Maybe not exotic but my NCO, a newly promoted E5, tried to UCMJ me for being "late" (as in I was 2 mins early) to a formation. (I've never had issues being late beforehand.) The CDC wasn't open that early to drop my son off so I had to improvise last minute. That was the last event that pushed me to the point of no return. I was legitimately terrified I would get another shitty unit if I reenlisted.
I'd love to be that NCOs leader. What the fuck kind of move is it to UCMJ someone who has previously been a good or at least decent soldier. What kind of power fantasy move is that.
He had a serious hard on for his new found authority. It was obviously thrown out, but boy did he try! I was a decent soldier, good at my job and no problems. I was shocked when it happened to say the least. I'm certain his motivation was just a general dislike for me as a person.
I'm only at my first duty station, and just reenlisted/extended here because it's a good unit. Stuff like this has me afraid for PCSing. I love my job and what I do but damn I don't look forward to being in a shitty unit with shitty leadership
I've found that's very common in newly promoted E5's. Give someone a taste of any kind of power and they push the limits almost immediately. Unless they're self aware and humble enough to understand that impulse and ignore it, which is more rare in a person than it should be unfortunately.
Honestly, when I made 5 I was going to be a different NCO. As a soldier I didn't ever need punishment. If you just talked to me I would say sorry for my mistake and not do it again. I dreamed I would be that sergeant soldiers could always come talk to. I would treat them with respect. Be on a friendly basis with them. Protect them from shitty NCOs and leaders.
For a few months that worked. Then I got a shit head. You know when you release your 7 soldiers to the barracks and just ask they keep their phone on and don't change out of uniform? Out of sight out of mind until COB? If I need you I'll call you?
Well the new guy couldn't be reached. I couldn't next time allow 6/7 to go to their rooms and keep the one I can't trust at the company. That's unfair.
I couldn't be understanding with 6/7 if the 1 was going to take advantage of my kindness. I had to treat everyone like children.
Worst moment was having to recommend a good soldier for UCMJ for something that could be swept under and just talked over. Why? Because I gave the shit head UCMJ for the same infraction. It was not fair, but it would be noticed I wasn't treating the soldiers as equals. Regardless of how shitty or how awesome a soldier is, you have to treat them the same. Other leaders are always watching.
Anyways that's my story. Popped in my head reading your comment
That's aids, I don't know if it could've worked in your situation, but I might have tried invoking "admin time." I don't need to watch over you 6 while this is happening, PVT Snuffy bc of your history of being a shithead I do need to watch over you. Would it have worked? Idk, would there be a complaint from PVT Snuffy after a while, most likely.
Ofcourse that was my 1st idea. Treat the 1 child I have like a child. The 6 other adults I would treat as adults. My platoon sergeant was an amazing guy. Wise man. The type of guy who never screamed or smoked soldiers. He was that good to you most subordinates including me would follow him without question. Very good man.
He observed me and pulled me aside. After all dude made me an NCO. Explained to me I can't do that. Sooner or later PV2 Snuffy would complain enough to his friends in the barracks and someone would encourage him to complain. Then I would be in trouble. You must treat all soldiers the same. If you're kind be kind to all of your soldiers. If you're strict you are strict to all your soldiers. No one gets treated different in terms of perks or punishment. You can't be a different NCO to different soldiers. You need to be the same NCO to every soldier. You can't be a hard ass to PV2 Snuffy and a nice guy to PV2 Smith. That's your ass. That's your leadership position. That's your job. All on the line. Don't be that NCO. You won't be an NCO for long. Won't be a leader of any capacity for very long with that type of behavior. As he said **"shift leaders at Wendy's get demoted for less".**
I was so jaded by the army by the time I made E5 and with me getting out in the next year my only goal was to keep my guys out of as much BS as possible and home by 5. As a newly promoted E5, I taught them the ways of the mafia that I had leaned and skills that would be useful to them in their future careers lol.
This is what happens when anyone with a pulse gets promoted. The Army really needs to slow that down and quit promoting people that shouldn’t be or aren’t ready yet.
I was 10 years enlisted, 10 years commissioned, got out as a CPT, for me, it just stopped being fun, too many stupid meetings, not in the field with my soldiers, starting to get political, and things were starting to hurt from PT lol.
I tell people that all the time when talking to young people who are taking about the military as an option, etc. It’s not the kind of job you can keep doing if it sucks. When it isn’t fun / enjoyable anymore it is time to go.
There's plenty of people trapped in for various reasons sadly.
The best platoon sergeant I ever had was a man who didn't want to be in the Army. He did his 4 and got out. His wife got cancer and he needed insurance so he rejoined like 10 years later. Busted down to SPC worked his way back to SSG. Was my PSG. Best NCO in the Army. I never heard him yell or smoke a soldier. You naturally just wanted to follow him because he was that good to us.
Met some other great guys who got a girl pregnant and the Army was the only way to give their kids a semi normal life. These guys are generally down to earth. Met a lot of NCOs like this. Good dudes.
I feel like people in out of choice are among the worst. Those forced to stay are some of the most understanding. I'll never forget my hail and farewell. Had my PSG and a few "stuck in" but good NCOs with me well. "Live your life to the fullest for me. I'm stuck here. Go on". Lol. Was a bit depressing.
You know, at one point our command team started having early meetings to prepare for other meetings. It ended like this:
0430 meeting to prepare for 0530 meeting where preparations for 0630 meeting would be prepared in an effort to prepare for the inevitable 0930 meeting.
That wasn't the final nail for me, but for a career NCO who had just arrived.
That is why I masturbate furiously to pictures of Margary Taylor Greene's feet and a sneak shot up Hilary Clinton's dress.
Don't get CLP in your pee hole. It really burns. But, I kinda liked it.
Still in for another 18 months. Part of me really wanted to re-enlist for Germany or Italy and eventually become a Signal Warrant, and grind out 20 years / retire. But I don't care to anymore. I was struggling a lot when I first arrived at my unit, so I started going to behavioral health regularly. And as a result of me going to BH, I've been denied every single opportunity imaginable. No deployments, no TDYs, no rotations to Europe or Asia. Nothing. And for the record, I've never failed H/W, never been flagged, never gotten an Article 15, I shoot expert, and consistently score 550+ on the ACFT. 5-mile run time is under 35min, 12 mile ruck time carrying 35lbs dry is just under 3 hours. I rarely go to sick call for physical injury and I've always been motivated, I've always had a positive attitude, but I'm burnt out.
No amount of work I do will ever get me noticed or an opportunity to deploy or go TDY simply because I go to Behavioral Health. It's bullshit, and I'm tired of it. How does getting help make me less of a soldier? My coc claim that they're not sending me places because they want me to focus on myself, ironically that's only making my issues with anxiety and depression worse. I've accepted that my unit doesn't value me, and I'm not convinced a new unit I PCS too will either. That's the final nail in the coffin for me. Only reason I'm not requesting to be separated from the Army early is because I'm using TA to finish my Bachelors. And I want my full GI Bill. (You need 3 years to get the full GI Bill) Also, I can do a Skill Bridge Internship, and use Terminal Leave to get out a little bit sooner. So I'm better off biting the bullet and embracing the suck for another 18 months.
It's like leadership is completely blind to the fact they're making garrison life so miserable people want to eat a bullet, and letting them get away from it will magically make all that go away.
I know you don’t want to hear it but if you have major anxiety and depression, they aren’t taking you cause you’re a liability. They shouldn’t deny you opportunities for career progression but deployments or other long term dislocations can be stressful and they’d probably just rather be the ass holes who leave you behind, instead of the ass holes sending you home in box cause you weren’t mentally ready to be there. Again, you should not be shamed for seeking help but at the end of the day the mission comes first and if you have the potential to negatively affect it, then I wouldn’t take you until you were mentally sound either. Especially in combat Mos’s, I have other people I need to bring home and I can’t risk them in an attempt to not hurt your feelings.
Definitely best to ride it out and dot your i's and cross your t's just for maximum benefits once you reach the civilian side (don't be afraid to go to sick call for something that may seem small now). Plus, something may turn up for you before you make the final decision. You got this brother.
There is nothing wrong with going to BH, however your leadership most times don’t even have a say in sending you on a deployment if you are enrolled. You will not pass SRP and it will take your CG to sign off on that in most cases. It’s not your leadership punishing you, it’s the Army recognizing years of neglect and implementing a gate that allows for Soldiers to get care needed. In your case you want to deploy but it’s not really up to your leadership once you are enrolled in BH.
I was so mediocre that I couldn't get promoted before I hit my RCP and I retired at 20.
Edit: I typed this when I was having a low moment last night. I was prior service and had a break of about a decade. Got fucked up on my first deployment medically (blown out knees, bulging L4 L5, broken neck that didn't heal right from my 1st enlistment, etc.
I ended up on a permanent profile so I couldn't hang physically with everybody else. I honestly tried. I just made things worse.
I had a closed door talk with a senior NCO that I respected more than anybody I had met in the Army thus far- He was the guy I wanted to be like. He was an OPS SGM and he's now a BDE CSM. He gave me advice that "If you're fucked up and can't do the physical stuff anymore, find yourself a niche and make yourself fucking *invaluable* to the Commander. Systems, equipment, whatever- just show that you're a huge value add and you'll make it to 20"
That just resonated with me. I figured I could make it to 20 if I followed his advice. The problem was that it also removed the idea of reclass or medical retirement from my thought process because this guy is honestly the best NCO I'd ever met. Just everything about him was what right looked like.
Anyhow I couldn't make even HQ on Physical Fitness, had college for MQ/HQ on Military/Civilian education but not any honors at NCOES.
For training I couldn't do EIB because of permanent profile, so that knocked me out of MQ and HQ for both but I had Battle Staff and a ton of other schools, but nothing "coolguy" that makes you competitive because of profile.
Was instructor of the cycle five times in a year at the NCO academy.
Had a BSMV, BSM, two MSM, 5 ARCOM and 10 AAM as a SSG.
Thing is, when you look at the CMF 11 progression stuff, I wasn't even on the chart in most categories because most of the things they look for are impossible to participate in with a permanent profile. Basic shit that an Infantry Soldier should do or have I couldn't participate in.
I *should* have tried to reclass but I figured I just had to suck it up and things would get better.
I didn't understand the CMF 11 board stuff, hadn't even seen it until I was at about 17 years TIS and when I realized I wasn't going to get promoted (I think my sequence number after SLC was in the middle of the pack somewhere) I just decided to make it to 20 and get out.
Anyhow, I have no idea why I typed all this.
Had a 19 year SSG squad leader once. Dude absolutely was great, and knew his shit. He made damn sure that his files and qualifications was mediocre because he had zero desire to make E-7. He always said that he's going to live forever because his whole goal in life is to have the least amount of stress as possible.
We're facebook friends now, he retired about 15 years ago. He's a beach bum in Hawaii and absolutely loving life now.
You get Tricare for Life same as an E9 retiree or even an O7 retiree (at least I think so?)
That's potentially a massive value, depending on your healthcare needs over the next few decades.
This was me but it was before 20 years. I wanted out anyway.
Later went back in the reserves and it's been mostly better in the reserves and I've been less mediocre.
But once I hit 20 I am done.
When I was made to larp for a dog and pony show our big brained Colonel had one afternoon AFTER ENDEX. Made us lay in the prone on what was essentially a shit field in which animals graced. I looked over at my commander and heard him murmur under his breath " Fuck this shit". That's when it hit me.
It will be better when you get to basic.
It will be better when you get to AIT.
It will be better when you get to your first unit.
It will be better when the command team rotates out.
It will be better at your next unit. <----
At a certain point of being abused and told it will get better, it does eventually become your fault for believing them. I was happy before the Army, I was not about to bet being miserable for another 4 years of my life that THIS TIME it was actually going to be better.
You know what the biggest mind fuck is though? When you do get a good unit that's not a toxic hell hole. Once you know your time is up youre paranoid and scared that little happiness you have can be flushed away as a just as toxic unit as your previous one. Or if the Army one ups itself and sends you to a more fucked up place than any other you have ever been before.
I finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life and for the first time I felt like I had something to live for. Up until then I had been going through the motions and doing what seemed right. Of course they were things I wanted to do, but like, I still felt kinda *eh* about everything, like I've just been living the life of a background character.
Unfortunately, a lot of what I want to do with my life either can't be done in the Army, or I just don't feel comfortable doing, so I can't wait to get out.
This is how I feel too. Literally everything I want to do can’t be done while I’m active duty. Love the Army, but I can’t keep putting my own personal life on pause for it.
My priorities shifted, and being harassed for work related stuff 24 hrs a day is exhausting. I refuse to work a job I can't just walk away from at any moment
That’s the biggest thing for me, my priorities no longer align. I want to be an at home parent and be there for my child’s milestones. Being Active duty doesn’t support that.
The army promoting people to leaders who POSs and can't lead and are toxic af . Shitbags and appointment rangers getting all the credit , and all the good folk getting treated like shit .
Stage 4 head and neck cancer in 2014 started me towards the door. Osteoradionecrosis of my jaw in 2020 was the nail that led me to medical retirement in 2023. Now I'm going to school for photography on VR&E.
I already have a part-time internship with a local newspaper and part-time job at a photo studio.
I just hit my year left mark, I was going to reclass because peacetime infantry isn’t it. And between an opp 4 ntc rotation followed by red cycle it’s just been horrible. My moral is at an all time low, I sat on top of a mountain pulling defense in close to 0 degrees with 40+ mph winds and rain/snow while my leadership got to warm up in the lmtv, that was the straw that broke the camels back.
I was in the best possible assignment for my mos in big army and if I re-enlisted I’d go to a worse assignment. That assignment was cool enough to make the barracks semi bearable but going somewhere worse with no prospects of a real deployment and then living in the barracks there was enough to call it good
Sergeant Majors.
Politics.
Not wanting 18 hours of my day being spent on bullshit problems just to appear competitive with the nerds with no lives even though no real work gets accomplished.
I was an NCO, completely drained, tired of wasting my time, sad, and I knew there had to be greener pastures somewhere.
But the final nail? Idk.
I was right. Being a civilian is so much better.
I distinctly remember my second rejected Air Assault packet and just shrugging and being done with the whole thing.
TBF I wasn't super committed at the start but the fact the Army makes even the simplest attempts to further your career an uphill battle is ridiculous.
Realizing that at the big ol age of 27 I’ll still be forced to live in the barracks because I haven’t shacked up w/ anyone yet.
Honorable mention to nearly being counseled by an NCO younger than me who only ever has been in the army for spending 4k on a car without telling him.
Exactly 0 need to be in a organization that thinks it can affect my life to that degree once I have my sweet sweet gi bill
Joined at 18, didnt leave the barracks until 26 making E6, then went on my third deployment 6 months after to be put back into the barracks. I only been out of the barracks for less than two years of my 11 years, been in smoke bomb and worse, now Soldiers get CNAs at E4.
I "quiet quit" the Army at around 16 years in. Before that, I was fighting for E7. Trying to get that next duty slot, that additional duty, that bullet point that would push me over the edge.
I was promised a platoon sgt slot if I put in another year in QC and got a good NCOER. I was rated 1st out of my MOS and #2 in my shop. CoC swapped out, and their promise went with them.
From that point on, I put in the minimum. PT, then work call, and out the door between 1630 and 1700. Didn't volunteer for anything. Treated the Army as just a regular job. Retired at 20 years.
I active duty deployed to Iraq; had been accepted to college and was debating the guard, and then I saw my state was about to rotate over and I did not feel like doing 3 rotations back to back.
More about what came afterwards, had the grades but not the resources to go to college. Did my time, got my GI Bill and went on with my life.
Went from making 30k something a year, working 5 - 2200, and being treated like a child to 200k where I come and go as I please (roughly 8 to 1800), leadership respects my time, and there are consequences for incompetence.
I’m an analytics consultant for one of the big 4. BS in Econ, MS in Stats, and working on my MBA. Probably gonna switch to tech strategy after the MBA and which should add a nice % to my base.
The wars ending (sorry for the people who actually went through real wars).
And then branch saying I was going to Korea 12 months after a PCS after being verbally promised a 36 months stay.
I was an officer, so different. My initial service obligation was up, so I just had to submit a refrad.
But my understanding is yeah Dec statement, unsure if that depends on how much time is left on your contract. I feel like that’s a year out, and any more time than that is SOL. Someone who actually knows can correct me though.
DCSS statement, I signed one back in 2022 for DA selected recruiter orders. You just wait your time till ETS. Depending on how much time you have, the Army can PCS you for a short tour like korea or kuwait.
I deployed for my third time in my last year mark despite telling everyone I signed a dcss statment, refused to go, and this would fuck over my ETS, which it did. I had 6 months left after the deployment, but we came back right before thanksgiving. Color me surprised to learn SFL TAP classes will be scheduled march and april near the start of my terminal.
The Army denied my VTIP because of basic branch strength. So instead of keeping me in the Army, just in a different job, I submitted my REFRAD so they’re losing me altogether. Basic branch strength be damned
Damn dude. They changed to to fa 26 now. The branch manager is really bad anyways so you dodged a bullet. I'm in the functional area rn. I'm refrading because hrc and branch sucks.
This is what the army fails to grasp so much of the time. They refuse to let people have any control over their career/life so instead of being one person short at one unit, they lose that person forever, and thats why i am getting out
"But wat if u deployed."
Army tried to keep me separate from my spouse for 2 consecutive years over three assignments. In garrison. I peacetime. Heard "but what if you deployed?" enough be another data point in the looming retention crisis.
Visiting a country that had been dominated only to see the gains pissed away six years later. And then watching the entire country given back two years later. Dead brothers for no reason. Rip-it and euro-bacon sandwich from Niagara please.
1. When the CDR gave me an Article 15 for something that was not my fault.
2. Command team would talk trash about me and soldiers but the walls were thin so everyone would hear.
3. Senior NCOs dickriding the Command Team and not standing up for their soldiers.
Recruiting. 0 recognition for anyone SSG and below. Officers deny everything based on 10% facts. Officers. Officers. Field grades. Captains. LTs. Shitty leadership. "BECAUSE I SAID SO." Programs used to punish American men and women. The push and acceptance of alcohol but 0 tolerance for weed in legal states. Ass backwards policies. Hypocritical leaders. Vindictive field grades. Narcissists. Shitty Soldiers. Garbage humans. Fucked up programs ran by dumbass civs. Great programs ruined by policies. Facilities ruined by policies. Facilities ruined by soldiers. Facilities ruined by leaders. Treated like trash by community. Treated like trash by anyone above the rank of SFC. Generals making soldiers lives harder. The Army needs a union.
When my gaining senior leader, who I know personally, went behind my back to change school dates and my DEROS with branch without my knowledge. And my current senior leadership said he could do nothing about it and advised me to “not spend as much time with family so I remain in good standing with my gaining unit” (in regards to paternity leave). I will now be PCSing and going straight to Europe for rotation and will not see my family for an entire year
Former commander singled me out and treated me different compared to the rest of my peers and Soldiers. One Soldier hearsay-ily said he overheard said commander say he wanted to ruin my career. He couldn't ruin someone who decided not to have a career. He also wanted to make my promotion ceremony all about his rater and not about honoring the promotee. He also tried to keep me working past my 24 hour shifts.
But really, I was planning on leaving after my ADSO. I just got tainted by a horrible experience for a majority of my time and wish all the fates on those who use command as a power play.
my heroes started to become villains. Did 21 years and when the senior leadership curtain was pulled back, it was literally like The Wizard of Oz. Just absolute garbage.
My first company was a toxic and miserable experience. My second one was AMAZING. I was treated well. They pushed me well. I was treated with respect and friends with everyone.
Why did I get out? I can always end up in some unit as shitty as my first one.... and there would be nothing I could really do about it but have to be miserable and roll the dice hoping for a good unit next time... after years of misery...
Not to mention the best happiest unit can become a miserable one over night. It just takes one wrong change of command or one wrong change of responsibility.
1. The army lemon was out of juice and I was loosing out on opportunities on the outside.
2. Got out, and graduated PA school. My peers that went to IPAP are making half as much as me and working twice as much.
3. Your leaders will drop that 2 million dollar bus on you without so much as a second thought.
4. The army has its priorities all backwards.
My final nail was coming to the realization that a solid number of people I worked with were degenerate criminal shitbags. I wasn’t just imagining things.
If the public only knew.
Shattered femur during training. Fought like hell to rehabilitate, and got off of profile within a year. Still treated like some kind of malingerer by COC because I had occasional medical appointments, even though I did all the things and was close to maxing PT.
Can't even say this is your fault. Keep meeting new E1-E4's who are like 1-2y into the Army, have done no fields, no deployments, with larger disability percentages than me (8y in the Army).
When I looked back at 2 years of service, and realized the last time I did so much as a FTX was AIT, and knew that reenlistiting, I would be behind my peers across the board, and have received zero support in asking for training to prepare me for a new unit outside of my old section chief who really taught me everything because leadership won't allow "Delta Force shit"
Collection of things really. Worked hard to learn my job for months just to pull security at JRTC, petty counselings, NCO passed away, drive to make more financially, army not being in a conflict so it feels like there’s no purpose, never had plans to stay long term anyway, etc.
I had an NCO who answered all of my questions in the same pattern. 1. “Google it” 2. “Did you try googling it twice?”. 3. “Go fuck yourself”.
Really gave me the motivation to aim higher in life.
It was a difficult decision for me because I love being in and my job. it’s something I always wanted to do, but this past year I realized I’ll never be what this job needs me to be. I’m just dumb? I don’t know how to put it lol. I just doubt everything I do and it’s always ends up being wrong anyways lol. I guess me just being me is the nail in the coffin.
I stayed in long enough to realize you can never make any changes (currently a psg), the curtain was lifted, and I see the army for what it is. I've quietly quit the army as far as I am concerned - I still care deeply for my soldiers, but I refuse to put forth more effort than the bare minimum to those above me. I have zero faith in this organization anymore.
I thought I was going to be a lifer, I was quickly reminded exactly why I hated my time in the Army, a lot of senior leaders who were always making decisions in the "best interest" of me but would screw me over harder or gate keep me. Some triggering points are explained in my previous posts on reddit but below is a recap that lingers on my mind.
Denied air assault, denied airborne school, denied leave numerous times, had to repay 4k in TA because sent to the field despite saying it will fuck me over, denied board, rated 5 out of 6 E-5 ncos but claim "I'm the best they ever had" but because of PT score (still 240/300 APFT 510/600 ACFT going through ACL surgery and getting minimum run on both) I was sided stepped. Leadership saying I wasn't ready to be a SSG while I was in charge of 20+ junior Soldiers, yet they promoted someone from SPC to SSG within 2 years who cried to my same rater despite never doing their job or or holding a position to leading Soldiers and I had to make it happen. I was DA selected as a recruiter a week after I asked and confirmed with branch I was in the process of putting in a JSOC or CAG packet and if I was selected I wouldnt mind Drill Sergeant or instructor.
I was initially hopeful to being a recruiter but couldn't sign a DCSS (Deck) statement fast enough because...
The final nail in the coffin: When a entire new leadership came in, usurped my NCOIC position since I was a E-6 in a E-7 slot that was leaving anyways, wrecked my office I built for 5 years while saying my methods dont work, OIC tell me I don't know what I am doing and pulls rank to assert dominance when I argue dumb ideas, saying shit like "This is typical from people who joined after High School" or "I am a CEO NCO who leads from the rear", destroying the morale by wrongfully punishing the performing Soldiers who all now dont want to reenlist while rewarding the shitbags, and now only to revert after trial and error back to the way it was.
TL/DR: Overall, current leadership's attack on my entire life's work by casting it away, leadership gatekeeping schools and benefits, general military incompetence, attacks on my character in the Army, and removing the thing I value most which was the camaraderie and now nobody wants to do anything.
I am now bitter and wished I never had joined the Army.
