If You Have Any Questions

If you have any questions

I spent 3 years in the army and was stationed in Bavaria for that whole time. And I think it’s funny how military characters are portrayed in fiction 90% of the time. Half of that is unfamiliarity on the part of creators(no matter how many military consultants they bring on) and half of that is the front soldiers put on to civilians. A few things that might not have been made clear so far, in case anyone is writing characters who are or were soldiers and are looking for more insight: 

They’re not all hard-asses- mostly soldiers are just kids(the main age group the military advertises to and targets in recruitment) not unlike college kids. The difference is they have a 24 hour job and some handle it differently than others. Suicide and depression are huge issues in the military and once people leave. You spend a minimum of 3 years(unless booted or chaptered out for medical reasons) in a completely different world living by completely different rules. It’s jarring for some and sometimes 14 weeks of basic training, which is designed to basically indoctrinate you- break you down and build you back up again into what the military calls for, is not enough to get a kid suited for that kind of life. It’s not for everybody and unfortunately, some don’t find that out until it’s too late. You can’t just quit the Army obviously, so you have to spend 3 years in misery until you’re set loose(me).

Guys who have been in for 1-5 years are pretty normal, usually. A military base is pretty much a microcosm of regular society, except Monday through Friday, 0600 to 1700, we’re all doing jobs geared to one purpose. They’re not all consulate cardboard professionals. Soldiers like the same movies, they like the same video games, there’s nerds who play D&D or LARP on the weekend, there’s guys who do photography in their spare time for couples and families on base. A buddy of mine is in the process of getting his first novel(first in a fantasy series) published. I’m proud of you Davis! 

I can only say this about the Army because that’s where I was, but… The Army is filled with the gayest straight guys you’ll ever meet lmao. Seriously though, 70-80% of guys in the military, especially the younger ones who grew up in the late 90s to early 2000s, are hyper comfortable with their sexuality. Sometimes it goes overboard. I mean, we spent every day together at work, all day. We did a bunch of stupid, senseless shit together and complained about it together. On the weekends, in which we were cut loose, we all lived in the same barracks buildings and saw each other if we weren’t already hanging out anyways. I’ve seen some of the most homoerotic behavior in the military. Gay chicken was a thing. Two guys would lean in and kiss to see who would back out first. But when neither one is scared, gay chicken turns into two guys damn near making out, or taking a bite of food the other guy had in his teeth. We cuddled together in the cold during training exercises, jokingly held hands in morning formation just to get a reaction from our leadership(usually just for them to roll their eyes and ask if we were done). 

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