What was the most difficult time period during your time in the military?

2017-12-20T14:18:29-05:00

What was the most difficult time period for you during your time in the service? What made it so difficult? How did you get through it? If given the opportunity, would you approach it differently today?

Response by SPC David Willis made Dec 20 at 2017 2:27 PM

2017-12-20T14:27:22-05:00

Mine was probably going through a deployment with leadership that didn't give a shit about soldiers. My first deployment was great and our NCOs really cared, or at least acted like it. Second one soured my experience and made me hell bent on leaving. If I could do it over again, Id reenlist and take another duty station miss it like fucking crazy.

Response by TSgt James Lacey made Dec 20 at 2017 2:34 PM

2017-12-20T14:34:51-05:00

Mine was Germany in 1972. First Baeder-meinhoff was bombing US bases, then the israeli athletes including one US citizen were killed by terrorists at the 72 Olympics.

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Dec 20 at 2017 2:37 PM

2017-12-20T14:37:03-05:00

SGT Joseph Gunderson: My most difficult time in the Army, was when I was in the Ft. Lewis Army Hospital, and I was transitioning out of the Army. I was being discharged for a 100% s/c mental illness and for a 100% s/c stress disorder.
I have since gone on to become a professional photographer and the coach of six Facebook groups...I save lives in my Facebook groups.
MERRY AND A VERY PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS TO YOU, SERGEANT GUNDERSON! -Margaret

Response by SFC Christopher Taggart made Dec 20 at 2017 2:58 PM

2017-12-20T14:58:02-05:00

As with any assignments or deployments, IT’S the people that you work with, that make an assignment either difficult or enjoyable, whether you are in Washington DC or downrange. There were several people, some of them in command, that made my tours difficult to NO end! It’s like they woke up each morning and thought to themselves, ‘who’s life can I make difficult today…oh yeah, SFC Taggart!' Generally, I’ve worked with great people, unfortunately, I don’t keep in touch with any. The other part that was difficult for me, was leaving the military after 20+ years. I miss the benefits and steady paycheck…I haven’t gotten either one since leaving the military. My advice to anyone, don’t be so quick in leaving the military…yes, we might be a “dysfunctional Army family,” but we are family.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Dec 20 at 2017 2:59 PM

2017-12-20T14:59:15-05:00

My initial response would have been the ten months and fourteen days I spent as a rifleman in Vietnam,but truth be told it was the remaining fourteen months as an instructor at Ft.Polk and trying to impart some of my knowledge and experiences to give the trainees the best possible chance to make it back home,has always haunted me if I did enough

Response by LTC John Mohor made Dec 20 at 2017 3:19 PM

2017-12-20T15:19:47-05:00

I'd have to say the post Cold War Drawndown also know as the "PeaceDividend". When I was told I was being released from active duty due to no fault of my own and I had to go Cold turkey with no military until Reserves started in July. The way my former fellow Junior Officers, after I was named as the only winner in my battalion of the LT Retention board, treated me just wasn't right!

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Dec 20 at 2017 4:27 PM

2017-12-20T16:27:16-05:00

Probably the most difficult time period in the military was when my wife and I were going through some difficulties. I don't know if it was the betrayal that made it difficult or the thought of losing my daughter. I pretty much ended up staying in the barracks for a little while until my head was on straight. I don't know if it's possible to approach it any differently, because any other possibility removes my daughter from my life.

Response by SGT Russell Wickham made Dec 20 at 2017 8:50 PM

2017-12-20T20:50:39-05:00

When my driver was killed in an IED blast. I was helpless, furious, and broken. When we got done loading what was left of him on the bird to start him home, the BC said, "That sucked in every way possible." Don't see any other way of approaching it. I dealt with it during the deployment by working hard when I had work to do, and drowning my thoughts in computer games when I didn't. Saw a shrink when I got back, which was the best thing I did about it. Wish I had wasted a little less time playing computer.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Dec 20 at 2017 10:37 PM

2017-12-20T22:37:56-05:00

Recruiting sucked big time, actually any Stateside Duty

Response by SGT Neil Stevens made Dec 21 at 2017 4:16 PM

2017-12-21T16:16:54-05:00

9/11 was a pretty odd day. I woke up just in time to see the second tower get hit because I fell asleep with my TV on. No one in the barracks really knew exactly what to do and when we got to work no one knew what was going on either. It was shock mixed with rage and a scense of this is why I am here but how did we let this happen.

