army
An essential guide to all things army; explore the intricate structure of units, troops, ranks and roles that work together to keep our borders safe.
Life After the Military
I was only eighteen when I enlisted in the United States Army. I decided to go army because Air Force took too long and I wasn’t ready to go to college. I was the first in my family to join, and the black sheep, as well. I was known to skip class and quite often disrupt class if I was present. Even though I skipped a grade in elementary, growing up with peers older than I made it easy for peer pressure to take over.
KAT AguilarPublished 6 years ago in Serve
I'm Sorry Baby
I put on my pants, I put on my shirt, I put on my jacket, and laced up my boots. I look into the corner of the room to see you holding our daughter with tears in your eyes. I pick up my bag and go to give my girls a kiss and say goodbye. You put your head down in sorrow not knowing if you'll ever see me again. Not knowing if that's the last kiss or the last goodbye. I signed up when I was young I didn't think nothing about it. I was told free school, nothing about war. As I go on my first mission, my blood starts pumping, I don't know what to expect. My unit and I hop on the plane and touch down at our destination. We all get set up and call it a night and get ready for action the next morning. As the night goes by all I can think about is my girls. As the sun comes up we get ready to go out on our mission. We load up the Hummv with all our gear. As we are driving down this dirt road, we all hear gun shoots. As I look around to see where the shots are coming from we hear a loud noise. We look forward to see the head hummv blown to pieces. I start to panic, I wasn't prepared for this. The driver started to panic, we were all new. We all thought we are just privates trying to make it home. We start to return fire as the driver tries to get us out of there. Then it all went dark. The last thing I could remember was hearing a loud noise. I woke up in the hospital with a nurse in the room. She walked up to me and told me not to panic. I called out the names of my battles and no reply. I asked the nurse who else survived. No reply, I just stopped and yelled it wasn't fair. What happened? What did they do? The nurse looked at me and with the softest voice told me that the hummv I was in got blown up. No one else survived. It was like the world had just stopped. The doctor walked into the room and looked me in the eye and said, "You won't survive so get ready to say your goodbyes."
Jakayla GilbertPublished 6 years ago in Serve
Army Spouse
Dear Reader, I am going to assume you found my article because you were searching every depth of the internet for more information on what to expect when your significant other heads to basic. Don’t worry, I did it too. It’s okay to be nervous and have 1,000 questions. This new lifestyle is a DRAMATIC change. Not only is it dramatic, but it’s extremely hard.
Jazz MariePublished 6 years ago in Serve
Being in Love With a U.S. Army Soldier
A lot of people think it is hard to date someone in the military, but truth be told, it's not. Yeah, they are closed off and don't talk about emotions, like other people. But what people don't know is that, when these military men and women go to basic, they aren't allowed to show emotion. They don't talk about feelings, they don't cry because it shows "weakness." Being in love with someone in the military isn't as hard as people think. Yes, there are obstacles to jump through. Staying home while they go to basic for 3 months, not being able to hear their voice or see their face. Waiting weeks on end for a letter, its hard, but it's only three months. AIT gets better because they do have their phones after they pass a test. So you do get to see them and call them, but the schedules are different, trying to get a 5 minute call in before she goes to work and he has his next class, waiting for that 5 minute call in the morning, even though it is 3:30 in the morning where she is.
Jasmine NicolePublished 6 years ago in Serve
A Comedy of Errors in the British Army UOTC, Part 5
Our next major training weekend with the WUOTC was back in the Brecon Beacons, in the middle of December. As this was in Wales you can imagine it was very cold, and very very wet.
Iain BakerPublished 6 years ago in Serve
A Comedy of Errors in the British Army UOTC, Part 4
A few more mid-week ‘training’ evenings came and went, where we were judged on our uniform and practiced yet more ‘delicious’ drills.
Iain BakerPublished 6 years ago in Serve
A Comedy of Errors in the British Army UOTC: Part 1
Some elements of the British armed forces are considered elite fighting units in the eyes of many. The SAS, the SBS, The Royal Marine Commandos, The Paras and The Cheshire Regiment are all highly regarded and have earned their formidable reputation.
Iain BakerPublished 6 years ago in Serve
How To Make It Through Basic Training as a Female
Women have just recently been able to join any branch in the military, which includes infantry. It's a huge step forward for women, but what does it really take to make it through the first step of becoming a soldier?
Amanda J. TreiblePublished 6 years ago in Serve
You're In the Army, Now!
Remember the old movies where the men joined the French Foreign Legion in order to forget? Well, I guess you could say she did the same when joining the Army. Her personal life was in an uproar from a break up to your place of employment for the last 4 years going, "Belly Up." In other words, she joined for all the wrong reasons but was determined to make the best of things. She was to go to AFEES, (Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Station) in Boston first, then travel by subway to the airport to catch a flight to lovely Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina. This was her first attempt at navigating the subway system and she was having difficulty. She would ask someone which line to take, not realizing she also had to know which direction the airport was in. She took the green line, got off and found she had traveled the wrong direction. After some time doing this, she eventually set her bags down and burst out crying, partially from sheer frustration. A man working for the T spoke to her and explained how to navigate the underground. At last, she arrived at the AFEES building. When she finished her business and was preparing for her flight, she made a stop at a restroom to use the facilities and to freshen up before her flight. At one point, she set her eyeglasses on top of the waste basket in order to wash her face when she watched them slip off the barrel and smash on the floor. "Great," she thought, just what I need, I am nearsighted meaning I can't see far away and now I am visually impaired. What a way to begin your enlistment. She boarded the plane and settled down to await her arrival.
Donna GilchrestPublished 6 years ago in Serve
What Are Army Rangers?
If you are a fan of Navy SEAL movies and similar things involving the military, you've probably heard a lot of different roles you can play in the US military. The truth is that there are many high-ranking military groups that just don't get the press that others do.
Cato ConroyPublished 6 years ago in Serve
How to Become an Army Recruiter
Army recruiters play a vital role in the grand scheme of protecting our country. These highly motivated men and women offer support and guidance to those civilians who are interested in enlisting.
- Top Story - September 2017
What to Know About the Army National Guard
A lot of us know alot about the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, Coast Guard, etc. But what about the Army National Guard? Most of us have heard of it before, but don't quite know enough about it. And, of course, we should know more about all of the armed forces who fight for our country and keep us safe.
Jacqueline HanikehPublished 6 years ago in Serve
