian will not be as disciplined as well as you are were move more away civilisation than you can imagine but than you'll have to becarefull coz eithere you already have a partner or will find 1 in life and than you'l adjust again

chris h

Get a grip you lot, I did 25 years in the Royal Navy, it's a job, not like being a Nun. If you find your self getting institutionalised then you are in the wrong job, you might as well be in prison.

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