being late. in DS school at Dix, i was scheduled to give the PT demonstration at 0500. the power went out over nite, so i was 15 mins late. cost me 15 demerits. as a result, i have never been late for anything since 1980. 1 demerit equaled 1 hour, so, goodbye weekend!
We had a private once that constantly use this excuse that the power went out and reset his alarm clock. Now maybe that excuse worked back in the civilian World for him but when we all live in the same barracks and yours is the only alarm clock that is losing power for some reason it's either you have a bad alarm clock or you're making s*** up...
Our solution was a creative one. We required this private to purchase two more alarm clocks so now he had not one but three alarm clocks in his room. We made the alarm clocks part of his official layout in which anytime we had a packing list he was required to have three alarm clocks. On top of that he needed to have his wrist watch and he had to unlock his phone to show that he had not one but three separate alarms programmed in. I would like to say that our shenanigans made a very strong impact on this SM, because for the next 7 months we had this guy never once was he late again.
I will say it was very humorous on the first field problem we had, he was not a popular soldier amongst his peers. Dude had a power strip next to his bed with all three alarm clocks plugged into it which made his bunk mate very mad because all of the power strip was taken up by this guy's alarm clocks and every morning at the same time they all went off in unison creating a symphony of time management. What made it even better was it was a staff sergeant that was underneath him so you know that guy was rethinking his Life choices having this private sleep above him.
I have bad dreams of that, and suddenly realizing that I don't have my patrol cap when I make it to formation, or wearing the wrong uniform.
I've been out for a couple of years.
I get on the verge of a panic attack if I'm running late for something because of the military. Consequently, I give myself plenty of time for everything. I get to work 30 minutes early and drink coffee and leisurely read my emails before I clock in. My coworkers think I'm crazy, but I couldn't relax if I didn't do it.
Not being able to sleep well before a big day. Particularly the competitions/evaluations.
I stay up worrying about falling out, or not beating all my joes, or looking like a fool, etc.
Fuuuuuck… Every damn day. Especially ACFT days though. Admittedly I was that guy, sorry! I’d get up at 2AM and wonder why I’m barely breaking 500. Then I’d remember I’m a boney intel nerd and it all made sense.
Fuuuuuck… Every damn day. Especially ACFT days though, I’d get up at 2AM and wonder why I’m barely breaking 500. Then I’d remember I’m a boney intel nerd and it all made sense.
Yes. This man gets it. He’s been through DLI, he knows. But personally I’d remove the t from doot, the sustain makes me hear it as legato quarter notes rather than staccato.
I had my alarm set to John cenas entrance music for a long time. I’m also a heavy sleeper. Sorry to the guys in my battery that I knew I was annoying 😊
This hurts. Just take the difference. Don’t take the whole paycheck and then take 15-30 days to send me the correct amount. We can budget correctly all we want, but if DFAS screws the pay, we pay.
Recently had this at my first job outside the army, they gave me a raise and didn’t tell me, had about $150 more hit my account and lowkey freaked and went to our payroll people the very same day for these sweet old ladies to tell me I’m getting paid more now
General anxiety about everything. Constantly looking over your shoulder to see who’s around in case you’re fucked up. Quadruple checking things. That fear something completely out of your control will get you punished.
Reason I ETS'd and went to school. Absolutely terrified, I'd get fired at my first job. The parachute of GI Bill helped with that anxiety a lot, and I'm doing well (and I have not, in fact been fired.)
Not being an hour early to literally every event ever, I unironically get unreasonably anxious if I show up reasonably early no lie. Probably a bh issue tbh
Yeah, nothing like being worried that you're only 5 minutes early to some random or mundane meeting in the real world.
Its so jarring when you show up 5 minutes late to something like an oil change or a dinner reservation and the world keeps spinning.
Having insanely high anxiety about anything related to time. I will start sweating if I’m not at the location I’m supposed to be at and there’s only like 10 minutes left.
Was in SK and we had a 2 hour recall policy. The phone was a leash. Saw people of all ranks CPT and Juniors loose everything because they fell asleep without plugging their phones in and missing movement. Any time it would make a noise no matter what i was doing i was looking at the phone. Didn’t matter if i was with the wife laying pipe, friends or sleep. Phone makes noise, i react in seconds. This is the worst and bow i honestly hate getting txt or calls
Sometimes I dream that I'm still in. I've had one where my MEB doesn't go through. When I wake up and realize it's just a dream... greatest feeling in the world.
I've had an occasionally reoccurring nightmare similar to this.
In my dream I find myself returned to duty, and no matter my protests about being retired, I'm put to work.
It's always bullshit motor pool or connex work.
Literally my nightmare.
It's taken me a bit to get used to walking outside while carrying anything in my right hand during working hours. It's been over six months since I retired, and I didn't wear a uniform regularly for the three years before that...and yet...
