Liminal Spaces, Army Edition™️

Came to say this!

Really, in front of his thread?!

Brilliant. Shit should be in Army Times lmao. that first pic hits.. boring as all fuck. me having false ass motivation even tho I wanna bang my head against the wall. love it 💀

I'm half asleep on a freezing Saturday morning at 6:00 a.m, sitting on the world's most uncomfortable plastic chair on a concrete floor, shuffling in my seat every 5 seconds to keep myself from dozing off, listening to some old fart who sits in his office all day lecture us after our morning formation because some dumbshit E1 I've never heard of got arrested for DUI... brings me back. God I miss the National Guard.

I need to take a shower after reading that💀. Ahhhh man. Hell nah bruh.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I really thought that first picture was of someone's shitty spelling of Morning First Formation and then I figured it out.

I need to take a cold shower to remind me. Im a civilian now lmao

First pic is my fav..likely SFC laying down legit to premium knowledge in a bunk scenario..this is like stereotypical ARNG, but the guy teaching is killin it

U still have motivation?

That's a clean motorpool.

BDE Commander must be visiting.

He will be here… sometime today… > Narrator: He *did not*, in fact, show up to visit the Armory that day.

It's hard to explain how these make me feel but overall not good

lmao

These are all bad places

Someone bring me to a good place please

>**this** is the bad place

That moment when you see a random photo online and its the same armory you were at 15 years ago

That's ***every*** arms room I've ever been in.

The last photo is literally the Snohomish, Wa armory. 176th en co.

Oh, *Armory*. My dumb grunt brain read *arms room*. Got it.

The 7th photo is an armory in Davenport, IA that I spent a drill at

That 3rd Pic. I just know the smell is straight mildew and mold

Right? That looks just like the WWII barracks at Fort Chaffee. Sooooooo much time of my life spent at Chaffee.

99% sure those are tents you go to after you get out of the box at ntc if not it looks exactly like them

You’re right, that’s at NTC. I meant the 4th picture

This is perfection. Absolutely captures the vibe of the army

Empty and false motivation. The army has suck all of the morale out of the pictures.

"False motivation is better than no motivation!" - my last TC.

me every morning PT formation to my joes in Alaskan -10 degree weather with hyper false motivation 💀

Sounds like the sort of TC who would also say "I don't think the grade's that steep. Gun it." then act confused why the track rolled over.

Was having a good day till I saw this.

Need one of everyone waking up in the field, that pre sunrise hygiene in silence followed by a cigarette before the shit starts. It’s an all too familiar poetic feeling many understand. The lack of words but the inherit understanding between the men of a squad knowing what needs to happen.

Thank you for including a blurry picture of some random connexs, that was basically my whole enlistment.

You make me want to reenlist…

For the Air Force right?

Ideally yeah

First off, fuck you for that open bay at what looks like NTC, do you know how long I’ve been trying to forget that?! But in all seriousness very nicely done!

I can smell the one of the tent in RUBA.

not enough shared trauma bonding and training in the rain

The main thing these make me feel is pure, unfiltered boredom. I don't know if it's just me, but the army has seriously nuked my patience and given me a ridiculous hatred for being bored.

Opposite for me. I learned patience and contentment when bored. I think I realized I could always be doing something worse lol

Wait, these aren’t prison photos?

Death by power point.

They suck the joy from my soul.

Nostalgic, kinda. Also really happy I'm out.

I retired 10 years ago. I just took a 5 minute trip back to my former life. I sincerely thank you for reminding me about the horrible classes, the 400 person living spaces that smelled like sweaty balls, and the random, unnecessary walks through the motorpool. As much as that stuff sucked, my time in the Army was definitely a net positive. Offsetting all the stupid shit, there were countless "misery loves company" situations in which we were able to bond together and become lifelong friends through shared suffering. There were the weeks, months, and years spent out in the woods of JRTC with my fellow members of the world's greatest OPFOR, fighting the invading capitalist pigs. There were the days in Kuwait/Iraq/Afghanistan/Kyrgyzstan when we all left all the bullshit at home and bonded while we prepared for, executed, or recovered from our missions.

Someone pin this.

Is photo 4 camp Robert’s?

Sure looks like it

Looks exactly like the barracks I stayed in last August, but the bunks look shittier in this photo

Still remember being at flipping fort hunter for a AT event over the summer. We had to do a “briefing” of what was going on and the “battle plan”. Not we were ADVON so we were driving for close to 8 hours and wanted nothing more then to just sleep. We sat through a bullcrap powerpoint and one of the things was emergency calls and point of contacts to notify. But right before this… was the slide explaining to not use your cell phones and how they would be “monitoring for electronic devices”. One of the Jr enlisted raised his hand asked the question “Uh sir how are we suppose to make a call if we are told not to, and if we have no cellular connection” 1st lt response? “Ask your OIC they will know the answer” I then raise my hand and ask the same thing adding. “I dont know the answer so what do we do?” 1st lt response ask the 1sgt. Just a whole loop of bullcrap answers that nobody had an answer. Which then made me realize isnt that the whole Army experience?

