I’ve been home for just about four months now. I received my copy of the holy grail of military documents, known as the illustrious DD-214, on December 6, 2016.
The aforementioned are my discharge documents thereby releasing me from Active Duty, as I have fulfilled my obligation. The transition back to civilian life has been interesting, to say the least.
I’ve come home a different person than I was previously. This has led, sometimes, to very awkward interactions with both family and friends. People have tried to treat me the same way they did pre-Army and it has ended disastrously at times.
My relationship with my immediate family has suffered a bit. My interests and some of my beliefs have shifted in three years; as a result, there have been copious situations ending in arguments and, ultimately, differences of opinion.
Another issue I’m experiencing is that no one can really relate to me unless they were in the military themselves. I was in the Infantry and I was trained on how to kill the enemy, so to speak, and mastered multiple weapon systems in my training.
That is seemingly a reality too grim for some of my family members and friends. As a result, when the aforementioned group discusses their work lives, it is rare that I’m able to relate due to the vastly different skills I acquired in my training compared to the traditional jobs they pursued.
This is especially true in my family. Most of my family members have backgrounds in science-related endeavors or entrepreneurial pursuits. They just don’t have too much to say on the topic of shooting a Squad Automatic Weapon (M249) or an M4 carbine. They have no concept of battle drills even if I brief them on it endlessly. Through no fault of their own, they make vague and clichéd statements that anger me.
The ignorance of most civilians on most things military is a bit troublesome. Many people, it seems, believe everything they watch in movies and shows regarding the military.
The problem is these are not always very accurate depictions of that lifestyle. As a result, I’ll be talking to someone about my time in the Infantry and they will start telling me about some news report they watched or some article they read. Granted, that, in itself, is not a problem; however, soon they will go off on a tangent acting like they are subject matter experts even though they have not served a single day in uniform.
I don’t care what any other veteran says, but that is very irritating. I would not venture into someone else’s place of work and begin lecturing them on their job even though I truly know little to nothing about it just because I watched a news report or a documentary by some big-shot director.
I do not blame the masses though; this is especially true because I was probably even more ignorant than most about the military before I decided to enlist. I only know as much as I know now by going through the experience myself.
The two workplace environments are incredibly different. A civilian workplace is tame compared to the environment in an Infantry setting. Infantrymen, by nature, are very frank and honest with their dispositions. This rubs certain people the wrong way, so to speak. Most of us say exactly what is on our minds in all of its unfiltered glory. Our humor is dark and not too sweet, just like the coffee many of us drink.
We discuss the macabre and we often venture into inappropriate channels of comedy; everyone gives their two cents no matter how off-the-wall it may be. Many of the things we say and do are completely inappropriate in relation to the civilian sector. As a result, I’ve been on the tail-end of some dirty looks due to some jokes I’ve made that were deemed vulgar or too dark for someone to see the light of humor in them.
It may seem like I’m complaining; however, that is far from the truth. I am happy to be home around family and some of my closest friends. I like the idea of waking up early on my own volition rather than being forced to. The freedom to maneuver and do as I please is satisfying to say the least. It has become easier with time, has allowed me to see who my real friends are and learn to appreciate the small things. The Infantry will forever be an experience I reflect on even as I continue to age, and I am happy I went through it even though many thought I was crazy for doing so.
