US Army reviews

Not having a stable living situation as you must PCS every 3 years and the risk of deployments that takes you away from loved ones.

The Army has high physical demands, so it may not be for everyone. And if you’re active duty, you work for the Army 24/7, so with that also comes mental and emotional demands. Although the Army relies heavily on teamwork, you may somehow find that you are surrounded by people in your daily life that are very difficult to work with. In addition, I speak as a former officer but believe this applies at almost every rank, you’ll often be inundated with tasks that seem to be pointless or have no practical benefit to the unit. The Army will take and take until it’s done with you, and then it will easily find someone else to replace you. Its best workers are rewarded with more work, while under-performers can skate by without pulling their own weight. It is this way by design. Joining the Army is a monumental commitment in anyone’s life that I feel is often understated by recruiters, both for enlisted personnel and officers. There are many benefits, but you are subject to the Army’s demands 24/7, you cannot chose where you live, you and your family will have to move about every 3 years, and you will often have to deploy for at least 9 months and be away from your family, even at a moment’s notice.