What was the worst day you had in the military, and how did you/do you deal with it?

COL Charles Williams — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 00:17:53 -0500

Mine was 9 July 2006, During the Surge in Iraq... Too too many casualties... After an EFP strike on one of our Patrols that resulted in 1 KIA (The Squad Leader who was on his 4th deployment to OIF) and 2 WIA....

I can still remember arriving at the CSH, and talking to young MPs from his squad, probably all in their first year in the Army... and the one young MP still covered in blood, who had tried to save her Squad Leader. I remember pinning a Purple Heart on a severely wounded gunner from the M1151 before he was EVACd to Landsthuhl. I can still vividly remember all of us saluting at the helicopter as it lifted off for BIAP for the start of that Squad Leader's last ride home.

I am still not sure why this day was was worst than any other, as we took too many casualties... But this day and event was different... Perhaps it was the fact that that SL was so beloved, or voluntarily on his 4th deployment since 2001... or, because he had a wife and 5 kids, or perhaps it was the stunned looked on the squads face, especially the MP covered in blood.

For some reason, I remember that bad day more than many others...

Response by SGT Drew Clark made Jan 27 at 2017 12:35 AM

SGT Drew Clark — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 00:35:01 -0500

I got caught with liquor under age in the barracks in a Fucked Up room, SFC Dove, made me set my entire room up on the basketball court on Smoke Bomb Hill, and made my platoon clean my room. I learned the first step in teamwork that day. My worst days period, were when I'm the Example!

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 27 at 2017 12:39 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 00:39:57 -0500

COL Charles Williams I have had too many bad days in the military to rank as the worst. Anytime you have to bury one of your own and hand the flag to the widow, provide notification to the next of kin, or be on funeral detail for one of our own is a hard day. My old 1SG and I were talking before rehearsing for a funeral with our Soldiers and it came up of cry your eyes out tonight and reflect. Tomorrow you have to be perfect and hold it together for the family. After you get back in the car you can cry your eyes out again. Even if you do not know who we are laying to rest it takes a toll. We are here to talk, to listen, here is the chaplain's number. You can talk to anyone you want, just make sure you talk to someone. Those words remain with me as you will have flashbacks or memories and you just need to vent and release and reflect. So I handle it by talking to those who have served and did similar things because they know where I am coming from and are more likely to know ways to help me and I to help them.

Response by SSG Roger Ayscue made Jan 27 at 2017 12:43 AM

SSG Roger Ayscue — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 00:43:59 -0500

I guess the worst day I had in the US Army was the day that my First Sergeant called me in to his office and told me that they were going to give me one week to bury my daughter but that I had to go to NTC. "But you know Sergeant, it will help you with your grief." Yep Great guy that one, if I ever see him again, I got something for him.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 27 at 2017 1:07 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 01:07:55 -0500

Whew had a few, but one that stands out having to speak on behalf of a young soldier who slept with my best friend's wife- both my friend and the soldier was in my playoon. As an NCO I had to put on my big boy pants and do my duty to ensure the soldier was treated properly, while personally I wanted to choke him relentlessly. Needless to say, duty won, my fiend understood as he was a professional and the command got him out of the unit with haste.

Response by GySgt Bill Smith made Jan 27 at 2017 9:31 AM

GySgt Bill Smith — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 09:31:17 -0500

The day I had to radio in to the COC that there were 8 packs entering the wire when we left with 9 packs. *packs means personnel if you didn't already know.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 27 at 2017 9:52 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 09:52:50 -0500

Worst day for me was when I was stationed at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center on the Med/Surg Ward, the first Code Blue I had to work on, the patient didn't survive. It was my first death as a Medic.

Response by SFC Wade W. made Jan 27 at 2017 11:36 AM

SFC Wade W. — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 11:36:32 -0500

Too many to talk about but there were also many wonderful days to balance it all out. I do not shy away from the bad ones, though. They helped me become who I am today and I like where I am as a person. I hope everyone has someone they can lean on when the bad days become overwhelming.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jan 27 at 2017 11:45 AM

CAPT Kevin B. — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 11:45:19 -0500

The worst were the losses. First three were instant when a counter battery shell sent my EW rack into me and then blew in Sonar, taking out three I just had lunch with. Had two when I was an O-1. One was an E-4 who didn't show up for work in Antarctica. Went to his rack, found a picture of him and his wife with the wife's face cut out. Looked everywhere but didn't find him until 3 days later as a popsicle. Worse was my CPO who taught me many things. He got sick down on the ice. And then sicker. I was sobbing carrying him out to the 141 for medivac. He was gone shortly thereafter due to cancer. There were others, but the ones where you feel the most helpless are the ones that get to you a bit more.

So those early losses made me anal about force protection and the much too late suicide prevention stuff. It certainly reduced the number of bad days later on.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Jan 27 at 2017 1:31 PM

SN Greg Wright — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 13:31:15 -0500

Nothing that happened to me in my service is going to amount to much to warfighters who've seen combat. The one time I came close to buying the farm (along with roughly 6000 others) was when my ship, the Wichita, had the Enterprise and Long Beach alongside for an UNREP, and the Long Beach lost her rudder control and began drifting towards us. For those of you that don't know, during an UNREP, 2-3 ships are physically connected, transferring fuel or supplies, while moving at 12 knots or so. Point is, you can't just take off. She got to within probably 10 feet or so of us before we accomplished the emergency breakaway. With 10 nuclear reactors involved (8 on the Big E, 2 on the LB), tens of thousands of barrels of JP-5 and thousands of tons of ammo on my ship, a collision would have been...epic.