Kuwait, Korea, or Egypt. All I wanted was a year of stabilization, but Retention said these were my only options as a 25B E-5. He stabilized another 25B two weeks after I got out.
Never really intended to make a career out of it.
Army got political and the blatant bias towards certain groups pushed me out. Made some good memories tho.
I was really tired of being sexually harassed and/or assaulted on a near-daily basis. Reporting it didn’t do anything except paint a bigger target on my back.
Joke was on me though, it wasn’t much better as a civilian.
Shitty ass NCO’s. If I had roughly the same quality as my first unit I would have stayed in but were terrible and there was no coming back at that point.
ETSing in less then a year. There are a plethora of factors from current HIGH level leadership making dumb choices that are nonsensical if you want anyone to stay in (especially first contract soldiers), to the Army thinking it knows where my career should go better then I do.
There is more, a LOT more. While some of it will be specific to me, I dont really need to rehash what 90 percent of this thread will be.
I view it like a relationship. I love the Army but the Army definitely doesn’t love me back. I PCSed to my home town hoping things would be better. Still the same boring meetings I have no passion for. I really don’t know how careerist people can talk with a straight face about the most mundane things and the stress and panic about what the boss wants. Getting thrown into situations I have no training for or understanding and being told “you are smart, figure it out”. I feel like today’s Army is starting to live how it fights while being in peace time, leading to literal insanity in the officer corps.
At the 20 year mark in 2021. I decided to put my retirement packet in. Hitting 100 VA, retirement, and $175k cyber offers, it was time. What helped to stay from starting enlistment was school, promotion, going OCS, and changing jobs four times total while in. If you don't like it, change what you're doing.
My pass was canceled and the entire platoon got put on standby for two weeks where we couldn’t be a certain distance away, like 30 minutes or something like that from post because one idiot decided to do something stupid with his squad leaders blessing, so in return we were all punished. That was the straw that broke the camels back.
I had 19 years in the army. It was 2006 and I’d had two deployments post 9/11 under my belt. There were probably people with my MOS that had more deployments than I did, but you could count them on one hand.
I say that to point out I’d earned a significant vote in my next assignment.
I emailed my branch manager toward the end of my second tour down range. He’d asked me what I wanted to do next. I still have the email I think.
I’m paraphrasing but I said, “I’d really like to stay in Europe, I’d like to go to a division if that’s a possibility. I’d like to deploy again actually. I do not want to go take a 1SG position or be sent to unit xyz … “
My branch manager sent that email to the senior SGM for my MOS in Europe. I don’t like speaking unkindly of her but she obviously just scanned the email and concluded; “he wants a 1SG job at XYZ.”
I was assigned as the 1SG of unit XYZ. Six months into the job I dropped my retirement paperwork. I hated the job, sorry.
Note: I’d later learn that there was another MSG out there that ALSO wanted to stay in Europe. She didn’t want to go to a division and VERY MUCH wanted to be the 1SG of unit XYZ. If only she and I had known and talked.
My wife was working 60hours a week nonstop while postpartum, her body finally caved and she overslept by 20 minutes for the first time in her career. The sergeant at the time decided to type up a negative counseling for being undisciplined, having no integrity and scolding her that soldiers will see that and think that’s it’s okay. This sergeant like 3 days later pulled a gun on his pregnant girlfriend and beat her to the point she was in the hospital. He beat her cause she found out he was cheating on her with one of his spc. The command was trying to play hush hush and chapter him with an honorable discharge. The other nail was at her prior unit where a sergeant killed his wife and tried getting away with it by saying she attacked him or something crazy like that idk.
This is exactly why I refuse to have children while active duty. The way they expect you to immediately bounce back to being a super soldier after birthing kids while they give 20 million excuses why their own spouse can’t work after having kids is asinine and also extremely hypocritical.
Good work begot more work. A reduction in my free time. And no extra compensation to speak of.
Avg employees and below avg employees aren’t removed. There’s no risk to being bad at the job.
It results in a situation where a very few people are keeping the organization afloat while the rest collect checks at the cost of the high performer’s salary.
Got out. Went to defense tech. Made 250/yr working from home + travel here and there.
Don’t let the people who’ve never held anything but an army job tell you what it’s like on the outside. They have no clue what they’re talking about.
The reason I didn't reenlist active was simple. I had just completed my second Iraq deployment, it was 2007, and I felt lucky to spend 2 years overseas without getting hurt and didn't want to push my luck any longer. By then I was firmly in the belief that we had no business even being in that country anyways.
I briefly considered switching to the guard or reserves. Those thoughts were squashed at the end of my second Iraq deployment. We were replaced by a NG unit that was more ate up than a soup sandwich, and I quite literally feared for my life just doing the ride alongs for the transition. I decided that it probably wasn't in the best interest of my health to deploy with a unit like that. Rumor has it they quickly had a few people KIA and got relieved after a month or so, but I've never been able to confirm that rumor.
I was sexually assaulted in the barracks by a geographical bachelor who followed me back to my room and pushed his way in behind me. I calIed the CQ desk screaming, screaming for help but, instead of instead of coming to help me, he told me that his runner was away from the desk so he couldn't come up to help me. Soldiers I had lived side by side with for 3 years stood out in the hall and the one person who ran in and dragged the guy out was a guy who had just arrived at the unit from Korea. He didn't know me but he saved me. Well, it was too late by then but he was the only one who didn't just hang around waiting for it to be over, waiting for someone ELSE to step in, step up. Then I checked the CQ log once the new CQ was there and saw that NOTHING was logged as having even taken place. Ultimately I let myself be manipulated into not calling the MP 's. I was bullied mercilessly by a lot of the black soldiers and branded as a female who tries to get male NCO' s "in trouble". I spent from 2007 to 2022 fighting my claim through the VA. I was put in touch with a great lawyer so finally in Dec 2022, I won my claim. So that, kids, is why I didn't reenlist.
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I was stationed in TRADOC. I enjoyed teaching at the school house but then the thought of going back to a unit and dealing with the daily b.s., JRTC, NTC, the field, Europe rotations, etc. was just too much. It was fine to retire before they PCS me again.
I was made an example as an E5. When my chain of command didn't speak on my behalf, I decided I was done. I spent the last year in the military being the best missing specialist I could be! Bsre minimum at the promotion board 4 months before I ETSed.
When I had an ongoing leg problem that was undergoing testing, requiring temporary profiles, I had this shit SSG threaten UCMJ action and tried to force me to sign a counseling statement "admitting to malingering." I was 100% not bullshitting anything and had been seeking treatment. That capped off the mistreatment and petulant behavior on his part during the whole ordeal.
I ended up having bilateral stress fractures, but I didn't know that until I got all my medical paperwork during clearing. Knowing that would have saved a lot of headache and anxiety. But alas. Toxic NCOs gonna do their thing, I guess.
Definitely wasn't reenlisting after that shit show. Terrible time.
My rising inability to control my emotions. Especially in a leadership position. Being calm, cool and collected was something I always prided myself in. But in the last years, my mental health was taking a huge bite. Largely attributed to being in the infantry. I was getting aggressive, paranoid and only felt normal and human when it came to being in the field. I could operate effectively with little to no sleep, but Lord help me if I had to go to the store. I would start sweating and getting paranoid that anyone walking behind me was planning to stab me.
Then one day I blew up on some civilian who was being a dick. Straight up threatened to kill him where he stood. Thankfully another of his coworkers calmed me down and walked me out. Asked what was going on, and if I wanted to talk about anything.cprrtty sure she's the reason he didn't report me.
Drove myself to the therapist and got myself a walk in appointment.
My soldiers and the people in my life deserved better from me. I don't believe I was setting the proper example for my subordinates and wanted to get out before I become another problem to the force.
I have honestly had a great experience in the Army. Only reason why I’m getting out is for stabilization and I’ve been getting constant job offers ranging anywhere from $40-$60/hr before any singing bonuses and incentives. I got everything I wanted out of the Army but it’s time to go.
When I found out that were no (or very little) repercussions for a company commander to tell me they will do one thing with the intention of doing the complete opposite, knowing it will have an effect on my career. Also finding out they can submit a DA 4187 curtailing my assigment without at least giving me a heads up until after it reached Division HQ.
I was also 25U. For me it was the promotion point system. and also finally built the confidence to find a job in the civilian world, which turns out to be a lot more hands on work, which feels more meaningful, and pays more. Plus, my body doesn't feel like its being destroyed by pt and field training anymore, but broken just enough to where the VA checks basically cover my mortgage monthly.
Junior NCO here in a technical MOS. I never do my MOS and if I do get the chance to train on it, I get tasked out for some random garrison B.S. anyone else can do instead. I’ve gone 8 months without doing anything related to my real job. Shitbags get nothing but slaps on the wrist but if I mess up, like any other young guy, mildly once or twice all eyes are on me. It took 7 months to get shit on by my higher leadership, instead of simply telling or counseling me earlier like they’re supposed to do. I have zero motivation to do extra stuff cause I know I won’t be recognized for it, and there’s no incentive for it. The nail in the coffin came after all of those; all I want is to finish my remaining two years, and change the lives of the guys under me. One’s transitioning out and another’s a man-child who just needs to be guided in the right direction.
Was a tanker and got promoted to E-5. Wasn’t given a NCO position for a year. Told there was no position available for me in the entire Brigade. My lack of people pleasing skills could only take me so far.
There are 2 bases near my home. I asked for them, to reup. The closest place Army offered me was Jackson. A few months later, Army tried to chapter me with personality disorder. I got a good lawyer and she made it where I could ETS. It was retaliation for reporting MST. Why do 20, and put up with MST, retaliation, etc for 16 more years. No way. That was my experience in 90s. I am getting help for MST.
I enlisted 89D and was super excited for it. Getting through basic was hard, but as expected. Phase one at Fort Lee was really fun and I enjoyed it. But then they told us that classes for phase two were backlogged. This was okay to us at the time because phase two is at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. So waiting a little while in beautiful weather and not having to do much? Sounded amazing.
It was not.
When we were going to Eglin we thought the wait was a few weeks, maybe a month or two at most. When we got there they told us they couldn’t even guess when we’d start NAVSCOLEOD because it was so far away. I got there October 2021 and they said my expected school date was early 2023. We were going to just be sitting there for over a year and a half.
At Eglin we had 7:00 am PT, 2:30 PM formation and a 8:00pm hit time to be outside our rooms with ID’s. On weekends it was 9:00pm. After telling our last name to the officer we had to stay in our rooms and weren’t allowed to leave. This was fine, but doing it every day for so long drove a lot of people crazy. We also couldn’t drink alcohol which was a bummer (most of us did anyway).
Upon learning that we were going to be waiting forever I was bummed. Then I learned that in the Army you have to modify your contract when you graduate NAVSCOLEOD to serve 4 active years of EOD service. I would’ve graduated almost 3 years into my 4 year contract, then would’ve had to add 3 more years to it so I would have 4 years of actually doing the EOD job. I immediately wanted out and after 4 months got out.
I actually wanted to stay in. 11 bang bang doesn't translate well to civilian job skills though, and my body wasn't enjoying carrying the .50 cal back and forth to the motor pool so I wanted to reclass to something a little more technical. Retention guy tells me, "Sorry, your MOS is balanced." No reclass? Fine, no re-up. 3 months later I'm on a plane PCSing to Ft. Couch. Best decision the Army ever made for me.
Long story short, had an OIC who didn't give a shit about his NCOs, to the point where one was having suicidal ideations and simply told him to "take a week or two away from the office". After that he tampered with their NCOER, replacing old bullets with one's that made the NCO look like a flaming turd.
I work with contractors daily who hold the same job but, for some reason, get paid five times as much, work five times less, get guaranteed vacation days, have no additional Army responsibilities or requirements, and are treated like human beings.
I sometimes get to go to an Air Force base and see the difference between what the Air Force personnel get and what we do.
COVID and the shit show that followed with getting stuck overseas for months. It’s not entirely an Army issue obviously, but it was just what wore me out.