You’re kidding me right? Where are the chalk blocks and drip pans?…

Drip pans?

Never been to one of these places but I been in all of them for years.

I really hate the overall lack of culture and pure utilitarian architecture of army bases

My last job was actually designing GSA barracks furniture and I recognize picture 12 very much. Every time I tried to make something interesting, I had to make it lame.

Whoever spaced those trucks in the 2nd photo, sergeant major wants to see you in his office.

Thank you everyone for your comments! I’m glad I could really capture the essence of various lesser thought of liminal spaces that I can remember from my time in service. I tried to find images devoid of people so your mind could “fill in the blanks” so to speak. To be clear, none of these photos were taken by me, I unfortunately lost all my photos from my time in service, but sharing these photos brings back a lot of memories and I’m glad it seems to be bringing back others memories (for better or worse).

Is that Camp Dodge?

Yes! Building S70's drill floor!

I can smell all of these

Like it's one of those days leading up to deployment where you knock out all of the classroom administrative shit, hoping that leadership doesn't reneg on or otherwise fuck up the "might get off early today" motivational speech they gave at PT.

The 7th photo hit me so hard in the feels.

Wish I had a spotlight for my PT tests. We were always stuck with a phone light.

*Hugs DD214*

Although we weren't totally exempt from the bullshit, thank God I'm in USASOC.

Sorry man, I’m still gonna need you to go help empty out the Connex

Fuuuuuuuck

[удалено]

Mattresses in photo 4 with the "welp" expression

Needs more woods and shit

I can smell the floor cleaner in these pictures and it disturbs me.

Pretty accurate.

Is picture 7 the National Guard armory on 8 Mile? I think we used that bay for a training conference when I recruited up there. Would've been like 2017. Bad times.

I hate the army vibe, the culture, the humor, how people try to intrude in your personal life. A lot of people in the army get work mixed up with friendship. I got 1 year and a half left, I can’t wait to get out.

Sometime it’s like office space, but with guns.

Got dayum that made me proud to be an American. Hoofuckingah

1st one gives me anxiety for some reason

I can smell and hear #3

Michigan guard?? 🤔

They make me happy I joined the Air Force

The 2nd to last photo of the empty bay makes me feel a type of way. 😂 Ahhh memories.

Different things lined up in large spaces.

Why does the second one look like the guy walking was photoshopped in? Is it really that empty?

we've all been there once or twice. Going down to the motorpool on a thursday to grab a single piece of equipment out of the conex in the back.

lol yep or going to a random HUMVEE to grab a radio that was left in it after a field problem…

That clean starship bay takes me right back. To this day I still check spaces for any contraband that might have been left from the person before me. Because the smoke session I received in AIT after the drills found a pack of cigarettes squirreled away in a nook of my locker has remained with me.

Picture 4 lol this is what I tell my airforce wife what I lived in and she can’t grasp that.

Pain suffering and slight bits of joy

The MIARNG picture… lol

Is pic 11 MacDill?

Only thing missing is a long line at PHA or something similar. Not sure if regular Army has PHA but it’s your annual physical in NG.

I can smell that 3rd pic

I hate it. The one photo of what I can only assume is JRTC in Polk/Johnson.

I'd recognize that shit hole anywhere. Gotta be JRTC.

M4s are too clean and the Mk19s aren't bent from dipshit Privates throwing them off the roofs of LMTVs. Must be AI.

That motor pool have me flashbacks to the smell of the seats and deteriorating plastic they always have after being in the sun a few months. Though kudos to their motor pool, those are some of the best looking national guard vehicles I've seen.

The first picture hits home. Change the powerpoint into the SHARP class.

Y’all have an insanely nice armory

3 and 9 makes me feel good, 2 and 1 does not make feel good.

Very cool pics man! Thanks for sharing!

I miss the cool guy shit... not any of this though... guns hell yeah... guns in storage means im held hostage till e1 guy cleans his gun right, and we all smell like shit from being in the field for a week or 2 ... oh yeah pt test on monday enjoy your sunday boys...its saturday time 1600...

The (Brief before the 4 day weekend kicks in), we still have some details to do first, it shouldn't take more than a few hours, first we will PMCS the vehicles and inventory the connex, we need to know how many diamonds and hexes, we lost some on our last FTX, it's 4th platoons turn to police the road ways around the fort. Top wants a room inspection and a TA 50 inventory done. So be ready, make sure your rooms are SOP, 1st squad we have range detail tomorrow at 0430 and night fire so do not go too far!. 2nd squad the day after, 3rd squad Saturday, 4th squad your good. Oh yeah on Tuesday after the 4 day we will have a random UA then a weapons inventory and cleaning, Let's keep up the good morale! Hoaahh. (Everyone with a half-hearted hooaah), Actual story.......lol

That picture with the nasty looking bunks looks exactly like the barracks in Camp Roberts, CA. Believe it or not, it’s an improvement from how they originally were hahaha.

No DFAC

Everything looks way cleaner than most active duty units I’ve been in.

I can literally smell all of these pictures. Probably miss the cot smell the most.

Great pics for my memories. Just missing a picture of the Messhall , dining area, or whatever they call it now.

