Being a single soldier in the Army 

I would rather be single than receive a dear John letter in the military.

as a non english native speaker when a read single soldier I automatically imagined a one man platoon, like Rambo lol

All these complaints... An old veteran told me to stay single and volunteer for everything... use that time to do college work, study your MOS, prep for any/ all boards coming up... I did and was promoted extremely fast... all the way up to SSG... and I wasn't even a great Solider... I would say middle of the pack at best... but I stayed single and made a deal with myself... dedicate 100% of myself to the Army for the first 5 years and see what happens... Gotta say my career was much more productive than most... Loved almost every day and person of my career... but I certainly loved getting out more.. I used ACAP time to go ahead and start my new job making about 45% more, working less hours and working from home any time I want... so i double dipped for a year and set myself up nicely.. anyone can do the same if they just stay focused

New privates, do NOT marry someone just to get out of the barracks and collect BAH. Telling u.. bad idea

I’m 18 and single. Woah! Free food, free living space, and a check! I’m a cheap mofo, I guess active duty is the way to go. I’m currently a 68W in the Army NG

If I didn't have to pay for bills or food I would be quite happy with a $700 pay check.

Single soldier. Barracks life can be great. But at times it can be a living hell. Like when the wiring for your fire alarm system is bad and it goes off regularly and you have to vacate the building multiple times a night. But then again we bond as brothers and sisters and believe me that is awesome. Barracks parties and barbecues are heaven on earth. They are awesome. But at times you hate life and others you love life.

Single soldiers get screwed over with. More details and work just for being in the barracks . That's why so many people just marry someone for the hell of it to get out of the barracks. When I served late 90s I saw people marry just on paper alone and they never even lived together 🤔 before or after . Just friends in some cases not even friends with benefits .

I'd add that US Army service is not geared toward lower enlisted, single soldiers. It's not fair or easy but I noticed that in my 4yr enlistment. If you want a high speed SOF or spec ops type career, DO NOT get married. SF & Ranger soldiers have a 90-95% divorce rate. I'd suggest any soldier gear towards their service career & education then get married/engaged as a senior NCO or lower ranking field grade officer. You will be more mature, more skilled, less stress, have more $$$, and be closer to retirement or ETS. You can be single & have a good career. Just be smart & plan.

The best/worst thing about single soldiers is that they have equal opportunity to save lots of money, or completely blow it and even end up in deep debt. My little brother went in with 2 years of junior college, and he was an E4 right out of AIT making almost $25K with bonuses. Everything was "free" for him, but instead of putting the money in the bank, he went out and bought a new car *and* a motorcycle, and ended up short every paycheck. After 6 months of denial, he finally caved. My dad took the new car over and gave him a 1996 Honda in return, and he sold the bike for a loss but at least got out from under the debt. By the time he finished his enlistment he was saving over $5k a year. IF you go into the military looking to build up cash you can really do it as a single soldier, but there is nobody there to tell you when you are throwing your money away.

