Thanks for watching, I've enjoyed doing these talks with Syrmor. And, I appreciated all the thoughtful comments people gave me two years ago when that video initially came out, it helped me put into perspective some things that I might've struggled with longer without that kind of mass input. I'll be honest, that video was a spur of the moment thing that I reached out to Syrmor to do without really thinking to hard on, but I can't begin to tell you how much good it has done for me by getting something that was previously eating me up out into the world for better or worse. I feel bad, as not everyone gets the opportunity or platform to do the same, but it's important sometimes to get other people's perspective on things we often want to hide the most (whether that be in ways like I did through the internet or probably way more healthy with someone you trust), and that's one of my biggest take aways from this whole thing. I'll leave it there, and say that I hope you have a great day.
i hope things are getting better, and i hope you can return to some sort of sense of "normal" in your sleep and stuff. take care of yourself. seriously, that's priority 1 man.
Well said bro. Nobody said life was going to be easy, and we are the dumbass' who chose to make it harder by joining the military. I met guys who did 20 years, made rank and really never did a damn thing in their career. I knew a guy who was blow up on his second day in Iraq, fresh out of boot. You just never know. The important thing, is to just never quit, never stop. Do what's good for YOU, and always remember, someone out there is having a much worse time than you, so actually, it's never that bad. Glad this helped you out and made you change your way of thinking. And for the record, I formally remove you from being a POG.
I'm glad you and the other guy enjoyed talking about your experience but as far as interesting, educating and entertaining, the first video was much much better. Glad you're feeling better all the same.
Hey man, thanks for this. I loved the bit at the end where you said “If you want help you have to buy it with your rights”. I wanted to just put it out there that if you feel that way you aren’t alone. It felt so incredibly validating hearing you say that, and I’m sure other people feel the same way and have a hard time putting words to the thought. Thank you for your words.
Woobies are wonderful. I spent a night in Korea somehow separated from my gear, but somehow had my woobie and slept in a truck with the windows down of course, with just a woobie to keep warm. I woke up every hour or two to wiggle my toes and make sure they were all present and accounted for, and it went just fine. There are two versions which might cause some confusion. There's the field jacket liner, and the poncho liner. The field jacket liner has sleeves. The poncho liner is just a large square. Both made of Woobium(tm) which is Really Warm Shit(tm).
It's so good to see veterans talking with other veterans, it's like watching a safe space where some guys who have probably never met genuinely having fun with each other with stories that nobody else could possibly share. I'm glad you guys are doing well, and it's great to hear your voices. Stay well chaps.
I'm an army vet who also plays VRchat sometimes and would love to hang out with these guys and swap stories. 6 years of active duty 31b work and a year of 31e work adds up to some stories.
@@icrushill4614 Let's see... There was the time in basic training where me and another guy had to do something and missed dinner at the chow hall. The Drill Sergeants gave us MREs to eat at our leisure (which was unheard of because we were usually rushed to eat) and someone went and tattled on us behind our backs, saying we lied and we actually DID eat dinner already, so the Drill Sergeants took us outside and made us do roll-lefts and roll-rights in the tire pit until we vomited up the MRE we just ate. There was the time I got sick and went to see the doctor, and the doctor thought I might have spinal meningitis, performed a spinal tap/lumbar puncture on me in the hospital, and my spinal fluid kept leaking and I had to navigate my way from a hospital bed to the emergency room to get anyone to help me. And that's just basic training stories, lol. There are 6 years of those.
@@Evravon dude that's horrible. Yeah Army doctors are definitely a different breed. They thought I had meningitis when I was in AIT (Fort Leonard Wood) because there was an outbreak and someone had died. They were getting ready to transfer me to the hospital for a spinal tap when one of my tests came back and told them I just had pneumonia. Like... how the fu*k do you mistake the two..
@@Evravon dude they had another meningitis break out in 2009 as well. They had government health inspectors come in to try to figure out what was going wrong. Made people flip on their bunks so people wouldn't be faced the same way, made people move their shoes, a bunch of sanitation bullshit. It was so wild.
thank you for your service :) people like you bear all the weight of war, yet I'm glad that sometimes we can take an ounce from you and share the burden together. Hope you are doing fine.@@Evravon
Nice to see Struggle is still kicking and glad to hear from another Army person. Me personally, I never really was interested in the military but I do like hearing the stories.
Had severe ptsd since I was a child and the thing you’re saying about never allowing yourself to fully relax and sleep is spot on. I’ve never heard it described like that I thought it was just me.
Yeah it really sucks sometimes. My PTSD is also from childhood and I don't think I've ever slept the whole night through. I'm 44 now and still wake up every 2 hours.
Struggle is literally the reason I subbed to this channel, it was the first video I ever saw and coming from a military family I really related to what he said. I appreciate you bringing him back to talk again, I feel like he has a lot to offer people I'm terms of advice and life lessons.
"If they're lighting from the bottom, time to go. If they're lighting from the top, sit back and chill." This is actually great advice. Any of you that don't know shit about drugs, remember this at parties and you'll be alright lmao
@@obliverated9672hard drugs like meth are lit from the bottom of the bowl to boil it basically. Weed is lit from the top because u just wanna it to start burning.