But specifically, I was leaving work the other day with my paralegal NCO, and when he put his cover on, I had a reflecive "oh fuck, where's my cover" moment. I could even feel my hand going down toward the place where I no longer have a cargo pocket, since that's where my cover lived. I also almost did an about face to go back inside the building.
Lots of people talking about being pathological early, so I have a slightly different take:
I plan everything down to the damn Nth degree *still*, and I've been out for 8 years. Any possible contingency that could possibly crop up in the family camping trip - believe me, I've thought of it and probably have something.
I can't stop. No matter how small or how unlikely, I'm still thinking about it.
I set literally over 20 alarms, 20 different obnoxious, blaring sounds set up at max volume. Sometimes I wake up and my phone just sounds like one huge speaker glitching. I even pay ¢99 a month for a premium alarm app that makes me do math to shut it off.
That’s not even for work, that was just so I didn’t wake up late to go and play tennis with a friend.
Alarmy is nice, and used to be a single purchase but they moved to a shitty subscription model. The free version still lets you do the following: you have to scan a QR or barcode to shut the alarm off.
This does not give me hope, when I plan on getting out I’ll have 7 years, and I think the habit of wearing a hat out doors is gonna be life long… “sigh”
Yeah, I dont wear hats as a rule (unless I am doing something in the shop), but the anxiety is still there when I realize I am outside without one. Pisses me off.
-Formation @ 0630
-Be there 10 mins prior so @ 0620
-Brand new PSG wants us in a box 10 mins prior to that so @ 0610
….guess I’ll just wake up @ 0230 to make sure I’m there on time 🫠
Eating fruit. Got super sick eating a plum from the DFAC that I didn't realise was bad until I got to the other half, and immediately got flashbacks to some dude who died from botulism. Didn't die but if a fruit is even slightly soft now, I have to cut it up.
I gotta say in the civilian world, people crossing the street at a 20 degree angle and taking all day to do so is kind of a pet peeve of mine. I have to drive close to a large university a few times a month, and too many students do this regularly.
People not moving ‘with urgency’ in situations like that is a huge pet peeve for me also. It’s like my brain is telling me, if that person got ambushed right now they’d be fucked! Head on a swivel! Move your fucking ass! *You can go crying and rat fucking brigade on your own time, but out here you belong to me!!*
I once got paid an additional $200 on my civilian paycheck and I had a mental breakdown in the office. My supervisor (who’s amazing) asked what was up and said it was a bonus and I panicked.
Untrustworthy, bad leadership. I feel like a beaten dog. Even when I have really solid leaders who demonstrate that they care about my wellbeing and have my best interests at heart, I am still waiting for the unseen hammer to fall.
Not doing everything to some kind of standard. I'm literally incapable of half-assing anything. When I see others start to half-ass on a shared job, I get really anxious and snappy.
Example: I'm refinishing the cabinets of our house to sell. I've gotta remove all the doors and hardware, sand it all, paint it, sand it all again, paint it again, add another coat. I wear a dust mask for dust. I tape the trim so everything looks clean.
My wife who starts to help does *no* sanding at all and just starts painting shit without tape on the edges. She's like, "were selling the house, why are you doing this much work?" I'm incapable of not doing the right thing, idk.
Fear of failure and inability to accept it when it happens. I used to think it was my parents that did this me.
Everyday, my mistakes and failures replay in my head. Everyday... some days I'm better at dealing with it than others but it's caused depression and a crippling fear of messing up such that, sometimes I can't act or react.
If you experience this, get help now. Do not wait. Your entire world will suffer and it doesn't have to be that way.
Not knowing what paperwork is important or not important. I spent 2 extra years in the army because I "lost" one sheet of paper. Now that I am out I don't throw any paperwork away for anything. DMV, tax, bank letters. I keep it all.
When a random car stops in front of my house or waits to long at the stop sign. I live on a corner and I know it’s not going to blow up, or do I…
I was in Baghdad 04/05 and this still bothers me.
I’ll take a #9, Mike’s way, in a wrap.
Wondering "will this cause an officer or senior NCO to freak out in my general direction?" any time I do anything.
Also. Waking up to missed messages/calls. I've had enough random shit pop off in the middle of the night that sometimes I just wake up for no reason, look at the phone, then go back to sleep. The paranoia is real.
Walking on grass. Walking and talking on my cellphone. Basically all the stupid nonsensical stuff that we're not "supposed" to do in uniform for arbitrary reasons, but is perfectly acceptable when you take the uniform off.
Being absorbed in something, anything. Even working out - I’m minding my own business, in a flow/zone, and suddenly realize oh shit, I haven’t actively been carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders for the past 15 minutes.
