Here's a story I posted six years ago. Seems appropriate today, a little music to accompany u/DittyBopper on his way to who knows where. Maybe he'll save me a seat.

But first, a little travelin' music for u/DittyBopper, compliments of Creedence Clearwater Revival: ["Fortunate Son"]

Fortunate Son

I've told somany stories about the Vietnam War, PTSD, the loony bin at the VA Hospital - so many things...

More Majorum (“After the manner of (our) ancestors”) is one of the Foreign Legion motto. I did not serve with the legion. I was “regular” French army. But I always liked the meaning that it carries.

My military calling was shaped by soldiers coming before me, and some who served along me. This post is not really a story, but a way to share with you some them.

It started with my own father. He did...

A little more than eight and a half years active duty has given me a lifetime of experiences and memories. I wish I’d have taken more pictures.

One of my old privates got out and went to Ukraine to fight. He was killed by Russian artillery. I’m proud of the man that I had the honor to serve with. I hope the service does his memory justice. If you drink, have a beer for him.

When you join, you...

AN: I wrote this for a manuscript and then cut it in the final round of edits. Maybe this sub is a good home for it?

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At the Pentagon in 2012, the senior-most enlisted Marine in my shop’s chain of command was MSgt Thomas.[1] I have yet to see one single Marine who knew him stop themselves from puckering their mouth in disgust. He was that kind of leader.

MSgt Thomas was a tall, bespectacled,...

There is a tradition of old NCOs who are leaving the service giving gear to the new NCOs who just graduated the NCO course in the Finnish military. As we have two annual intakes of conscripts and NCOs serve a year, the old ones leave just after the new ones graduate the course. They no longer need all sorts of military gear and related items and pass them on to those who need them. Many of the...

So, to preface this short story, I did my mandatory(ish) military service in the SAF(Swedish Armed Forces) from 2020-2021. Yes, I'm that young. In Sweden, the structure of military training nowadays differs from the US in the sense that we don't have Basic, and then separate schools in the MOS of your "choice." The SAF places you, the recruit in a platoon with which you will spend almost all of...

So this is one of my favorite memories from back in boot camp. It was second phase and we were going through the rifle range. Ah, to be an 18 year old lad again; who'd never handled anything larger than a .45, FINALLY able to utilize the extension of my corpus entrusted to me for the past month for its intended purpose, beyond bruising my shoulders during manual of arms when popping sticks.

Unfort...

Howdy gents,

Recently I had a chat with my dad on if he had any other stories to share. In his words, not really. During his time as a recon dude in the ČSLA (Czechoslovak People's Army), most of the stories I wrote here were the highlights. There was a time when he jumped into a farmers field by accident, was fussing with his chute and since he messed up the farmers wheat, he promptly chased him...

A long time ago, before my name was "sir" I was "RP2 Oofenheimer" in the Navy. So I know the importance of walking around, turning a wrench, and generally being around when I can. I was in the motorpool and a group of guys were joking around and one made the r/onejoke. "I identify as a green beret so I can grow my beard lol". I've tried to use our EO trainings to specifically call that kind of...

Reddit recently sent out surveys to a bunch of you as part of a new feedback program. I signed /r/MilitaryStoriesup for this so we could get a feel for things. I'm going to share some of the data, and address some of your concerns about rules and whatnot that you expressed. You may feel free to ask questions of anyone on the mod team here, or via PM if you don't want to talk to us here. All of...