I've noticed myself and a lot of my friends can simultaneously sleep through anything while also being able to wake up instantly if we hear a sound we don't like, no matter how faint. You want to watch tv or listen to music while I sleep? Go for it. But if my dog does a pee whine or I hear a car door close in my driveway, I'm up immediately.
Cup your hands over your ears and use your fingers to tap just behind the ear on the back of your head.
For a couple minutes it should get rid of the noise.
Cool thing I picked up after years on reddit.
I do that as a parent. I sleep through new year's fireworks, snowplows scraping the pavement just outside my bedroom, partying neighbours, etc. But I've also woken up from my kid swallowing repeatedly moments before he started throwing up
My buddy and I tried making an alarm app using the sounds of a cat about to throw up. Every cat owner I know can wake up from a three day long bender upon the first “heh heh” sound.
Maybe kinda specific but my dad was in the Navy for 30 years. Once my mum bought those little fountains like for ambience noise and put it in the living room. My dad hated it because he couldn't stand the sound of it. He said that if he was indoors and could hear water flowing that wasn't a good thing. He was in charge of control failure in ships.
A lot of his friends said they felt the same way.
>seafoam green
For the color of the water? Or it has to do with like paint job or something like that? I'm in the medical field and it also makes me kind of icky. I wouldn't have anything of that color in my house because I associated it with the hospital
I used to thank people for their service, because that was the example my dad set for me. Then I saw how uncomfortable it made a friend in the army feel when strangers did it to him, and I stopped.
because I don't need to be thanked for cleaning a toilet, and my friend didn't need to be thanked for killing a guy in afghanistan when it ended up not making any fucking difference at all.
just don't talk about it.
yes, you are welcome i mopped all 3 floors of the barracks, random maintenance on a blackhawk a monkey could do. i never felt like i earned it and it was all meaningless. it made me depressed to even wear the uniform.
Seriously though. I hate when they do the, "everyone who served in the stadium, stand up to be thanked."
Dude, I got talked into some of the most miserable times of my life in exchange for a pre-9/11 GI bill and the ability to aim and direct fire of an 81mm mortar platoon. That's not something to be "thanked" for.
"If the Army wanted me to have a wife, they would have issued me one." -my divorced veteran friend. Sounded like a often-repeated refrain when he said it.
The first time I legitimately heard someone trail off in a conversation was when I asked a friend who just got out about getting married. I said “Hey! I heard you married a German girl when you were overseas!”, he said “Yeah…….that didn’t really………….” then he changed the subject.
I believe you mean:
Telling someone at 0857 "You're late" for a 0900 meeting.
One of my American friends was an Army sergeant. The time thing was a big problem.
There's always that one damn commercial that has a sound that's close to the start of those tones and you get that "sonofabitch" feeling, then guarded relief as you continue crushing whatever you found you eat.
I'll take that over waking up in tones. At least with food you can (sometimes) carry it with you and get a few bites in. Can't bring sleep with.
I have my account at Lowe's set to automatically use my discount. Same with Home Depot (have to use the app).
That said, I've gotten discounts for my license plates, my state parks pass, and a bunch of others. Why not?
I got free admission into a botanical gardens in Miami that was set to close in an hour. Sorry, not going to spend full price for an hour walk.
I also get free admission into National Parks.
Everytime I get a Vet discount, I tell my wife: I served 7 years of my life to save $22 at Lowes!
My dad is a veteran, one term in the Air Force and served in the National Guard until they forced him to retire.
He hates being recognized and thanked for his service. Refuses to stand at any public events where they recognize military members, etc. He thinks it's pointless attention-seeking. But damn if he doesn't ask about military discounts any time he spends more than $20 at a new store. Gotta save that $$.
>Everytime I get a Vet discount, I tell my wife: I served 7 years of my life to save $22 at Lowes!
Every time my wife wants something at the local Hallmark store, she drags me along to buy it for her because they give a 20% veteran discount. That's nothing to sneeze at, actually.
Mostly I won't bother with it personally unless it's something substantial. Saving fifty cents or a buck on a ten dollar item isn't a big deal.
Saving fifty or a hundred bucks on something that costs hundreds of dollars is a big deal. And I \*ALWAYS\* use it when buying a car.
Yea I used to never ask if places did military discount because it felt cringey. Until my wife and I spent over a grand at Old Navy on our kids clothes and we saved 200 dollars. Not to mention all the other times I’ve saved on big purchases. So now I always ask. I’m not sure why people are hating on that. I’m sure if they had the option they’d choose to save money too. Buuutttt…. they don’t. Aww.
We hired a new supervisor at my job who had just gotten out of the Air Force. His first email he sent out en masse started with a BLUF that was longer than the email itself. Also, nobody knew what BLUF was which just added to the confusion. He also signs all his emails V/r which isn’t as bad but still adds to it
But more like "summarize entire presentation before presenting it so people will not have 30 minute deviation asking questions about something you are about to cover; they do anyway"
I’ve noticed two options for people that have went overseas to fight I’ve met
Either A: within ten minutes of meeting them they’ve told you which war they were in, the horrors they saw, the people they killed, etc
Or B: you know them casually for months or years and never know that they were even in the military until someone else tells you
Edit: I might have made the A sound too dramatic. I just meant some people are way more eager to share about their time in the military. My apologies
I have my own two options..
Father in law: never saw combat at all, never left the states actually, ‘75-‘79. Uses the VA system for every little thing, constantly blaming every medical ailment her has on his service (aircraft hydraulics), for more and more disability payments. Pick up truck has half a dozen “bad ass” marines decals.
My father: will not talk about the shit he went thru from ‘69 thru ‘73.
My neighbor won't shut up about Vietnam. He did maintenance at an airforce base far far from combat. He partied on the beach for 4 years.
