Man, oh man — Blog #18 is here! Welcome back.
Every month, thousands of people raise their right hand and enlist in the U.S. military across all four major branches. And the truth is, most of them have no real idea what they’re getting themselves into. They sign the dotted line without fully understanding what the next 4 to 6 years of their life will actually look like.
I believe it’s crucial to educate those who are willing to make that commitment — because knowledge is the ultimate life hack. The more you know before you ship out, the better prepared you’ll be for the challenges ahead. Being informed can mean the difference between surviving the experience and thriving in it.
So today, I want to talk about the things you have to know before I enlisted in the US military — the insights that would’ve helped me walk in more confident, more focused, and more ready.
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Let’s get into it.
Long days/short nights.
What do I mean by that?
Any job can test you in different ways, but I think one of the harshest realities is when you’re working long days, barely getting a few hours of sleep, only to wake up and do it all over again — for days or even weeks at a time.
The military isn’t like a civilian job where you can say “I’m done” and walk away. In the military, you don’t have that luxury. You do it because the mission depends on you — and sometimes, so do the people around you. As we all know, the U.S. military is powerful, and when global conflicts arise, we’ll get involved one way or another. That means extended hours, heightened alertness, and no real downtime, especially if you’re deployed.
A quick personal story:
During my deployment to Kuwait, some things went down in the world that instantly increased our workload. The pace picked up fast — back-to-back missions became the norm for two to three weeks straight. At first, you power through. But after a few days, your body goes into autopilot. You’re running on fumes, just cruising through the motions without even realizing what’s happening around you.
It’s the kind of exhaustion that doesn’t just wear on your body — it gets into your mind, your focus, and your sense of time. And unless someone has lived it, they truly can’t understand how that feels.
Missing out.
Everyone’s favorite time — holidays, birthdays, family gatherings… yeah, about those.
Be ready to miss them. Not every single one, but enough that it’ll start to feel normal. You can plan ahead, request leave, coordinate with family — and sometimes, it still won’t matter. Mission always comes first.
It’s one of the most overlooked sacrifices of military life. People think about the deployments, the training, the long hours — but they don’t always realize how often you’re just not there when it matters most back home. Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas morning, your kid’s birthday party, a close friend’s wedding — all happening without you.
I missed a lot over my 8 years.
Now that I’m out, I’m trying to catch up — to reconnect with family, to be present, to show up for the people I care about. But the truth is, some of that time is just gone. You don’t get those moments back.
It’s not something to scare you away from service — it’s just something to be ready for.
Don’t worry, the military will do their best to celebrate big holidays. Deployed or home station, leadership usually comes up with something to help those who can’t make it home for the holidays. Stay on the lookout for those!
Bonds.
Year after year, base after base, you start to realize something —
You’ve made some really good friends. The kind you’ll keep in touch with for the rest of your life, even if you’re thousands of miles apart. The military has a strange way of bringing the right people into your life at the exact moment you need them.
And you’ll also notice just how small the military world really is. Everybody knows everybody — or at least knows someone who knows someone. It’s weird, but it’s true. You’ll run into familiar faces at different bases, during deployments, or even years after separating. The military isn’t just connected by rank or job titles — it’s connected by experience.
The strongest bonds? They’re built in the toughest, dirtiest, and most stressful moments.
It’s when you and your team are deep in it — exhausted, frustrated, and pushed to your limits — that real brotherhood and trust form. Deployments, 12-hour shifts, BMT… those are the places that brought me closest to the people around me. Because when you’re all dealing with the same chaos— just shared struggle and mutual respect.
In those moments, you realize: we’re all in the same boat. And sometimes, that’s all you need to get through the day.
And what’s interesting is, those bonds don’t fade. Years after leaving the military, those are still the people you call when life gets heavy — because they get it. They were there. They earned their place in your story, and you earned yours in theirs.
Joining the military is a life-altering decision — one that comes with challenges, sacrifices, and moments that will test every part of who you are. But it also comes with purpose, growth, and lifelong connections.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the more prepared you are going in, the more successful you’ll be. Knowing what to expect doesn’t make the journey easier — but it makes it real. It grounds you. It gives you a better chance to navigate the hard days and appreciate the good ones.
I don’t regret my time in the military, but I do wish someone had sat me down and told me what I just told you. If you’re thinking about enlisting — or already on your way — take these lessons seriously. Your future self will thank you.
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Next Thursday’s post: “HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED”— keep an eye out for it.
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Thanks for being here and being part of the journey.
Very Respectfully,
Vlad Kalinin