@@StruggleGun hey man, I know I'm late as hell to these. But your stories have allowed me to understand and connect to loved ones in ways I didn't before and couldn't have without. I know you've heard it 100's of times before, but really, you did a lot in sharing. I have friends as far flung as Malaysia who served and they resonate too. Just love brother and I'm glad to see you're doing well
Struggle is lit, my squad loves him. Well spoken and two years later he quantifies and details the Mil experience pretty well. Even for a Marine. GG struggle, someone link his socials pls
There was an advert for the british army on the radio the other day - likely based on the recent earthquake situation in turkey to be topical. It was all about how you could make really important decisions to rescue people if you joined the army. Only the best people could make those "hard decisions" and "save lives". Always the same from these adverts - helping negotiate to use some guy's water well peacefully by taking off your sunglasses and seeming approachable. Learning how to make complex machines work under pressure to "be the best" or going out and rescuing people. No mention of fighting, bad conditions, having to kill some other person in any way whatsoever. Apparently out military is some amazing, peaceful charity organization that occasionally does some extreme sports. I knew someone who served in the Yugoslavia conflict as a peacekeeper. He saw things so awful i wont discuss them here so i dont end up triggering anyone. They never mention any of that in the recruitment ads. I dont know of any other job where they recruit you without mentioning your primary duties. Its no wonder veterans come out and feel alienated - even the public face of their profession is shamefully hidden.
There's something so wholesome about the opening few minutes of those two just chatting the shit and laughing together. It's like a couple friends coming together to hang out.
I remember seeing the first video years ago and just recently out of the blue I went back and rewatched it, and then to see this pop up today, thank you struggle and everyone who serves, these are incredible insights and I'm glad to see your still kicking ass dude!
I was coming home to go to sleep after my 11th birthday. I sat on my couch thinking I was still awake. Immediately after sitting down I became immobilized and the whole room slowly tinted red. The angle at which I was sitting had a clear view of my kitchen. I saw a shadow man walk to me pull out a knife and PLUNGE it into my chest. I didn't even feel it but I felt the panic in my mind. After two minutes of thinking I'm dead. I wake up in a completely different room on a bunk bed. Worst sleep paralysis night of my life. So yes I agree that shit is terrifying.
It’s not really a creepy thing, you do it every night so your body doesn’t act out what it sees in dreams just sometimes if you aren’t relaxed when u drift off into sleep you can end up halfway conscious and it’s a weird state to be in which makes u somewhat delirious and scared if you have no clue what’s going on, you can even turn sleep paralysis into lucid dreams with practice, if you wanna know how there’s plenty of tutorials here on yt
I don't remember many UA-cam videos, But this was a poignant one that I do remember. It was the real world version of Full Metal Jacket, Jarhead or Apocalypse Now! ... It isn't even hyperbolic at all, This is the untold truth of the reality the warrior archetype goes through Both of my Parents are Military and this hit home
I was supposed to join the Marines literally on 09/11/2001 but ended up getting to Paris Island on the 13th. Got tagged for the "Yankee White" program. Coming back from our Crucible, a POS trips and falls into my left knee, tearing my ACL. Had to get out, but two years later, I forced my way into the Army national guard for NY (yes, I am aware how garbage that is) and the closest thing I could get to combat was MP (31B). I volunteered to go over, but my unit was called up anyway. it was the most surreal life experience, going to JAG and making out my Will in case I died, then stepping off the plane and that damn desert sand immediately crawling up my ass. I saw the very worst of what the human race is capable of, because I participated in it, a LOT. I started to lose myself and became the monster I was there to stop. It's been over 10 years, and I can still clearly see all of their faces, even the one's I tried to save. But the worst ones, are the kids. They still haunt me pretty good.
I'm glad to see the follow up for this. I love that so many different stories get shared here. I'd totally listen to more of this. It was so entertaining. It's pretty crazy how it's been 2 years already.
I feel like they mustve changed it since it got its legendary status. The wubby that I was given in AIT was thin as hell, felt like it had no layers to it at all. It was more akin to a fabric tarp. To its credit though it's incredibly warm, but not at all cozy. Not something I'd really care to make any note of
I have never heard someone describe sleep paralysis and the whole “fighting against being so vulnerable” so accurately. I’ve had sleep paralysis issues for a couple years now. I’ve never served but there was a point in my childhood when I would force myself to not sleep too deep. It was cause my parents would get into arguments and one would leave and I wanted to make sure I was awake enough to hear them come back so I could know for sure that they were safe. Tbh I didn’t realize this correlation till right now. This video just really helped. New glad I subscribed
The talk about forfeiting rights to get help really struck a chord with me. I've had that exact conversation with several friends who have suggested I go talk to a professional. It's hard to explain to them the concerns I have about losing rights because they don't exercise those rights like I do.
It’s great how these videos have gone from “this is a fascinating story on what it’s like to be in the military” and “so this is the bullshit veterans have to deal with” to “this is the bullshit I should expect when I’m in the military and when I get out”. They’re helpful that way. Army reserves, Network Systems Operation Specialist (22H), before you ask.
Thanks for this, your content always provides insight into the lives of everyday people. Hearing these guys talk about their thoughts and troubles is reassuring to me that I can overcome my own issues from service.
And apparently aren’t worth saving when shit goes bad based on their fucking actions thus far… It’s sickening that someone would be even asked what they were before giving a response to a call for help. I listened to Dakota Meyers story and it fuckin broke me. I couldn’t stop thinking about his experience for months. And I mean thinking about it like seeing that shit any time I got in my head. Completely Fucking my whole days mood. And I think everyone should listen to it if they haven’t. Put things into perspective for me that didn’t know and I’m grateful
The VA stuff sounds exactly like the help resources for my mental disorders at college. Technically incredibly helpful, and also thoroughly useless when you really needed it.