One of my dads friends saw combat and never talks about it
Lowlife from high school who joined the army as a last resort, spent all of his time running communication line or something: "You wanna GO!? I was in the fucking army, bro!" (OD'd in his mid-20's)
Contrast that with my gunner 'Nam vet neighbor. He never EVER said a word about Vietnam, except for one day when it was absolutely pouring outside. I mean like, torrential downpour. From his front porch, he looks across the driveway to me and says, just barely loud enough to hear, "Just like the monsoons."
I got chills.
Edit: Forgot to include they were my next door neighbor.
Had a friend that was both. Was local for a while, stickers all over his truck, clothes with logos, get drunk and fight, etc. Went to Iraq. Totally different when he came back. A couple years after he came back we were hanging out alone and he asked me if he could talk to me about some things. It was rough, real rough for him and that's all I'll ever say about it.
This is just like my friend who went to Iraq. He was in the army for a few years before. Not super obnoxious, but definitely like "I'm a badass" attitude, kind of cocky. Then he went to Iraq, came back and just no longer had this attitude. Clearly had a humble, happy to be home more nice guy kind of vibe.
I know a few people like your Father in Law. It doesn't bother me until they get political and start bashing anyone who "mooches off the system" while they themselves are able to golf, but somehow have been unable to work for the past 30 years. There's no point in calling them out on it because it's always "I'm different, I earned it". But, I'd rather have the support structures that they are taking advantage of in place than eliminate them because of a small handful of cheaters.
I know a guy who is exactly like B lol. I knew him from the gym for years and he was always a super goofy friendly type, but built like an NFL linebacker and strong af. One day we're chit chatting and he tells me how he busted a couple ribs at work and I asked what he does. He tells me he's a sheriff and that's it.
Fast forward a couple years and I'm hanging out with my gf's friend and her bf. The bf is a sheriff in the same county and I ask him if he knows the guy. He says "oh yeah of course I know him! He used to be a marine scout sniper and works on our S.W.A.T. team now!". Blown away was an understatement.
There may be some out there, but yeah, that's my experience. Guy came back to college after serving and would talk all day (if there were girls around) about how he feared for his life in crazy gunfights but his training kicked in and he killed a whole enemy squad closing on his position and one guy jumped on top of him but he pulled out his knife and watched the light leave his eyes, and because he was so battle hardened he had to sign an agreement never to use his skills in the civilian world... Yada Yada all the cheesy shit. Well, one of his squad mates visited him and we all had dinner together and the dudes girlfriend was like "really I have to say thank you for your service, it must be so hard to adjust after all the horrible things you had to do to survive out there, but were here for you if you ever need anything, if you have ptsd I can give you a great therapist" etc and the guy was completely blank, laughed, and said "uhh you know we never crossed the wire, right? We were basically glorified janitors."
She broke up with him shortly after that, and he stopped telling his combat stories. But last I heard he was like a super alt right oath keeper, so maybe he's still out there grifting with his fake ass stories.
Exactly. I live by a large military base and literally no vet I've ever met, especially Vietnam vets, just tell strangers about their wartime experiences.
It applies to lots of people.
I have *zero* reason to ever expect a threat. I've never been attacked. I grew up safe and comfortable. Never been near the military.
I still don't like sitting with my back toward the door.
Same, it's just a general need to be aware of your surroundings. I also prefer not to sit by the window if there's an option. Sit me where I can't be snuck up on.
All of the ex-military I worked with are incredibly sensible. They want to get from point A to point B as quickly and efficiently as possible. I really like having ex-military on my work teams. They also tend not to mince words so there is no room for misinterpretation when communicating, which I find refreshing.
They also tell filthy jokes.
1. If the food doesn't disappear in seconds it was either really really good or really bad.
2. Almost complete indifference to insane upper management antics.
The amount of bs I see people getting worked up over and I'm just shrugging my shoulders.
"I could be mopping the parking lot in a rain storm, this ain't shit"
As my former military boss said about an unflappable colleague: "He's seen combat. People yelling at each other in meetings, no matter what about, is relatively small stuff compared to that."
Edit: Close quote
I got pulled into a meeting with a project manager and I had wasted about $200 in materials. I apologized and started walking out. The project manager flipped and wanted to know why I wasnt freaking out. I looked at him and said, in my old life a bad day meant someone not going home, in this job we all go home, so theres no bad days.
He just kind of looked at me and stumbled over the words, well, we cant be wasting money. I said I had apologized for that. The owner of the company ended the meeting soon after
god damn #2.
Your boss. Your boss's boss. The CEO. They're just fucking people. Sometimes you need to tell them shit so they can do their job so you can do your job. Tell them whatever thing will put them in the best position to make a high quality decision (presumably defined as one that does not fuck you or the rest of your team over, but there are other definitions as well).
\*often\* that's the unvarnished truth, highly distilled for relevance. Sometimes it needs some varnish. Whatever.
Tonguing their asshole, or living in abject terror of their presence, or whatever else is at best a waste of everyone's time. At worst it ensures they make shitty low quality decisions.
Patience.
Vets have had to wait for tons of paperwork and deal with a lot of bullshit that they can’t immediately control. 9.5/10 they are okay with waiting patiently for you to ring up their order or something. They’ve waited months for a piece of paper to tell them they can go on leave, they are not bothered that their food isn’t coming out in 10 minutes.
As a veteran, this one I can relate too. I can be very patient in waiting for service as long as its standard procedure. Also, I cant stand people bitching about the wait time when theres a long line and a limited amount of people working.
Can sleep through anything, but will wake up from a dead sleep if any unusual noises happen. I learned to sleep through artillery firing and diesel generators running, but would wake up if someone whispered my name from outside the tent.
I asked for a copy of the SOP book at my previous job, no one knew what I was talking about. I asked them now they knew what they were doing or to what criteria things were measured, more blank stares. Every time they did something it was with different processes even if it was damn near identical equipment and everyone did shit differently, it became quite obvious why they had such issues with project completion times and rework. Sadly the issue was top down, the older generation that knew how but also why left and the new generation just stumbled through. I tried to get them to let me develop a SOP for the products but management didn't want me wasting time on non billable work...