I banked pretty well my last year in the Army as a single E5 living in the barracks on Ft. Shafter, HI. Our DFAC situation wasn't normal there, Shafter had one DFAC that was only open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday. All the soldiers in the barracks drew BAS on account of this. From what I remember we didn't use meal cards, I'd just go to the DFAC mainly for lunch, insert my ID card into the reader and something like $3.45 would be deducted for lunch and $1.65 for breakfast for the meals I'd eat. We had two barracks buildings on post, one was eight stories tall and the other seven. My unit occupied one entire floor. I think there were eight pairs of rooms per floor each connected with a bathroom. At the time my unit allowed single E4s to move off post drawing full BAH. However, being the lone single E5 in the unit I was "urged" to stay to be the floor sergeant. It didn't take much convincing for me considering rent off post in Hawaii was so high. I had E4 friends who made it work somehow, mostly doubling and tripling up on beehive apartments. I did have four friends who lucked out and found a decent 4 bedroom house for $3200 a month though. Being an E5 in the barracks, my unit gave me both rooms, I pushed both twin beds together in one room to make a king, and set up my guitars and drum set in the other room, so that was sweet. My pay as a single E5 at the 5-6 year mark was nice, considering we also got COLA there. I paid off my car on the island. I'd have to dig through some boxes to find old LES statements, but I think my pay was broken up every two weeks, half my base pay would be on the first check, my end-of-month check would be the other half of the base pay plus COLA and BAS. So it was like $1000 mid month and $1800 end of month take home pay. Not too shabby for someone with no bills. We never had health and welfare in my building in Hawaii, at least on my floor anyway. The MPs two floors down seemed to have them a lot. My first three years as a Pvt-SPC at Ft. Hood were an entirely different story though. The barracks sucked, we had tiny two-man rooms and the layout was like a shoebox with the bathroom in the back. The sink was outside the bathroom so I'd have to listen to my roomate dry shave and brush his teeth every morning. Somehow I got paired up with a cook who had the worst schedule imaginable. I was 18 and he was 22. He'd wake up around 0300. He didn't own an alarm clock either. Instead, he'd set the timer on his stereo to kick on. And he wouldn't set it to a regular station either, it was always just static. One light switch turned on all the lights in the room. In his defense, he did everything in the dark trying not to wake me. I'd pretend to be asleep, but I'd always hear him light up his morning cigarette, open a can of Mt. Dew, pour some jack into it, and quietly cuss to himself before having to be at the DFAC to start breakfast. The 1st Cav DFACS sucked. The closest two for me I think were DIVARTY and 2/8 CAV and were always crowded. My mornings usually went like this: PT from 0630-0730, walk back to the barracks, shower, take my sweet time to get dressed then make the hike to one of the chow halls. I'd usually get in around 0840 and that's when the cooks seem to be in their IDGAF anymore attitude because the DFAC is going to lock it's doors at 9, then I'd have to hurry back to be in company formation at 9 anyway. I probably did the DFAC for my first 2-3 months there until I found buddies that'd just get in their car and drive off post every day for lunch and dinner. Seemed easier but dumber considering we didn't draw BAS at Hood so eating off post twice a day probably took a significant portion of my $400 paycheck. I did have a friend who brought his girl from Alabama just to get married so he could live off post. They moved into a trailer park like 25 minutes away and they fought all the time. Oh, and he convinced two other guys who weren't authorized to move off post out there with him, paying out of pocket for a run-down single wide trailer. GI parties at Hood were on a whole other level. We never had one in my unit in Hawaii, but Hood had the dumbest soldiers. New 1SG? Barracks inspection! Oh, PVT so-and-so pissed hot? Barracks inspection! Some soldiers were drinking on the balcony cat-calling some wives? Send the XO through the barracks the next four weekends! Someone fired off a gun in the parking lot to break up a fight? Everyone empty your rooms into the quad!

As the old saying goes, if Uncle Sam wanted you to have a wife he would have issued you one.

As a single soldier The meal card is not free. $315 dollars come out your paycheck that you don’t see. But you can put in a DD form to get ur meal card taken back an collect the money as long as you can prove financial stability to your commander!

man 15k subs he needs way more, i can join the army tomorrow with literally zero questions because of his videos plus he just does a really good job with all of the vids keep it up!

i swear i never clicked on a video that fast haha.

Recruiter told me to keep your eye out for barracks rats he also told you probably gonna catch something if the guys are passing her around once he said that I was dead 💀

Married soldiers get to miss out on stupid random details because the platoon Sargent can’t just walk over to their house and tell them to do some bullshit.

Hey Chris awesome video man! It’s key to note that these living conditions will VARY from post and unit. I’ve seen barracks where you share with someone and some where they are all single self contained rooms. I’ve seen some ranks as high as E-6 have to share a room too. It all depends on the post and unit. Biggest perk to me as a single solider was living in the barracks and so close to my unit work place and main post itself. Biggest downside was the barracks inspections. Sometimes these were triggered by people who didn’t even stay in the barracks and just trashed the place one night and we all ended up cleaning their mess. Keep up the good work!

Old timer here.I retired in 1979. Basic training,we were in three story buildings.Open bay,the Army allowed us to use dividers,so we had four men to each cubicle,doubled bunked.Later at A.I.T we were in old WW2 style barracks,double bunked only one latrine.Barracks would hold about 75 80 men,total of both floors absolutely no privacy.Never had even a two man room until I made E6. Of course, Overseas was kind of iffy depending on where you were.ASCOM Depot in Korea,we were in four man rooms. In Vietmam,as an E6,I had a room but it was just plywood walls nailed to wall of building,not much privacy.

