US Army Asks How Serving Has Affected Veterans, Replies Are Brutally Honest

Army University Press

It’s hard to imagine what serving in the army is like unless you’ve experienced it first-hand, but some veterans have shed light on how it affected them in brutally honest tweets. 

Armies are always looking for new recruits, and a good way to get people interested is to have soldiers rave about the job.

Ideally, only the best parts would be promoted, but when the US Army created an open platform for veterans to tell stories of what it’s really like, former soldiers didn’t hold back.

The tweet that sparked the conversation included a video of a young man named Nathan Spencer, speaking about how the US Army had influenced his life:

Spencer had a lot of positive things to say about the service, explaining the army had given him the opportunity to give to others, protect the ones he loves and better himself as a man.

It’s certainly an encouraging video for anyone looking to become a new recruit and after sharing the post on Twitter, the US Army decided to see what else people had to say about the time they spent serving.

They tweeted:

How has serving impacted you?

However, not every story was as upbeat as Spencer’s and many veterans shared eye-opening responses, detailing exactly how life had changed for them after their time in the army.

One former soldier, named Drew Turner, spoke about the injuries he got while serving as well as the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) he experiences.

Pixabay

He responded:

Let’s see. Lost the functional use of a hand, developed a rare movement disorder and cancer both likely from burn pit exposure, enjoy sleeping 3 to 4 hours most nights due to nightmares and during the day random anxiety attacks all due to PTSD, 7 herniated discs, arthritis..

But at least serving showed me how f*cked our system truly is and helped guide me down the path to Socialism. So I can at least thank my service for one thing.

Another veteran also mentioned their PTSD, along with other long-lasting conditions.

They tweeted:

Smoking addiction, alcoholism, hearing damage, fractured rib, bad knees, PTSD, hate crowds. Bet y’all are gonna get this answer a lot.

A third veteran, named Mike Prysner, pointed out serving in the army continued to affect him even over a decade later.

He wrote:

I’ve had the same nightmare almost every night for the past 15 years.

While the responses might not have been quite what the US Army were expecting, it’s important to talk honestly about the ways serving can affect the lives of soldiers, even after their service comes to an end.

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to [email protected]. 

Emily Brown

Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.