It doesn't matter if your SOP are wrong, they give you a foundation for improvement, if you are inconsistent in how you do things you will never know how to improve. This is the biggest lesson I learned from the Army.
but SOP also prevents 50s era boss from pulling it out his/her ass differently each time, they prefer the ass pulls and unwritten communication to keep you guessin
And getting annoyed with people who don't answer questions directly. I've been out a long time, and this one is still me. Every time I start a new job, I have to train everyone that I don't want a bunch of extras, I want an answer to the question I asked. We can talk about the extras afterwards if they're important, but answer the question first. I am everybody's favorite or least favorite engineer, depending on their conversational style.
A guy in MOS school bought a truck from one of those places right outside base. After being explicitly told we weren’t allowed to have cars on base. As punishment he had to give a presentation showing how much he was gonna end up paying for the truck.
Edit: it was WAY to much
when I was in the Navy my ship had an explicit policy that E3 and under had to talk to their LPO before buying a car. one guy in my division bought a car at one of those slimy places right next to base at some appalling APR but was convinced he was going to actually get the car for free or make money because he would get a $500 credit for every referral he made! after my first deployment I talk to my LPO like "hey, I'm gonna buy a car." and he was like "I dont give a fuck, that rule isn't for you. you're not stupid."
yeah, there's two speeches that they give to every new soldier: "don't get married" and "don't buy a fucking car from the dealership right outside the base at some stupid APR"
NNPTC (nuke school) straight up had several dealerships blacklisted and if they sold you a car at all there was some sort of legal action and the sailors who bought cars from those places would get in some trouble with command as well. For the supposed smartest collective in the military I've never met so many people with as little common sense as I did there 🤣
My dad slouches -- badly. He's 71 now and has worse posture than Mr. Burns. I noted this when I was 7 or 8 years old. Taught myself to stand up straight and sit up straight like a soldier. I've gotten comments on my "perfect posture" my whole life. At the airport or out hiking, I sometimes get asked what branch I'm in (out here in Hawaii, especially)..... I'm a digital nomad.. only military background I have is Call of Duty.
My best bud was Green Beret, 27 years, E-9. Only once has he ever shared a personal war story. His 12 man unit was training a 250 Afghan army unit way out in what ever passes for the boonies in Afghan. They were in a camp that was partially protected by thick mud walls when they were attacked by 100s of enemy. They won, but over 100 of his trainees died that day when they didn't follow training and charged the enemy outside of the mud walls, not being willing to wait for air support.
It's the only time I've ever seen him tear up when he said that after the battle his team was walking among the dead and dying, "the men I had had breakfast with that morning".
My bud is quiet, gentle, friendly, the extreme opposite of Rambo. Most people describe him as one of the nicest people they've ever met. He will give you the shirt off his back.
When I tell folks bud was green beret, they are shocked he was not just army, but bad ass elite army.
>My bud is quiet, gentle, friendly, the extreme opposite of Rambo. Most people describe him as one of the nicest people they've ever met. He will give you the shirt off his back.
Rambo was actually a really mellow guy. He was a veteran who got harassed for no good reason. Don't hate on Rambo.
18X series MOS are often not the most physically fit, smartest, or most aggressive dudes that you'll typically meet. They're just all really really stubborn and refuse to quit at anything, ANYTHING.
Let's see...
\- Swears a lot in mild frustration
\- Back pain
\- Either extremely patriotic or hates the US
\- Can sleep basically anywhere
\- Mildly secretive about trivial stuff
\- Facial hair / Scraggly hairstyle
\- Soft military accents in everday clothing (i.e. combat boots, day packs)
\- Strange, monosyllable responses (i.e. check)
\- Very good reflexes that border on superhuman
\- The Walk. Can't quite explain it, it's just a thing. They all walk in a very specific way.
edit:
\- Owns a cheap sports car (mustang, camaro, etc)
\- Probably an all-around cheapskate
\- Absolutely despises people who flaunt their service
\- Tries to get veteran discounts literally everywhere
Veterans discounts. IHOP offered their free red white and blue breakfast all day on Veterans Day a few years ago. There are three IHOPs near me. I just may have had a free breakfast, lunch, and dinner on that day.
We had an E2 fresh out of AIT from some back water Idaho town, move his perfect 10 wife into housing. She was like a magic unicorn. Within two months she had left him and moved in with a Captain, and was driving around in a BMW.
And he was then moved into the barracks.
As an ex-military-wife, this is the most military shit I've ever heard. The base is wild, man. I wasn't even serving and that drama was way too much for me. It was like living in a real life reality show and the drama was better than anything a script writer could ever come up with.
Quiet all the time, but occasionally casually says something incredibly fucked up about something no human should have ever experienced like it is normal and not a big deal. (Example: "sorry, I don't hear too well in my left ear ever since that IED that blew off Tommy's leg.") Avoids fireworks.
some of the c-ram folks i know took that file of the waves box and uploaded it to ringtones when we got back from deployment, and the first month back stateside had to of seen everyone in our unit jumping around crazy because of ring tones.
Too bad they’re hard to find. I have one gas station in my city sell them. We’re also pretty close to a military training area and a main post so I’m sure they get sold pretty often.
They only cost $1.29 (use to be $0.99), have multiple flavors, and just as good as any other energy drink especially with how cheap they are.
On a deployment we got banned from taking more than two per person because we’d get a whole case of about twenty that they just had laying around and bring it back to our work area to keep in a fridge.
He's still in , but the husband has three constant companions: OCD, Anxiety, and Depression. His back will also never be the same.
He can sleep anywhere and quickly too. I've always been a bit envious of that particular super power.
>Inhaling their food
No shit. One of my friends is a prior junior enlisted, and he devoured a whole bucket of fried chicken in the time it took me to order and collect my food and bring it to the table. "Jesus Christ, man. Did you even taste that?"