Do a video on married life. Or being a parent, also Thank You For Your Service.

One thing a single soldier should probably look out for is pulling a lot of duty during the holidays; unless you went home on leave. Unless things have changed a GREAT deal since I got out, most command groups will try to ensure that the married soldiers they have get as much time with their families as they can during said holidays. This means staff duty and other such fun wastes of time. So when the leaves start falling it starts getting nearer and nearer to Thanksgiving keep your head down and stay off of Top's radar or instead of drinking some eggnog, you'll be pounding your favorite energy drink trying to stay away.

I used to only come back to my barracks room once weekly, like 5am on Monday to dust everything off before going to PT at 6. I paid out of pocket to live elsewhere and never had much spare change, but i had to keep the room looking like i lived in it. I still had to show up for barracks cleaning where i normally sweep, mop, or buff the halls, and pick up garbage outside. I had a McDonald's bag in there that i moved every time a Sergeant wanted to see my room. I was later demoted and confined to the barracks, working extra duty for 4 weeks for arguing about why i wasn't in my barracks room during a surprise shakedown at midnight. They made me move out of the house i was staying in. After my punishments were over, i stopped living in the barracks again. I lived in my Ford Ranger. I liked the cold nights in Colorado with no mosquitoes, so from then on until deployment, i was drinking with a bunch of homeless people every night. As a battalion marathon runner, this led to failing liver after 4yrs and 8 months of service. They said i wouldn't live to see 30yrs old. My liver is fully recovered after one year of discharge, mainly because i started eating healthier and drinking less alcohol. The single soldier life sucked unless you distract yourself with something. I guess i just failed to adapt to the military life. At least i was good at being on duty. Off duty, i was trying to forget being a soldier. I still respect the military personnel, but i have a deep grudge with the system.

A word of advice for single soldiers. Learn how to live like a decent human and keep your room and barracks clean. Yes, command inspects y'all's room when your at work. It will save you a lot of heart ache. If someone else messes up, it won't be your fault.

Damn. This guy is describing living in a luxury apartment building. My barracks in Germany was 2 guys in a 12x14 cinder block room. Our room divider was 2 wall lockers standing side by side. Each had a small desk and shared a dorm fridge. And no POV's under E-5.

ROK 83-84. Four man rooms E1-E4. Two man rooms for E5-E6 and Jr. Officers. Individual rooms for E7-E9 and Field grade Officers. Ft. Lewis 84-86. Two man rooms for E1-E4. Individual rooms for NCO. Sr. NCO BEQ or on the economy. Single Officers BOQ or on the economy.

By watching your videos i think i liked the army branch the most. I dont say that the navy or air force are bad. I dont serve tho due to my health problems. My Grandad served, my uncle served, my cousin served. Thank you. God bless.

i just joined so this helped out a lot thank you

This is probably one of your informative and useful videos you have produced. You covered some very good things.

The comments in here are like a tell all book!!!! Keep posting them! WOOW WEE! I'm having a good time! Definitely made my lunch break go by fast!👍🏽 Thanks for sharing!

Lots of fun exploring the world.We had one big room,divided with wall lockers was an officers building from WW2.Common Bathroom laundry room showers. After a while we were issued small fridges .We still had fun always had between 1 and 3 roomates depending on the size of. the room.

Everyone here is complaining how bad this is I live off less and pay for everything and have worst living standers I would take this in a second I'm at college

I been watching more and more of ur videos and im super stoked to get into army Nat guard it sounds like most dont enjoy some things like the GI party but man to me it's a new life experience and if I make it in I will definitely make the best of it all and thanks to ur videos i can know what to expect on a basic level keep up the great videos man I'm enjoying them a lot!

