It was fucking awful.
Let’s start with recruit troop. Shithouse NCO didn’t like me (lucky me). It started with showers being turned on 2 mins before inspection (personal towel used to dry and this was lobbed into my personal locker space). This escalated to things like pubic hair torn out of his body to scatter into urinals just before inspection. Luckily I swapped squadrons shortly after for a different reason, but it didn’t stop him trying to kill me by wiring my iron incorrectly. Officer in charge flatly refused to entertain any idea someone would do such a thing (almost all officers are bellends!)
Not a violent man, but if I see this man again and recognise him…
Shortly after this, my Dad died. He’d been suffering with MND since I was 14 and we knew it was coming. I’d just turned 17 (birthday was a great life lesson. No cards (late) and no happy birthday. Nobody cares…) Got compassionate leave. Was given 6 days instead of 7 because day 7 was passing out parade.
As we approached camp (about ten miles away), snow started falling. Huge flakes, as big as old pennies. Started at 3pm. Next morning was crazy, like the snow we saw in the early 80s (was the worst snow they’d had for 30 years). Parade was held indoors. Couldn’t see mum, but that’s not unusual when marching about etc.
Turns out she was snowed in, three miles away. Landlord of the pub got mum into camp about an hour after it had all finished. I got told to report to the guard house. Mum was there, talking to the guard commander in tears. Apparently she was very upset (understandable given the last week she’d had) and wanted me home for another week. Guard commander then proceeds to shout in a strop at me because of my mother, because he couldn’t yell at her…
Went back to get some gear, but locker key was in my jacket that was awol with everyone else’s jacket and at the time, no one knew where they were. I had to open my locker via the rear. When I returned the following week, my shit had been raidied and I spent another year plus with blokes that stole my shit and showed it to me. Couldn’t prove it, but you know, don’t you…
This, combined with day to day bollocks and the rapid realisation that I was there for GOD. That’s gold, oil and drugs. Took me years to break my programming after leaving. So I bought myself out. Best money I ever spent (divorce comes close:D).
TL:DR Joined Army to do high end telecoms and ended up an unskilled dick on civvie street.
To wrap, I don’t like how the military uses people. Doesn’t matter if that’s someone who is homeless or someone who feels the world owes them for their services. It’s all the fault of the military.