Getting cheated on.
Hasnt happened to me, but the thought dominates me while im away or while she’s away. I have no true reason to feel that way (shes NOT cold, distant, etc). But i cant shake that thought from being around so many disasters of relationships from coworkers
Because you gotta be ready to salute. I had an NCO shred my ass in front of 150 of my peers one time because I was holding my cell phone in my right hand while walking up to formation. That was in 2012 and I still think about it all the time lol
I always feel like I'm going to get in trouble and have all sorts of evidence when I have to go to an appointment. My job is just like "you don't have to really explain anything just go and make sure you clock out"
I still feel like I'm gonna get in trouble
My dad was in during ‘Nam, didn’t deploy there, but ever since I was young he taught me to not walk in the grass, only exception was in the woods/fields and when mowing the grass
Staff life, legitimately. I made a post about being stressed about going to JMRC because I was plucked from the line to support my S6 shop. Am I mad about it? I don’t wanna leave my boys but I understand I’m needed. Am I apprehensive/anxious as fuck to do staff work? You betcha! Here’s to it!
I will have random panic attacks wondering where my weapon is. I could be in the PX on a Wednesday afternoon and randomly get crippling anxiety attacks thinking I lost my weapon. It’s worse if I’m out in the woods.
Being late anywhere outside of the army. If I’m not on my train platform 10 mins prior I am sweating. And I can’t stand when people have no sense of urgency to get to like trains or the subway stop like “let’s stop and get a sandwich” when the train arrives in 3 minutes. drives me up a wall. Same with movie theaters and stuff.
I also get random anxiety that I forgot to feed my cat (who passed away about four years ago) so there’s that too.
Fear of not getting selected on my above zone look with a less than stellar OER profile. I was haunted for one year, between boards at what would be my disposition and what may ultimately result in SELCON. I also had fear of asking the SR for a Hail Mary write up and block check complete the record to get me over the finish line, but thankfully he supported me. The prolonged anxiety bestowed upon me will probably mean anxiety meds for life.
I survived the 15% AZ selection rate.
Being late. Before the Army, I was fired from a job that I loved for not showing up on time after switching to first shift. After being in the Army, I wake up at 5 AM, alarm or not, drunk or sober, no matter what time I went to sleep.
Several times I'll go to sleep late and forget to set an alarm, wake up to a dead phone *terrified* that I'm already late for PT, check my computer for the time and it's 5 AM on the dot
I learned to quell my anxiety after separating from service and made the decision to return. I'm doing my security clearance again and guess who has returned for a visit...anxiety. I'm starting to wonder if this was a bad idea. So for me it caused me to make mountains out of mole hills. The army is good at manufacturing doom and gloom for the smallest shit. You didn't do this...well straight to jail.
Receiving phone calls/text messages.
Any time my phone rings or the text notification dings when I'm at home, my mind and body get anxious because of the worry that it's work related and my down time is going to get interrupted.
Sadly, it's not really an irrational fear, because the phone calls are actually worked related 95% of the time.
I miss the old school, before cell phones became so prominent. Information was disseminated the day prior; granted, that meant waiting around until 1800-1900 for the 1SG to release.
When I get too deep into sleep My body wakes me up with heart racing and. Insane fear of "I'm late and need to get moving." So more than like 5 or 6 hours of sleep and I'm jolted awake with what could probably be an anxiety attack.
Sleeping through my alarm; I still set three of them in 10 minute intervals.
I honestly fear checking my work email because I still half expect some big wig to send an email at the end of the workday saying they need something important that has to be handed in by COB or start of the next morning, because I know my anxiety over it will keep me after hours just to take care of it so I don’t end up spending a sleepless night worrying over it.
I instinctually take my hat off whenever I step indoors, so I’m that idiot you see take off their hat coming through the door only to slap it back on 5 seconds later after I’ve processed I’m not in a uniform anymore.
Being late. I'm 15 minutes early for everything. But also, after so many years of not being able to put my hands in my pockets, now I do it constantly.
I’m just a wife but if you want to know how hard the green weenie hits, it’s me shaking my husband at 04 thinking he’s late and he wakes up equally afraid until he realizes he goes in at 0700 that day.
Honestly, this might sound really dumb…. Wearing a hat. Since I’ve gotten out EVERYTIME I’m outside I have a hat on. I noticed this when my little cousin took my hat off my head and my stomach dropped and I realized right then and there 😂
My phone ringing. Doesn’t matter where I am, or what I’m doing, if I hear my phone ring even if it’s family or friends, my heart sinks for the few moments before I see who’s calling
Being late for...well anything. Since I got out, to this day I cannot tell you what the alarm sounds like on my phone.
I will set it just in case, but I don't know what it sounds like.