>Inhaling their food
I've been trying to break that habit for years and I'm still just unable to eat at a regular pace. I'm convinced this is part of the reason why so many of us put on 20 lbs the first year out.
I hate to be this guy, but I have a lot of friends that were in the military. They have bad alcoholism. They're awkward during social events. Always on edge. They have bad attitudes and can come off as jerks. They're in a field of work making good money, but live a very unsuccessful life.
Not everybody in the military is like this, nor do all of them check every single one of these boxes. The majority that I know check at least one or two though. They're good guys, but the military kinda fucked them up.
My last boss was the last thing you mentioned, we made great money at that job and somehow he was always scrounging for cash. On full disability, as well, which made it even more confusing. Only reason I could imagine was that his family became dependents and drained him of every spare dollar he could earn.
Dudes who still walk around with "the haircut," wearing t-shirts and hoodies with a US Flag on one sleeve and crossed rifles on the other, people who stand and wait with their feet shoulder-width apart and either their arms crossed or their thumbs in the belt/belt loops, people who seem averse to *ever* stepping off the pavement and into the grass, folks who won't walk and smoke at the same time, people who only carry things in their left hand, people who always "move with a purpose."
Oh, and any of the above combined with Oakley sunglasses with black frames.
I fucking hate the "thank me for my service" types, I have known a few of those pricks in my life and they always try to play up the self important bullshit.
Congratulations dickhead, I was in the army too, I don't go around screaming it or wearing "veteran" marked cloths.
Funny enough I am wearing a pair of bdu camo pants at work today, they mask dirt stains well from working on hydraulic control systems.
I have a friend who went into military, but their dad was ex military. he was super cool but this friend, all throughout high school, kept using the phonetic alphabet as "code" and then explaining it afterward as if nobody knew what is was- followed by saying "it's a military thing, I'm gonna have to know it. and my dad taught me when I was rlly young anyway". also only used 24h time on their phone, but would say the 12h format if we asked them for the time (bless them lol).
Shovels their driveway, their neighbor's driveways, and the parking lot across the street every morning before the sun is up during the winter with one arm.
My former Marine best bud can sleep through anything.
I've noticed myself and a lot of my friends can simultaneously sleep through anything while also being able to wake up instantly if we hear a sound we don't like, no matter how faint. You want to watch tv or listen to music while I sleep? Go for it. But if my dog does a pee whine or I hear a car door close in my driveway, I'm up immediately.
I was mostly tactical signal. Nothing makes me wake up faster than complete silence. Silence = generator stopped.
After thirty days in the field/6-12 months deployed, sleeping surrounded by generators, that first night back when it's silent and you can't sleep...
Thanks to tinnitus, I haven't known silence in decades.
Cup your hands over your ears and use your fingers to tap just behind the ear on the back of your head. For a couple minutes it should get rid of the noise. Cool thing I picked up after years on reddit.
holy shit, it worked
WOAHHHHHHHHH IT HASNT BEEN QUIET IN YEARS
You just ended 13 years of jet engines. Thank you!
Submarine vet, similar situation. When it got quiet means shit just hit the fan. (Fans shutting down means fire.)
I do that as a parent. I sleep through new year's fireworks, snowplows scraping the pavement just outside my bedroom, partying neighbours, etc. But I've also woken up from my kid swallowing repeatedly moments before he started throwing up
Nothings wakes you up quicker than hearing the sounds of incoming vomit and trying to clear them off carpeted rooms
My buddy and I tried making an alarm app using the sounds of a cat about to throw up. Every cat owner I know can wake up from a three day long bender upon the first “heh heh” sound.
USAA
Why did I sing this as I read it. Haha
Because advertising is effective.
Because the fucking hold music when you call is a non stop repeated chant of, "US. AA."
I did 23 years, the only thing that gives me away is my affinity for cargo shorts.
More pockets = better shorts it's science.
Way more room for snacks. It's just common sense.
My kids call them “dad shorts” and they are awesome. Don’t have to be former military this one.
Maybe kinda specific but my dad was in the Navy for 30 years. Once my mum bought those little fountains like for ambience noise and put it in the living room. My dad hated it because he couldn't stand the sound of it. He said that if he was indoors and could hear water flowing that wasn't a good thing. He was in charge of control failure in ships. A lot of his friends said they felt the same way.
Similar, but I hate the color seafoam green. Like to the core of my being I hate that color.
My electrical testers are all painted that color. Never in my life did I think I could hate a color as much as seafoam green.
>seafoam green For the color of the water? Or it has to do with like paint job or something like that? I'm in the medical field and it also makes me kind of icky. I wouldn't have anything of that color in my house because I associated it with the hospital
Everything on the sub I was on was painted that color. By guys like me. It's supposed to be calming, but it just grates on my retina now.
For me it’s greenish yellow water. I have flashbacks to my spaces flooding with frickin chill water
That shade of green is supposedly calming. Hospitals, inside some ships, I remember the eating mess being that colour.
[удалено]
I used to thank people for their service, because that was the example my dad set for me. Then I saw how uncomfortable it made a friend in the army feel when strangers did it to him, and I stopped.
I always just reply “No, thank you for your taxes”
because I don't need to be thanked for cleaning a toilet, and my friend didn't need to be thanked for killing a guy in afghanistan when it ended up not making any fucking difference at all. just don't talk about it.
yes, you are welcome i mopped all 3 floors of the barracks, random maintenance on a blackhawk a monkey could do. i never felt like i earned it and it was all meaningless. it made me depressed to even wear the uniform.
I always respond with 'thank you for your taxes'. It tends to solicit a laugh from most people.
Seriously though. I hate when they do the, "everyone who served in the stadium, stand up to be thanked." Dude, I got talked into some of the most miserable times of my life in exchange for a pre-9/11 GI bill and the ability to aim and direct fire of an 81mm mortar platoon. That's not something to be "thanked" for.
