No matter how much you convince them, there are some things your civilian friends will just never understand. It’s probably fair to say that anyone reading this must have a fair share of both civilian and military acquaintances. While the military personnel differ from your civilian friends in ways like you interact, relate, and treat general public, it will not always be the same case with your friends who never bore the responsibilities and bad haircuts of military service.
Believe me, you just feel in a whole new world with that haircut and discipline when you are around your civilian friends whereas, in the military, there is competition between you and your co-cadets for the best military haircut one can get.
So, to sum up the friendship of a military person, here are the 15 ways in which military buddies differ from civilian friends:
CIVILIAN FRINEDS: Will get angry when teacher/senior scolds them.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will be happy that you were with them at the time of punishment.
CIVILIAN FRIEND: Politely ignores any weight you gain after leaving active duty.
MILITARY FRIEND: Calls you “fat ass” and tries to talk you into starting a PT routine.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Gets offended on very minute and silly reasons.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Compete in ‘who gets offended first’.
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CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will tell you, “stop being a pussy and come on! That’s common here.”
CIVILIAN FRIEND: They will be grumpy if you need to call and chat at 3 am.
MILITARY FRIEND: Will have a brief panic attack before realizing you’re not calling because they’re late for PT.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: You spent most of the time with them with vanishing memories.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Met once in the training period and became lifetime buddies.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Borrow each other’s boot polish so often nobody remembers who bought it in the first place.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will wish you have had enough money to go out on that trip, and are sorry you couldn’t come.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will share their last rupee with you, drag you along, and try to work the rest on the way to that trip.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will give you their last cigarette.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will give you their last bullet during battle but never their last cigarette.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will listen to your relationship problems and hope it works out for you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will listen to you over a long hard road march, and will still remind you that you have a training session tomorrow.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you including the time you spend daily in the bathroom.
CIVILIAN FRIEND: Will get really personal and upset over losing to you in an argument.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will never argue with you. Because… they don’t need to!
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will tell you “They’d take a bullet for you.”
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will actually take a bullet for you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have shared a few experiences…
MILITARY FRIENDS: Have shared a lifetime of experiences no Civilian could ever dream of…
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are for a while.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Are for life and in times, for death too.
Complementary:
CIVILIAN FRINEDS: Will just read this and pass on with a smile.
MILITARY FRINEDS: Will share this with every friend.
Military buddies often develop unique bonds that set them apart from civilian friends due to the shared experiences and challenges they face in the military. Here are 15 ways military buddies are different from civilian friends:
- Shared Service: Military buddies have served together in the armed forces, creating a deep and immediate connection based on their shared commitment to duty.
- Shared Sacrifices: Military service often involves sacrifices like extended deployments, separation from family, and exposure to danger, leading to a profound understanding of each other’s sacrifices.
- Camaraderie: Military buddies have a strong sense of camaraderie and teamwork forged through rigorous training, deployments, and combat situations.
- Trust and Reliability: Trust is paramount in the military, and military buddies rely on each other in life-or-death situations, creating an unbreakable bond of trust and reliability.
- Code of Honor: The military instills a code of honor, duty, and discipline that military buddies share and uphold in their relationships.
- Unique Jargon: Military buddies often have their own unique language and jargon, making it challenging for civilians to fully understand their conversations.
- Insider Humor: Military humor often revolves around shared experiences and inside jokes that civilians may not find funny or understand.
- Instant Connection: Even if they haven’t seen each other for years, military buddies can reconnect as if no time has passed due to the depth of their shared experiences.
- Shared Trauma: Military service can be mentally and emotionally taxing, and military buddies may share a unique understanding of the trauma and stress they’ve endured.
- Brotherhood/Sisterhood: Military buddies often refer to each other as brothers or sisters, highlighting the familial bond that develops within the military community.
- Lifelong Friendships: Military friendships often last a lifetime, as the shared experiences create enduring connections.
- Support System: Military buddies provide emotional and practical support to one another, particularly during the challenging transition from military to civilian life.
- Global Network: Military service members are stationed all over the world, giving military buddies a global network of friends and connections.
- Shared Goals: In the military, everyone works toward a common mission and goal, reinforcing a sense of purpose and unity among military buddies.
- Respect for Rank and Hierarchy: Even outside of the military, military buddies may maintain a level of respect for rank and hierarchy, which can affect their interactions and decision-making.
While military buddies have a unique bond forged through their service, civilian friendships also have their own special qualities and can be just as meaningful. Military buddies often find that they can bridge the gap between their military and civilian friends by sharing their experiences and helping civilians understand their world better.
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