Not Your Average Military Confessions: Vol. 1

By E.E. Watt

Not Your Average Military Confessions is a community compilation of anonymous confessions about life with the military from those who serve, their friends, and loved ones. Volume 1 consists of the first 500 confessions of enlistment, cheating, hope, encouragement, and reality checks all submitted by real people with real experiences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: E.E. Watt
• Release date: Jan 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301146758

Book preview

Introduction

Not Your Average Military Confessions began as a blog on Tumblr where anyone who had experience in the military, or having a loved one in the military, could anonymously send in their experiences to share, whether their thoughts and experiences were positive or negative. Many of the confessions, as can be expected, came from military girlfriends, boyfriends, fiancé(e)s, and spouses (sometimes called milsos, short for military significant others)– but soon, confessions from military brats and servicemembers themselves began coming into the inbox as well. In our first year, including a somewhat lengthy hiatus a few months in, we have reached about 500 confessions and continue to receive more every day.

The site began with some objections to the fact that confessions of milsos were combined with confessions from servicemembers, as people grew uncomfortable when faced with surprising and less-than-savory confessions. Many milsos felt disheartened by some of the things really going on, and others felt angered by seeing others who approached their situations differently. As you can probably guess, disagreements occurred, and continue to occur every day. As the site grew, however, it came to be a safe place where people could come and unload their consciences, their bad experiences, their burdens, and others could come with an open mind, ready to learn new things about the life they were getting into.

This book contains the first 500 confessions, and I hope that it can act as a resource for those experiencing military life in any way – whether by themselves or through a loved one. The sections are broken up by general categories, and while there is a section dedicated specifically to confessions from servicemembers about their military experience, their confessions are also included in other sections to make sure their perspective is never lost in the confessions. Knowing others have had similar experiences, and being able to look at the experience through someone else’s eyes by reading their confessions, I believe we can all be little stronger, a little smarter, a little more mature, and a little more understanding.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE MILITARY CONFESSIONS

Volume I

E.E. Watt

The Inside Story

Perspectives on the military from those who know it best: the ones actually living the life for themselves.

…

He joined the Army because his parents convinced him he was too stupid for college.

I joined the Army to prove something myself, but all I got was a broken hip, a DD-24, and an eating disorder.

I make myself throw up in order to make weight.

I just got off a 5150 hold for trying to kill myself because now that I'm kicked out of the Army for a bullshit reason, I don't know where my life is supposed to go next. Don't tell me that the military doesn't ruin lives.

I don't believe that I defended anyone's freedom in the military.

It's humiliating for a lot of us to admit, but once the military chews us up and spits us out, we need help. Probably counseling and stuff too. The Army hardly leaves any of its guys completely intact. We're messed up physically or mentally, or our relationships have gone to shit and we're alone. It's not glamorous.

If I die in combat, maybe people will remember me as more than just a screwup.

A lot of the females in my unit are catty and superficial and don't take shit seriously. Now that females are allowed in combat equally, I don't know if I would trust them having my back.

My girl dumped me for my drinking and smoking. She doesn't get that in the Army it's hard to quit that crap.

MEPS was the scariest experience of my life.

I tell myself that I would die for anyone I serve with, but as of late these people make it really fucking hard.

As an NCO, I tell my guys to avoid relationships if they can. If I get a chance to meet their girls before they get married, I secretly act rude to try and drive them away. Hook up, date, whatever, but don't commit to anyone. It's asking for a headache.

I am joining the Army. I am so excited to start my career, but I am also so scared that you won't think I am worth the hard life that comes along with being a soldier.

I don't associate with my former service buddies.

Being a woman in the military has made me happier and empowered me more than anything else in my life.

I'm growing my hair and easing up on my workouts now that I'm out. I don't want to be recognized as military anymore.

Me and my buddies all had girlfriends hassling us about the future and what we were gonna do. Our NCO suggested we buy them promise rings to shut them up.

The Corps is my life. When someone says they just joined the military so they could go to school for free, it makes me sick.

I miss smoking weed and not worrying about drug tests.

The thing I love most about the Army is that I can get a drink from just about anywhere with no one checking ID. I'm 19 but who cares?

I wish I could just get injured and marry a girl from a rich family. Then I could get out of the Navy and live off disability pay and her money. Who said only girls can be gold-diggers?

As a female soldier, it's hard for me to feel beautiful or be treated like a woman unless I hide my job.

Once I go active, I fear I’ll never stay in one spot long enough to find her.

I had sex with my recruiter when I was back home on RAP duty.

I've never seen a really beautiful, educated, humble, honest Army wife. The one's I've met only had two of those tops. That's why I don't want to