Them talking about sleep paralysis and ptsd was extremely relatable, it’s definitely something I wouldn’t wish on anyone, I constantly lucid dream so I constantly have nightmares and sleep paralysis, got really bad insomnia so I completely understand it’s so uncomfortable❤️ wish yous all the best stay safe and I hope you overcome it
People want to know what's going on from people actually on the ground, not the media. We want to hear what is happening overseas, straight from the soldiers. My ex was in Afghanistan and saw regular apparitions. He wasn't sleeping, although, he did have troubled sleep. He would always wake up and smoke cigarettes. He would always sleep better when I was next to him. I worry about him now. I noticed he had some sadistic tendencies at odd times. I know he saw some horrific stuff. He was so sweet and gentle, but suddenly, would be getting off to almost drowning me at the beach. He would go into the bathroom for long periods of time too. Never figured that out. It wasn't substance related. Yeah, I was so in love with that man. I try not to think about him, cuz it hurts too much.
@@gottago9824 The city had nothing to learn. The dude was insane. His girlfriend dumped him because he was insane. He started thinking Jesus was telling him things. The movie likes to make it seem like he was screwed over by the powers that be, but he wasn't. They gave him every opportunity to be reasonable. They even came to an agreement at one point. Marv was going to make a ton a money on the deal. But, he got greedy after he agreed and reneged on the deal.
I also used to smoke w33d and now it gives me panic attacks. I smoked every day from age 15 to age 25 and then all of a sudden it started giving me panic attacks out of nowhere. And I’ve heard this from lots of other people too. They’re doing something to the stuff they make now.
You gotta smoke dirt weed for a while if you've been off it for years. Its all super stuff now, it can cause psychosis, anxiety or panic attacks if you're susceptible.
That was nice to here I’m glad that you doing a little better Air Force dude. The previous video was kinda grim but this was very lighthearted in comparison. The addition of the clown was amusing.
10:0810:21 this, I've had this happen to me, its hard to talk about, not an vet but I respect anyone who fights for their country, thank you both for your service, and to anyone who has to do the same THANK YOU 💜. I like listening to soldier stories, its the least we can do for them is to let them vent and to let them know they are loved o7
My Dad is a Vietnam vet and went in for some prostate work. The VA AND the air force base hospital fucking lost him. It took me hours and dozens of phone calls to find him.
Glad to see Struggle doing alr. When the og vid came out I was really down because of covid, I found comfort in not suffering alone, but now Im better, and Im glad hes better as well.
Honestly man these videos and hearing you talk about this stuff is incredibly helpful to me. Not military but Dad fought in Iraq, a lot of what you say resonates. Thank you for your service and thank you for your candor in talking about your experiences and struggles. I wish you all the best.
In Korea now, spent MANY MANY MANY drunk episodes that ended with either my friends calling my mo knock or me calling my mom. I still drink even tho I throw up every other night but its the only escape I have. This place is a prison. Edit: best vet discount is on a hunting lisence. Without its like a 30-40 dollar lisence. Vet discount is like 20-25. And active duty is only 2 bucks (pun intended)
So, one of my coworkers was a vet. All of really knew was he was younger than 35 at most at this time and he was a vet. We were all eating, and the topic of military service came up and one of us non vets mentioned you see some fucked up things. We had another co worker who just did not get the hint and asked Vet what did he see. He went on to tell us a story of him being deployed to Japan, as some sort of Coast Guard where he'd be on a boat, and would routinely check boats for Contraband. Apparently, one of his comrades couldn't handle the stress, so he jumped out a window. I do not remember much about the rest of the conversation, as I was angry with the guy who caused the Vet to tell this story, because it was clear it still stung him emotionally. Now, 4 years or so later, I'd have pulled not-vet aside and calmly but firmly told him off, that asking questions like that is not something you should unless you're good friends with them. Unfortunately I did not. I might have in the moment said 'hey, not the time' or something, but I can't remember. Call me being offended on someone's behalf, but my uncle was a Vet in the early 90s, and he doesn't like to talk about it much. So I just assumed you don't ask Vets that.
16:47 honestly fuck those types of people who tell veterans to kill themselves. That is so fucked up. My mans fighting some crazy demons and there’s people like that who have the nerve to say kys. Unreal.
Fire fighter paramedic here, I too immediately get asked what’s the worst call or death I’ve scene in my ten years while we are at the dinner table for Christmas lol
what this guy said about having a panic attack while smoking weed and refusing to stay away from it is so fuckin accurate. i wasnt in the military but ive been thru some rough patches where i just couldnt express any emotion, but something about weed makes you "feel," its weird to explain. You just feel like a psychopath and you wanna be able to cry or feel mad instead of constant numb, so even if weed gives you a panic attack, at least you got to feel alive if that makes any sense. im just speaking bro science rn and my own experience but I really related to this shit a lot. i think it also has something to do with slowing ur thoughts down and letting your brain actually live in the moment, but i could be wrong. regardless, just know ur not alone man
PSA for Army guys. Well atleast for armor, you can keep your crewmen ACH with the comms iiiiiif... you steal one from a Bradley and replace the one in your vic lol. I got too attached to mine and I even did the custom paint on it so I couldn't let it go. Just wanted to let you know Airforce isn't the only one to have nice things lol.
Thank y'all. I'm trying to be a content creator, and being a disabled combat vet who is severely traumatized by war is freaking me out, but I'm getting into it with these talks. Especially knowing that someone else called their mom "piss drunk" while in Korea. I used to cry like no one's business.
I had sleep paralysis for years. One night Im listening to a couple talk in depth about astral projection and lucid dreaming. They describe the moment you exit your body and my heart dropped. Ever since then I end up out of my body walking around my house instead of the horrifying paralysis. That moment when u start feeling a falling feeling and numbness go with it and pay attention.