Response by SFC Pete Kain made Jan 27 at 2017 2:45 PM

SFC Pete Kain — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 14:45:39 -0500

Retirement, still dealing with it.

Response by Sgt Wayne Wood made Jan 27 at 2017 4:16 PM

Sgt Wayne Wood — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 16:16:10 -0500

Definitely waking up at Oak Knoll NRMC

Response by SSG Jessica Bautista made Jan 27 at 2017 8:41 PM

SSG Jessica Bautista — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 20:41:48 -0500

While deployed:
• Picking up pieces of people
• Being on-site after chlorine bomb blast
• First day deployed, IA soldier brought to the aid station with amputated leg and no tourniquet
• Having to pick up, bag, and transport a servicemember who committed suicide behind our aid station
• Having to remove a young soldier who committed suicide from a porta-john
• Being the default chaperone/witness for every sexual assault case. I'm very awkward, so I imagine I unintentionally made things worse
• Being sexually assaulted and the reactions of the people in my unit in the aftermath
• Marrying my second husband to deter my first husband. He was stalking me

In retrospect, that deployment sucked.

Response by PO3 Donald Murphy made Jan 27 at 2017 9:25 PM

PO3 Donald Murphy — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 21:25:04 -0500

Being medically retired. I did not want to get out. I had no plans to get out, took no courses, had no money saved, had no idea what I'd do or where I'd go. Not only that but the Navy's reasons for throwing me out were pretty vague and I really had no idea how "sick" I was or whether I'd be alive by the end of the year. Being a Yeoman (admin) I forced them to give me a medical board and I was assigned a Navy lawyer. I met him and he took the time to go over what I'd actually be getting care-wise, benefits, etc.

Response by CW4 Angel C. made Jan 27 at 2017 10:34 PM

CW4 Angel C. — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 22:34:58 -0500

So many but one of my top 10 was with 82nd ABN in JRTC early 90s in a cold a$$ rainy night in a foxhole full of water followed by MOPP level 4 for 4 hours. It was just the beginning of several days of misery.

Response by SPC Phil Norton made Jan 27 at 2017 11:00 PM

SPC Phil Norton — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 23:00:12 -0500

The day the Doc. said your usefulness as a soldier is up. Worst day ever I could no longer be a soldier. I'm still grieving I go to NG Armories an sit and smell. I also go to recruiting centers and bs with the guys I should say career centers now

Response by CW4 Angel C. made Jan 27 at 2017 11:30 PM

CW4 Angel C. — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 23:30:56 -0500

Here's another one of my top 10 worse days: my parts clerk shooting himself in the barracks. We had a few things in common and both had been in the same Iraq deployment just recently but he had a lot going on back home now. But now he worked for me. I knew he was going through some hardships so I talked to him briefly and thought he's a tough kid he'll pull through. Well unfortunately not. Even after the commander had a guard on him at the barracks He still managed to blow his brains that night. Kid was obviously suffering from PTSD and/or depression yet we couldn't help him. Didn't know. Weren't prepared. Kid didn't get a memorial. Nothing. No honor. No mourning. No respect for this war vet. He was labeled a coward end of story! But I always had a problem with it. So I secretly mourned him then and now secretly honor him in my own special way. RIP Cruz

Response by SCPO Jason McLaughlin made Jan 28 at 2017 1:42 PM

SCPO Jason McLaughlin — Sat, 28 Jan 2017 13:42:59 -0500

November 13, 2003. My cousin SPC Jacob S. Fletcher was killed in Iraq. I was onboard the USS KEARSARGE (LHD-3) doing ops off the coast of NC. I made it to the funeral.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Feb 5 at 2017 12:06 PM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 12:06:54 -0500

This sounds very self-centered considering the number of wounded warriors and other true heroes we have on active duty and veterans today, but my worst day was being passed over for Colonel. Here's my story.

It was 1990 (post-Vietnam Cold War era) and the O-6 board results came out. The J-3, a Major General, called me into his office and handed me a letter saying I had been passed over for promotion. He told me he was sorry and that he respected the work I had done for him and the Air Force. I thanked him and left the office. I talked with my Division Chief (a Colonel) for a couple of minutes and was granted the rest of the day on leave. I went home and told my wife. She was angry, not at me but at the "system". I was pretty upset, but decided to immediately look for civilian employment and retire as soon as I found a job. I knew I had not more than 15 months before the results of the next O-6 board came out and most likely I would be passed over a second time and forced to retire. I fired off resumes to all of the government contractors I knew. Also, I networked with recently retired officers and NCOs who might have a line on a job opening. (Remember this was pre-internet and pre-e-mail). I also looked into becoming an airline pilot. Taking immediate and direct action to change the vector of my life was my solution to being passed over. A government contractor interviewed me and made me a contingent offer based on their getting a new contract. I dropped my retirement papers. In August DESERT SHIELD started. The new J-3 asked me to pull my retirement papers and I did. As soon as DESERT STORM was over and the redeployment started I retired and took the job the company held open for me.