Serving in the infantry means long work days and carrying a lot of crap on our backs. So, how do we manage to continue?
Easy, we try and make the best out of every shitty situation that that presents itself — using humor.
If you can’t learn to crack a joke or laugh at yourself, your time with the grunts is going to be difficult.
Related: 7 things you should know before joining the infantry
So check out these six reasons why you need a sense of humor in the infantry
1. You have to find a way to laugh off the rough times.
Being deployed to a combat zone means you’re more than likely going to live through and see some crazy shit. After surviving a close call, it’s natural for troops to crack a dark joke or two in order to mentally settle themselves after a serious situation. Laughter is the best medicine.
It may not look healthy at first, but it works.
2. Dark humor is therapeutic.
Combat zones can be intense and traumatic. Humor makes everything better!
Sometimes just being immature takes some of the pressure off. When you’re stationed out in the middle of nowhere, you don’t have much except the comedy that you come up with in your head. Fart and d*ck jokes are a great go-to comedy tools.
I just recorded the battalion commander peeing.
3. We prank each other to help pass the time.
Grunts usually have a crap ton of downtime if they aren’t patrolling or manning a post. This allows us to come up with plenty of ways to prank another troop with what we have on hand — which isn’t much.
It takes awhile to come up with the pranks, but some troops are better than others.
Some troops just have it.
4. We play “grab ass” all the time.
After living, training, and being deployed for months on end, troops develop a bond that earns us the right to “ball tap” or play “grab ass” without much legal consequence. But if you play “grab ass” with another troop, you better sleep with one eye open as playful revenge is coming.
Someone is going to get themselves some payback later.
This game is typically controlled under false pretenses as getting your mark into proper position can be challenging.
5. It boosts everyone’s morale.
When you’re deployed, the days tend to blend. Fridays feel like Mondays because no one is keeping track — we have the same routine every single day. Like we said before, laughter is the best medicine so if you can’t learn to laugh — it sucks to be you.
Also Read: 9 things you should know before becoming a Marine infantry officer
6. We constantly give each other shit because it’s our way of bonding.
Grunts don’t typically volunteer to talk about their hopes and dreams that often. Instead, we tell stories of being back home and the people we slept with (not sparing any details), as well as, how much beer we’re going to drink when we get home.
Joking and shit talking builds us pretty tight bonds. So if you can’t do that, once again, that sucks for you.