What you said about Sleep Paralysis is Accurate AF, I have tried to explain it to people like its resisting sleep, but The way you said it is the best explanation .
Ya know that guy who was acting all excited while watching those videos of police killing people..... He's able to have that reaction because he is removed from the actual violence. If he was in that situation where the violence was occurring or heaven forbid he was the one inflicting the violence I can guarantee you he wouldn't be acting all happy and excited and if you was then he would definitely come under scrutiny for displaying such a worrying reaction to killing someone.
1:55 I was talking to one of the guys at work who was ex artillery for the us army and I asked him like hey, can I ask you bout your time in the army (cause I’m gunna enlist here soon in the usmc and wanted to know a few things), shit like what was your asvab, what jobs were open, why army, blah blah blah. And the first thing he said was “yeah sure just don’t ask me if I’ve killed anyone that’s a horrible thing to ask a vet.” Now I knew that since I have a few buddies with dads and shit in the military, my Tata went to nam, so I knew that, but I had never heard anyone say that to ME. It was fucking shocking that it’s asked that much.
Yup, as an 11B, I can confirm his adoption paperwork went through. This dudes a grunt. All pants will require additional third leg space but you also get years of trauma that's difficult to articulate and you always feel a dog hair away from being disowned by your fellow civilians.
I can personally attest to the level of crap that the VA is. I got out of the Navy a year ago, and I chose not to submit any claims at all for VA disability benefits just so I wouldn't ever have to deal with them. Sure, I won't get a free check in the mail every month, but I believe that I made the right choice to avoid dealing with them. These types of videos and the fact that educations incentives are lessened constantly for active duty members, are directly contributing to why younger generations are not joining the military. The government spends our tax paid defense budget on military technology and weapons and none of it for taking care of the soldiers/marines/airmen/sailors. The dwindling active duty size should be completely unsurprising to the top brass if they used their brains.
-is it an emergency? -can I just get an appointment? -is it an emergency? -I guess? -do you have any firearms? -oh! Oh, right, looks like it's not an emergency after all. Good bye.
@@hersh511 that's good to hear, brother. Get as much enjoyment out of the experience as you can. The ride comes to an end sooner than you'd expect. Oh, and if you have any interest in schooling get that ball rolling while you're in.
Thanks for watching, I've enjoyed doing these talks with Syrmor. And, I appreciated all the thoughtful comments people gave me two years ago when that video initially came out, it helped me put into perspective some things that I might've struggled with longer without that kind of mass input. I'll be honest, that video was a spur of the moment thing that I reached out to Syrmor to do without really thinking to hard on, but I can't begin to tell you how much good it has done for me by getting something that was previously eating me up out into the world for better or worse. I feel bad, as not everyone gets the opportunity or platform to do the same, but it's important sometimes to get other people's perspective on things we often want to hide the most (whether that be in ways like I did through the internet or probably way more healthy with someone you trust), and that's one of my biggest take aways from this whole thing. I'll leave it there, and say that I hope you have a great day.
i hope things are getting better, and i hope you can return to some sort of sense of "normal" in your sleep and stuff. take care of yourself. seriously, that's priority 1 man.
Well said bro. Nobody said life was going to be easy, and we are the dumbass' who chose to make it harder by joining the military. I met guys who did 20 years, made rank and really never did a damn thing in their career. I knew a guy who was blow up on his second day in Iraq, fresh out of boot. You just never know. The important thing, is to just never quit, never stop. Do what's good for YOU, and always remember, someone out there is having a much worse time than you, so actually, it's never that bad. Glad this helped you out and made you change your way of thinking. And for the record, I formally remove you from being a POG.
Listening to you talk about your issues after coming home has helped me face my own issues, thanks my guy, all the best too you
I'm glad you and the other guy enjoyed talking about your experience but as far as interesting, educating and entertaining, the first video was much much better. Glad you're feeling better all the same.
Hey man, thanks for this. I loved the bit at the end where you said “If you want help you have to buy it with your rights”. I wanted to just put it out there that if you feel that way you aren’t alone. It felt so incredibly validating hearing you say that, and I’m sure other people feel the same way and have a hard time putting words to the thought. Thank you for your words.
I’m glad the Army vet got to keep the woobie. That thing is the best.
Woobies are wonderful. I spent a night in Korea somehow separated from my gear, but somehow had my woobie and slept in a truck with the windows down of course, with just a woobie to keep warm. I woke up every hour or two to wiggle my toes and make sure they were all present and accounted for, and it went just fine.
There are two versions which might cause some confusion. There's the field jacket liner, and the poncho liner. The field jacket liner has sleeves. The poncho liner is just a large square. Both made of Woobium(tm) which is Really Warm Shit(tm).
I've got three, two acquired by E4 activities. wouldn't trade them, though my kid loves them too lol
Why am I the authority when you didn’t care for 20 years was such a great line.
It's so good to see veterans talking with other veterans, it's like watching a safe space where some guys who have probably never met genuinely having fun with each other with stories that nobody else could possibly share.
I'm glad you guys are doing well, and it's great to hear your voices. Stay well chaps.
I'm an army vet who also plays VRchat sometimes and would love to hang out with these guys and swap stories. 6 years of active duty 31b work and a year of 31e work adds up to some stories.
@@icrushill4614 Let's see...