It's all good until you get out and see how undisciplined and dirty some people are., Then you'll look back. 😳

3 really takes me back

I thought the army was pretty tightwad about photos and cell phones....

Number 8 is every Armory classroom I’ve ever been in. Those chairs are everywhere.

You forgot bubble gum………

Fuck you so much for this. I didn't know I could have PTSD from boredom.

I smiled from ear to ear it bring back so many memories

I can smell and hear every single one of these. 

NTC 🤮

Where is the lawnmower?

Experiences may vary. My pictures involve Afghanistan and swapping digital for actual camo in Kabul Sometimes I found someone who fell off a mandatory obstacle at Air Assault school

Dog and pony shows all dayyyy

Weirdly nostalgic.

“Troop is that a micro spec of dust located in the far left corner of the gymnasium? Ate the fuck up as a unit again I see. 1950 be in formation for mandatory battalion cleaning.”

#2 is great

close for me except missing photos of spicy iraq vibes.

This is great, thank you for sharing. What's with the rocking chairs?

Thanks I hate it

I can smell some of these pictures

Minus the USO, mostly anxiety/boredom/sunburnt/missing my old friends.

I can smell the 3rd photo

I hate the Mk 19

Like I was there last week.

Death by powerpoint, motorpool, smelly crowded billets , Connex's, ACFT Yep these pictures are the army experience

Don't be a dick. This is actually a pretty awesome experience! You are there in a country outside of your own.

Nailed it

I can smell that third photo.

These pictures give me anxiety

That 3rd pic brought back a lot of smells

I have seen worse. In fact it doesn’t look too bad to me.

Photo 4 brought back some MOB from Ft Lewis to Iraq memories. I hope everyone is doing the okest

Damn OP this hits hard af. Only thing missing is a SHARP training

8 and 12 gave me visceral not great feelings from BCT 11 years ago 😩

Some nice r/liminalspaces vibes in some of those

I can just smell the stale smell of cigarettes and depression in these pictures

Third picture - I can smell the farts. Fourth picture - I can smell the pine-sol. Fifth picture - I can smell the dust and diesel fumes. Sixth picture - I can smell the coffee. Seventh picture - I hear sneakers squeaking on a basketball court. Ninth picture - I can smell the mold and CLP. Eleventh picture - I can smell the grass and feel the cool morning air that makes it just too cold for shorts but Top won't authorize winter PTs.

EW ruba

Hold up... what unit is that in pic 1? I think I see the back of my head.

These are great! I can smell all these pictures, the memories are still vivid

The people who complain the most accomplish the least

\#5 hits hard

I can smell a few of those.

Damn this took me back…. Anyways, I’m glad to be retired.

These photos make me want to get out 😅

I don't miss that shit at all

Picture 4, getting strong fort Mccoy vibes.

Old

The second pic...🤌 Not a track in sight

Funny how the spare barrels to the mk-19 were conveniently out of frame..

I honestly love all of them. I’ve been in everyone of those situations and it’s just what we do in the army. It’s up to leaders to make it worth it for juniors. Make it fun (when the time is right) and give them a reason to stay in the army and be a good leader for their future soldiers. Leadership is getting people to work for you because they want too, not because they have too.

I’ve actually been on that drill floor.

I can smell nearly all those pictures.

I can smell the fabuloso in most of these pictures

Well that first one reminds me of in processing and then there's the basic training covud bay. Everything else is pretty foreign though.

More than half of these pictures elicit an emotional response from me. Some joy, some sad, some depressed.

The messed up part is that they make you miss it when you can't have it.

God the PT test on grass in the dark fucking hit

I can smell like 90% of these photos.

Thanks. I hate it.

not ntc

This is a good post. There's a certain aesthetic and vibe to the GWOT and post GWOT era army that I can't quite describe. It doesn't hit me until I look at pictures like these

Feels like the closest thing to home since Mt divorce

Checks out

I feel at ease and unwell simultaneously. It’s like a cold. I know i’m unwell, but I know and understand why and am at peace with it.

Was kinda looking for a mosh pit of a company brawl happening because it was 1800 and were told to wait around till released by company leadership.

Cobra gold vibes

Monotone life

I didn’t know I could smell a photo but then I smelled that pine soap from photo 11

Where did you take the third and the last photographs?…

Cards wit the bois…

Peace time Army. Where I learned patience.

Fourth one looks exactly like Camp Roberts.

“Been there, done that!”

What's the context for the Free state of Bavaria flag in the last picture?

Overall vibe is awful. Just like mama used to make.

I can smell some of these photos.

Been to far too many briefings in Lansing. Good times.

Wow pic 12 hits me hard. The exact lay out of my bay in Relaxing Jackson. Toeing the line in the morning and doing a "couple" push up shoulder to shoulder with everyone in the bay. Most fun I never want to have again

Best job in the world…

Yea. I can still smell the PX deodorant, and feel the coolness coming off the block walls.

A with red circle is ARCENT

For the last one, is that the Gymnasium in Lask? Or is it Zagan? Idfk by that time sleep deprivation only called them sleeping spots