Being single in the Army is a raw deal. The perks for being married add up so much. Yes as single your room and board are free. Food being free sounds good, but that means everytime you don't go to the chow hall means you are wasting that benefit. Oh and if you want to eat breakfast at 10am, nope, chow hall isn't open. Free room sounds great, it isn't though. You don't get to choose where you live, just assigned a room. You don't pick your roomate, and probably won't be able to change. Want to burn a candle, probably against the rules. When I made SGT yes I got two rooms but all the furniture was in both. So now I had double the furniture. So that space really isn't useful. Another bed, desk, and whatever else. Most of it won't be used but takes up most of that extra space you get when promoted. Also means if you want to start buying your own furniture you pretty much don't have a spot to put it. Having to check guests in or not letting them stay late while probably a rule wasn't an issue in the various barracks I stayed in. Girls stayed for nights all the time. I imagine if they stayed more than a couple of days other soldiers would have said something but that never was tested. Your personal life is constantly in view of your coworkers though. You pretty much have no personal life outside your bedroom. This might all sound like bitching but here is why being a single soldier is bullshit. If you decide to get married or have a kid all these downsides go away. You either get a house or given plenty of money to rent a place. A place that will be 5x bigger and where you choose. You get money for food. That money will leave you extra every month if you choose. Not being single eliminates every downside I listed before. BTW if deployed if married you get extra money, money that a coworker that is single gets nothing.

How about a video about A single soldier dating.Who and who you can't date in the army.

Remember being station in Germany in 1978, living in barracks was great, every kind of music from every room. Great friends, and especially the German beer machine which would empty out so quickly.

Nice breakdown of single Soldier life!

Wow. The Army lives large these days. Gone are the steel wall lockers, metal bunks with 40 mm grenade casings on the corner posts. Empty Artie shell cases for ash trays, folding metal chairs, one desk..all in an 8 man bay.

single soldiers cannot store POW (privately owned weapon) in the barracks

I was a single Soldier my entire 27 year career. I was picked out for Holiday duty rosters, anytime a family Soldier couldn't get a babysitter, I took over their duties. I lost $600 dollars once because I had paid for one of the ITR holiday trips, and at the last moment was given duty in place of a family soldier who had a sick child. Because it was too close to departure time, I couldn't get my money refunded. I was put on every "Hey You" roster you can think of. I was required to attend family briefings and told about new family policies, and most of those didn't even apply to single Soldiers but was not allowed to leave the briefings. I had to go to family dinners, (mandatory attendance), where I was expected to meet every family member and Soldier's spouse so I was the only single Soldier there. If I tried to leave, a CSM or 1SG would stop me. Don't be a single (male) Soldier in the military, (Army), you will get the least consideration and you will be called upon to do jobs or duties that "Family Soldiers" just don't feel like doing.

I leave August 13th to Leonardwood, im pumped

That's why I joined the National Guard. I get to live at home

thnxz Chris Chaos 4 these vids you and Kyle Gott helps me out understanding life in the military​ cause I plan on writing a book which the character is in the military

Thanks, this w really helpful! I'm an author and some of my book characters are in the army so this video gave me a lot of good info on making their situations authentic.

Not hard staying single so I'm in the clear.

In the 60's, a single soldier normally lived in a two floor barracks with 40 men to a floor and two squad rooms for the NCO's. And the privacy of the "latrine" 10 toilets side by side with no walls between. Those were the days! For the fun of it, watch the old "No Time For Sergeants" moving for a real laugh.

Great job doing that video... Excellent...!!!

Your vids are short, entertaining, informative, and not high production value. Cool thanks

Meal card cost around 300 a month tho. Chow hall isn’t “free”

Avoid the Horseshoe in Fayettenam NC. Those gals can sniff tri care miles away.

Being single is awesome ..

Can you go to walmart

Barracks parties were rad before i married my wife

I leave for Fort Leonard Wood August 20th to become an 88M.

Love the videos, good info as always.

Thank you for sharing all of this information. I am both a sibling of soldier and now a wife of a National guard's man. I have other siblings who are also in the military.

Try single soldier with child support. I thought that I had it bad with 2x. Met a another E-5 with 5x child support. I lived on $1,400 a month. That guy... I don't want to imagine.

Being a single soldier in the Army....that means you will be pulling a LOT of weekend CQ and Staff Duty......and if in the winter it snows really bad and the post in closed down so nobody from off post can enter....guess who's shoveling out all of that snow around the barracks and out of the parking lot???

