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your experience in the army
(21 Messages in 3 pages - View all)
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1.       hande84
18 posts
 14 Dec 2005 Wed 02:53 am

Hi

A good friend of mine just started six months in the army. He wont be able to access a computer much and tell me what its like.So I was curious if any of the men out there would like to share what it was like when they were in the army, what they learned from it, and their impressions of it.
Thankyou

2.       erdinc
2151 posts
 14 Dec 2005 Wed 04:54 am

Hello hande84,
On this issue you might want to have a look to this thread:
http://www.turkishclass.com/forumTitle_7_417

I'm sure the military service will be a good experience for your friend. In small villages parents don't let their daughters marry with somebody who hasn’t been to the army yet. The Turkish folks love the army. They send their sons celebrating the event. It’s kind of a small festival in villages. The Turkish army is considered to make real men out of young boys.
Since it is 6 months only we understand that your friend has at least a bachelor’s degree. We also understand that he is doing the shorter version for the ones with a degree. The longer version is 12 months and you get a salary and it’s like a full time job that you finish and go home in the afternoon but the downside is its length.
The shorter version, which is also what I did, is different. It is tougher. He won’t get a salary and will be sleeping and living full time inside the military zone. For the first month they will get the foundation training which is stricter than the forthcoming months. During this month they are not allowed to go out. Afterwards there will be weekend trips he can enjoy each weekend or once in two weeks.
Long time ago, when I was in the army they were allowing to wear civilian clothes during the weekend trips and we could enjoy fooling around till the evening. Luckily I was in Istanbul and there were many places to hang around.
For me it was a challenge so I should go after it, right? And I did. During the first month we slept in a room for 30 of us. This kind an experience can be challenging considering the hard training the first month involves and the difficulties dealing with common life. It was also late November which wasn’t making things easier.
You will sleep, eat, shave, and shower at the same places. Some of the guys will talk too much, some will listen. Some of them will be coming from tough life conditions while others will be the small babies of their mom. The experience is good for being a mirror to your own life. In a community, if you want acceptance, respect and authority, you need to consider the small details. You need to understand other people's point of views. Most importantly such an experience teaches how to act fairly and honestly. If you do so, people will respect you.
Some guys will miss their families or lovers. Some of them will get emotional or aggressive. Some will find it difficult to stay on their own foot without support from their surroundings. Individualism isn’t so developed yet in smaller towns. For some of them life is just flowing without any control and they are flowing in the life.
There will be people from very different lifestyles.
Once in a while there will be fools that life hadn't taught anything. They will argue with you for a small thing you don't even care. In these situations you need to decide how to handle it.
At my time the shorter version was 9 months. When I look back now to the 9 months I have spent there, I think, yes, it was a good experience. Not because I enjoyed using machine guns, or not because I liked to be a soldier, of course I liked to serve my country, but more importantly we were younger and we were living within the same difficulties. Writing now about it reminds me of a few pictures in my mind.
At 4am they woke me up and with a few friends we walked towards the sentry towers. Each of us took one of the towers. It is bloody silent and you can hear the smallest voices. Some guys just sit there silently. Some of them are mumbling a song in their mouth. I listen to my pocket radio with a smile on my face and I think about all the good things in life waiting to be lived.
In another fragment I’m arguing with somebody a little bigger than me. There is no hate but we speak in a strong language, kind of challenging the other guy. For a short moment, I feel like, after all the nice and smooth years of education at university; after enjoying French Poetry and Ancient Philosophy during the peaceful and long nights, and after getting used to the gentle way of living, now I return to a time I had almost forgotten in my life. I’m 13 again and my dad takes me to a mechanic, kind of lathe man. For a few months I work there as my dad thinks it will be a good experience for me. Everything is dirty here, especially people’s hands. When people get angry they really get angry and when they smile it is an honest smile. I can’t forget the marks in my hands. Now I am again the same boy waving my hands as swearing forcefully and incuriously.
Another fragment appears. This time it is the end of the foundation training and for the first time we quit the facilities. It is a weekend and is probably 5 or 6 am as the streets are almost empty. We are in a lorry moving to our next place where we will do the rest of our duty. It is again inside Istanbul so the journey takes a few hours. After a month strictly inside the training area now everything looks surprisingly interesting. As we move along the streets, everyone looks to the cars, buildings and even traffic signs like we were seeing them for the first time.
Nobody talks much. In this silent one of us rises up and excitingly points to somewhere as he starts southing, “Look man!, look man!, there is a woman”. For a month none of us had seen a woman and everybody is now surprised by coming across to one. The guy points to a woman walking on the pavement. She wears a long skirt. Everyone seems to enjoy this moment as they are saying all kinds of things that you can imagine. I start laughing. After a long time, I don’t just smile now. I laugh loudly and I can’t control myself.

3.       hande84
18 posts
 14 Dec 2005 Wed 06:58 am

Erdinc, thankyou for taking the time to write such a detailed response.

Yes, he took Economics in university.

So for a month I won't be able to hear from him? Aww ok.
He also was sent to Istanbul - how cool.

It sounds like he will face a lot of little annoyances, learning experiences, and people to handle.

I will have to pray even more for him.Thanks again.

4.       freshman
704 posts
 14 Dec 2005 Wed 08:15 am

I hope I can do my military service in a safe area of Turkey..because there is still terorism in the east of Turkey...this is real..

5.       sophie
2712 posts
 14 Dec 2005 Wed 10:04 am

Quoting freshman:

I hope I can do my military service in a safe area of Turkey..because there is still terorism in the east of Turkey...this is real..



insallah

6.       ramayan
2633 posts
 14 Dec 2005 Wed 12:39 pm

Quoting freshman:

I hope I can do my military service in a safe area of Turkey..because there is still terorism in the east of Turkey...this is real..



same dude...i hope too.....but u know fate....it can reach us everywer....when we need to die we should....many paid many things for us in the past and when when we are asked we should give too..oneday we all will die.......but who wants to be killed by his or her bro....or to kill...

7.       Natlisa
355 posts
 14 Dec 2005 Wed 12:49 pm

Erdinc,
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us. I don’t actually know anyone in the army – but I still found it all fascinating to read. It gave me a real insight into this part of your culture. And I enjoyed reading it very much. What a wonderful piece of writing you gave to us!

8.       Nonsec
10 posts
 14 Dec 2005 Wed 02:08 pm

Thank you very much for great description.

9.       slavica
814 posts
 14 Dec 2005 Wed 03:46 pm

Quoting freshman:

I hope I can do my military service in a safe area of Turkey..because there is still terorism in the east of Turkey...this is real..



Don’t worry Freshman, if you read mentioned topic you'll see that against terroists fight special forces and that you won't be in danger even if they send you to the east or south-east of Turkia.
Actually, you'll come back stronger and more mature, real man!
My friend who's in Army doesn't complain much.

10.       Boop
785 posts
 14 Dec 2005 Wed 04:11 pm

Freshman - God will keep you safe - and the angels will watch over you

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