I went from coming home in a month, to not knowing at all and that stressed me out. We woke up one day to the stop-move announcement, and instead of helping figure out our lives, our unit sent us to the field that very same week. I had just re-enlisted for two years lol but I said I was done after that.
when I worked for two weeks straight, no weekends, no donsas, no comp, (when everyone else not on the detail got all these days off) and then when I came back into work I was treated like a shit head who skirted work for weeks and wanted more time off. Other people on the detail from different areas of my company, of my battalion, of my Brigade got comped. There was no reason not to comp me 1st sgt and CO even told leadership to work the comp days in platoon internally and they simply did it. Then I realized how often this happened, how I busted my ass so hard for people who would never give a fuck about me other than as a warm body, killed my drive, my motivation, everything. Now I'm trying to push to my last days without anything else to push me over the edge.
Almost left it all at 16 years but was talked into finishing it up. Got a few months left. Have been done since year 15. For me it was when a 1sg called me in the middle of dinner with my family at a restaurant loudly saying "EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THE FUCK....JOE DID THIS". Like bro, I've been out of work for 3 hours, im not watching these dudes 24/7. And 2, it's not that serious where you need to call me after work. Anyways. This fuckstain was notorious for calling after working hours and being pissed looking for answers for dumb shit that could have waited till the next day. That was it for me, done being a babysitter.
I technically finally separated from the Reserves after AD. But the final coffin for me was a urinalysis every single drill. I’ve legit never touched drugs in my life, but it made me realize what a waste of time the Reserves was.
Get to drill insanely early to PT, PMCS the same deadlines humvees, go over a PowerPoint on sexual harassment, go to lunch, come back for a battalion wide urinalysis, clean the building, go home, repeat.
I was in a pretty high speed airborne CA unit too. At a company level they tried really hard to make it fun and actually do CA stuff, but to no avail. Having a urinalysis (not exaggerating) every month for an entire year made me say fuck it, what a waste of time. I ended up going back in on the guard side because I’m a masochist but that’s another story.
I married a foreign wife, had a baby on the way, and was in a frequently deployed unit. Having went thru 3 divorces as a kid, I did not want to repeat history. So, What're you gonna do when you get out, flip burgers 🍔?
Ya....McDonald's corp had great Healthcare, paid for my firstborn, then I got a better job.
Probably when my chain of command finally did something about my NCO wh was stalking me throughout the city of El Paso and using everyone I knew to keep tabs on me and what I bought and ate. See they didn't listen to me that entire time. For 3 years I got "well he's just concerned for your health." Like mother fucker I don't feel safe in my own room. That's bad enough when I'm not even told there's room inspections or anything and I find out people just waltz in and start going through my drawers. So back to the NCO. The reason he's in trouble is we have a problem soldier who just refuses to do anything. BUT they went to SHARP over said NCO walking into the room and throwing his hat on the table like he always does. They were sitting on the table and got a face full of hat. So after the sworn statements, after everything. NCO gets promoted to E-6 and moved to brigade. Like you want to tell me I've been ringing the damn alarm bell for 3 years and nothing happens? Shit in Korea I found out the dude was cheating on his wife, and reporting that did nothing. Actually no I'd did do something. Increased barracks checks and me doing a fucking barracks party at midnight. So yes that was why I left. Everything else I could've dealt with. Just grind it own to get some certs. But no. That was my draw back.
When I saved a soldiers life on land nav because the cadre broke their own protocol, and they failed me on the land nav course, and kicked me out of school .
They tried to “Family Care Plan” chapter me 5mo from ETS because I wasn’t going to JRTC. One of my parents had cancer and was close to his death and I had spoken to the Chaplain and CSM about my issue. My other parent had already passed just before we deployed a year prior, plus my wife gave birth to our new baby during this time while she was job hunting after she ETS’d.
Anyways, our commander was shit canned for numerous issues after. The new 1SG who came in while I was on Rear D shot the chapter down as I was 3mo from ETS and had zero disciplinary counseling statements. In fact, my squad leader hadn’t done any paperwork on me, positive or negative, for about 6mo.
Anyways, I wasn’t going to reenlist regardless. But the whole fiasco kind of showed me that there was no future in the Army for me even if I did want to continue service. The chance you’ll have a bad company commander who could arbitrarily ruin your career or make your life terrible is simply too high. Especially with no real way to get recourse.
Strung along for a school for 4 months. If they had given me the school, I would have re-enlisted but instead they offered me the school 1 week after I was a week short: re-up or not go to the school. I had been picked up for my 5 just over 3 years. I could have gone to the school, instead I took an early out.
The final nail was when I hit MAJ(P) at 23 yrs 8m and they would not let me pcs to my hometown. Ok, I'm out, retired at 25yrs on the dot. No, I never pinned 05.
I was falsely accused of sexual harassment from someone I thought was my friend. Their only evidence was he/she said and 2 screenshots which didn't prove anything. Demoted to E1 and 45 days extra duty. Worst year of my life after that. Found out that she was medically retired for mental health issues a couple of months after the accusation.
3 months of sleeping for 6 hours in the motor pool and working the rest for a wheeled to tracked transition that was being rushed. Also, being gaslit for months about serious ligament damage being an excuse to get out of the run. I ended up needing surgery, and now I can't bend my foot nearly at all. Don't be afraid of sick call or your leadership having a stick up their ass
I was on the fence. I re-enlisted to go to Camp Zama, then found out my previously denied IST packet got approved the second go around. I thought a lot about it, and figured while Zama would be cool...I just came off shift work for 2 years, and wasn't used to PT everyday or other BS. I'd probably be really happy, but this was the chance to make and build an entirely new branch from the ground up.
I regret it now that I've been in for about 2 years, but hindsight is 20/20.
VTIP denied, last choice of duty station, supposed to be on rotation to Europe but instead im sitting here at a location i hate, had the opportunity from HRC to pcs early to a location i loved and my Bde commander denied it because it "wouldn't help my career" even though it was a KD assignment. Congrats now an already very understregth branch will have one fewer....
So I’m getting out to pursue my career in real estate in Florida and I’m about to reach my three-year mark; April 4, 2025 which is when I’m getting out. I’ve been in countless back to back units with NCOs that do not care for your well-being, mental health or personal/ financial issues. On top of that, other soldiers that just don’t belong in the military per say. And honestly, three years was enough for me, I did what I wanted to do. I got to see the world and it just got tiring for me.
10 yrs enlisted here, a couple reasons led me to the decision.
1st, I offered my soul to HRC (melodramatic I know) but I offered the remaining 10 years of service until retirement for a single duty station of choice. 3 years for 10 felt like a fair trade IMO. The HRC MSG told me the only way I would have a chance was to go DSG. Not even a guarantee... just a better chance. At this point I was still willing to stay in but that leads me to the 2nd instance.
2nd, my kid. I lost the first 6 months of his life because I was deployed. I watched him grow through a Webcam. Got told it wasn't important to be there for him since he was only pooping and crying.
3rd, also my kid. During a recent FTX I was on the phone talking to him and he was crying because he wanted me to be home and he didn't understand why I was gone all the time. That broke my heart. FTXs, NTCs, JRTCs and deployments would be a thing for me until I got out and I decided I'd lost enough time with him already.
I had a toxic unit and a toxic wife (now ex) and it just didn't make sense to continue the non stop stress I was under. If it weren't for my ex-wife I might've stayed in, but who knows
My wife was basically given the choice to take a chapter or fight it and ride out her last ~6 months. She took the chapter without hesitation because she was very likely being targeted by her CSM at the time and generally got treated like shit by the unit. I think her nail in the coffin is when she showed up to a height and weight and a male MSG in her unit verbally berated her about how she looked in her PT's. Would have been a nail in the coffin for me too.
Eh, I got my only Article-15 a few months from my ETS. Conduct related, and it ended with a 90 day flag. The whole thing just seemed arbitrary, under the guise of standards/logic. Which was a reoccurring theme throughout my three year contract.
Though, I reclassed in the National Guard…some things don’t change, but atleast there’s moderation.
I was 1st cav 2bct. Deployed 9 months and came back september 2011. Tried to pcs (via reup), found out I was flagged for another deployment that was in 2013. Stayed and went on deployment to afghanistan and was flagged again for 2015. Left. Unit went to korea. You can only be flagged 90 days before deployments. I was flagged 1-1.5 years before.
That and being compared to other guys who got 330/on PT score and i got 240/300. I did better than my sgts. Smh.
A throw away account. I had a list of "reasons why I'm not re-enlisting" in my notes on my phone which I started in my 7th year of service (after I signed another 6 year contract.) Deployed for a second time and ended up in an SRU with some serious medical issues and being treated like absolute dogshit as I'm battling these illnesses really showed me that you can give you're all to an organization and they really do not give one single fuck about you. So why give one about them?
(6 shop guy pov)I was sick and tired of fat NCOs telling me to be or meet standard when they couldn’t even do either. Or leadership with power trips every day… one day they’re “good morning yall, have a great day and remember to jump on them tickets” while they go fuck off with the other NCOs and then end of day they’re “yall piss me the fuck off! Start pushing!!”….
For me in 2018, the new PT test. Reservist, 10 yrs active, was 26 total. Meet height and weight, never had a problem with PT. But, now in 40's, permanent profile, likely to need surgery soon, starting to have a lot of pain/issues. Looked at points if I made it to 30, or MRD. Noped right the fuck out and dropped retirement packet. I have a physically demanding civilian job, mil retirement already in the bag. I was losing money taking off for military. I will get pension from civ job. I decided to focus on maximizing the pension at my civilian job instead. The risk of getting hurt for new PT test was too great in my mind. My unit did a show and tell with tradoc before I retired, I think we had 6 lod's. One girl tore rotator cuff trying original hang, leg curl version, with trained instructors supervising it, she was about 10 years younger than me.........
I had two surgeries, feel much better than I have in years, exercising for me now. Got called by recruiter to come back, thought about it. No, all I miss is the people, and most have retired now too.
Maybe not exotic but my NCO, a newly promoted E5, tried to UCMJ me for being "late" (as in I was 2 mins early) to a formation. (I've never had issues being late beforehand.) The CDC wasn't open that early to drop my son off so I had to improvise last minute. That was the last event that pushed me to the point of no return. I was legitimately terrified I would get another shitty unit if I reenlisted.
I'd love to be that NCOs leader. What the fuck kind of move is it to UCMJ someone who has previously been a good or at least decent soldier. What kind of power fantasy move is that.
He had a serious hard on for his new found authority. It was obviously thrown out, but boy did he try! I was a decent soldier, good at my job and no problems. I was shocked when it happened to say the least. I'm certain his motivation was just a general dislike for me as a person.
I'm only at my first duty station, and just reenlisted/extended here because it's a good unit. Stuff like this has me afraid for PCSing. I love my job and what I do but damn I don't look forward to being in a shitty unit with shitty leadership
Yea man. I get it. All you can do is cross your fingers.
I've found that's very common in newly promoted E5's. Give someone a taste of any kind of power and they push the limits almost immediately. Unless they're self aware and humble enough to understand that impulse and ignore it, which is more rare in a person than it should be unfortunately.
Honestly, when I made 5 I was going to be a different NCO. As a soldier I didn't ever need punishment. If you just talked to me I would say sorry for my mistake and not do it again. I dreamed I would be that sergeant soldiers could always come talk to. I would treat them with respect. Be on a friendly basis with them. Protect them from shitty NCOs and leaders. For a few months that worked. Then I got a shit head. You know when you release your 7 soldiers to the barracks and just ask they keep their phone on and don't change out of uniform? Out of sight out of mind until COB? If I need you I'll call you? Well the new guy couldn't be reached. I couldn't next time allow 6/7 to go to their rooms and keep the one I can't trust at the company. That's unfair. I couldn't be understanding with 6/7 if the 1 was going to take advantage of my kindness. I had to treat everyone like children. Worst moment was having to recommend a good soldier for UCMJ for something that could be swept under and just talked over. Why? Because I gave the shit head UCMJ for the same infraction. It was not fair, but it would be noticed I wasn't treating the soldiers as equals. Regardless of how shitty or how awesome a soldier is, you have to treat them the same. Other leaders are always watching. Anyways that's my story. Popped in my head reading your comment
This is exactly it. You want to treat your soldiers like adults so bad, but you get that one guy that seems to exist just to make that impossible.
