Army Life: Commanders are just regular guys too

Well, my friends were right.  Basic Training really is a game, and the commanders really are just actors.

It's one of the advantages of having a People's Army. It means that your commander isn't some crazy guy who dreamed all of his life about torturing newly conscripted soldiers. Your commander is more likely to be a guy your age, or a bit older, from the next town over. He, too, wants to go home, and when he gets there, he too goes out with his friends, and gives a big hug and kiss to mom and dad.

The fact that the commanders are just regular guys comes through when they let their guard down.  If you're lucky enough to see it, you'll see them laughing and smiling at the same things that you're laughing about.

Last week, I was on a train from Beer Sheva headed for home. Next to me sat a Basic Training commander from an elite paratrooper unit. I could only imagine what he had put his soldiers through that week, but sitting next to me on the way home, he asked for my help with the crossword puzzle. We laughed and joked together and he played with a five-year-old in the seat across from him.  It was his chance to take the mask off and return to being a regular guy.

Seeing the commanders as normal people reminds you why they do what they do. The whole act of yelling and enforcing the army's strict discipline is done to make you a better soldier. Once you understand that, Basic Training becomes that much easier. You learn to appreciate the hard work and look at the experience more positively. 

That said, three weeks from now Basic Training will be over, and I can't wait!