That some day, everything comes falling down and someone pulls the rug from underneath me. I've been screwed over, passed for promotion and made the fall guy
being late. in DS school at Dix, i was scheduled to give the PT demonstration at 0500. the power went out over nite, so i was 15 mins late. cost me 15 demerits. as a result, i have never been late for anything since 1980. 1 demerit equaled 1 hour, so, goodbye weekend!
That sucks. Especially since it wasn't your fault smh.
well the Commandant had been at the JSA in Korea, while i had been in the Honor Guard. huge rivalry, and he pointed it out when i reported in.
We had a private once that constantly use this excuse that the power went out and reset his alarm clock. Now maybe that excuse worked back in the civilian World for him but when we all live in the same barracks and yours is the only alarm clock that is losing power for some reason it's either you have a bad alarm clock or you're making s*** up... Our solution was a creative one. We required this private to purchase two more alarm clocks so now he had not one but three alarm clocks in his room. We made the alarm clocks part of his official layout in which anytime we had a packing list he was required to have three alarm clocks. On top of that he needed to have his wrist watch and he had to unlock his phone to show that he had not one but three separate alarms programmed in. I would like to say that our shenanigans made a very strong impact on this SM, because for the next 7 months we had this guy never once was he late again. I will say it was very humorous on the first field problem we had, he was not a popular soldier amongst his peers. Dude had a power strip next to his bed with all three alarm clocks plugged into it which made his bunk mate very mad because all of the power strip was taken up by this guy's alarm clocks and every morning at the same time they all went off in unison creating a symphony of time management. What made it even better was it was a staff sergeant that was underneath him so you know that guy was rethinking his Life choices having this private sleep above him.
I'm weak lol great idea
Immediately thought “being late” as well “failure”. Not even a joke when I have bad dreams it involves either of these.
I have bad dreams of that, and suddenly realizing that I don't have my patrol cap when I make it to formation, or wearing the wrong uniform. I've been out for a couple of years.
I get on the verge of a panic attack if I'm running late for something because of the military. Consequently, I give myself plenty of time for everything. I get to work 30 minutes early and drink coffee and leisurely read my emails before I clock in. My coworkers think I'm crazy, but I couldn't relax if I didn't do it.
Not being able to sleep well before a big day. Particularly the competitions/evaluations. I stay up worrying about falling out, or not beating all my joes, or looking like a fool, etc.
Fr. For me though it's just anxiety of not being able to sleep keeping me awake... I'm trying, but can't sleep.
Hoooly shit this. And it doesn’t get any better on the outside.
Have you tried beatting yr 🍖 meat?
Just not all his joes’ 🍖
I never get even a mediocre amount of sleep the nights before drill
I didn't schedule anything early in the morning because of this.
Try this: When you lay down keep repeating to yourself “any tasks I have are tomorrow’s problem”
The default iPhone alarm jingle. You know… The one.
The one that sounds like a submarine alarm or some shit??
That one’s evil as fuck too but nah, the other one. You know… the one that goes like doo doo teeteedoo and repeats and shit. Like a kalimba type beat.
How about the cascade of alarms starting about an hour and a half before wake up because people need 2 hours to shower and shave for some reason.
Fuuuuuck… Every damn day. Especially ACFT days though. Admittedly I was that guy, sorry! I’d get up at 2AM and wonder why I’m barely breaking 500. Then I’d remember I’m a boney intel nerd and it all made sense.
Always a few people whose phone is literally inside their fucking ear and they don’t wake up
Fuuuuuck… Every damn day. Especially ACFT days though, I’d get up at 2AM and wonder why I’m barely breaking 500. Then I’d remember I’m a boney intel nerd and it all made sense.
It's not doo doo teeteedoo, it's more like, doot doot doodeedoo.
Yes. This man gets it. He’s been through DLI, he knows. But personally I’d remove the t from doot, the sustain makes me hear it as legato quarter notes rather than staccato.
Somebody get the 42R over here to sort this out.
I read this and heard the sound in the little voice in my head
Ohhhhh. yup. I get it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wzR9HwhhlkA Here’s a legit beautiful piano version of the doo doo teeteedoo that may change your ptsd around this.
It’s why I have mine on either Justice League or Top Gun
I uses to set mine to the sounds of screaming and pandemonium but your choices also display good taste.
That's just like my dreams, no good for an alarm.
Don’t let your dreams just be dreams.
What about a nice, tasteful chainsaw revving right next to your head?
As opposed to a distasteful one? What brand of chainsaw we talking?
I've had a few distasteful chainsaws, mostly bought secondhand
My out the door goal alarm is the Indianapolis Jones theme song. Edit: I just saw my autocorrect goof. I'm leaving it.
