I don't think I'm gonna finish my contract with the US Army.

I say this as they post an article like this.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.military.com/daily-news/2025/03/07/army-losing-nearly-one-quarter-of-soldiers-first-2-years-of-enlistment.html%3famp

Jesus Christ, I had heard that the Army had an attrition rate(percentage of service members who don't complete their contract) of 40%, and although it's not that high, an attrition rate of almost 25% if fucking insane.

And to be honest? I don't blame people for wanting to get out. Some people just lose their reason to be in and they'll do things like pop a drug test or fail height and weight, and then get chaptered out.

But what happened to my reason to be here? Fucking AIT(Advanced Individual Training) and TRADOC(Training Doctrine). Being unable to go off base, going to bed at 7:00 pm so that I can get enough sleep because they made us form up at 5:00 am. The incessant amount of marching and singing cadences that we would do on our way to lunch. The absolutely asisine battle buddy system where you have to have someone with you to go to the PX, off-post, lunch, etc.

AIT pretty much ruined the Army for me. I cannot get any enjoyment out of doing this. I want to get out and do something different. I've lost all interest in doing anything military, and I would rather just go to college or even work food again, because I remember having a lot more fun then than compared to what I'm doing now.

I could just fail Height and Weight, fail a drug test, or fail the PT test, but I think I'm just gonna stick it out as long as I can. There's some medical things that are happening right now that I'm hoping to get resolved, including sleep issues, which could get me 40% disability if I am confirmed to have sleep apnea.

But do I want to be here? Not in the slightest. I'm just gonna milk the paycheck and hopefully build my portfolio while I'm in here.

If I get kicked out for failure to adapt? Oh well, you win some you lose some.

If I complete my contract? Sweet, I get the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the VA Home Loan, and Hazelwood Act which is basically another GI Bill that I get since I enlisted in Texas.

Either way, I'm pretty apathetic in regards to my current position in the Army.

If you can get out of the military do so as soon as you can.

KingDavid posted...

I cannot get any enjoyment out of doing this

I feel like you've completely misunderstood the entire point of the army.

How the fuck did you struggle with AIT lmao

Cacciato posted...

How the fuck did you struggle with AIT lmao

Because they treat you like a kid, and it is required that you have someone with you wherever you go. So sometimes I couldn't get food because no one else wanted to go and I would just starve.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

I feel like you've completely misunderstood the entire point of the army.

I understand what you're saying, but believe it or not there are some people who live for that Army life. I thought I would too, but AIT just sapped any enthusiasm that I had for this.

I don't know if they intend this but it sounds like you have to make someone go with you. If they don't want to go with you, tell them too bad I have to have someone with me, or keep asking until they do go

Damn_Underscore posted...

I don't know if they intend this but it sounds like you have to make someone go with you. If they don't want to go with you, tell them too bad I have to have someone with me, or keep asking until they do go

The absolutely intended this because people were incapable of not doing dumb shit.

And they would tell me too bad. We had 100 people in the company yet not one of them wanted to go get food.

They'd rather just play games and sleep in their room. No joke.

Even the Drills knew it was a problem. We had one Drill tell everyone that if someone orders Uber while someone needs someone to go get food, he would make us form up and watch the guy who ordered Uber eat his food.

While that didn't end up happening, it should still show how terrible being in AIT was.

I also know two people who got kicked out of the military on purpose because they were sick of the bullshit and wanted out.

Hell, I should've done it too. I was told that the main Army would be "better" than TRADOC, and while it is. It's not good enough to the point that I'd actually want to stay, or recommend anyone to join

How much time do you have left?

PMarth2002 posted...

How much time do you have left?

5 years...

What's the punishment for going to eat alone vs failing height and weight?

ZeldaMutant posted...

What's the punishment for going to eat alone vs failing height and weight?

If I went out to eat alone and I get caught, I could get counciled, and if that happens enough times I could get an Article 15.

Failing height and weight, I could get kicked out.

KingDavid posted...

5 years

I was thinking try and ride it out for the benefits if you've got a year or two, but 5 is rough. I figured out from military school and jrotc that even if I could qualify for the military, it wasn't for me

PMarth2002 posted...

I was thinking try and ride it out for the benefits if you've got a year or two, but 5 is rough. I figured out from military school and jrotc that even if I could qualify for the military, it wasn't for me

Imma ride out and milk the paycheck and benefits while I'm in, and if I get kicked out for some reason or another, then I'll just shrug and move on.

KingDavid posted...

Because they treat you like a kid

Are you surprised that the military doesn't want soldiers making independent decisions?

adjl posted...

Are you surprised that the military doesn't want soldiers making independent decisions?

No, but It wasn't just being treated like a kid that made me hate it. It's a multitude of things that accumulate.

PMarth2002 posted...

I was thinking try and ride it out for the benefits if you've got a year or two, but 5 is rough. I figured out from military school and jrotc that even if I could qualify for the military, it wasn't for me

What benefits lol the gov is taking away all veterans services

KingDavid posted...

Imma ride out and milk the paycheck and benefits while I'm in, and if I get kicked out for some reason or another, then I'll just shrug and move on.

VA is being dismantled. There are no veteran's benefits anymore.

VioletZer0 posted...

VA is being dismantled. There are no veteran's benefits anymore.

GI bill for college is useful, but, I've also heard complaints about not being able to retake classes at all.

KingDavid posted...

No, but It wasn't just being treated like a kid that made me hate it. It's a multitude of things that accumulate.

I did five years, and guess what, it doesn fuckin change. So your best way is to just save everyone the trouble and eat your way out now.

shadowsword87 posted...

GI bill for college is useful, but, I've also heard complaints about not being able to retake classes at all.

I heard the same thing, but I never had any trouble with it.

If being treated like a kid pissed you off I feel like joining specifically the Army was absolutely not the move. I've been told Air Force is better at treating it's members atleast semi decently.

Cruddy_horse posted...

If being treated like a kid pissed you off I feel like joining specifically the Army was absolutely not the move. I've been told Air Force is better at treating it's members atleast semi decently.

It wasn't primarily that that aggravated me, it was needing a battle-buddy to go get food or to go anywhere. It was so fucking annoying.

KingDavid posted...

5 years...

How long have you been in as it is?

PrettyBoyFloyd posted...

How long have you been in as it is?

Little over a year