Introduction

Life in the military is no picnic. The U.S. services—Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard—all require strict discipline in a rigid hierarchy. The training is diabolically tough, and that’s just the beginning. The pay isn’t much, and living conditions can be primitive.

Assignments can be harsh. Baghdad, for example, routinely hits 120°F on summer days. Parts of Afghanistan are snowed in for most of the winter. Missions are often not only dangerous but potentially lethal. On the other hand, when duties are not life-threatening, they can be mind-numbingly tedious.

So, how do our military men and women survive? We think a well-developed sense of humor is a key to their equanimity. It lets these put-upon heroes relieve their tensions with laughter.

All of the anecdotes in this book were sent to Reader’s Digest by men and women of the U.S. military and their families. There are more than 500 separate stories of contemporary life in uniform—with its contradictions, its foibles, and its ridiculous mixups and misunderstandings. We applaud these all-too-human people who are able to laugh at themselves while still bravely defending our country.

— THE EDITORS