[Steve Savage]

Yes, that is correct. I have found it. Hell on Earth does exist!

Being an INTJ and being in enlisted ranks in the military is a hard task to say the least. For most INTJs anything can be improved. In the military EVERYTHING needs to be improved, but your ideas and inputs are overlooked, invalid, and illogical in terms of the military. Yes! That is correct! If you have a logical solution to an existing dilemma, then someone with more rank will have a better and more logical solution that makes no logical sense! (Note that italics notes my sarcasm). I think that for most INTJs their idea of Hell is seeing a mess of illogical instances and structures, being told to shut up about it, and being powerless to fix it. AAAggghhhh!!! If one were to stay in for about twenty years to make enough rank to not have to deal with so much disorder or if one were to become an officer it wouldn't be as terrible, but I think honestly I would not like the raging jerk I would become from having to put up with inconsistent nonsense for so many years... Three years in and two more until I get out. Hopefully my brain doesn't explode by then

[FaveteLinguis]

Bahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

You've already been in quite awhile, so I really don't have much to say. About the most I could tell you is that yeah, lots of things in the military are pretty inconsistent, The two major factors being command, and size of the groups. If you ever get a chance, get into a small group, they usually have a better command.

Chin up, two years goes by quick.

[Steve Savage]

HA! I'm at a small command already. When people deploy they work practically triple the hours, but they also get a pay increase. Our command is forward-deployed and we support the deploying groups. Which means I've spent three years working the same deployment hours as the other guys, they get to go home after six to nine months, but we stay here working the same hours with no pay increase. It's a burnout job and a burnout command with hardly any compensation. I did the math and I could work triple shifts at Walmart working the same hours and make double my money. The medical is terrible, the housing is insufficent, and I have no worth or input. It's a nightmare for me! I would say at least eighty percent of everyone at our barracks are either alcoholics or severely depressed. It doesn't really matter what branch they're in either. It's all the same story. All of the officers I work with have it pretty sweet though. I should switch sides. Even with college the enlisted ranks are just looked at like indentured servants. There are a lot of positives, but I think that my personality just clashes with this lifestyle. It seems that other types have better times dealing with it. ESTJs and ENTJs excel like a mofo in the military. I think when I get mad and think things are unsalvageable I just discard it and say it's not worth the effort to deal with. I want something that is actually worth the effort to fix. I have an INTJ girlfriend in the military and she wants the opposite. She thinks if she can make rank or become an officer she can change things. I just think that the miltary is too traditional and has been around too long for any one tiny enlisted or low ranking officer to change. It will take too many years and too much effort to make it that high up in rank to make a difference. I don't want to have a heart attack from stress before then or have to become an angry extrovert to make it possible, lol

[Napoleptic]

There is no way I could get along in the military - I don't take kindly to people telling me what to do.

[Dralud]

Uh, pardon me, but I am in the Military and my dad was in the army (he is also a INTJ) and i find it quite logical. When something does not make sense, i usualy look at historical data and i find the cause. Yes, there are some parts wich are completely baffling, for example drill on a holiday, but usualy sucking it up works.
Now that i think about it, the difference in point of view may stem from being in different military branches and/or nationality.
I am in the Canadian Army, Ground Forces, Armoured Recon. You?

[Steve Savage]

There is no way I could get along in the military - I don't take kindly to people telling me what to do.

They don't tell you what to do. They make you their slave. It's not like having a boss that you can reason with or have a little wiggle room. It's a crushing and soul-sucking experience. They really should advocate the reality of what you sign up for when you join. I've seen other INTJs just rage out. Others just do their own program and deal with the consequences. The INTPs that I know have a hell of a time too. The ENTJs get introuble for mouthing off a lot of the time too, but they get respected and higher ups help them make rank faster because they see some type of "leadership" quality in them. Of course these are all generalizations, but the majority of types react the same way in most cases. There are a few exceptions...

[Napoleptic]

They don't tell you what to do. They make you their slave. It's not like having a boss that you can reason with or have a little wiggle room. It's a crushing and soul-sucking experience. They really should advocate the reality of what you sign up for when you join.

Thus why I would never even consider joining. And I can't imagine why people wouldn't realize what they were getting into, but yeah, they probably should.

[Steve Savage]

I am in the Canadian Army, Ground Forces, Armoured Recon. You?

I work Patrol and Recon. in the US NAVY... I must restate then it seems. IF the military worked the way it is required to work by rules or regulations then it would be ordered and a well-tuned system. It would make very much sense. Unfortunately it seems that everyone wants to run things by "word-of-mouth" policy rather than the official rules. I've tried even looking the regulations up and printing them out to show my higher-ups when they are not following regulations, but rank supercedes all it seems. It's not the military that is illogical, it's the people that make it illogical. I should have been more specific! My apologies.

[Falan]

Usually I only bother challenging orders under a new NCO. That's only to figure out if he/she actually has a reason for orders or if I think he's likely to get me killed. It doesn't have to be a good reason, just so long as there is some kind of brain in their head. Even "this is coming from the top" is better than "because I said so".

Had a Drill Sergeant in AIT that told everyone to form up in one hour because "My wife's cheating on me and I'm going to smoke you" This is not only a bad reason for smoking the company; it's entirely inappropriate. So I snuck out of the barracks before the appointed time and sat in the Burger King across the street watching the entire affair.

Mostly I keep my mouth shut and "hurry up and wait" which is fine with me because I'm basically being paid to think about things. Though I imagine the Guard gives a little more freedom in any case, you might consider looking into a transfer.

U.S. Army National Guard 68W

[Steve Savage]

you might consider looking into a transfer.

Well, the way I figure it is that if I must put forth the effort to learn a whole new branch's set of B.S. then I might as well get out and learn something that I enjoy or just stay in the branch that I'm in and suck it up, but that would be admitting defeat... and we all know that is not an option, lol.