This is how it was, a quarter of a century ago

While rummaging through some boxes, looking for old photos, I came across an album, long forgotten.

Album with photos taken a quarter of a century ago.
Photos that I made for myself in the days when I was serving military service.

In the days when for myself and old friends who are on them, I can use the name of the famous film "We were soldiers", with the fact that we were soldiers in peacetime conditions.

The period I spent in the army did not leave a traumatic experience for me, as it did for some people around me who were not used to discipline, obedience and work.

It was perfectly acceptable for me to get up every morning at 5:00 a.m. for those 9 months, make the bed I slept in, do morning gymnastics, go through training grounds, clean my weapons and listen to the officers.

For this reason, from the time of military service, I remember some interesting events, camaraderie, as well as all types of weapons that I encountered 🙂

The camaraderie I gained with the guys from my squad lasted many years later, and I'm still in contact with some of them.

We are all adults now, with our families, jobs and obligations, we live in different parts of the country, but thanks to social networks, we can sometimes meet, even if virtually.

A few years after I finished my military service, the country, with a weakened economy and the wrong direction to go, decided to abolish mandatory military service for all men.
The young generation rejoiced at that decision, because they did not find themselves in a situation to "lose" 6 or 9 months or a year of their lives, not realizing that only in the army, where there are authorities, they can acquire very important habits, knowledge and qualities that will to be determined later in life. In the army, a young man becomes a man. That's how it used to be.
That's why today we have young people who don't even know how to hold a snow shovel in their hands (not to mention a shovel, an ax or a pickaxe), who don't know how to fight floods, for whom everything is difficult, for whom it's cold, who don't know what it means "put your hand in the fire" to help someone.
How terrible it would be for them to be on guard duty in a dark, cold winter night when the temperature is far below zero, to fire an automatic rifle, enter a tank, throw a bomb or under full military equipment and additional ammunition, which in total adds up to 30 kg of weight on a soldier's back, spends the whole day marching in strong sun or heavy rain...?
And me and my generation, who was in the army? We know that.
We know what it's like when you don't betray your fellow soldier who sneaked out of the dormitory and barracks to see a girl, when you share your meal or water with another soldier, when you carry your wounded comrade on your shoulders out of the mud and water...

What is the situation with you? Is military service mandatory in your country, or does your country produce untrained, military-unfit people from their youth?
Were you in the army and do you have any pictures from that period?

On this occasion, if my "comrades" ever come across this post, I greet: Acu, Pedja, Djoleta, Emja, Jara, Miki...
with the lyrics of Djordje Balasevic's song "A u vojsci sam stekao druga do groba i hroničnu upalu zgloba, suvenir na stražarske dane (And in the army I made friends to the grave and chronic joint inflammation,
souvenir of the guard days)"