Response by SN James MacKay made Dec 21 at 2017 9:31 PM

2017-12-21T21:31:42-05:00

Without a doubt, it was my three days in the Reception Barracks, getting tested, examined, and yelled at constantly, waiting to be assigned to a Company. I was 17 and had never been away from home, and I was scared shit less. Boot camp settled things down, as I had a good CPO who was fair and even tempered. From then on, through Service School, and two years in the Fleet, it was smooth sailing.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 22 at 2017 4:47 AM

2017-12-22T04:47:37-05:00

Most of my deployment to Afghanistan. I worked in a TOC and there was a Contractor that worked in the building that simply destroyed my morale. She would interfere in Soldier business and interject her opinions and thoughts into other peoples conversations. She had this uncanny ability to twist situations to somehow be about her. And what's worse is my NCO at the time had no backbone to address it or at least mitigate it. I wish I had a time machine so I could go back with hindsight and handle a couple things differently.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Jan 16 at 2018 2:12 PM

2018-01-16T14:12:11-05:00

Leaving the service.

Response by CPT Stephanie Lincoln made Jan 16 at 2018 2:37 PM

2018-01-16T14:37:54-05:00

OCS. It was waaay harder than Basic Training. The way they made you second guess yourself but have to go forward with your decisions, the level of exhaustion then having to make command decisions, and also the butting heads with everyone in your class who also are "chiefs" and not very good followers.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 16 at 2018 3:07 PM

2018-01-16T15:07:27-05:00

The first year after my ex wife left me and filed for a divorce. It was an extremely ugly year for me.

Response by PO3 Scot Fahey made May 31 at 2020 4:24 PM

2020-05-31T16:24:41-04:00

Six years a few disappointments like spending 18 months in Virginia after 3 years at Pearl Harbor shipyard. Nothing truly difficult. Some inconveniences were expected sure. Nothing difficult.

Response by Sgt Dale Briggs made May 31 at 2020 6:39 PM

2020-05-31T18:39:32-04:00

Being short, short is dangerous because your about already gone, but you have responsibilities.

Response by CPO Blake Hart made May 31 at 2020 9:02 PM

2020-05-31T21:02:32-04:00

Probably my first deployment. CO and XO were DC types not really interested in caring about anyone. Very little people skills and looked down on you indifferent. I was an E-4 and never really felt a part of the team. The only thing saved me from wanting to get out was a couple E-5 and one E-6. I survived and after 10 years thing got better. The CO then retired years later and was brought up on federal charges when working a defense contract. I made 20 yrs but was happy to retire and move on.

Response by SPC Donn Sinclair made Jun 1 at 2020 9:26 AM

2020-06-01T09:26:10-04:00

While in-country, was assigned to Long Binh Jail for 3 months. Absolutely the worse duty I ever pulled. Only difference between us and them, we slept outside the joint. We were hugely outnumbered inside, if it ever got real, we were in trouble. Pretty much every day, had inmates tell me, "If I get the chance, I'll kill you." They didn't know me, I'd never laid eyes on them, didn't matter. Culture shock for a naive white kid from the suburbs.

Response by SSG Timothy Stevenson made Jun 1 at 2020 4:37 PM

2020-06-01T16:37:10-04:00

Sticking my head way down in a bottle after one too many deployments. A total of 10 did a job on me and lucky for me I had a MSG that pulled me aside and pushed me down the right path before I lost it all. I managed to retire but never would have made it without him, would I change it, not in a million years. I have much to offer others because of my experience and a beautiful wife who has been with me 12 1/2 years come Saturday.