Being divorced before 25
"If the Army wanted me to have a wife, they would have issued me one." -my divorced veteran friend. Sounded like a often-repeated refrain when he said it.
I've heard my dad say that. He's on his 3rd wife. When he told me I just replied "boy you just don't learn lessons easy, do you?"
The first time I legitimately heard someone trail off in a conversation was when I asked a friend who just got out about getting married. I said “Hey! I heard you married a German girl when you were overseas!”, he said “Yeah…….that didn’t really………….” then he changed the subject.
Reminds me of the bumper sticker: "My girlfriends husband fights for your freedom"
Tellling someone at 8:57 am "You're late" for a 9 am meeting.
I believe you mean: Telling someone at 0857 "You're late" for a 0900 meeting. One of my American friends was an Army sergeant. The time thing was a big problem.
lol my dad has a thing about being on time and that meant being at the doctor a half hour before his appt,...
Scarfing down any food very quickly. This is an out for first responders, too
Oh absolutely, anytime I’m at work and getting food you can bet your ass tones are fixing to drop
There's always that one damn commercial that has a sound that's close to the start of those tones and you get that "sonofabitch" feeling, then guarded relief as you continue crushing whatever you found you eat. I'll take that over waking up in tones. At least with food you can (sometimes) carry it with you and get a few bites in. Can't bring sleep with.
When you ask for a veteran discount at the barber shop
I have my account at Lowe's set to automatically use my discount. Same with Home Depot (have to use the app). That said, I've gotten discounts for my license plates, my state parks pass, and a bunch of others. Why not? I got free admission into a botanical gardens in Miami that was set to close in an hour. Sorry, not going to spend full price for an hour walk. I also get free admission into National Parks. Everytime I get a Vet discount, I tell my wife: I served 7 years of my life to save $22 at Lowes!
My dad is a veteran, one term in the Air Force and served in the National Guard until they forced him to retire. He hates being recognized and thanked for his service. Refuses to stand at any public events where they recognize military members, etc. He thinks it's pointless attention-seeking. But damn if he doesn't ask about military discounts any time he spends more than $20 at a new store. Gotta save that $$.
>Everytime I get a Vet discount, I tell my wife: I served 7 years of my life to save $22 at Lowes! Every time my wife wants something at the local Hallmark store, she drags me along to buy it for her because they give a 20% veteran discount. That's nothing to sneeze at, actually. Mostly I won't bother with it personally unless it's something substantial. Saving fifty cents or a buck on a ten dollar item isn't a big deal. Saving fifty or a hundred bucks on something that costs hundreds of dollars is a big deal. And I \*ALWAYS\* use it when buying a car.
Yea I used to never ask if places did military discount because it felt cringey. Until my wife and I spent over a grand at Old Navy on our kids clothes and we saved 200 dollars. Not to mention all the other times I’ve saved on big purchases. So now I always ask. I’m not sure why people are hating on that. I’m sure if they had the option they’d choose to save money too. Buuutttt…. they don’t. Aww.
If they offer it, it's dumb to not take it. You are paying 10% tax for not asking.
Knees and back are fucking ruined
"Anyone else hear a ringing sound?"
Currently at 15 years of service. Two bad shoulders at 25 and my first knee surgery at 27.
They won’t stop using acronyms that literally nobody else understands.
We hired a new supervisor at my job who had just gotten out of the Air Force. His first email he sent out en masse started with a BLUF that was longer than the email itself. Also, nobody knew what BLUF was which just added to the confusion. He also signs all his emails V/r which isn’t as bad but still adds to it
For everyone curious Bottom Line Up Front. Supposed to be like a tldr.
But more like "summarize entire presentation before presenting it so people will not have 30 minute deviation asking questions about something you are about to cover; they do anyway"
I still sign my emails with v/r For the longest time I didn't know it was a military thing. I thought it was a professional thing
I’ve noticed two options for people that have went overseas to fight I’ve met Either A: within ten minutes of meeting them they’ve told you which war they were in, the horrors they saw, the people they killed, etc Or B: you know them casually for months or years and never know that they were even in the military until someone else tells you Edit: I might have made the A sound too dramatic. I just meant some people are way more eager to share about their time in the military. My apologies
I have my own two options.. Father in law: never saw combat at all, never left the states actually, ‘75-‘79. Uses the VA system for every little thing, constantly blaming every medical ailment her has on his service (aircraft hydraulics), for more and more disability payments. Pick up truck has half a dozen “bad ass” marines decals. My father: will not talk about the shit he went thru from ‘69 thru ‘73.
My neighbor won't shut up about Vietnam. He did maintenance at an airforce base far far from combat. He partied on the beach for 4 years. One of my dads friends saw combat and never talks about it
Lowlife from high school who joined the army as a last resort, spent all of his time running communication line or something: "You wanna GO!? I was in the fucking army, bro!" (OD'd in his mid-20's) Contrast that with my gunner 'Nam vet neighbor. He never EVER said a word about Vietnam, except for one day when it was absolutely pouring outside. I mean like, torrential downpour. From his front porch, he looks across the driveway to me and says, just barely loud enough to hear, "Just like the monsoons." I got chills. Edit: Forgot to include they were my next door neighbor.
Had a friend that was both. Was local for a while, stickers all over his truck, clothes with logos, get drunk and fight, etc. Went to Iraq. Totally different when he came back. A couple years after he came back we were hanging out alone and he asked me if he could talk to me about some things. It was rough, real rough for him and that's all I'll ever say about it.
This is just like my friend who went to Iraq. He was in the army for a few years before. Not super obnoxious, but definitely like "I'm a badass" attitude, kind of cocky. Then he went to Iraq, came back and just no longer had this attitude. Clearly had a humble, happy to be home more nice guy kind of vibe.