There was the time in basic training where me and another guy had to do something and missed dinner at the chow hall. The Drill Sergeants gave us MREs to eat at our leisure (which was unheard of because we were usually rushed to eat) and someone went and tattled on us behind our backs, saying we lied and we actually DID eat dinner already, so the Drill Sergeants took us outside and made us do roll-lefts and roll-rights in the tire pit until we vomited up the MRE we just ate.
There was the time I got sick and went to see the doctor, and the doctor thought I might have spinal meningitis, performed a spinal tap/lumbar puncture on me in the hospital, and my spinal fluid kept leaking and I had to navigate my way from a hospital bed to the emergency room to get anyone to help me.
And that's just basic training stories, lol. There are 6 years of those.
@@Evravon dude that's horrible. Yeah Army doctors are definitely a different breed. They thought I had meningitis when I was in AIT (Fort Leonard Wood) because there was an outbreak and someone had died. They were getting ready to transfer me to the hospital for a spinal tap when one of my tests came back and told them I just had pneumonia. Like... how the fu*k do you mistake the two..
@@mr.fantastic1854 I was also at Leonard Wood when it happened lmfao. This was back in 2006.
@@Evravon dude they had another meningitis break out in 2009 as well. They had government health inspectors come in to try to figure out what was going wrong. Made people flip on their bunks so people wouldn't be faced the same way, made people move their shoes, a bunch of sanitation bullshit. It was so wild.
thank you for your service :)
people like you bear all the weight of war,
yet I'm glad that sometimes we can take an ounce from you and share the burden together.
Hope you are doing fine.@@Evravon
Nice to see Struggle is still kicking and glad to hear from another Army person. Me personally, I never really was interested in the military but I do like hearing the stories.
Can we just base all future depictions of Anakin off this guy? It fits so perfectly
I’m waiting for the day when we have a Vet in VRChat who’s Avatar is a Clone Trooper.
Hopefully they had better aim 😬
@@dsamuel2116 Clone Troopers have excellent aim! Storm Troopers are normie conscripts who suck at shooting.
@@notabannedaccount8362they only suck at shooting because of plot armor. Any non-main character gets hit by a storm trooper almost immediately.
Had severe ptsd since I was a child and the thing you’re saying about never allowing yourself to fully relax and sleep is spot on. I’ve never heard it described like that I thought it was just me.
Yeah it really sucks sometimes. My PTSD is also from childhood and I don't think I've ever slept the whole night through. I'm 44 now and still wake up every 2 hours.
Struggle is literally the reason I subbed to this channel, it was the first video I ever saw and coming from a military family I really related to what he said. I appreciate you bringing him back to talk again, I feel like he has a lot to offer people I'm terms of advice and life lessons.
"If they're lighting from the bottom, time to go. If they're lighting from the top, sit back and chill." This is actually great advice. Any of you that don't know shit about drugs, remember this at parties and you'll be alright lmao
I didn’t think about it till you said it and yahhhh you ain’t wrong.
I've looked up this expression but I can't find what it means, could you enlighten me please?
meth heads light crack pipes from the bottom to get high, us 420 tokers light our bowls from the top@@obliverated9672
@@obliverated9672 I think its meaning a bottle of alcohol and w33d
@@obliverated9672hard drugs like meth are lit from the bottom of the bowl to boil it basically. Weed is lit from the top because u just wanna it to start burning.
2 years in the making for this, I hope at the end of this vid he's somewhat found peace since then
I clicked on it as soon as i saw the notification, this video got me into syrmor and i appreciate all you do for everyone.
As a fellow air force vet 2012-2022 Ive LOVED these military talks. Its helped me become aware of issues I never knew I had. Thanks guys
The gunship guy was born to be an influencer
I've never been so insulted. Take my like.
@@StruggleGun hey man, I know I'm late as hell to these. But your stories have allowed me to understand and connect to loved ones in ways I didn't before and couldn't have without. I know you've heard it 100's of times before, but really, you did a lot in sharing. I have friends as far flung as Malaysia who served and they resonate too. Just love brother and I'm glad to see you're doing well
@@StruggleGun 💜
Mental health for veterans should be top priority. This needs to change
Hearing struggle explain some his interactions with the VA it blows my... It's surprising how they're so vastly different from location to location.
The experience of having my sleep paralysis touch my shoulder scared me as a kid. And that falling feeling you talked about... oof yeah
Honestly these guys could start their own podcast and I’d def listen! So many deep subjects but dealt with so much humor!!
Struggle is lit, my squad loves him. Well spoken and two years later he quantifies and details the Mil experience pretty well. Even for a Marine. GG struggle, someone link his socials pls
(He’s in the pinned comment lmao)
I honestly enjoy these videos, its nice hearing other vets talk. Just something about it, helps me not feel alone in this shit.
The last part of him chasing the clown cracked me up so much 🤣
The war vets avatar is the galaxies biggest war criminal
There was an advert for the british army on the radio the other day - likely based on the recent earthquake situation in turkey to be topical. It was all about how you could make really important decisions to rescue people if you joined the army. Only the best people could make those "hard decisions" and "save lives".
Always the same from these adverts - helping negotiate to use some guy's water well peacefully by taking off your sunglasses and seeming approachable. Learning how to make complex machines work under pressure to "be the best" or going out and rescuing people. No mention of fighting, bad conditions, having to kill some other person in any way whatsoever. Apparently out military is some amazing, peaceful charity organization that occasionally does some extreme sports.
I knew someone who served in the Yugoslavia conflict as a peacekeeper. He saw things so awful i wont discuss them here so i dont end up triggering anyone. They never mention any of that in the recruitment ads. I dont know of any other job where they recruit you without mentioning your primary duties. Its no wonder veterans come out and feel alienated - even the public face of their profession is shamefully hidden.