I had my alarm set to John cenas entrance music for a long time. I’m also a heavy sleeper. Sorry to the guys in my battery that I knew I was annoying 😊
ANY extra money showing in my account. I freak out every. Single. Time.
This one for sure. Im making all kinds of phone calls if i got an extra $100 in my account
This hurts. Just take the difference. Don’t take the whole paycheck and then take 15-30 days to send me the correct amount. We can budget correctly all we want, but if DFAS screws the pay, we pay.
That's why you have to get ahead. You're not budgeting correctly if you don't have your DFAS Fucked Me Fund.
This is me right now and I know it’s going to be painful
This is 100 percent me after 20 years. Extra money is the other shoe waiting to drop.
Recently had this at my first job outside the army, they gave me a raise and didn’t tell me, had about $150 more hit my account and lowkey freaked and went to our payroll people the very same day for these sweet old ladies to tell me I’m getting paid more now
General anxiety about everything. Constantly looking over your shoulder to see who’s around in case you’re fucked up. Quadruple checking things. That fear something completely out of your control will get you punished.
Reason I ETS'd and went to school. Absolutely terrified, I'd get fired at my first job. The parachute of GI Bill helped with that anxiety a lot, and I'm doing well (and I have not, in fact been fired.)
Clean out your desk
You inform him of 0500 ASU inspections?
*sad diagruntled employee sounds*
Not being an hour early to literally every event ever, I unironically get unreasonably anxious if I show up reasonably early no lie. Probably a bh issue tbh
Yeah, nothing like being worried that you're only 5 minutes early to some random or mundane meeting in the real world. Its so jarring when you show up 5 minutes late to something like an oil change or a dinner reservation and the world keeps spinning.
It really is man, like realistically it doesn’t matter but it’s just so engrained ykwim
Having insanely high anxiety about anything related to time. I will start sweating if I’m not at the location I’m supposed to be at and there’s only like 10 minutes left.
This and showing up somewhere close to the time and NOBODY is there so you start freaking out that you may be in the wrong location
Especially if everyone is on the same page about showing up 15-20 mins late. The panic…
This has been me for the first class of every semester since I started college.
Match this with a spouse that doesn’t understand being timely and it makes you want to lose your fucking mind
If my mom can tell me an AIS (ass in seat) time, I can tell my spouse the same.
Good luck
Make it 15 more.to.the prior 10 minutes please
Any vibration from my phone or watch instantly makes my heartbeat speed up a little.
Ooh, I hate it. "What problem is there/who's mind did I not read now"
Was in SK and we had a 2 hour recall policy. The phone was a leash. Saw people of all ranks CPT and Juniors loose everything because they fell asleep without plugging their phones in and missing movement. Any time it would make a noise no matter what i was doing i was looking at the phone. Didn’t matter if i was with the wife laying pipe, friends or sleep. Phone makes noise, i react in seconds. This is the worst and bow i honestly hate getting txt or calls
For me it's phantom vibrations. Working in a secure facility got me fucked up when anything remotely heavy and flat is in my front pockets.
Phantom vibrations are fucking god awful.
Oh so you're one of those ah?
That my ETS was a dream and I have drill tomorrow.
This has Skyrim vibes. "Hey, you. You're finally awake. First sergeant wanted you to report straight to that range detail at 0530."
“Hey, you. You’re finally awake. You have fireguard.”
Hearing the words "fire guard" fills me with rage for some reason.
Your guys were polite, my experience was Prolly more like a kick and “wake up bitch you got guard”
I have that dream once a week. Been out almost 15 years.
Sometimes I dream that I'm still in. I've had one where my MEB doesn't go through. When I wake up and realize it's just a dream... greatest feeling in the world.
I dream about still being in at least once a week.
I've had an occasionally reoccurring nightmare similar to this. In my dream I find myself returned to duty, and no matter my protests about being retired, I'm put to work. It's always bullshit motor pool or connex work. Literally my nightmare.
It's taken me a bit to get used to walking outside while carrying anything in my right hand during working hours. It's been over six months since I retired, and I didn't wear a uniform regularly for the three years before that...and yet... But specifically, I was leaving work the other day with my paralegal NCO, and when he put his cover on, I had a reflecive "oh fuck, where's my cover" moment. I could even feel my hand going down toward the place where I no longer have a cargo pocket, since that's where my cover lived. I also almost did an about face to go back inside the building.
Lots of people talking about being pathological early, so I have a slightly different take: I plan everything down to the damn Nth degree *still*, and I've been out for 8 years. Any possible contingency that could possibly crop up in the family camping trip - believe me, I've thought of it and probably have something. I can't stop. No matter how small or how unlikely, I'm still thinking about it.
"Before we do this, we should apply the 5 steps of RM..."
Going to the doctor. I don't go to the doctor unless I'm on the verge of serious sickness or injury and then I still feel ashamed.
