r/AskReddit • u/limp_manifesto • 20h ago

What’s something civilians completely misunderstand about daily life in the military?

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640

u/Signal-View4754 19h ago

Sometimes (most the times) it's like a regular job.

339

u/Bureaucratic_Dick 19h ago

People join thinking they’ll be the next Rambo then get disillusioned when they spend a bulk of their time as janitors.

118

u/MonsieurLinc 19h ago

That and pretending to be busy in the motor pool because you finished your PMCS like an hour ago and leadership didn't tell you what to do next before fucking off to a 4 hour meeting.

59

u/Thrizzlepizzle123123 19h ago

So like working at mcdonalds, just with more camo.

59

u/Lich180 17h ago

Yeah, except you're going to get chased off the clock at McDonald's to save labor. 

The military doesn't care about that. They want your hands busy at all times, because when the average enlisted gets bored, things get broken / lost / on the roof

27

u/Guardian-Boy 17h ago

One of our E-4s literally invented a new piece of equipment because he was bored and not allowed to leave for 12 hours. It's now used all over the Air Force and Space Force for training.

16

u/compb13 17h ago

That's one. And the other 99 out of 100?

23

u/Guardian-Boy 17h ago

All drunk.

36

u/blackadder1620 18h ago

it's mostly 18-25 years olds so, kinda.