- Time away from family during deployments, training, schooling
- Takes a long time to go from the bottom to the top; it’s up to you to speed that up
- Too many meetings at senior levels
- Takes time and energy to learn and adjust to regulations, policies, and procedures
- Very extreme environmental conditions (training and combat)
- Austere conditions at times during deployments/missions
- Always on call, 24/7/365
- Personal life affects your military career. If you stay out of trouble this isn’t an issue
- Depending on your job (MOS), you will carry a ton of gear in your ruck, plus weapon, ammo etc. Can be hard on your body, but it also gets you in great shape
- Getting up early. There is truth in the saying that “we do more by 9 am than most people do all day”. This may be a Marine saying, not sure, but it applies in the Army too
- Tons of administration. Hard to explain, but it adds much more work and time, however, most of it is for a good reason, i.e., safety etc.
- Non-Standard working hours - many factors involved
- Hard leaving some assignments-move a lot. Can be especially hard on family. Good side of this is if you are somewhere you’re not too happy with, you will not be there that long. Single Soldiers often have shorter stays “assignments”, than married families, but again, many variables here too.
