*bro-fist*
I'm stuck in this dump for 9 months too.
3 more left now.
Best times of my life.
At hindsight, of course. But then again, the last 1½ years, being in coma might have been better.
Really?
It's been very tireing to me. I really don't get along with stereotypical male groups.
I like to do a good job, but that only has led to people poking fun of me all the time.
Only when I started doing it half-assed like everybody else, they gave me some peace.
I don't feel comfortable in doing so, but I value my mental health.
Well many still consider it a 'coming of age'-ritual. I guess it's supposed to teach you not to stand out and to embrace mediocrety...
This makes me sad.
@MetalMilitia:
Remember that there's always somebody you can talk to around here...
To me it felt like it was actually the most difficult to those people. They let it out that way. I dont think its a "coming of age ritual" but sure one learns social skills and working together with people. Standing out from the mediocrity will help you, as it does in the so called "real life". I got to see both sides of it as a green eared private and a sergeant, and as sergeant, the thing annoying me the very worst was the people doing things, like you said, half-assed, and the ones trying to be "manly" or "soldierly".
Theres a job, the job needs to be done and your team needs to ready for the next one after that, well rested. The types of people you mentioned have no real motivation, they cant work together with others. They just slow everything down, screw up, and they lower the us-spirit and cohesion of the team. To me the ideal soldier in the role and job I had him for would have been a social one with an open mind, as it helps to overcome possible physical restrictions.
If you read about the most successful military units, they have all been not necessarily well trained, but had a good team spirit and motivated people. This has been understood in most the worlds Navies as well: usually at seas, you only salute a higher ranked person once a day, and you dont need to call anyone a "sir".
Edit: also in Waffen-SS...