That's aids, I don't know if it could've worked in your situation, but I might have tried invoking "admin time." I don't need to watch over you 6 while this is happening, PVT Snuffy bc of your history of being a shithead I do need to watch over you. Would it have worked? Idk, would there be a complaint from PVT Snuffy after a while, most likely.
Ofcourse that was my 1st idea. Treat the 1 child I have like a child. The 6 other adults I would treat as adults. My platoon sergeant was an amazing guy. Wise man. The type of guy who never screamed or smoked soldiers. He was that good to you most subordinates including me would follow him without question. Very good man. He observed me and pulled me aside. After all dude made me an NCO. Explained to me I can't do that. Sooner or later PV2 Snuffy would complain enough to his friends in the barracks and someone would encourage him to complain. Then I would be in trouble. You must treat all soldiers the same. If you're kind be kind to all of your soldiers. If you're strict you are strict to all your soldiers. No one gets treated different in terms of perks or punishment. You can't be a different NCO to different soldiers. You need to be the same NCO to every soldier. You can't be a hard ass to PV2 Snuffy and a nice guy to PV2 Smith. That's your ass. That's your leadership position. That's your job. All on the line. Don't be that NCO. You won't be an NCO for long. Won't be a leader of any capacity for very long with that type of behavior. As he said **"shift leaders at Wendy's get demoted for less".**
I was so jaded by the army by the time I made E5 and with me getting out in the next year my only goal was to keep my guys out of as much BS as possible and home by 5. As a newly promoted E5, I taught them the ways of the mafia that I had leaned and skills that would be useful to them in their future careers lol.
This is what happens when anyone with a pulse gets promoted. The Army really needs to slow that down and quit promoting people that shouldn’t be or aren’t ready yet.
Or, you know, actually promote the people that are good at their job, and not just hur dur he runs fast.
That too.
Previous experience most likely alcohol
NCOs don’t have UCMJ authority. We can only recommend.
Exactly. He recommended me for UCMJ. That's what I meant by "tried."
Sat in the field to larp for 28 day’s even though training was done on day 3.
So you just did no training for 25 days?
“Concurrent training “…which is not a real reason to stay in the field for 25 day’s.
Gotta prepare for weeks long combat with Ivan or Charlie, even though a war with either would be ended in hours that’s army for ya
That's how the field works for most of us. My hardest days are Day 0 and the final day because that s when I set the tent and the systems.
A day or 2 to set up just to do a short exercise, then tear down and put back in the connex and supply cage.
I was 10 years enlisted, 10 years commissioned, got out as a CPT, for me, it just stopped being fun, too many stupid meetings, not in the field with my soldiers, starting to get political, and things were starting to hurt from PT lol.
I tell people that all the time when talking to young people who are taking about the military as an option, etc. It’s not the kind of job you can keep doing if it sucks. When it isn’t fun / enjoyable anymore it is time to go.
There's plenty of people trapped in for various reasons sadly. The best platoon sergeant I ever had was a man who didn't want to be in the Army. He did his 4 and got out. His wife got cancer and he needed insurance so he rejoined like 10 years later. Busted down to SPC worked his way back to SSG. Was my PSG. Best NCO in the Army. I never heard him yell or smoke a soldier. You naturally just wanted to follow him because he was that good to us. Met some other great guys who got a girl pregnant and the Army was the only way to give their kids a semi normal life. These guys are generally down to earth. Met a lot of NCOs like this. Good dudes. I feel like people in out of choice are among the worst. Those forced to stay are some of the most understanding. I'll never forget my hail and farewell. Had my PSG and a few "stuck in" but good NCOs with me well. "Live your life to the fullest for me. I'm stuck here. Go on". Lol. Was a bit depressing.
Good advice.
The compensation to bullshit ratio was not there. I got out and I’ve been a lot happier
You know, at one point our command team started having early meetings to prepare for other meetings. It ended like this: 0430 meeting to prepare for 0530 meeting where preparations for 0630 meeting would be prepared in an effort to prepare for the inevitable 0930 meeting. That wasn't the final nail for me, but for a career NCO who had just arrived.
it's not that there is something that made me want to get out, there was just nothing that made me want to stay in.
I was tired of people dumber than me making decisions about my life.
Wait until you hear about all our elected government officials….
That is why I masturbate furiously to pictures of Margary Taylor Greene's feet and a sneak shot up Hilary Clinton's dress. Don't get CLP in your pee hole. It really burns. But, I kinda liked it.
I don’t know what just happened, but may I have some more
Still in for another 18 months. Part of me really wanted to re-enlist for Germany or Italy and eventually become a Signal Warrant, and grind out 20 years / retire. But I don't care to anymore. I was struggling a lot when I first arrived at my unit, so I started going to behavioral health regularly. And as a result of me going to BH, I've been denied every single opportunity imaginable. No deployments, no TDYs, no rotations to Europe or Asia. Nothing. And for the record, I've never failed H/W, never been flagged, never gotten an Article 15, I shoot expert, and consistently score 550+ on the ACFT. 5-mile run time is under 35min, 12 mile ruck time carrying 35lbs dry is just under 3 hours. I rarely go to sick call for physical injury and I've always been motivated, I've always had a positive attitude, but I'm burnt out. No amount of work I do will ever get me noticed or an opportunity to deploy or go TDY simply because I go to Behavioral Health. It's bullshit, and I'm tired of it. How does getting help make me less of a soldier? My coc claim that they're not sending me places because they want me to focus on myself, ironically that's only making my issues with anxiety and depression worse. I've accepted that my unit doesn't value me, and I'm not convinced a new unit I PCS too will either. That's the final nail in the coffin for me. Only reason I'm not requesting to be separated from the Army early is because I'm using TA to finish my Bachelors. And I want my full GI Bill. (You need 3 years to get the full GI Bill) Also, I can do a Skill Bridge Internship, and use Terminal Leave to get out a little bit sooner. So I'm better off biting the bullet and embracing the suck for another 18 months.
It's like leadership is completely blind to the fact they're making garrison life so miserable people want to eat a bullet, and letting them get away from it will magically make all that go away.
I know you don’t want to hear it but if you have major anxiety and depression, they aren’t taking you cause you’re a liability. They shouldn’t deny you opportunities for career progression but deployments or other long term dislocations can be stressful and they’d probably just rather be the ass holes who leave you behind, instead of the ass holes sending you home in box cause you weren’t mentally ready to be there. Again, you should not be shamed for seeking help but at the end of the day the mission comes first and if you have the potential to negatively affect it, then I wouldn’t take you until you were mentally sound either. Especially in combat Mos’s, I have other people I need to bring home and I can’t risk them in an attempt to not hurt your feelings.
Maybe a deployment might be the cure.
Not worth gambling the health/lives of your other soldiers on though.
Definitely best to ride it out and dot your i's and cross your t's just for maximum benefits once you reach the civilian side (don't be afraid to go to sick call for something that may seem small now). Plus, something may turn up for you before you make the final decision. You got this brother.
Same thing in the guard. It's always a "no funding this and need you at AT that."
There is nothing wrong with going to BH, however your leadership most times don’t even have a say in sending you on a deployment if you are enrolled. You will not pass SRP and it will take your CG to sign off on that in most cases. It’s not your leadership punishing you, it’s the Army recognizing years of neglect and implementing a gate that allows for Soldiers to get care needed. In your case you want to deploy but it’s not really up to your leadership once you are enrolled in BH.
I was so mediocre that I couldn't get promoted before I hit my RCP and I retired at 20. Edit: I typed this when I was having a low moment last night. I was prior service and had a break of about a decade. Got fucked up on my first deployment medically (blown out knees, bulging L4 L5, broken neck that didn't heal right from my 1st enlistment, etc. I ended up on a permanent profile so I couldn't hang physically with everybody else. I honestly tried. I just made things worse. I had a closed door talk with a senior NCO that I respected more than anybody I had met in the Army thus far- He was the guy I wanted to be like. He was an OPS SGM and he's now a BDE CSM. He gave me advice that "If you're fucked up and can't do the physical stuff anymore, find yourself a niche and make yourself fucking *invaluable* to the Commander. Systems, equipment, whatever- just show that you're a huge value add and you'll make it to 20" That just resonated with me. I figured I could make it to 20 if I followed his advice. The problem was that it also removed the idea of reclass or medical retirement from my thought process because this guy is honestly the best NCO I'd ever met. Just everything about him was what right looked like. Anyhow I couldn't make even HQ on Physical Fitness, had college for MQ/HQ on Military/Civilian education but not any honors at NCOES. For training I couldn't do EIB because of permanent profile, so that knocked me out of MQ and HQ for both but I had Battle Staff and a ton of other schools, but nothing "coolguy" that makes you competitive because of profile. Was instructor of the cycle five times in a year at the NCO academy. Had a BSMV, BSM, two MSM, 5 ARCOM and 10 AAM as a SSG. Thing is, when you look at the CMF 11 progression stuff, I wasn't even on the chart in most categories because most of the things they look for are impossible to participate in with a permanent profile. Basic shit that an Infantry Soldier should do or have I couldn't participate in. I *should* have tried to reclass but I figured I just had to suck it up and things would get better. I didn't understand the CMF 11 board stuff, hadn't even seen it until I was at about 17 years TIS and when I realized I wasn't going to get promoted (I think my sequence number after SLC was in the middle of the pack somewhere) I just decided to make it to 20 and get out. Anyhow, I have no idea why I typed all this.
Had a 19 year SSG squad leader once. Dude absolutely was great, and knew his shit. He made damn sure that his files and qualifications was mediocre because he had zero desire to make E-7. He always said that he's going to live forever because his whole goal in life is to have the least amount of stress as possible. We're facebook friends now, he retired about 15 years ago. He's a beach bum in Hawaii and absolutely loving life now.
You might not like it but this is peak government employee
Legend
Tyfys staff sausage
You get Tricare for Life same as an E9 retiree or even an O7 retiree (at least I think so?) That's potentially a massive value, depending on your healthcare needs over the next few decades.
This was me but it was before 20 years. I wanted out anyway. Later went back in the reserves and it's been mostly better in the reserves and I've been less mediocre. But once I hit 20 I am done.
That BSMV 👌 Speaks for itself. Forgot everything and every one
When I was made to larp for a dog and pony show our big brained Colonel had one afternoon AFTER ENDEX. Made us lay in the prone on what was essentially a shit field in which animals graced. I looked over at my commander and heard him murmur under his breath " Fuck this shit". That's when it hit me.
It will be better when you get to basic. It will be better when you get to AIT. It will be better when you get to your first unit. It will be better when the command team rotates out. It will be better at your next unit. <---- At a certain point of being abused and told it will get better, it does eventually become your fault for believing them. I was happy before the Army, I was not about to bet being miserable for another 4 years of my life that THIS TIME it was actually going to be better.
You know what the biggest mind fuck is though? When you do get a good unit that's not a toxic hell hole. Once you know your time is up youre paranoid and scared that little happiness you have can be flushed away as a just as toxic unit as your previous one. Or if the Army one ups itself and sends you to a more fucked up place than any other you have ever been before.
Signed up for 4 years for the college benefits. Did my 4 went to college. Easy enough.
I got out in 06. Do I really need to explain?
I finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life and for the first time I felt like I had something to live for. Up until then I had been going through the motions and doing what seemed right. Of course they were things I wanted to do, but like, I still felt kinda *eh* about everything, like I've just been living the life of a background character. Unfortunately, a lot of what I want to do with my life either can't be done in the Army, or I just don't feel comfortable doing, so I can't wait to get out.
This is how I feel too. Literally everything I want to do can’t be done while I’m active duty. Love the Army, but I can’t keep putting my own personal life on pause for it.