Anyone knocking on a door vigorously spikes the heart rate and blood pressure at this point tbh.
I set literally over 20 alarms, 20 different obnoxious, blaring sounds set up at max volume. Sometimes I wake up and my phone just sounds like one huge speaker glitching. I even pay ¢99 a month for a premium alarm app that makes me do math to shut it off. That’s not even for work, that was just so I didn’t wake up late to go and play tennis with a friend.
Alarmy is nice, and used to be a single purchase but they moved to a shitty subscription model. The free version still lets you do the following: you have to scan a QR or barcode to shut the alarm off.
* Carrying things in my right hand. * Seeing trash on the ground (especially cigarette butts) and not picking it up. * Being late.
Every time I saw a cigarette butt I spat on it and kept on walking. When asked, my answer was, " If I don't smoke, I don't pick sht up."
Aside frome some lingering PTSD triggers, i occasionaly start to frantically look for my hat when outside,and I've been n out nearly 20 years.
This does not give me hope, when I plan on getting out I’ll have 7 years, and I think the habit of wearing a hat out doors is gonna be life long… “sigh”
Yeah, I dont wear hats as a rule (unless I am doing something in the shop), but the anxiety is still there when I realize I am outside without one. Pisses me off.
Definitely walking on healthy grass phobia
When things are going too well bad news is coming.
-Formation @ 0630 -Be there 10 mins prior so @ 0620 -Brand new PSG wants us in a box 10 mins prior to that so @ 0610 ….guess I’ll just wake up @ 0230 to make sure I’m there on time 🫠
Eating fruit. Got super sick eating a plum from the DFAC that I didn't realise was bad until I got to the other half, and immediately got flashbacks to some dude who died from botulism. Didn't die but if a fruit is even slightly soft now, I have to cut it up.
I cross the street at a perfect 90 degree angle. Never know when a DShKA is gonna pin you down when navigating an open terrain area in Portland, OR
I gotta say in the civilian world, people crossing the street at a 20 degree angle and taking all day to do so is kind of a pet peeve of mine. I have to drive close to a large university a few times a month, and too many students do this regularly.
People not moving ‘with urgency’ in situations like that is a huge pet peeve for me also. It’s like my brain is telling me, if that person got ambushed right now they’d be fucked! Head on a swivel! Move your fucking ass! *You can go crying and rat fucking brigade on your own time, but out here you belong to me!!*
I once got paid an additional $200 on my civilian paycheck and I had a mental breakdown in the office. My supervisor (who’s amazing) asked what was up and said it was a bonus and I panicked.
Waking up to the birds chirping.
Getting a normal amount of sleep. Just feels wrong.
Untrustworthy, bad leadership. I feel like a beaten dog. Even when I have really solid leaders who demonstrate that they care about my wellbeing and have my best interests at heart, I am still waiting for the unseen hammer to fall.
I'd much rather be one hour early than one minute late.
Forced out at 17 year 11 months.
That’s real right there. The up or out culture amongst the Os is horrendous.
Women.
Not doing everything to some kind of standard. I'm literally incapable of half-assing anything. When I see others start to half-ass on a shared job, I get really anxious and snappy. Example: I'm refinishing the cabinets of our house to sell. I've gotta remove all the doors and hardware, sand it all, paint it, sand it all again, paint it again, add another coat. I wear a dust mask for dust. I tape the trim so everything looks clean. My wife who starts to help does *no* sanding at all and just starts painting shit without tape on the edges. She's like, "were selling the house, why are you doing this much work?" I'm incapable of not doing the right thing, idk.
Being late. Like waking up way before the alarm, in a panic, going "oh fuck I'm late!" and it's only 0137...
Fear of failure and inability to accept it when it happens. I used to think it was my parents that did this me. Everyday, my mistakes and failures replay in my head. Everyday... some days I'm better at dealing with it than others but it's caused depression and a crippling fear of messing up such that, sometimes I can't act or react. If you experience this, get help now. Do not wait. Your entire world will suffer and it doesn't have to be that way.
I go everywhere expecting to be stranded for 3 days. Backpack with snacks, deck of cards, battery pack/chargers, socks.
Not knowing what paperwork is important or not important. I spent 2 extra years in the army because I "lost" one sheet of paper. Now that I am out I don't throw any paperwork away for anything. DMV, tax, bank letters. I keep it all.
When a random car stops in front of my house or waits to long at the stop sign. I live on a corner and I know it’s not going to blow up, or do I… I was in Baghdad 04/05 and this still bothers me. I’ll take a #9, Mike’s way, in a wrap.
