YES! No One Asked Us to Join, and Neither Did They Give Us the Truth!

 In the realm of military life, the adage "no one asked you to join" is often flung around like a shield against criticism. It’s a terse response, meant to silence discontent and stifle dissent. Yet, it fails to acknowledge a fundamental truth: many of us were drawn into the folds of the armed forces by a vision that diverges greatly from the reality we encounter.

From the earliest stages of recruitment, we are presented with an idealized version of military life. We are captivated by tales of heroism, duty, and camaraderie, depicted through various mediums. The allure of serving one's country, of being part of something greater than oneself, is a powerful motivator. But the glossy brochure version of military life often fails to mention the complexities and frustrations that lie ahead.

Today, as we navigate the labyrinth of military bureaucracy, we find ourselves disillusioned by the divergence between expectation and reality. The army, once revered for its focus on readiness and combat effectiveness, now finds itself entangled in a web of mindless programs and peacetime activities that seem to lack purpose or direction.

Take, for example, the perplexing paradox of leadership within the ranks. A lieutenant, entrusted with the lives of thirty men on the battlefield, may find himself micromanaged and second-guessed when tasked with something as mundane as organizing a party or delivering a presentation. The irony is palpable.

These ironies extend to the nature of tasks that fill our days. A company of soldiers, trained to defend borders and engage the enemy, might spend days digging pits for a symbolic tree plantation drive in the North Eastern region — the so-called lungs of India — while the same forests are encroached elsewhere in the name of development. Troops may find themselves erecting roadside welcome arches, escorting VIPs from helipads, or whitewashing stones to make an inspection route look neat for a passing dignitary. None of these tasks are part of the brochure — yet they quietly consume precious hours meant for honing real skills.

One explanation for this phenomenon lies in the dearth of combat experience among today's military personnel. With fewer opportunities for frontline engagement, peacetime activities have become the norm, blurring the lines between essential training and extraneous busywork. As a result, tasks that were once meant to engage and enrich the organization have now become the mainstay of daily operations.

In this landscape of peace, where wars are waged in conference rooms rather than on battlefields, the metrics of success have shifted. With no tangible enemy to defeat, bosses are left to judge their subordinates based on subjective criteria, leading to a culture of arbitrary evaluation and misplaced priorities. As a result, the officer who finds himself in the bracket of an ‘Adequately Exercised’ ACR is often rewarded with the great and difficult task of managing the Station Club or running the Skill Training Centre for the ladies — all under the noble notion that it’s an opportunity for him to be ‘seen’ and showcase his ‘skills’ to the who’s who of the station.

But perhaps the most egregious oversight lies in the failure to prepare recruits for the realities of peacetime service. The romanticized narrative of military life does little to equip us for the bureaucratic quagmire that awaits. It's a disservice to those who sign up in good faith, expecting to find purpose and fulfillment in the service of their country.

So, the next time someone tells you "no one asked you to join," remember this: while it may be true that we volunteered for this journey, we did so under false pretenses. We were sold a dream, only to awaken to a harsh reality. And in the absence of transparency and honesty, disillusionment is an inevitable consequence.