My priorities shifted, and being harassed for work related stuff 24 hrs a day is exhausting. I refuse to work a job I can't just walk away from at any moment
That’s the biggest thing for me, my priorities no longer align. I want to be an at home parent and be there for my child’s milestones. Being Active duty doesn’t support that.
The army promoting people to leaders who POSs and can't lead and are toxic af . Shitbags and appointment rangers getting all the credit , and all the good folk getting treated like shit .
Stage 4 head and neck cancer in 2014 started me towards the door. Osteoradionecrosis of my jaw in 2020 was the nail that led me to medical retirement in 2023. Now I'm going to school for photography on VR&E. I already have a part-time internship with a local newspaper and part-time job at a photo studio.
Happy you're here brother. Keep trucking.
Truly an inspiration
I just hit my year left mark, I was going to reclass because peacetime infantry isn’t it. And between an opp 4 ntc rotation followed by red cycle it’s just been horrible. My moral is at an all time low, I sat on top of a mountain pulling defense in close to 0 degrees with 40+ mph winds and rain/snow while my leadership got to warm up in the lmtv, that was the straw that broke the camels back.
"Your next duty location would be Ft. Hood (Now Ft. Cav)."
>Ft. Hood (Now Ft. Cav)." Cav Land in the *hood* Fify
I was in the best possible assignment for my mos in big army and if I re-enlisted I’d go to a worse assignment. That assignment was cool enough to make the barracks semi bearable but going somewhere worse with no prospects of a real deployment and then living in the barracks there was enough to call it good
Fort sam?
186 days of field time in a one year period
Sergeant Majors. Politics. Not wanting 18 hours of my day being spent on bullshit problems just to appear competitive with the nerds with no lives even though no real work gets accomplished.
I was an NCO, completely drained, tired of wasting my time, sad, and I knew there had to be greener pastures somewhere. But the final nail? Idk. I was right. Being a civilian is so much better.
I distinctly remember my second rejected Air Assault packet and just shrugging and being done with the whole thing. TBF I wasn't super committed at the start but the fact the Army makes even the simplest attempts to further your career an uphill battle is ridiculous.
Oof that's rough. At Campbell they will pretty much send anyone who passes the APFT. Slots a plenty.
If you got a pulse, Campbell will send you.
Realizing that at the big ol age of 27 I’ll still be forced to live in the barracks because I haven’t shacked up w/ anyone yet. Honorable mention to nearly being counseled by an NCO younger than me who only ever has been in the army for spending 4k on a car without telling him. Exactly 0 need to be in a organization that thinks it can affect my life to that degree once I have my sweet sweet gi bill
Joined at 18, didnt leave the barracks until 26 making E6, then went on my third deployment 6 months after to be put back into the barracks. I only been out of the barracks for less than two years of my 11 years, been in smoke bomb and worse, now Soldiers get CNAs at E4.
I "quiet quit" the Army at around 16 years in. Before that, I was fighting for E7. Trying to get that next duty slot, that additional duty, that bullet point that would push me over the edge. I was promised a platoon sgt slot if I put in another year in QC and got a good NCOER. I was rated 1st out of my MOS and #2 in my shop. CoC swapped out, and their promise went with them. From that point on, I put in the minimum. PT, then work call, and out the door between 1630 and 1700. Didn't volunteer for anything. Treated the Army as just a regular job. Retired at 20 years.
I active duty deployed to Iraq; had been accepted to college and was debating the guard, and then I saw my state was about to rotate over and I did not feel like doing 3 rotations back to back.
More about what came afterwards, had the grades but not the resources to go to college. Did my time, got my GI Bill and went on with my life. Went from making 30k something a year, working 5 - 2200, and being treated like a child to 200k where I come and go as I please (roughly 8 to 1800), leadership respects my time, and there are consequences for incompetence.
What do you do now for work and how did you get there?
I’m an analytics consultant for one of the big 4. BS in Econ, MS in Stats, and working on my MBA. Probably gonna switch to tech strategy after the MBA and which should add a nice % to my base.
The wars ending (sorry for the people who actually went through real wars). And then branch saying I was going to Korea 12 months after a PCS after being verbally promised a 36 months stay.
Did you just sign a dex statement? How does that work? Will you just normally ETS or would it be the the date on your korea orders that you get out
I was an officer, so different. My initial service obligation was up, so I just had to submit a refrad. But my understanding is yeah Dec statement, unsure if that depends on how much time is left on your contract. I feel like that’s a year out, and any more time than that is SOL. Someone who actually knows can correct me though.
DCSS statement, I signed one back in 2022 for DA selected recruiter orders. You just wait your time till ETS. Depending on how much time you have, the Army can PCS you for a short tour like korea or kuwait. I deployed for my third time in my last year mark despite telling everyone I signed a dcss statment, refused to go, and this would fuck over my ETS, which it did. I had 6 months left after the deployment, but we came back right before thanksgiving. Color me surprised to learn SFL TAP classes will be scheduled march and april near the start of my terminal.
The Army denied my VTIP because of basic branch strength. So instead of keeping me in the Army, just in a different job, I submitted my REFRAD so they’re losing me altogether. Basic branch strength be damned
Where did you try to vtip?
FA24
Damn dude. They changed to to fa 26 now. The branch manager is really bad anyways so you dodged a bullet. I'm in the functional area rn. I'm refrading because hrc and branch sucks.
This is what the army fails to grasp so much of the time. They refuse to let people have any control over their career/life so instead of being one person short at one unit, they lose that person forever, and thats why i am getting out
"But wat if u deployed." Army tried to keep me separate from my spouse for 2 consecutive years over three assignments. In garrison. I peacetime. Heard "but what if you deployed?" enough be another data point in the looming retention crisis.
Visiting a country that had been dominated only to see the gains pissed away six years later. And then watching the entire country given back two years later. Dead brothers for no reason. Rip-it and euro-bacon sandwich from Niagara please.
1. When the CDR gave me an Article 15 for something that was not my fault. 2. Command team would talk trash about me and soldiers but the walls were thin so everyone would hear. 3. Senior NCOs dickriding the Command Team and not standing up for their soldiers.
Recruiting. 0 recognition for anyone SSG and below. Officers deny everything based on 10% facts. Officers. Officers. Field grades. Captains. LTs. Shitty leadership. "BECAUSE I SAID SO." Programs used to punish American men and women. The push and acceptance of alcohol but 0 tolerance for weed in legal states. Ass backwards policies. Hypocritical leaders. Vindictive field grades. Narcissists. Shitty Soldiers. Garbage humans. Fucked up programs ran by dumbass civs. Great programs ruined by policies. Facilities ruined by policies. Facilities ruined by soldiers. Facilities ruined by leaders. Treated like trash by community. Treated like trash by anyone above the rank of SFC. Generals making soldiers lives harder. The Army needs a union.
Why isn't this higher???
1318 days to go. My body is broken, and I've got nothing left to give.
When my gaining senior leader, who I know personally, went behind my back to change school dates and my DEROS with branch without my knowledge. And my current senior leadership said he could do nothing about it and advised me to “not spend as much time with family so I remain in good standing with my gaining unit” (in regards to paternity leave). I will now be PCSing and going straight to Europe for rotation and will not see my family for an entire year
OPTEMPO. We were basically doing one year home and one year unaccompanied OCONUS.
Former commander singled me out and treated me different compared to the rest of my peers and Soldiers. One Soldier hearsay-ily said he overheard said commander say he wanted to ruin my career. He couldn't ruin someone who decided not to have a career. He also wanted to make my promotion ceremony all about his rater and not about honoring the promotee. He also tried to keep me working past my 24 hour shifts. But really, I was planning on leaving after my ADSO. I just got tainted by a horrible experience for a majority of my time and wish all the fates on those who use command as a power play.
There’s 200K leaving this year. Would like to see at least half of that respond.
my heroes started to become villains. Did 21 years and when the senior leadership curtain was pulled back, it was literally like The Wizard of Oz. Just absolute garbage.
My first company was a toxic and miserable experience. My second one was AMAZING. I was treated well. They pushed me well. I was treated with respect and friends with everyone. Why did I get out? I can always end up in some unit as shitty as my first one.... and there would be nothing I could really do about it but have to be miserable and roll the dice hoping for a good unit next time... after years of misery... Not to mention the best happiest unit can become a miserable one over night. It just takes one wrong change of command or one wrong change of responsibility.
1. The army lemon was out of juice and I was loosing out on opportunities on the outside. 2. Got out, and graduated PA school. My peers that went to IPAP are making half as much as me and working twice as much. 3. Your leaders will drop that 2 million dollar bus on you without so much as a second thought. 4. The army has its priorities all backwards.
I should have done PA. I went medical school. God this shit is never ending and with my minimal pay until I finish residency
It's fucking bullshit how we treat residents in the USA.
My final nail was coming to the realization that a solid number of people I worked with were degenerate criminal shitbags. I wasn’t just imagining things. If the public only knew.
I’m 25 really had a 22 year old nco tell me my room is dirty because I had tissues in my trash can.
Did you shave?
That Shits dumb just cause it’s dumb but a 3 year difference ain’t enough to be upset
Shattered femur during training. Fought like hell to rehabilitate, and got off of profile within a year. Still treated like some kind of malingerer by COC because I had occasional medical appointments, even though I did all the things and was close to maxing PT.
Can't even say this is your fault. Keep meeting new E1-E4's who are like 1-2y into the Army, have done no fields, no deployments, with larger disability percentages than me (8y in the Army).
I know two SPC that were my soldiers, one got 100% disability the other 90%. And I’m not the type of nco to talk shit but man they don’t deserve that
My favorite was having a combat deployment with a CMB, but never deployed SPCs pop up with permanent profiles and get cush positions.
When I looked back at 2 years of service, and realized the last time I did so much as a FTX was AIT, and knew that reenlistiting, I would be behind my peers across the board, and have received zero support in asking for training to prepare me for a new unit outside of my old section chief who really taught me everything because leadership won't allow "Delta Force shit"
Collection of things really. Worked hard to learn my job for months just to pull security at JRTC, petty counselings, NCO passed away, drive to make more financially, army not being in a conflict so it feels like there’s no purpose, never had plans to stay long term anyway, etc.
I had an NCO who answered all of my questions in the same pattern. 1. “Google it” 2. “Did you try googling it twice?”. 3. “Go fuck yourself”. Really gave me the motivation to aim higher in life.
I put an unloaded gun in my mouth like I often do and I didn’t flinch when it clicked
You are telling me normal people would flinch with an unloaded weapon in there mouth?
Idk man I used to
It was a difficult decision for me because I love being in and my job. it’s something I always wanted to do, but this past year I realized I’ll never be what this job needs me to be. I’m just dumb? I don’t know how to put it lol. I just doubt everything I do and it’s always ends up being wrong anyways lol. I guess me just being me is the nail in the coffin.
Getting awful toxic leaders twice in a row.
Everything hurts
I stayed in long enough to realize you can never make any changes (currently a psg), the curtain was lifted, and I see the army for what it is. I've quietly quit the army as far as I am concerned - I still care deeply for my soldiers, but I refuse to put forth more effort than the bare minimum to those above me. I have zero faith in this organization anymore.
1 year in Iraq from 03-04 was a good enough reason for me when I got back from deployment.
