Unforgettable Military Experiences That Shaped My Life

While serving in the military, each soldier encounters unique and often surreal experiences that may be difficult to explain to those outside the service. Here are a couple of the most unbelievable things I witnessed during my time in the military, including life-altering moments in both the military and civilian training environments.

The Most Unbelievable Thing I've Seen While Serving in the Military

During my time in the military, I was stationed in a remote jungle area in Brunei, where we were conducting jungle training with a four-man patrol following a river. To our surprise, we stumbled upon a Dayak village. The village consisted of a few canoes and a drying frame with a few fish, indicating that the villagers were relying on fishing as their primary means of sustenance.

Proper protocol dictated that we approach the village elder with deference. The elder, a wizened and ancient figure, emerged from his hut. At first glance, it seemed he must have been over 150 years old; perhaps a headhunter or cannibal from the pre-WWII era. Russ, the leader of our patrol, stepped forward and commenced an exchange that only a few broken words could describe:

Er Hello, sir, began Russ with an uneasy smile.

The elder replied in a deep, rumbling voice, Hello.

Russ then pointed to the fish and said, The fishing… not so good. The elder mumbled, Not so good.

From his backpack, Russ pulled out a block of P4 plastic explosive, a device that had been designed for clearing trees so that helicopters could land. With a confident and somewhat reckless demeanor, he said, I will show you how to catch many fish. Russell struck the detonator and crimped the explosive to set it off. The group looked on nervously, aware that they were dealing with a potentially dangerous situation.

A pregnant pause was followed by a massive explosion. A waterspout resembling a depth charge shot up, followed by a mini tidal wave that swept the canoes and drying frame into the middle of the village, creating a chaotic scene. To everyone's amazement, the fish in the river immediately began to float to the surface and swim away with the current.

As more villagers emerged from their huts, Russ pushed us to leave in a hurry. We hastily retreated, relieved but unsure what we had just witnessed. This experience was our least shining moment in the course of our training. However, it taught us valuable lessons about adaptability and resourcefulness under pressure.

Encountering a Floating Home in the Pacific Ocean

Another unforgettable event occurred while serving in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Ocean, where we encountered an interesting sight. We saw a random manufactured home floating with no direction or propulsion. Instead of perceiving it as a threat, we opted to leave it be, ensuring the safety of the personnel on board and the vessel it was on. While this might not seem as dramatic as the jungle encounter, it highlighted the unpredictable nature of military service and the need to remain calm and analytical in the face of the unknown.

These experiences not only shaped my life as a soldier but also reinforced the importance of cultural awareness, resourcefulness, and adaptability. They are stories that I will cherish forever, reminders of the unexpected and the extraordinary moments that make military service an experience like no other.