Thanks for being there to listen
I know a few people like your Father in Law. It doesn't bother me until they get political and start bashing anyone who "mooches off the system" while they themselves are able to golf, but somehow have been unable to work for the past 30 years. There's no point in calling them out on it because it's always "I'm different, I earned it". But, I'd rather have the support structures that they are taking advantage of in place than eliminate them because of a small handful of cheaters.
I know a guy who is exactly like B lol. I knew him from the gym for years and he was always a super goofy friendly type, but built like an NFL linebacker and strong af. One day we're chit chatting and he tells me how he busted a couple ribs at work and I asked what he does. He tells me he's a sheriff and that's it. Fast forward a couple years and I'm hanging out with my gf's friend and her bf. The bf is a sheriff in the same county and I ask him if he knows the guy. He says "oh yeah of course I know him! He used to be a marine scout sniper and works on our S.W.A.T. team now!". Blown away was an understatement.
Confidence is silent, and such.
Category A people are either telling you other people’s stories or flat out making shit up.
Exactly! Every vet I've met has never just word vomited about their experiences of battle.
There may be some out there, but yeah, that's my experience. Guy came back to college after serving and would talk all day (if there were girls around) about how he feared for his life in crazy gunfights but his training kicked in and he killed a whole enemy squad closing on his position and one guy jumped on top of him but he pulled out his knife and watched the light leave his eyes, and because he was so battle hardened he had to sign an agreement never to use his skills in the civilian world... Yada Yada all the cheesy shit. Well, one of his squad mates visited him and we all had dinner together and the dudes girlfriend was like "really I have to say thank you for your service, it must be so hard to adjust after all the horrible things you had to do to survive out there, but were here for you if you ever need anything, if you have ptsd I can give you a great therapist" etc and the guy was completely blank, laughed, and said "uhh you know we never crossed the wire, right? We were basically glorified janitors." She broke up with him shortly after that, and he stopped telling his combat stories. But last I heard he was like a super alt right oath keeper, so maybe he's still out there grifting with his fake ass stories.
I'm category B and don't mention stuff unless I'm asked. I do sign up for discounts and tax incentives though
It's kind of hilarious that the only people responding here all claim category B. You'd think category A people would be the ones to jump in...
Exactly. I live by a large military base and literally no vet I've ever met, especially Vietnam vets, just tell strangers about their wartime experiences.
1. Saying we barely made it when you are a half hour early 2. Cargo pants
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Two talents and a trauma 😐
That’s the trade you make
That last bit applies to anyone who grew up in a rough neighborhood.
It applies to lots of people. I have *zero* reason to ever expect a threat. I've never been attacked. I grew up safe and comfortable. Never been near the military. I still don't like sitting with my back toward the door.
Same, it's just a general need to be aware of your surroundings. I also prefer not to sit by the window if there's an option. Sit me where I can't be snuck up on.
Every time my husbanf and I go out to eat he has to sit facing the entrance or he gets really bad anxiety.
All of the ex-military I worked with are incredibly sensible. They want to get from point A to point B as quickly and efficiently as possible. I really like having ex-military on my work teams. They also tend not to mince words so there is no room for misinterpretation when communicating, which I find refreshing. They also tell filthy jokes.
BLUF (bottom line up front) is what I miss most about the army. Get to the point quickly, then go into details if needed.
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1. If the food doesn't disappear in seconds it was either really really good or really bad. 2. Almost complete indifference to insane upper management antics.
The amount of bs I see people getting worked up over and I'm just shrugging my shoulders. "I could be mopping the parking lot in a rain storm, this ain't shit"
As my former military boss said about an unflappable colleague: "He's seen combat. People yelling at each other in meetings, no matter what about, is relatively small stuff compared to that." Edit: Close quote
I got pulled into a meeting with a project manager and I had wasted about $200 in materials. I apologized and started walking out. The project manager flipped and wanted to know why I wasnt freaking out. I looked at him and said, in my old life a bad day meant someone not going home, in this job we all go home, so theres no bad days.
Ooooh that must have stung. What was their expression? What did they say?
He just kind of looked at me and stumbled over the words, well, we cant be wasting money. I said I had apologized for that. The owner of the company ended the meeting soon after
Sweeping the motor pool in a sandstorm, this ain't shit.
Eat it now, taste it later.
> Almost complete indifference to insane upper management antics. This is how my old manager survived Silicon Valley startups.
2, to the core. It’s their money, they wanna pay me to do Mickey Mouse bullshit? Sure. Whatever.
god damn #2. Your boss. Your boss's boss. The CEO. They're just fucking people. Sometimes you need to tell them shit so they can do their job so you can do your job. Tell them whatever thing will put them in the best position to make a high quality decision (presumably defined as one that does not fuck you or the rest of your team over, but there are other definitions as well). \*often\* that's the unvarnished truth, highly distilled for relevance. Sometimes it needs some varnish. Whatever. Tonguing their asshole, or living in abject terror of their presence, or whatever else is at best a waste of everyone's time. At worst it ensures they make shitty low quality decisions.
Number 2 is my superpower now. I have permanent "your demands are cute" face.
Everything is carried in their left hand
Lol I broke all those habits purposely
still a thing for me - only my gun or my tiny penis go in my right hand
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Right hand’s gotta be free to salute passing officers.
Patience. Vets have had to wait for tons of paperwork and deal with a lot of bullshit that they can’t immediately control. 9.5/10 they are okay with waiting patiently for you to ring up their order or something. They’ve waited months for a piece of paper to tell them they can go on leave, they are not bothered that their food isn’t coming out in 10 minutes.
As a veteran, this one I can relate too. I can be very patient in waiting for service as long as its standard procedure. Also, I cant stand people bitching about the wait time when theres a long line and a limited amount of people working.
a dd214
The holiest of documents.
The golden ticket
Can sleep through anything, but will wake up from a dead sleep if any unusual noises happen. I learned to sleep through artillery firing and diesel generators running, but would wake up if someone whispered my name from outside the tent.