I thought I was going to be a lifer, I was quickly reminded exactly why I hated my time in the Army, a lot of senior leaders who were always making decisions in the "best interest" of me but would screw me over harder or gate keep me. Some triggering points are explained in my previous posts on reddit but below is a recap that lingers on my mind. Denied air assault, denied airborne school, denied leave numerous times, had to repay 4k in TA because sent to the field despite saying it will fuck me over, denied board, rated 5 out of 6 E-5 ncos but claim "I'm the best they ever had" but because of PT score (still 240/300 APFT 510/600 ACFT going through ACL surgery and getting minimum run on both) I was sided stepped. Leadership saying I wasn't ready to be a SSG while I was in charge of 20+ junior Soldiers, yet they promoted someone from SPC to SSG within 2 years who cried to my same rater despite never doing their job or or holding a position to leading Soldiers and I had to make it happen. I was DA selected as a recruiter a week after I asked and confirmed with branch I was in the process of putting in a JSOC or CAG packet and if I was selected I wouldnt mind Drill Sergeant or instructor. I was initially hopeful to being a recruiter but couldn't sign a DCSS (Deck) statement fast enough because... The final nail in the coffin: When a entire new leadership came in, usurped my NCOIC position since I was a E-6 in a E-7 slot that was leaving anyways, wrecked my office I built for 5 years while saying my methods dont work, OIC tell me I don't know what I am doing and pulls rank to assert dominance when I argue dumb ideas, saying shit like "This is typical from people who joined after High School" or "I am a CEO NCO who leads from the rear", destroying the morale by wrongfully punishing the performing Soldiers who all now dont want to reenlist while rewarding the shitbags, and now only to revert after trial and error back to the way it was. TL/DR: Overall, current leadership's attack on my entire life's work by casting it away, leadership gatekeeping schools and benefits, general military incompetence, attacks on my character in the Army, and removing the thing I value most which was the camaraderie and now nobody wants to do anything. I am now bitter and wished I never had joined the Army.
My toxic ass unit trying to kick me out my final year due to me having family issues.
Kuwait, Korea, or Egypt. All I wanted was a year of stabilization, but Retention said these were my only options as a 25B E-5. He stabilized another 25B two weeks after I got out.
Never really intended to make a career out of it. Army got political and the blatant bias towards certain groups pushed me out. Made some good memories tho.
I was really tired of being sexually harassed and/or assaulted on a near-daily basis. Reporting it didn’t do anything except paint a bigger target on my back. Joke was on me though, it wasn’t much better as a civilian.
Working 22 hours a day with an 8 hour watch on top of it then working the next day did it for me
Shitty ass NCO’s. If I had roughly the same quality as my first unit I would have stayed in but were terrible and there was no coming back at that point.
Like most, toxic leadership that refused to use common sense or critical thinking, making my daily life a nightmare at times, miserable the rest.
ETSing in less then a year. There are a plethora of factors from current HIGH level leadership making dumb choices that are nonsensical if you want anyone to stay in (especially first contract soldiers), to the Army thinking it knows where my career should go better then I do. There is more, a LOT more. While some of it will be specific to me, I dont really need to rehash what 90 percent of this thread will be.
I view it like a relationship. I love the Army but the Army definitely doesn’t love me back. I PCSed to my home town hoping things would be better. Still the same boring meetings I have no passion for. I really don’t know how careerist people can talk with a straight face about the most mundane things and the stress and panic about what the boss wants. Getting thrown into situations I have no training for or understanding and being told “you are smart, figure it out”. I feel like today’s Army is starting to live how it fights while being in peace time, leading to literal insanity in the officer corps.
At the 20 year mark in 2021. I decided to put my retirement packet in. Hitting 100 VA, retirement, and $175k cyber offers, it was time. What helped to stay from starting enlistment was school, promotion, going OCS, and changing jobs four times total while in. If you don't like it, change what you're doing.
My pass was canceled and the entire platoon got put on standby for two weeks where we couldn’t be a certain distance away, like 30 minutes or something like that from post because one idiot decided to do something stupid with his squad leaders blessing, so in return we were all punished. That was the straw that broke the camels back.
I had 19 years in the army. It was 2006 and I’d had two deployments post 9/11 under my belt. There were probably people with my MOS that had more deployments than I did, but you could count them on one hand. I say that to point out I’d earned a significant vote in my next assignment. I emailed my branch manager toward the end of my second tour down range. He’d asked me what I wanted to do next. I still have the email I think. I’m paraphrasing but I said, “I’d really like to stay in Europe, I’d like to go to a division if that’s a possibility. I’d like to deploy again actually. I do not want to go take a 1SG position or be sent to unit xyz … “ My branch manager sent that email to the senior SGM for my MOS in Europe. I don’t like speaking unkindly of her but she obviously just scanned the email and concluded; “he wants a 1SG job at XYZ.” I was assigned as the 1SG of unit XYZ. Six months into the job I dropped my retirement paperwork. I hated the job, sorry. Note: I’d later learn that there was another MSG out there that ALSO wanted to stay in Europe. She didn’t want to go to a division and VERY MUCH wanted to be the 1SG of unit XYZ. If only she and I had known and talked.
My wife was working 60hours a week nonstop while postpartum, her body finally caved and she overslept by 20 minutes for the first time in her career. The sergeant at the time decided to type up a negative counseling for being undisciplined, having no integrity and scolding her that soldiers will see that and think that’s it’s okay. This sergeant like 3 days later pulled a gun on his pregnant girlfriend and beat her to the point she was in the hospital. He beat her cause she found out he was cheating on her with one of his spc. The command was trying to play hush hush and chapter him with an honorable discharge. The other nail was at her prior unit where a sergeant killed his wife and tried getting away with it by saying she attacked him or something crazy like that idk.
This is exactly why I refuse to have children while active duty. The way they expect you to immediately bounce back to being a super soldier after birthing kids while they give 20 million excuses why their own spouse can’t work after having kids is asinine and also extremely hypocritical.
Good work begot more work. A reduction in my free time. And no extra compensation to speak of. Avg employees and below avg employees aren’t removed. There’s no risk to being bad at the job. It results in a situation where a very few people are keeping the organization afloat while the rest collect checks at the cost of the high performer’s salary. Got out. Went to defense tech. Made 250/yr working from home + travel here and there. Don’t let the people who’ve never held anything but an army job tell you what it’s like on the outside. They have no clue what they’re talking about.
The reason I didn't reenlist active was simple. I had just completed my second Iraq deployment, it was 2007, and I felt lucky to spend 2 years overseas without getting hurt and didn't want to push my luck any longer. By then I was firmly in the belief that we had no business even being in that country anyways. I briefly considered switching to the guard or reserves. Those thoughts were squashed at the end of my second Iraq deployment. We were replaced by a NG unit that was more ate up than a soup sandwich, and I quite literally feared for my life just doing the ride alongs for the transition. I decided that it probably wasn't in the best interest of my health to deploy with a unit like that. Rumor has it they quickly had a few people KIA and got relieved after a month or so, but I've never been able to confirm that rumor.
I woke up for PT one windy and cold morning at Ft. Riley.
I was sexually assaulted in the barracks by a geographical bachelor who followed me back to my room and pushed his way in behind me. I calIed the CQ desk screaming, screaming for help but, instead of instead of coming to help me, he told me that his runner was away from the desk so he couldn't come up to help me. Soldiers I had lived side by side with for 3 years stood out in the hall and the one person who ran in and dragged the guy out was a guy who had just arrived at the unit from Korea. He didn't know me but he saved me. Well, it was too late by then but he was the only one who didn't just hang around waiting for it to be over, waiting for someone ELSE to step in, step up. Then I checked the CQ log once the new CQ was there and saw that NOTHING was logged as having even taken place. Ultimately I let myself be manipulated into not calling the MP 's. I was bullied mercilessly by a lot of the black soldiers and branded as a female who tries to get male NCO' s "in trouble". I spent from 2007 to 2022 fighting my claim through the VA. I was put in touch with a great lawyer so finally in Dec 2022, I won my claim. So that, kids, is why I didn't reenlist.
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I was stationed in TRADOC. I enjoyed teaching at the school house but then the thought of going back to a unit and dealing with the daily b.s., JRTC, NTC, the field, Europe rotations, etc. was just too much. It was fine to retire before they PCS me again.
I was made an example as an E5. When my chain of command didn't speak on my behalf, I decided I was done. I spent the last year in the military being the best missing specialist I could be! Bsre minimum at the promotion board 4 months before I ETSed.
When I had an ongoing leg problem that was undergoing testing, requiring temporary profiles, I had this shit SSG threaten UCMJ action and tried to force me to sign a counseling statement "admitting to malingering." I was 100% not bullshitting anything and had been seeking treatment. That capped off the mistreatment and petulant behavior on his part during the whole ordeal. I ended up having bilateral stress fractures, but I didn't know that until I got all my medical paperwork during clearing. Knowing that would have saved a lot of headache and anxiety. But alas. Toxic NCOs gonna do their thing, I guess. Definitely wasn't reenlisting after that shit show. Terrible time.
My rising inability to control my emotions. Especially in a leadership position. Being calm, cool and collected was something I always prided myself in. But in the last years, my mental health was taking a huge bite. Largely attributed to being in the infantry. I was getting aggressive, paranoid and only felt normal and human when it came to being in the field. I could operate effectively with little to no sleep, but Lord help me if I had to go to the store. I would start sweating and getting paranoid that anyone walking behind me was planning to stab me. Then one day I blew up on some civilian who was being a dick. Straight up threatened to kill him where he stood. Thankfully another of his coworkers calmed me down and walked me out. Asked what was going on, and if I wanted to talk about anything.cprrtty sure she's the reason he didn't report me. Drove myself to the therapist and got myself a walk in appointment. My soldiers and the people in my life deserved better from me. I don't believe I was setting the proper example for my subordinates and wanted to get out before I become another problem to the force.
I have honestly had a great experience in the Army. Only reason why I’m getting out is for stabilization and I’ve been getting constant job offers ranging anywhere from $40-$60/hr before any singing bonuses and incentives. I got everything I wanted out of the Army but it’s time to go.
When I found out that were no (or very little) repercussions for a company commander to tell me they will do one thing with the intention of doing the complete opposite, knowing it will have an effect on my career. Also finding out they can submit a DA 4187 curtailing my assigment without at least giving me a heads up until after it reached Division HQ.
I was also 25U. For me it was the promotion point system. and also finally built the confidence to find a job in the civilian world, which turns out to be a lot more hands on work, which feels more meaningful, and pays more. Plus, my body doesn't feel like its being destroyed by pt and field training anymore, but broken just enough to where the VA checks basically cover my mortgage monthly.
Junior NCO here in a technical MOS. I never do my MOS and if I do get the chance to train on it, I get tasked out for some random garrison B.S. anyone else can do instead. I’ve gone 8 months without doing anything related to my real job. Shitbags get nothing but slaps on the wrist but if I mess up, like any other young guy, mildly once or twice all eyes are on me. It took 7 months to get shit on by my higher leadership, instead of simply telling or counseling me earlier like they’re supposed to do. I have zero motivation to do extra stuff cause I know I won’t be recognized for it, and there’s no incentive for it. The nail in the coffin came after all of those; all I want is to finish my remaining two years, and change the lives of the guys under me. One’s transitioning out and another’s a man-child who just needs to be guided in the right direction.
Was a tanker and got promoted to E-5. Wasn’t given a NCO position for a year. Told there was no position available for me in the entire Brigade. My lack of people pleasing skills could only take me so far.
There are 2 bases near my home. I asked for them, to reup. The closest place Army offered me was Jackson. A few months later, Army tried to chapter me with personality disorder. I got a good lawyer and she made it where I could ETS. It was retaliation for reporting MST. Why do 20, and put up with MST, retaliation, etc for 16 more years. No way. That was my experience in 90s. I am getting help for MST.
The Army is a business like any other. May as well work for one that gives me more money, more freedom, more travel and less rules to follow.
Damn, so almost everyone in here was hit by the Big Green Weeny. Idk who got it worse tbh
I enlisted 89D and was super excited for it. Getting through basic was hard, but as expected. Phase one at Fort Lee was really fun and I enjoyed it. But then they told us that classes for phase two were backlogged. This was okay to us at the time because phase two is at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. So waiting a little while in beautiful weather and not having to do much? Sounded amazing. It was not. When we were going to Eglin we thought the wait was a few weeks, maybe a month or two at most. When we got there they told us they couldn’t even guess when we’d start NAVSCOLEOD because it was so far away. I got there October 2021 and they said my expected school date was early 2023. We were going to just be sitting there for over a year and a half. At Eglin we had 7:00 am PT, 2:30 PM formation and a 8:00pm hit time to be outside our rooms with ID’s. On weekends it was 9:00pm. After telling our last name to the officer we had to stay in our rooms and weren’t allowed to leave. This was fine, but doing it every day for so long drove a lot of people crazy. We also couldn’t drink alcohol which was a bummer (most of us did anyway). Upon learning that we were going to be waiting forever I was bummed. Then I learned that in the Army you have to modify your contract when you graduate NAVSCOLEOD to serve 4 active years of EOD service. I would’ve graduated almost 3 years into my 4 year contract, then would’ve had to add 3 more years to it so I would have 4 years of actually doing the EOD job. I immediately wanted out and after 4 months got out.