If you're single, other single soldiers don't hate you. Married guys always have excuses to get out of work Most weekends, somebody is in the main barracks kitchen on your floor cooking enough food to feed several people on the floor. There's a fire pit under the gazebo outside where you can grill out

I go august 20th to benning as 11x 2 days before my birthday

Finally a video about this

Every person new to the military needs to hear this, do NOT get married just to collect BAH, if you're an 18 year old fresh out of high school, do not immediately marry your high school sweetheart, relationships work different as adults and when you live with eachother, military relationships are complicated there are things you need to deal with as military members that you don't deal with as civilians, TDYs for training and deployments that span several months are the biggest factors, when you start dating someone do yourself a favor and date them for a few years before you consider tying the knot, I met my fiancee when we lived in Air Force dorms, 6 months in she deployed for 6 months, a year after she got back I was given a no notice deployment to bolster up a team that was already deployed and was gone for 3 months, a year and a half after that she deployed, while she was deployed she got PCS orders, before she got home from her deployment I was hit with another no notice deployment and was gone for 7 months, before I got home she was already at her new duty station. Military life can be turbulent, make sure whoever you are dating can handle it before you get married, I have seen too many people get divorced because they rush into a marriage and then come to learn that their wife has a hard time being apart from them for more than a few days. Chances are good that you will deploy at some point in your career and it will last a few months at least and you don't want to be the guy who comes home and finds out his wife was fucking the neighbor the entire time they were gone.

Being single in the Army...is AWESOME!

I love being single lmao

Love your videos

Great video Christopher. Our son leaves for basic training at Ft. Benning in two weeks.

I don't think a day goes by that I don't reminisce about the ol' barracks days; 3131A at Ft. McClellan, Al. and 666 at Ft. Richardson, Ak.

I'm fine with being single, it's being a single father of two is the challenge.

Love the video bro

I always made the best of any barracks I was at. No one really bothered me cause I was a good tenant always kept my shit clean. My set up was pretty awesome too a nice tv and a gaming pc. My answer for gi parties. Can’t I’ve been drinking.

single soldiers in the army get screwed

We had 2 man rooms at Ft. Lewis ('84-'86). Most had TV, VCR , bachelor fridge, microwave, etc.

No way E-1 today only makes 750 dollars a month.

Don’t get a car either right off base do your research.

Joining is the best way to leave your problems behind. Met folks that left gang life, ran off from toxic/violent relationship (female soldier), wanted to get free college to be a doctor, another one was on an episode of cops and was given a second chance at life...told me after his 14 shot of JD. moving on, the barracks is just a bordello. Mainly men and when one single woman shows up it’s pretty much a race to get your yum yum taken care of... diseases run rampant. Best befriend a medic who has access to medical files to ensure the girl you about to get some tasty treats from doesn’t have any lifelong diseases. Alcohol will be your only goal in life for most youth. You are finally free of your parents and most cases only one parent. Yeah, yeah, not me sgt I’m a solid high speed of moral charac...stfu there will be drinking 24/7 and you will have that one battle buddy who can kick it with you and have a fun time instead of having an 8 -hour wanking marathon and video games. people work all kinds of hours of the day and when they get off from work it’s on for them so you claim you won’t join them but you will. Peer pressure is king. On top of that there are always snitches who were flipped by command under the guise of “secrecy” and that they will be an asset for the brass. Do yourself a favor and don’t put yourself in a situation that might look like you have raped her. She might be good and ready to have a solid pounding but ensure you can control your urges and be in control of any situation to avoid involving alcohol. If something happens and even a single oz of alcohol is consumed it will be over for you. She will just be coerced into being a victim. Seen it God like 3 times. I was a key witness to vouch for the soldier and still the brass wanted to press charges of rape. Anyway, for the love of God don’t marry the first female you meet. Trust me, you will get a chance to meet women from around the world. Spanish women are hungry kittens, German love them Americans, let’s no talk about the hunger those Asians have for a soldier who is twice their ht/wt. deep down inside they crave a G.I. Well, best of luck and think anything over into multiple scenarios that only work in your favor and you just might survive the barracks without a lifetime STD or demotion

Changed a lot since I was in. Basic was a ten man squad bay, AIT two or four man room with bunk beds. Permanent Party about the same, except Sgt's may have to pair off with another Sgt. SSgt's may get a single room, but they could get a Bachelor NCO Quarters, and even then they may have to share room with one, two or three other NCO's.

