18 Struggles All Privates Face

1) The never-ending foot pain.

Between breaking in the new boots and getting blisters on top of blisters, your feet are a lost cause.

2) The stressful search for grid squares and blinker fluid.

You’ll forever be looking for them, sitting right next to the chemlight batteries.

3) The realization that promotions work nothing like Hollywood said.

How did they go directly from Corporal to Captain…?

4) Watching civilians salute the wrong way.

Trust us, you don’t look cool with your left hand raised to your forehead.

5) Seeing that one kid thinking he’s hot stuff now that he’s enlisted.

Oh yeah, Guy? You really need to look like Rambo to post a selfie on Facebook?

6) Trigger happy basics.

“Playing with guns” is never an acceptable phrase.

7) The constant need to shave.

“Baby face” just isn’t the right look for you.

8) Losing your voice from yelling nonstop.

No one ever told you that you were signing up for a permanent case of laryngitis...

9) “Hurry up and wait.”

Dropping everything you’re doing at the blink of an eye to respond to a command, only to arrive and realize no one knows what is happening.

10) PT instructors straight from the underworld.

They took those Hollywood movies way too seriously...

11) The slabs of rock they like to call “beds”.

Seriously, were these intended to be coffee tables or what?

12) Figuring out how to get your bed to pass inspection.

How long can you tighten a shrunken blanket before committing yourself to the psych center…?

13) Getting the camo cream off your face.

Your face is starting to look like you’ve got some sort of strange, forest disease. Oh, and you look like a raccoon.

14) Getting lost on a constant basis during map & compass navigation.

Turns out, you’ve been walking in a complete circle for 45 minutes.

15) Using the bathroom after eating the food they give you.

No fiber? BIG problem...

16) Refraining from soiling your pants because you forgot to go before PT started.

And that ends up being a bigger struggle than getting through the workout.

17) Trying to explain all the ridiculous things you do to your civilian friends.

Blank stares or polite laughs are common reactions to the stories you tell.