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How about one on military friendship started in a training atmosphere? It had a major impact on my life and the lives of all soldier's. Friendship's formed in the military are unlike any other you'll find in the world. I guarantee it 100%.
Outside of the military I have found that my friends come and go more like an acquaintance. Due to the old rule people and their life styles change. But once you have formed a bond with someone in a military training setting it doesn't matter how they or their lifestyles change.
My friends I have made inside the military I would give my life for without thought, no ifs ands or buts just do it. I would take them anywhere they needed to go at a moment's notice. I would give them all I own without question. If something happened to them I would take their children into my home and raise them as my own and never think twice. I would let them take my children and raise them for me if something had ever happen to myself and my husband. I feel that they are more like family to me than my own family from which I was born.
My friends from outside of the military I would die for because my country asked me too. I would feel strange raising their children, instead I would hunt down a family member of theirs the raise their children.. I question them when they ask anything of me on the basis of what do they really want from me. My trust in them is highly limited. There is no way I could rest in peace if they had my children to raise because something had happened to me.
My true birth family, I always question their motives for everything. I refuse to take charge of their children because that would be to easy on them. I trust only my mother and father and I am the last on 8 children. My family members are sneaky, useless, and of no major concern to me. They refuse to contribute anything good to society. I have no use for lazy, disrespectful persons, whether family or not.
I have had some really memorable moments, where to begin. My funniest military moment.....let me think.....hummmmmm......I have had so many it is hard to pick just one so I will do a few in short form.
Well, through out the majority of basic training I had casts on both feet and had to wear size 13 rubber duck boots and during hand grenade training the instructor kept making me run and dive for cover just 'cause I looked so silly. Afterwards he wrote "Donald Duck" on my cavalar. (cavalar = hard hat/helmet) Yes, I refused to quit just because my feet were broke, that was my choice.
While in basic training my ex-husband to be, attempted to take my children off of me completely. The funny part was the reaction of my drill sergeant. He took it so personally. He tore apart one of our one and only classrooms while, I stood their laughing at him cause I could of sworn he lost his mind completely. Everybody came running and just watched in disbelief. They all swore that I did something to really piss him off.
One of my all time favourites is when my first sergeant spit his big wad of chewing tobacco on my boot. I was standing at parade rest in front of him when he did it. I looked down at my boot and up and him and informed him that I was not the average soldier and I would not stand for having to deal with his bodily fluids outside of a war setting. I informed him that he was expected to clean and polish my boots by the very next morning. I turned and walked away. Once returning to the barracks that evening I took my boots to his office and told him that I needed them by 5 am the next morning. Everybody thought I was nuts!!! No one as a private dares speak a higher rank like that! The next morning after physical training I returned to my bunk to find my boots highly polished sitting on the bottom of my bunk with a note stating that he would let me get away with this only once. hahahaha
Ok, enough funny stories. Let's more on to my sad story. I have only one. I mentioned earlier about my ex attempting to take my children away from me while I was in basic training well, he had gotten the court hearing scheduled for the day of graduation from basic training. I had allot of worries about loosing my children and then not being able to graduate with all the people I worked so hard with. Let me explain the true meaning of basic training graduation and what it truly means to soldier's. While in basic you see these people 24 hours a day in nothig but in uniform and in a high stress situations. Graduation means 1 - you made it! 2 - you finally get to leave post for 24 hours and do as you please instead of as your told! 3 - you finally get to see these people you've grown so close too in regular clothes. You get to really eat everything you have been craving for 8 weeks. You get to party and have true fun with people you have seen do nothing but eat, sleep, and train. The 24 hour pass after graduation is the one thing we all talk about all though out training. And I missed it. Instead I had to say my good-byes and leave the day before graduation. I instead sat in a court room fighting for my children. I should of been able to receive the glory and rewards of a job well done. Not that I do not love my children. This was my punishment from my ex-husband for leaving him and jioning the military. Which I had little choice at, he refused to pay child support so I did the one thing I had to do to prove for my children.
Ok, enough of the sad. Well, my most embarrassing moment was in the military but not in training. During my tour at the Pentagon I was pregnant. I parked my car in the parking lot and crossed the street, walk between 2 tour buses that were letting Korean tourists off to tour the Pentagon. I got in the middle of the tour group and my water broke! I was soaked from my waist to my feet in uniform! You know that every tourist had a damn camera right! Well, they were all taking pictures of me soak and wet as I screamed and yelled at them to get their damn camera's out of my face! In the end I had broken several camera's and was dragged from the crowd by the Pentagon police kicking and screaming. You know that was founf the next week in Korean news papers and on their tv news reports!
hahaha - it is funny now but boy it wasn't funny to me then! (alittle note - I had a bouncing baby boy! he was child # 4 and now I am a mother of 5 children in all. No I am not having anymore, I found out what cause's that problem.....lol)
I training you do everything together. Eat, sleep, shower, potty, encourage and support. All this is going on while you are rolling in mud and marching for miles and miles. Doing things that you never knew your body could do. (mentally and physically) It is a challange like no other you'll ever experience. I feel that everyone should have to go through military training. It gives you a respect and a sense of self worth that you'll get no where else. It truly changes you whole outlook on life. I now value every moment life has to offer. I take the time to smell the flowers because you never know when you'll have the chance again.
I hope you enjoyed my little bit of history. Take care and always follow your heart it will never let you down.

Donald Duck

Friendships formed in the military,
are unlike any other you'll find,
emotional bonds of the heart,
emotional ties of the mind.

For my friends in the military,
I would give my life without another thought,
it is simply the kind of devotion,
that takes 56 days to get taught.

It is parades at 5 am,
and it is crawling through the mud,
it is crying yourself to sleep at night,
it is seeing other peoples blood.

It is the collective hate that is formed,
as they spit on your polished boots,
and it is the sound of ripping up,
of what you thought of as your roots.

It is running for cover in size 13s,
and getting called Donald duck,
it is not freezing in action,
and becoming terror struck.

It is about choosing the army or a husband,
in the end not really a difficult pick,
lifelong friendship and camaraderie,
or being stuck with a useless prick !

Hello, my name is Billie Jean and I am ex-military. I was deeply touched by your poem about unknown soldier's. Have you ever visited the tomb of the unknown soldier? It is really a site to see. I was lucky to see it and to serve for our great country. I take nothing for granted and would give my life so my children can grow up in freedom. I wish you all the luck in the world. If you are ever asked to write a poem about a soldier's life and need to know in more depth what it is like please just ask me anything. I come from a long line of soldier's. My father served as a Marine during WWII, my brother in Vietnam, and a few sisters whom served after Vietnam. I have been out for 1 year now. I miss it dearly but I do have other responsibilities to deal with right now. I am still on the inactive reserve list to be called back at anytime. I think I will keep it like that until I can no longer full-fill the duties of soldier. You have wonderful talent. I shall come back and visit your site often. Take care. Billie Jean

Copyright Allen Jesson 1998