This is one of the first time i see a veteran using a military-looking avatar.
There's something so wholesome about the opening few minutes of those two just chatting the shit and laughing together. It's like a couple friends coming together to hang out.
what a crazy checkpoint. twas a dark time back in 2020, now im glad i could just look back on it
I remember seeing the first video years ago and just recently out of the blue I went back and rewatched it, and then to see this pop up today, thank you struggle and everyone who serves, these are incredible insights and I'm glad to see your still kicking ass dude!
I was coming home to go to sleep after my 11th birthday. I sat on my couch thinking I was still awake. Immediately after sitting down I became immobilized and the whole room slowly tinted red.
The angle at which I was sitting had a clear view of my kitchen.
I saw a shadow man walk to me pull out a knife and PLUNGE it into my chest.
I didn't even feel it but I felt the panic in my mind. After two minutes of thinking I'm dead.
I wake up in a completely different room on a bunk bed.
Worst sleep paralysis night of my life.
So yes I agree that shit is terrifying.
It’s not really a creepy thing, you do it every night so your body doesn’t act out what it sees in dreams just sometimes if you aren’t relaxed when u drift off into sleep you can end up halfway conscious and it’s a weird state to be in which makes u somewhat delirious and scared if you have no clue what’s going on, you can even turn sleep paralysis into lucid dreams with practice, if you wanna know how there’s plenty of tutorials here on yt
I don't remember many UA-cam videos, But this was a poignant one that I do remember. It was the real world version of Full Metal Jacket, Jarhead or Apocalypse Now! ... It isn't even hyperbolic at all, This is the untold truth of the reality the warrior archetype goes through
Both of my Parents are Military and this hit home
I was supposed to join the Marines literally on 09/11/2001 but ended up getting to Paris Island on the 13th. Got tagged for the "Yankee White" program. Coming back from our Crucible, a POS trips and falls into my left knee, tearing my ACL. Had to get out, but two years later, I forced my way into the Army national guard for NY (yes, I am aware how garbage that is) and the closest thing I could get to combat was MP (31B). I volunteered to go over, but my unit was called up anyway. it was the most surreal life experience, going to JAG and making out my Will in case I died, then stepping off the plane and that damn desert sand immediately crawling up my ass. I saw the very worst of what the human race is capable of, because I participated in it, a LOT. I started to lose myself and became the monster I was there to stop. It's been over 10 years, and I can still clearly see all of their faces, even the one's I tried to save. But the worst ones, are the kids. They still haunt me pretty good.
You deserve peace and I hope you find it
@@adamtschmidt4303 Thank you, I appreciate it.
Damn....
This should be posted outside every recruiting office in the country
I wish you best buddy
Thanks for these videos it helps me a lot to hear these conversations.
I'm glad to see the follow up for this. I love that so many different stories get shared here. I'd totally listen to more of this. It was so entertaining. It's pretty crazy how it's been 2 years already.
Man, I really fucking love veterans. Especially whenever the Wubby is brought up.
I feel like they mustve changed it since it got its legendary status. The wubby that I was given in AIT was thin as hell, felt like it had no layers to it at all. It was more akin to a fabric tarp. To its credit though it's incredibly warm, but not at all cozy. Not something I'd really care to make any note of
I have never heard someone describe sleep paralysis and the whole “fighting against being so vulnerable” so accurately. I’ve had sleep paralysis issues for a couple years now. I’ve never served but there was a point in my childhood when I would force myself to not sleep too deep. It was cause my parents would get into arguments and one would leave and I wanted to make sure I was awake enough to hear them come back so I could know for sure that they were safe. Tbh I didn’t realize this correlation till right now. This video just really helped. New glad I subscribed
The talk about forfeiting rights to get help really struck a chord with me. I've had that exact conversation with several friends who have suggested I go talk to a professional. It's hard to explain to them the concerns I have about losing rights because they don't exercise those rights like I do.
It’s great how these videos have gone from “this is a fascinating story on what it’s like to be in the military” and “so this is the bullshit veterans have to deal with” to “this is the bullshit I should expect when I’m in the military and when I get out”. They’re helpful that way.
Army reserves, Network Systems Operation Specialist (22H), before you ask.
Genuinely the best series on youtube
Thanks for this, your content always provides insight into the lives of everyday people. Hearing these guys talk about their thoughts and troubles is reassuring to me that I can overcome my own issues from service.
USMC vet here. It’s all true… but we only get 3% of the military spending budget because we’re a department and not a branch.
And apparently aren’t worth saving when shit goes bad based on their fucking actions thus far…
It’s sickening that someone would be even asked what they were before giving a response to a call for help.
I listened to Dakota Meyers story and it fuckin broke me. I couldn’t stop thinking about his experience for months. And I mean thinking about it like seeing that shit any time I got in my head. Completely Fucking my whole days mood.
And I think everyone should listen to it if they haven’t. Put things into perspective for me that didn’t know and I’m grateful
The VA stuff sounds exactly like the help resources for my mental disorders at college. Technically incredibly helpful, and also thoroughly useless when you really needed it.
