Being in the military is very different from many other jobs. Instead of sitting at a desk all day, you might have to endure extreme physical challenges from sun up to sun down. But there are certain rules that apply in all workplaces, one of the most important being that you must treat all of your colleagues with respect.
One man recently hopped on Reddit to share the story of how someone in his boot camp decided it would be funny to become a bully. So to make sure that he put an end to the man’s behavior, the author sought icy cold revenge. Below, you’ll find the full story, as well as a conversation with the author.
Bullying is never acceptable, especially not in the workplace
Image credits: wavebreakmedia_micro / freepik (not the actual photo)
So when this man noticed that someone in his boot camp was being targeted, he found a way to get revenge on his tormentor
Image credits: OlhaRomaniuk / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
Later, the author clarified a few details about the situation
Image credits: ENMR-OG
"If you’re not a team player, don’t help others, don’t protect and support others, then your life will be hell"
To find out more about this situation, we reached out to the Reddit user who posted this story, ENMR-OG. He was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and share what inspired him to tell this story now.
"It’s been many years since I was out of the military, but have more recently been spending more time with military friends, reading up on Veteran issues and programs," he noted. "So I was just thinking back about bootcamp and remembered the story. I was actually highly concerned my stunt was seen by someone that night, as I could have potentially been in some real trouble. No one ever said a word!"
We were also curious to know whether behavior like this was common in boot camp or not. "Here’s the thing, if you’re a dirtbag sailor/grunt/airman, etc., you will be endlessly bullied for not 'pulling your weight,'" the OP says. "If you’re not a team player, don’t help others, don’t protect and support others, then your life will be hell with bullying. Once you earn respect from your peers, the bullying stops."
But thankfully, ENMR-OG says he absolutely knows that this bully learned his lesson that day. "He never said another word to anyone for the rest of boot camp that I recall," he shared. "He was sufficiently terrified since he had no idea who did it. He had 90+ people to worry about now."
And what did the author think of the replies to his post? "It just felt good to tell the story; I did read a few of the comments, but wasn’t (respectfully) interested in people’s opinion of the situation," he shared. "I knew I had to check the guy, and handled it the best way I could at the time."
Finally, ENMR-OG added that, "The Military brotherhood is build on respect and love for your fellow soldier, as you have to trust that they will save your life on day, and vice versa. What I did that day was to protect one of my guys initially, but later realized the lasting effects were potentially much broader."
Bullying only exacerbates the pre-existing mental health crisis in the military
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
There’s a common misconception that people who are physically strong or capable of incredible feats are immune to pain. If you can spend days out in a freezing cold forest with only a backpack of supplies, surely a few insults won’t hurt your feelings, right? In reality, however, we’re all human. And it never feels good to be picked on or made fun of, especially not by people you have to live and work with every single day.
A recent survey from JAMA Network found that approximately 12% of combat soldiers experienced bullying or hazing while away on deployment. What’s even more concerning is the impact that this harassment can have on members of the military.
Some soldiers reported that they have since developed mental health issues, such as major depression, explosive anger, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation and even substance use disorder.
Researchers also noted that the chance of developing these issues increased after being bullied or hazed, even among people who were already at a higher risk due to their socioeconomic background or medical history.
Mental health issues are already extremely prevalent in the military, so there is absolutely no reason why anyone should be playing with fire and increasing another person’s risk for developing these conditions. Health.mil reports that, during 2022, over 17% of “active duty service members had some form of psychological health concern for which they sought treatment.”
Meanwhile, members of the military lose their lives four times more often by their own choice than in war operations. Mental health is no laughing matter, and being a bystander in situations like the one described in this story can be extremely dangerous.
Everyone who witnesses bullying is culpable if they do nothing to stop it
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
So what should members of the military do when they witness or experience bullying? The simple answer is: report it and put a stop to it immediately.
The Army, for example, has a very clear stance on harassment and even notes that aggressors will be held accountable, even if the victim consents to their behavior.
The Law Office of Matthew Barry explains that some behaviors that are considered bullying include: physically striking another person; intimidating, teasing, mocking and spreading rumors; oral or written berating of another person; encouraging another person to engage in illegal, harmful, demeaning, or dangerous acts; playing abusive or malicious tricks; branding, handcuffing, duct taping, tattooing, shaving, greasing, painting, hitting, spitting on, shoving another person; forcing another person to consume food, alcohol, illegal substances, etc.; degrading or damaging another's property or reputation.
There’s never an excuse to engage in these kinds of behaviors, especially when you’re part of an organization that’s supposed to work together to protect your country. In fact, Army General Martin E. Dempsey made it clear in a 2011 press release that even bystanders of bullying are not innocent, if they do nothing to put a stop to it.
“We are duty bound to protect one another from hazing in any form,” Dempsey shared.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this man did the right thing by getting revenge on this boot camp bully? Feel free to weigh in, and then if you’d like to read another Bored Panda article discussing similar themes, look no further than right here!
Amused readers applauded the author for his clever revenge, and some shared similar stories of their own