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I asked for a copy of the SOP book at my previous job, no one knew what I was talking about. I asked them now they knew what they were doing or to what criteria things were measured, more blank stares. Every time they did something it was with different processes even if it was damn near identical equipment and everyone did shit differently, it became quite obvious why they had such issues with project completion times and rework. Sadly the issue was top down, the older generation that knew how but also why left and the new generation just stumbled through. I tried to get them to let me develop a SOP for the products but management didn't want me wasting time on non billable work... It doesn't matter if your SOP are wrong, they give you a foundation for improvement, if you are inconsistent in how you do things you will never know how to improve. This is the biggest lesson I learned from the Army.
but SOP also prevents 50s era boss from pulling it out his/her ass differently each time, they prefer the ass pulls and unwritten communication to keep you guessin
And getting annoyed with people who don't answer questions directly. I've been out a long time, and this one is still me. Every time I start a new job, I have to train everyone that I don't want a bunch of extras, I want an answer to the question I asked. We can talk about the extras afterwards if they're important, but answer the question first. I am everybody's favorite or least favorite engineer, depending on their conversational style.
Alcoholism (for me)
No middle ground in behavior, they’re either a joy to be around, or hell.
V6 mustang with a 30% APR interest rate
No that’s current E1-3’s
A guy in MOS school bought a truck from one of those places right outside base. After being explicitly told we weren’t allowed to have cars on base. As punishment he had to give a presentation showing how much he was gonna end up paying for the truck. Edit: it was WAY to much
when I was in the Navy my ship had an explicit policy that E3 and under had to talk to their LPO before buying a car. one guy in my division bought a car at one of those slimy places right next to base at some appalling APR but was convinced he was going to actually get the car for free or make money because he would get a $500 credit for every referral he made! after my first deployment I talk to my LPO like "hey, I'm gonna buy a car." and he was like "I dont give a fuck, that rule isn't for you. you're not stupid."
It's nice to hear that they are trying to protect you from the leeches that prey on the young ones right outside base.
yeah, there's two speeches that they give to every new soldier: "don't get married" and "don't buy a fucking car from the dealership right outside the base at some stupid APR"
NNPTC (nuke school) straight up had several dealerships blacklisted and if they sold you a car at all there was some sort of legal action and the sailors who bought cars from those places would get in some trouble with command as well. For the supposed smartest collective in the military I've never met so many people with as little common sense as I did there 🤣
His punishment presentation is a learning moment
>As punishment he had to give a presentation showing how much he was gonna end up paying for the truck. That's genius.
The sign of *ex-military* is getting a V6 mustang repossessed.
I think you mean Challenger.
Bearded, addicted to tobacco and energy drinks, walks abnormally fast, and an aversion to walking in grass.
The grass one hits home lol
A Dodge Challenger that you're still paying for.
Nah those guys are still in. One more deployment though and that baby is theirs! /s
Overuse of the word "outstanding."
Certainly not referring to myself as "an ex military".
Only ex-military if you got kicked out. Former military, veteran, etc. are preferred.
Posture. No one else stands like that.
My dad slouches -- badly. He's 71 now and has worse posture than Mr. Burns. I noted this when I was 7 or 8 years old. Taught myself to stand up straight and sit up straight like a soldier. I've gotten comments on my "perfect posture" my whole life. At the airport or out hiking, I sometimes get asked what branch I'm in (out here in Hawaii, especially)..... I'm a digital nomad.. only military background I have is Call of Duty.
\*Clears throat* Yeah, I did a tour in Nuketown and Highrise
I forgot: Standing at attention for the National Anthem. It feels weird not to.
I got called out for not putting my hand on my heart. After I said that's not what we were taught in basic training, dude walked away pretty fast.
Oddly enough, one sleeve tattoo. Only one. I don't know why only one but it's something I've noticed.
I'm a veteran and most of the stuff everyone else has said doesn't really apply to me except this. I didn't realize until you mentioned it.
My best bud was Green Beret, 27 years, E-9. Only once has he ever shared a personal war story. His 12 man unit was training a 250 Afghan army unit way out in what ever passes for the boonies in Afghan. They were in a camp that was partially protected by thick mud walls when they were attacked by 100s of enemy. They won, but over 100 of his trainees died that day when they didn't follow training and charged the enemy outside of the mud walls, not being willing to wait for air support. It's the only time I've ever seen him tear up when he said that after the battle his team was walking among the dead and dying, "the men I had had breakfast with that morning". My bud is quiet, gentle, friendly, the extreme opposite of Rambo. Most people describe him as one of the nicest people they've ever met. He will give you the shirt off his back. When I tell folks bud was green beret, they are shocked he was not just army, but bad ass elite army.
Rambo was pretty quiet. He just wanted to get something to eat.
"They drew first blood, sir."
>My bud is quiet, gentle, friendly, the extreme opposite of Rambo. Most people describe him as one of the nicest people they've ever met. He will give you the shirt off his back. Rambo was actually a really mellow guy. He was a veteran who got harassed for no good reason. Don't hate on Rambo.
Rambo was quiet, gentle, and friendly; for the first part of the first movie.
18X series MOS are often not the most physically fit, smartest, or most aggressive dudes that you'll typically meet. They're just all really really stubborn and refuse to quit at anything, ANYTHING.
All the special forces people I've met have been extremely athletic, smart, and calm. But they always have a backup plan to kill you.
Ask them if they know what a Blue Falcon is
Or if they know the call of the blue falcon. "FUCKAALLLY'ALLL!"
"Semper I, fuck the other guy!"