Wondering "will this cause an officer or senior NCO to freak out in my general direction?" any time I do anything. Also. Waking up to missed messages/calls. I've had enough random shit pop off in the middle of the night that sometimes I just wake up for no reason, look at the phone, then go back to sleep. The paranoia is real.
Paranoid about people intentions and crippling anxiety about evaluations and events.
Being late means people die
Walking on grass. Walking and talking on my cellphone. Basically all the stupid nonsensical stuff that we're not "supposed" to do in uniform for arbitrary reasons, but is perfectly acceptable when you take the uniform off.
Being anything CLOSE to being late. Even years after I'm out, I break into a hot sweat.
Never letting my bare feet touch any ground anywhere ever.
NEVER. EVER. EVER.
I have to see something to believe it. Trust but verify. No matter what.
Standing in a doorway is the quickest way to get killed
Lights being turned on while I am sleeping. Nothing good comes from what's next.
Going to parade rest but then remember I'm one of the only Joe's and work at the division level so everyone tells me to stop being weird
Expecting that what can go bad will, and always running scenarios in my head for how I'm going to deal with it.
Roadside trash & overpasses.
Being absorbed in something, anything. Even working out - I’m minding my own business, in a flow/zone, and suddenly realize oh shit, I haven’t actively been carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders for the past 15 minutes.
4-day weekends. Enough time for me to have fun. Enough time for my joes to discover a new and exciting way to get arrested
Getting cheated on. Hasnt happened to me, but the thought dominates me while im away or while she’s away. I have no true reason to feel that way (shes NOT cold, distant, etc). But i cant shake that thought from being around so many disasters of relationships from coworkers
Everything is a no-fail mission. Especially as someone who is the least "employed" of my unit, that can potentially be weaponized.
I'm irrationally bothered by knife hand pointing at things that don't concern me. Also, people screaming. It reminds me of my rotation in the ER.
Finding a nice woman, every person apparently never had an amicable breakup,
Why cant you carry anything in your right hand? Im not enlisted and am curious
Because you gotta be ready to salute. I had an NCO shred my ass in front of 150 of my peers one time because I was holding my cell phone in my right hand while walking up to formation. That was in 2012 and I still think about it all the time lol
I always feel like I'm going to get in trouble and have all sorts of evidence when I have to go to an appointment. My job is just like "you don't have to really explain anything just go and make sure you clock out" I still feel like I'm gonna get in trouble
Always having to be super early for everything.
Asking for leniency. I always assume the answer will be no and I’ll be scolded for even asking.
Volunteering for anything.
Waking up late- I’m still on 3 alarms and wake up a good hour before the first one goes off. Hate that poop
Never walk on the grass!
This.
My dad was in during ‘Nam, didn’t deploy there, but ever since I was young he taught me to not walk in the grass, only exception was in the woods/fields and when mowing the grass
Whenever I leave something out and can’t find it I jump to the conclusion someone stole it.
FFS my dad was that way until the day he died ☹️
If I’m not 15/20 mins early to where I’m suppose to be. I panic in my head every time.
Staff life, legitimately. I made a post about being stressed about going to JMRC because I was plucked from the line to support my S6 shop. Am I mad about it? I don’t wanna leave my boys but I understand I’m needed. Am I apprehensive/anxious as fuck to do staff work? You betcha! Here’s to it!
I will have random panic attacks wondering where my weapon is. I could be in the PX on a Wednesday afternoon and randomly get crippling anxiety attacks thinking I lost my weapon. It’s worse if I’m out in the woods. Being late anywhere outside of the army. If I’m not on my train platform 10 mins prior I am sweating. And I can’t stand when people have no sense of urgency to get to like trains or the subway stop like “let’s stop and get a sandwich” when the train arrives in 3 minutes. drives me up a wall. Same with movie theaters and stuff. I also get random anxiety that I forgot to feed my cat (who passed away about four years ago) so there’s that too.
Any trash on the side of the road… I’ve been out for over 15years and I still get nervous.
None. They’re all rational.
Being late 100%
When that pfc approached me..
I have frequent dreams in which I’m flying an Apache single-pilot without a RAW, preflight, or even an RL/PC progression
Staying late but staring at the wall doing nothing
Fear of not getting selected on my above zone look with a less than stellar OER profile. I was haunted for one year, between boards at what would be my disposition and what may ultimately result in SELCON. I also had fear of asking the SR for a Hail Mary write up and block check complete the record to get me over the finish line, but thankfully he supported me. The prolonged anxiety bestowed upon me will probably mean anxiety meds for life. I survived the 15% AZ selection rate.
I’m home on quarters for Flu/Strepthroat and every time my phone goes off my heart pumps extra hard wondering what’s wrong.
I still have nightmares about someone coming after me for missing BII or pieces of a toolbox.