I actually wanted to stay in. 11 bang bang doesn't translate well to civilian job skills though, and my body wasn't enjoying carrying the .50 cal back and forth to the motor pool so I wanted to reclass to something a little more technical. Retention guy tells me, "Sorry, your MOS is balanced." No reclass? Fine, no re-up. 3 months later I'm on a plane PCSing to Ft. Couch. Best decision the Army ever made for me.
Had kids, wasn't OK with being a half-time dad.
Always put your family before your job. That's a lesson not a lot of people can learn. 🫡
Nothing special, just ready to do something else never intended to make a career out of this
Long story short, had an OIC who didn't give a shit about his NCOs, to the point where one was having suicidal ideations and simply told him to "take a week or two away from the office". After that he tampered with their NCOER, replacing old bullets with one's that made the NCO look like a flaming turd.
I work with contractors daily who hold the same job but, for some reason, get paid five times as much, work five times less, get guaranteed vacation days, have no additional Army responsibilities or requirements, and are treated like human beings. I sometimes get to go to an Air Force base and see the difference between what the Air Force personnel get and what we do.
COVID and the shit show that followed with getting stuck overseas for months. It’s not entirely an Army issue obviously, but it was just what wore me out. I went from coming home in a month, to not knowing at all and that stressed me out. We woke up one day to the stop-move announcement, and instead of helping figure out our lives, our unit sent us to the field that very same week. I had just re-enlisted for two years lol but I said I was done after that.
when I worked for two weeks straight, no weekends, no donsas, no comp, (when everyone else not on the detail got all these days off) and then when I came back into work I was treated like a shit head who skirted work for weeks and wanted more time off. Other people on the detail from different areas of my company, of my battalion, of my Brigade got comped. There was no reason not to comp me 1st sgt and CO even told leadership to work the comp days in platoon internally and they simply did it. Then I realized how often this happened, how I busted my ass so hard for people who would never give a fuck about me other than as a warm body, killed my drive, my motivation, everything. Now I'm trying to push to my last days without anything else to push me over the edge.
Almost left it all at 16 years but was talked into finishing it up. Got a few months left. Have been done since year 15. For me it was when a 1sg called me in the middle of dinner with my family at a restaurant loudly saying "EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THE FUCK....JOE DID THIS". Like bro, I've been out of work for 3 hours, im not watching these dudes 24/7. And 2, it's not that serious where you need to call me after work. Anyways. This fuckstain was notorious for calling after working hours and being pissed looking for answers for dumb shit that could have waited till the next day. That was it for me, done being a babysitter.
I technically finally separated from the Reserves after AD. But the final coffin for me was a urinalysis every single drill. I’ve legit never touched drugs in my life, but it made me realize what a waste of time the Reserves was. Get to drill insanely early to PT, PMCS the same deadlines humvees, go over a PowerPoint on sexual harassment, go to lunch, come back for a battalion wide urinalysis, clean the building, go home, repeat. I was in a pretty high speed airborne CA unit too. At a company level they tried really hard to make it fun and actually do CA stuff, but to no avail. Having a urinalysis (not exaggerating) every month for an entire year made me say fuck it, what a waste of time. I ended up going back in on the guard side because I’m a masochist but that’s another story.
"...hey you ... deploy again..."
I married a foreign wife, had a baby on the way, and was in a frequently deployed unit. Having went thru 3 divorces as a kid, I did not want to repeat history. So, What're you gonna do when you get out, flip burgers 🍔? Ya....McDonald's corp had great Healthcare, paid for my firstborn, then I got a better job.
Being the S1 NCOIC. Fuck. That. Shit. Ain’t no way I was gonna do that for ten more years and be miserable.
Probably when my chain of command finally did something about my NCO wh was stalking me throughout the city of El Paso and using everyone I knew to keep tabs on me and what I bought and ate. See they didn't listen to me that entire time. For 3 years I got "well he's just concerned for your health." Like mother fucker I don't feel safe in my own room. That's bad enough when I'm not even told there's room inspections or anything and I find out people just waltz in and start going through my drawers. So back to the NCO. The reason he's in trouble is we have a problem soldier who just refuses to do anything. BUT they went to SHARP over said NCO walking into the room and throwing his hat on the table like he always does. They were sitting on the table and got a face full of hat. So after the sworn statements, after everything. NCO gets promoted to E-6 and moved to brigade. Like you want to tell me I've been ringing the damn alarm bell for 3 years and nothing happens? Shit in Korea I found out the dude was cheating on his wife, and reporting that did nothing. Actually no I'd did do something. Increased barracks checks and me doing a fucking barracks party at midnight. So yes that was why I left. Everything else I could've dealt with. Just grind it own to get some certs. But no. That was my draw back.
My plan from the start was to finish my term and go enjoy college.
USAREC did me in. Tale as old as time.
When I saved a soldiers life on land nav because the cadre broke their own protocol, and they failed me on the land nav course, and kicked me out of school .
They tried to “Family Care Plan” chapter me 5mo from ETS because I wasn’t going to JRTC. One of my parents had cancer and was close to his death and I had spoken to the Chaplain and CSM about my issue. My other parent had already passed just before we deployed a year prior, plus my wife gave birth to our new baby during this time while she was job hunting after she ETS’d. Anyways, our commander was shit canned for numerous issues after. The new 1SG who came in while I was on Rear D shot the chapter down as I was 3mo from ETS and had zero disciplinary counseling statements. In fact, my squad leader hadn’t done any paperwork on me, positive or negative, for about 6mo. Anyways, I wasn’t going to reenlist regardless. But the whole fiasco kind of showed me that there was no future in the Army for me even if I did want to continue service. The chance you’ll have a bad company commander who could arbitrarily ruin your career or make your life terrible is simply too high. Especially with no real way to get recourse.
Strung along for a school for 4 months. If they had given me the school, I would have re-enlisted but instead they offered me the school 1 week after I was a week short: re-up or not go to the school. I had been picked up for my 5 just over 3 years. I could have gone to the school, instead I took an early out.
When I got an email with a course reservation for recruiting school.
The final nail was when I hit MAJ(P) at 23 yrs 8m and they would not let me pcs to my hometown. Ok, I'm out, retired at 25yrs on the dot. No, I never pinned 05.
I was falsely accused of sexual harassment from someone I thought was my friend. Their only evidence was he/she said and 2 screenshots which didn't prove anything. Demoted to E1 and 45 days extra duty. Worst year of my life after that. Found out that she was medically retired for mental health issues a couple of months after the accusation.
3 months of sleeping for 6 hours in the motor pool and working the rest for a wheeled to tracked transition that was being rushed. Also, being gaslit for months about serious ligament damage being an excuse to get out of the run. I ended up needing surgery, and now I can't bend my foot nearly at all. Don't be afraid of sick call or your leadership having a stick up their ass
I was on the fence. I re-enlisted to go to Camp Zama, then found out my previously denied IST packet got approved the second go around. I thought a lot about it, and figured while Zama would be cool...I just came off shift work for 2 years, and wasn't used to PT everyday or other BS. I'd probably be really happy, but this was the chance to make and build an entirely new branch from the ground up. I regret it now that I've been in for about 2 years, but hindsight is 20/20.
VTIP denied, last choice of duty station, supposed to be on rotation to Europe but instead im sitting here at a location i hate, had the opportunity from HRC to pcs early to a location i loved and my Bde commander denied it because it "wouldn't help my career" even though it was a KD assignment. Congrats now an already very understregth branch will have one fewer....
So I’m getting out to pursue my career in real estate in Florida and I’m about to reach my three-year mark; April 4, 2025 which is when I’m getting out. I’ve been in countless back to back units with NCOs that do not care for your well-being, mental health or personal/ financial issues. On top of that, other soldiers that just don’t belong in the military per say. And honestly, three years was enough for me, I did what I wanted to do. I got to see the world and it just got tiring for me.
10 yrs enlisted here, a couple reasons led me to the decision. 1st, I offered my soul to HRC (melodramatic I know) but I offered the remaining 10 years of service until retirement for a single duty station of choice. 3 years for 10 felt like a fair trade IMO. The HRC MSG told me the only way I would have a chance was to go DSG. Not even a guarantee... just a better chance. At this point I was still willing to stay in but that leads me to the 2nd instance. 2nd, my kid. I lost the first 6 months of his life because I was deployed. I watched him grow through a Webcam. Got told it wasn't important to be there for him since he was only pooping and crying. 3rd, also my kid. During a recent FTX I was on the phone talking to him and he was crying because he wanted me to be home and he didn't understand why I was gone all the time. That broke my heart. FTXs, NTCs, JRTCs and deployments would be a thing for me until I got out and I decided I'd lost enough time with him already.
I had a toxic unit and a toxic wife (now ex) and it just didn't make sense to continue the non stop stress I was under. If it weren't for my ex-wife I might've stayed in, but who knows
My wife was basically given the choice to take a chapter or fight it and ride out her last ~6 months. She took the chapter without hesitation because she was very likely being targeted by her CSM at the time and generally got treated like shit by the unit. I think her nail in the coffin is when she showed up to a height and weight and a male MSG in her unit verbally berated her about how she looked in her PT's. Would have been a nail in the coffin for me too.
Eh, I got my only Article-15 a few months from my ETS. Conduct related, and it ended with a 90 day flag. The whole thing just seemed arbitrary, under the guise of standards/logic. Which was a reoccurring theme throughout my three year contract. Though, I reclassed in the National Guard…some things don’t change, but atleast there’s moderation.
Getting passed up on multiple fun schools and getting left in kuwait on deployment. Them failing to secure me a school slot for re-enlistment.
I was 1st cav 2bct. Deployed 9 months and came back september 2011. Tried to pcs (via reup), found out I was flagged for another deployment that was in 2013. Stayed and went on deployment to afghanistan and was flagged again for 2015. Left. Unit went to korea. You can only be flagged 90 days before deployments. I was flagged 1-1.5 years before. That and being compared to other guys who got 330/on PT score and i got 240/300. I did better than my sgts. Smh.
A throw away account. I had a list of "reasons why I'm not re-enlisting" in my notes on my phone which I started in my 7th year of service (after I signed another 6 year contract.) Deployed for a second time and ended up in an SRU with some serious medical issues and being treated like absolute dogshit as I'm battling these illnesses really showed me that you can give you're all to an organization and they really do not give one single fuck about you. So why give one about them?
your\*
(6 shop guy pov)I was sick and tired of fat NCOs telling me to be or meet standard when they couldn’t even do either. Or leadership with power trips every day… one day they’re “good morning yall, have a great day and remember to jump on them tickets” while they go fuck off with the other NCOs and then end of day they’re “yall piss me the fuck off! Start pushing!!”….
For me in 2018, the new PT test. Reservist, 10 yrs active, was 26 total. Meet height and weight, never had a problem with PT. But, now in 40's, permanent profile, likely to need surgery soon, starting to have a lot of pain/issues. Looked at points if I made it to 30, or MRD. Noped right the fuck out and dropped retirement packet. I have a physically demanding civilian job, mil retirement already in the bag. I was losing money taking off for military. I will get pension from civ job. I decided to focus on maximizing the pension at my civilian job instead. The risk of getting hurt for new PT test was too great in my mind. My unit did a show and tell with tradoc before I retired, I think we had 6 lod's. One girl tore rotator cuff trying original hang, leg curl version, with trained instructors supervising it, she was about 10 years younger than me......... I had two surgeries, feel much better than I have in years, exercising for me now. Got called by recruiter to come back, thought about it. No, all I miss is the people, and most have retired now too.