Them talking about sleep paralysis and ptsd was extremely relatable, it’s definitely something I wouldn’t wish on anyone, I constantly lucid dream so I constantly have nightmares and sleep paralysis, got really bad insomnia so I completely understand it’s so uncomfortable❤️ wish yous all the best stay safe and I hope you overcome it
People want to know what's going on from people actually on the ground, not the media. We want to hear what is happening overseas, straight from the soldiers. My ex was in Afghanistan and saw regular apparitions. He wasn't sleeping, although, he did have troubled sleep. He would always wake up and smoke cigarettes. He would always sleep better when I was next to him. I worry about him now. I noticed he had some sadistic tendencies at odd times. I know he saw some horrific stuff. He was so sweet and gentle, but suddenly, would be getting off to almost drowning me at the beach. He would go into the bathroom for long periods of time too. Never figured that out. It wasn't substance related. Yeah, I was so in love with that man. I try not to think about him, cuz it hurts too much.
Hope you find peace
It's a damn sad thing this happened
Military life tends to change people one way or another.
I live in Granby. Right down the street from where the Killdozer went nuts. That dude was on a mission from Jesus.
did the city learn it's lesson or is it business as usual
@@gottago9824 The city had nothing to learn. The dude was insane. His girlfriend dumped him because he was insane. He started thinking Jesus was telling him things. The movie likes to make it seem like he was screwed over by the powers that be, but he wasn't. They gave him every opportunity to be reasonable. They even came to an agreement at one point. Marv was going to make a ton a money on the deal. But, he got greedy after he agreed and reneged on the deal.
that reaction to the fact the helmets were fitted to them was fucking priceless.
"whAATTTt?!?!? WHUUUT?????!"
Syrmor needs to do unedited recordings for some of these
Something about this conversation that just hit different. Good laugh and was nice to catch back up. Keep up the content!
I also used to smoke w33d and now it gives me panic attacks. I smoked every day from age 15 to age 25 and then all of a sudden it started giving me panic attacks out of nowhere. And I’ve heard this from lots of other people too. They’re doing something to the stuff they make now.
You gotta smoke dirt weed for a while if you've been off it for years. Its all super stuff now, it can cause psychosis, anxiety or panic attacks if you're susceptible.
Most dispensaries have low thc high cbd strains so that's always a possibility without having to smoke garbage
got mad about only 17% in blue dragon so I wouldn't know. They're 4x the price of behind the dispensary so I've only got oil at 93 octane from them.
The first time I got high was like a mini shroom trip lol
Stay hydrated. Change your socks. Even in a 130. Change. Your. Socks.
That was nice to here I’m glad that you doing a little better Air Force dude. The previous video was kinda grim but this was very lighthearted in comparison. The addition of the clown was amusing.
10:08 10:21 this, I've had this happen to me, its hard to talk about, not an vet but I respect anyone who fights for their country, thank you both for your service, and to anyone who has to do the same THANK YOU 💜. I like listening to soldier stories, its the least we can do for them is to let them vent and to let them know they are loved o7
so glad to see hes doing so well and love these videos!
My Dad is a Vietnam vet and went in for some prostate work.
The VA AND the air force base hospital fucking lost him. It took me hours and dozens of phone calls to find him.
Glad to see Struggle doing alr. When the og vid came out I was really down because of covid, I found comfort in not suffering alone, but now Im better, and Im glad hes better as well.
Honestly man these videos and hearing you talk about this stuff is incredibly helpful to me. Not military but Dad fought in Iraq, a lot of what you say resonates. Thank you for your service and thank you for your candor in talking about your experiences and struggles. I wish you all the best.
In Korea now, spent MANY MANY MANY drunk episodes that ended with either my friends calling my mo knock or me calling my mom. I still drink even tho I throw up every other night but its the only escape I have. This place is a prison. Edit: best vet discount is on a hunting lisence. Without its like a 30-40 dollar lisence. Vet discount is like 20-25. And active duty is only 2 bucks (pun intended)
Hope you are doing better buddy
Take care Chief
Hey man I'm glad you're doing better. Sempre Gumby brother.
So, one of my coworkers was a vet. All of really knew was he was younger than 35 at most at this time and he was a vet.
We were all eating, and the topic of military service came up and one of us non vets mentioned you see some fucked up things.
We had another co worker who just did not get the hint and asked Vet what did he see.
He went on to tell us a story of him being deployed to Japan, as some sort of Coast Guard where he'd be on a boat, and would routinely check boats for Contraband.
Apparently, one of his comrades couldn't handle the stress, so he jumped out a window.
I do not remember much about the rest of the conversation, as I was angry with the guy who caused the Vet to tell this story, because it was clear it still stung him emotionally.
Now, 4 years or so later, I'd have pulled not-vet aside and calmly but firmly told him off, that asking questions like that is not something you should unless you're good friends with them. Unfortunately I did not. I might have in the moment said 'hey, not the time' or something, but I can't remember.
Call me being offended on someone's behalf, but my uncle was a Vet in the early 90s, and he doesn't like to talk about it much. So I just assumed you don't ask Vets that.
16:47 honestly fuck those types of people who tell veterans to kill themselves. That is so fucked up. My mans fighting some crazy demons and there’s people like that who have the nerve to say kys. Unreal.
Glad to see this finally got a followup
It did it was just shorter
I've had so many high octane experiences that I'm kind of just cool with being mellow. I felt that in my soul
Can believe it's been a year. It's great hearing this man speak out again
“I think we should just GLASS all of Afghanistan”
😭
Do NOT give bro a driving license 💀
that’s covenant
Wort wort wort
The sleep paralysis part got me good, Holy shit. Genuinely felt like he was reading my thoughts 😅😅
i fell you brother the sleep paralisis really sucks it just lets your mind run wild while not being able to move or breathe
Fire fighter paramedic here, I too immediately get asked what’s the worst call or death I’ve scene in my ten years while we are at the dinner table for Christmas lol
i love struggle
what this guy said about having a panic attack while smoking weed and refusing to stay away from it is so fuckin accurate. i wasnt in the military but ive been thru some rough patches where i just couldnt express any emotion, but something about weed makes you "feel," its weird to explain. You just feel like a psychopath and you wanna be able to cry or feel mad instead of constant numb, so even if weed gives you a panic attack, at least you got to feel alive if that makes any sense. im just speaking bro science rn and my own experience but I really related to this shit a lot. i think it also has something to do with slowing ur thoughts down and letting your brain actually live in the moment, but i could be wrong. regardless, just know ur not alone man
I just love this content. The VR thing somehow adds to it, even though we can't see the tells on a person's face.