I'll never forget, while on active duty in the Marine Corps, in Hawaii, some ass hat's took a couple of grenades from the range. Higher found out, and the entire base was on lock down. Nobody went anywhere! Finally, after a couple of hours, the perps managed to sneak the grenades to where somebody would find them. They never did find out who brought them back from the range. Nonetheless, after that, we had squad bay inspections EVERYDAY for about the next six months, with MP's showing up with K-9's just about as often. Those were the days (76-84). Back then, not too many marines were married, and over half of our platoon consisted of single Marines. That was a very strange time for the Corps, as it was undergoing a transition of sorts. Two years later, when I reported to my next duty station, just about everybody in my platoon was married!

When I was in (retired 1SG) it was called the BOSS (Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers), yes another acronym. That program was, at that time, ONLY in USAREUR. Stateside or duty assignments in more of a hot zone, all the rooms were dress right dress. Would be interesting to see how they maintain their AO’s and how their COC checked up on their cleanliness.

Great channel... Thanks for the info

For ever alone

Things have changed a lot. In the nineties at Schofield Barracks. The junior enlisted. They shared a room with the separated by their wall lockers. Bathrooms were group bathrooms out on the Lanai. And yes talk about Schofield Barracks. The five they had their own room of their own bathroom. And they said rainbow looking Sheetz in wool blankets. Would suit me just fine. Later on end up staying off post and his service one's home. Wetsuit my roommate just fine. Because he unofficially had his own room.

I had barrack check 3 times a day even on weekends my platoon sgt made the barrack feel like a prison 3am 7am 10pm

I just started watching your channel. A suggestion, a video on the organization of the Army. From Soldier to team, to squad.... maney through division level or higher. You could also include rank descriptions at each level.

Any single soldiers ever make it through a long distance relationship while active duty or is that just a myth?

Also if you do the whole buddy system thing when you enlist will you most likely be living in the same room with them ?

Great channel.

Actually you do pay for food. 350 a month

Being a single male can be tough depending on where you’re stationed at. A lot of times, the men will drastically outnumber the women. Making dating a task.

I saw the chow hall on the Fort McGuire side of that joint Army/AF/Navy base and boy those fly boys have it good lol

If you need advice I’m currently stationed in Fort Carson

Wow. Just wow. I was a sailor in the '70's/'80's. Barracks ranged from 'Gomer Pyle' to just barely above that.

As an E6 I lived in a three man room at Ft. Hood, Tx by myself, but also had the "Go to the MPs and sign for the Bad soldiers".

Wow! Barracks have change since I was in (84 to 92). Also breakfast and lunch in the DFAC was the Bomb. Just Sayin'...

Fort Jackson at reception right bow

Being single in the barracks sucks. Married people get to go home and you get stuck doing many” Hey you!” Details. Many 3 day weekends married guys had the whole weekend off. Not us. Spent half the weekend cleaning many times. Married life is so much more worse on other levels. I made sure I never married when I was in. If you want to marry. Wait till you are in 10 plus years.

In E quad. We didn't have no CQ. 725 MSB. And yes I'm a former 88 Mike and currently I'm an over-the-road truck driver.

you have been out for a while. Barracks are controlled by post housing now. Guest do not have to check in at the CQ desk anymore. Fort Hood as an example, most of the barracks are access from balconies like a motel. When soldiers are washing clothes they better watch their stuff. depend on the unit, they do have clean up roster. Some places still wax and buff the floors. You forgot to talk about the day room.

Great video

I would rather be single then get cheated on and dear johned. Cause that would hurt and you dont need that emotional pain. It's hard enough without it.

Is the chow hall... all you can eat?

Dude barrecks inspection can happen. One guy showed up late once and they would inspect our room every morning for 6 months and hour and a half befor pt. Barrecks Inspection is a b””””