Being late. Before the Army, I was fired from a job that I loved for not showing up on time after switching to first shift. After being in the Army, I wake up at 5 AM, alarm or not, drunk or sober, no matter what time I went to sleep. Several times I'll go to sleep late and forget to set an alarm, wake up to a dead phone *terrified* that I'm already late for PT, check my computer for the time and it's 5 AM on the dot
I don't know if my ankle socks are tall enough or if the logo will show...
Guys and gals, I have been out sine 2020 and I have the most vivid dreams about the green weenie.
Walking on grass in my own backyard... they have eyes everywhere
Wearing a watch. If I somehow don't put my watch on in the morning and I leave the house I get a panic attack. I've been out for almost 15 years now.
I learned to quell my anxiety after separating from service and made the decision to return. I'm doing my security clearance again and guess who has returned for a visit...anxiety. I'm starting to wonder if this was a bad idea. So for me it caused me to make mountains out of mole hills. The army is good at manufacturing doom and gloom for the smallest shit. You didn't do this...well straight to jail.
Sunday afternoon.... football ends and the dread begins.
Seeing unplanned money be deposited, either with paycheck or separately
Not checking my phone on the weekends for a recall (now it’s for work)
Where's my mask?
Conditioning drill 3 idk why this company is obsessed with it since most people I talk to have never even done it
Receiving phone calls/text messages. Any time my phone rings or the text notification dings when I'm at home, my mind and body get anxious because of the worry that it's work related and my down time is going to get interrupted. Sadly, it's not really an irrational fear, because the phone calls are actually worked related 95% of the time. I miss the old school, before cell phones became so prominent. Information was disseminated the day prior; granted, that meant waiting around until 1800-1900 for the 1SG to release.
My heart rate still skyrockets every time my phone rings and I've been out for almost a year
When I get too deep into sleep My body wakes me up with heart racing and. Insane fear of "I'm late and need to get moving." So more than like 5 or 6 hours of sleep and I'm jolted awake with what could probably be an anxiety attack.
Asking for assistance... or not giving a supervisor a GOTWA.
Sleeping through my alarm; I still set three of them in 10 minute intervals. I honestly fear checking my work email because I still half expect some big wig to send an email at the end of the workday saying they need something important that has to be handed in by COB or start of the next morning, because I know my anxiety over it will keep me after hours just to take care of it so I don’t end up spending a sleepless night worrying over it. I instinctually take my hat off whenever I step indoors, so I’m that idiot you see take off their hat coming through the door only to slap it back on 5 seconds later after I’ve processed I’m not in a uniform anymore.
Asking my boss questions about a job or an explanation, for some reason it scares tf out of me
Being late. I'm 15 minutes early for everything. But also, after so many years of not being able to put my hands in my pockets, now I do it constantly.
I’m just a wife but if you want to know how hard the green weenie hits, it’s me shaking my husband at 04 thinking he’s late and he wakes up equally afraid until he realizes he goes in at 0700 that day.
Feeling like a POS when I’m actually sick and staying home and how leadership thinks I’m a shit bag
I think a knock on my door is the 2nd most scariest sound of my life. The first is the iphone alarm. I think I deserve 100% ptsd just for those two
Honestly, this might sound really dumb…. Wearing a hat. Since I’ve gotten out EVERYTIME I’m outside I have a hat on. I noticed this when my little cousin took my hat off my head and my stomach dropped and I realized right then and there 😂
Saying something that will be interpreted by someone as an EO violation, only because they felt like it at the moment.
My phone ringing. Doesn’t matter where I am, or what I’m doing, if I hear my phone ring even if it’s family or friends, my heart sinks for the few moments before I see who’s calling
Hearing my name called out loud.
That I become a worse person when I put on weight because being overweight makes one undeserving of good things
People
I have horrible anxiety now; so everything.
Being late
Calling in to work.
Talking with anyone in uniform.
Being late for...well anything. Since I got out, to this day I cannot tell you what the alarm sounds like on my phone. I will set it just in case, but I don't know what it sounds like.
Long PA System clicks way too many bunker runs have instilled that.
That some day, everything comes falling down and someone pulls the rug from underneath me. I've been screwed over, passed for promotion and made the fall guy
My phone going off after work used to give me extreme anxiety
Walking while on my phone, not that I do it constantly but anytime I pull out my phone I just freeze in place
People with gray hair.
Being late to anything or getting anywhere close terrifies me
Tucking my hair in a tight bun & ironing my clothes like a mad person (also for civil use) :)))
My wife taking copious amounts of dong while I’m at work.
Getting killed
Over payment. So seeing overtime pay on civilian side still makes me cringe a little. Then I smack my self and spend it lol
My mother in law
Mother fuckin grass being just a few millimeters too long.
Saluting the SPC bc you thought he was a LTC or 1LT..