Thanks for coming back with the update Struggle, didn't know I needed to hear it as much as I did.
Thank you all for this, it's been really helpful.
Great video. I'm so glad he's doing better.
PSA for Army guys. Well atleast for armor, you can keep your crewmen ACH with the comms iiiiiif... you steal one from a Bradley and replace the one in your vic lol. I got too attached to mine and I even did the custom paint on it so I couldn't let it go. Just wanted to let you know Airforce isn't the only one to have nice things lol.
OH SHIT, i remember this guy.
I have friends who used to wait tables and who are prior military and if you can’t get around a discount on food just tip the discount back
21:45
"metal health help"
*pulls out gun*
made me feel like such a hardass hearing a veteran not downplay sleep paralysis 💪💪🤣
I love these two😂👍🏻 good to see their doing great
Thank y'all. I'm trying to be a content creator, and being a disabled combat vet who is severely traumatized by war is freaking me out, but I'm getting into it with these talks. Especially knowing that someone else called their mom "piss drunk" while in Korea. I used to cry like no one's business.
he seems like such a cool dude
btw. the video weirdlt does not get recommended i stubmled here on accident searching for the old one
I love air force anakin
I could listen to these guys for hours its so interesting and calming
21:22 21:24 LOL all i can say is: "Star Wars Legends" love hearing these two bs, hearing them laugh together really makes me smile
Lucid dreaming actually causes sleep paralysis.
This was awesome! May they be bestowed happiness for making us laugh 😆
I had sleep paralysis for years. One night Im listening to a couple talk in depth about astral projection and lucid dreaming. They describe the moment you exit your body and my heart dropped. Ever since then I end up out of my body walking around my house instead of the horrifying paralysis. That moment when u start feeling a falling feeling and numbness go with it and pay attention.
:o yey. I love hearing from this dude again.
Seeing Anakin talking about dealing with ptsd is kinda funny but honestly calming
Good to see Struggle doing way better now.
What you said about Sleep Paralysis is Accurate AF, I have tried to explain it to people like its resisting sleep, but The way you said it is the best explanation .
It’s good to hear I’m not the only person quitting smoking weed to join the military but I also have full intentions of smoking when I get out
Ya know that guy who was acting all excited while watching those videos of police killing people..... He's able to have that reaction because he is removed from the actual violence. If he was in that situation where the violence was occurring or heaven forbid he was the one inflicting the violence I can guarantee you he wouldn't be acting all happy and excited and if you was then he would definitely come under scrutiny for displaying such a worrying reaction to killing someone.
1:55 I was talking to one of the guys at work who was ex artillery for the us army and I asked him like hey, can I ask you bout your time in the army (cause I’m gunna enlist here soon in the usmc and wanted to know a few things), shit like what was your asvab, what jobs were open, why army, blah blah blah. And the first thing he said was “yeah sure just don’t ask me if I’ve killed anyone that’s a horrible thing to ask a vet.” Now I knew that since I have a few buddies with dads and shit in the military, my Tata went to nam, so I knew that, but I had never heard anyone say that to ME. It was fucking shocking that it’s asked that much.
Yup, as an 11B, I can confirm his adoption paperwork went through. This dudes a grunt. All pants will require additional third leg space but you also get years of trauma that's difficult to articulate and you always feel a dog hair away from being disowned by your fellow civilians.
"Have you ever herd the tragedy of Veterans Affairs? It's not a tale the army would tell you"
I can personally attest to the level of crap that the VA is. I got out of the Navy a year ago, and I chose not to submit any claims at all for VA disability benefits just so I wouldn't ever have to deal with them. Sure, I won't get a free check in the mail every month, but I believe that I made the right choice to avoid dealing with them.
These types of videos and the fact that educations incentives are lessened constantly for active duty members, are directly contributing to why younger generations are not joining the military. The government spends our tax paid defense budget on military technology and weapons and none of it for taking care of the soldiers/marines/airmen/sailors. The dwindling active duty size should be completely unsurprising to the top brass if they used their brains.
Now i want to try zuchinni chocolate chip cookies
Ehhh, it's nothing special. If baked right, you don't taste the zucchini.
@@FirithPanda Oh ok, i suck at baking tho so im probably gonna taste it
-is it an emergency?
-can I just get an appointment?
-is it an emergency?
-I guess?
-do you have any firearms?
-oh! Oh, right, looks like it's not an emergency after all. Good bye.
Joined almost 6 months ago(Air Force) and the video with struggle made me slightly steer away from aerial gunner. Now I’m security forces 🙃
Oof, maybe you shouldn't have listened to me lol
@@StruggleGun Maybe, but so far I’m enjoying what I’m doing even if it’s not neat as other jobs. And thank you for your stories.
@@hersh511 that's good to hear, brother. Get as much enjoyment out of the experience as you can. The ride comes to an end sooner than you'd expect. Oh, and if you have any interest in schooling get that ball rolling while you're in.
@@StruggleGun Thank you. Will keep that in mind.