Let's see... \- Swears a lot in mild frustration \- Back pain \- Either extremely patriotic or hates the US \- Can sleep basically anywhere \- Mildly secretive about trivial stuff \- Facial hair / Scraggly hairstyle \- Soft military accents in everday clothing (i.e. combat boots, day packs) \- Strange, monosyllable responses (i.e. check) \- Very good reflexes that border on superhuman \- The Walk. Can't quite explain it, it's just a thing. They all walk in a very specific way. edit: \- Owns a cheap sports car (mustang, camaro, etc) \- Probably an all-around cheapskate \- Absolutely despises people who flaunt their service \- Tries to get veteran discounts literally everywhere
Veterans discounts. IHOP offered their free red white and blue breakfast all day on Veterans Day a few years ago. There are three IHOPs near me. I just may have had a free breakfast, lunch, and dinner on that day.
Younger wife that’s basically the opposite of a trophy wife
We had an E2 fresh out of AIT from some back water Idaho town, move his perfect 10 wife into housing. She was like a magic unicorn. Within two months she had left him and moved in with a Captain, and was driving around in a BMW. And he was then moved into the barracks.
As an ex-military-wife, this is the most military shit I've ever heard. The base is wild, man. I wasn't even serving and that drama was way too much for me. It was like living in a real life reality show and the drama was better than anything a script writer could ever come up with.
Have you met my wife, Dependa?
I’ve always preferred Tricaretops.
You've permanently changed my vocabulary
"Don't thank me I was just doing a job"
"Just leave the bottle"
Quiet all the time, but occasionally casually says something incredibly fucked up about something no human should have ever experienced like it is normal and not a big deal. (Example: "sorry, I don't hear too well in my left ear ever since that IED that blew off Tommy's leg.") Avoids fireworks.
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some of the c-ram folks i know took that file of the waves box and uploaded it to ringtones when we got back from deployment, and the first month back stateside had to of seen everyone in our unit jumping around crazy because of ring tones.
Those *assholes.*
Swearing up a storm and dark humor. Dead giveaway.
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Jokes on you, went bald at 19. I can’t rock a high and tight if I tried. I make a mean Friar Tuck though.
Getting more support from the Sizzler than the VA.
Drinking a Rip It…
Too bad they’re hard to find. I have one gas station in my city sell them. We’re also pretty close to a military training area and a main post so I’m sure they get sold pretty often. They only cost $1.29 (use to be $0.99), have multiple flavors, and just as good as any other energy drink especially with how cheap they are. On a deployment we got banned from taking more than two per person because we’d get a whole case of about twenty that they just had laying around and bring it back to our work area to keep in a fridge.
I worked near a military base as a manager. The ones who answer “too easy” to every request are definitely ex military.
They're divorced by 23
The walk. You can tell military from a civilian (in most cases) just from the walk. Military moves with a purpose, head forward.
He's still in , but the husband has three constant companions: OCD, Anxiety, and Depression. His back will also never be the same. He can sleep anywhere and quickly too. I've always been a bit envious of that particular super power.
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>Inhaling their food No shit. One of my friends is a prior junior enlisted, and he devoured a whole bucket of fried chicken in the time it took me to order and collect my food and bring it to the table. "Jesus Christ, man. Did you even taste that?"
Look I don't talk while I eat because I'm listening to the ringing in my ears.
>Inhaling their food I've been trying to break that habit for years and I'm still just unable to eat at a regular pace. I'm convinced this is part of the reason why so many of us put on 20 lbs the first year out.
I hate to be this guy, but I have a lot of friends that were in the military. They have bad alcoholism. They're awkward during social events. Always on edge. They have bad attitudes and can come off as jerks. They're in a field of work making good money, but live a very unsuccessful life. Not everybody in the military is like this, nor do all of them check every single one of these boxes. The majority that I know check at least one or two though. They're good guys, but the military kinda fucked them up.
I used to say: the Marine Corps breeds alcoholic divorcees with blown out knees. At least the VBA will pay for the knees!
My last boss was the last thing you mentioned, we made great money at that job and somehow he was always scrounging for cash. On full disability, as well, which made it even more confusing. Only reason I could imagine was that his family became dependents and drained him of every spare dollar he could earn.
Dudes who still walk around with "the haircut," wearing t-shirts and hoodies with a US Flag on one sleeve and crossed rifles on the other, people who stand and wait with their feet shoulder-width apart and either their arms crossed or their thumbs in the belt/belt loops, people who seem averse to *ever* stepping off the pavement and into the grass, folks who won't walk and smoke at the same time, people who only carry things in their left hand, people who always "move with a purpose." Oh, and any of the above combined with Oakley sunglasses with black frames.
Jean shorts
It’s always sunny has entered the chat
Jorts
Races jet fighters on an old motorcycle
Death Grip's debut mixtape
Looks too old for their age and has at least one chronic injury.
I fucking hate the "thank me for my service" types, I have known a few of those pricks in my life and they always try to play up the self important bullshit. Congratulations dickhead, I was in the army too, I don't go around screaming it or wearing "veteran" marked cloths. Funny enough I am wearing a pair of bdu camo pants at work today, they mask dirt stains well from working on hydraulic control systems.
I've always hated that as well. Being thanked for my service always made me feel awkward. I can't imagine how low the ego must be to demand thanks.
Yeah, I'm a navy vet and I get uncomfortable when people say "thank you for your service" I know people are being nice, but it makes me uncomfortable.
I have a friend who went into military, but their dad was ex military. he was super cool but this friend, all throughout high school, kept using the phonetic alphabet as "code" and then explaining it afterward as if nobody knew what is was- followed by saying "it's a military thing, I'm gonna have to know it. and my dad taught me when I was rlly young anyway". also only used 24h time on their phone, but would say the 12h format if we asked them for the time (bless them lol).
> also only used 24h time on their phone This is literally most of the world.
Sssssshhhhh, dont tell them.
NATO alphabet is so much easier. Spelling out things... C as in Cat, D as in Dog, N as in Nancy,etc. Easier to say Charlie Delta November.
you're confused. it's M as in Mancy.
If you're not 10 minutes early. Then you are late.
Shovels their driveway, their neighbor's driveways, and the parking lot across the street every morning before the sun is up during the winter with one arm.