[March 17, 2026] I’ll be honest right up front. The U.S. military is a large, complex, unforgiving institution that will tear you apart if you are weak, woke, or stupid. It’s not for those without a strong sense of purpose or self-discipline. Here’s a difficult question, one that I plan to answer by starting a new series: How to Survive in the U.S. Army?
When I first joined the U.S. Army in 1974, I had no idea what the Army was going to be like. Okay, I had plenty of interaction with combat Veterans and I got their stories of war, but the Army is not all about war and to survive in this huge institutional machinery is not one for the faint of heart. Don’t make the same mistakes I did.
Being in the Army is dirty, sometimes dangerous, tiring, and that is never going to change, so get ready.
To survive in the Army requires grit, determination, physical and mental strength, “smarts,” a strong desire to succeed, a sense of American patriotism, and much more. Without these characteristics, you will not necessarily fail, but you will have a difficult and frustrating time being a Soldier.
If you plan to join the Army, you need to be ready, and ready means using your own time to prepare yourself for what can be foreseeable. Planning means you are giving yourself time to figure things out and learn; a core strategy to doing well. This means both educating yourself on Army history and culture, getting into good physical shape, and learning how to adapt yourself to an institution that values courage, truth, honor, loyalty, and leadership.
Before you sign that piece of paper and get sworn in, spend at least a full year getting ready. The main parts of this preparation means getting into the best physical shape of your life. It means learning as much about the Army as you can, so use your time wisely. It also means readying yourself to ensure you don’t have anything in your past that could come back on you, resulting in being rejected, or kicked out later. I cannot understate how important this is.
My new series will be identifying these issues. And that also means you should not restrict yourself to just on-line education and reading articles, but participating in a group of other like-minded men. Yes, regardless of your sex, get involved with men who want to become Soldiers. Ideally, find an organization that has Veterans or active duty members who are willing to train you in some of the military basics. We call this acclimation, and it helps enormously.
You now have a vision: join the U.S. Army and succeed. Never forget that vision. The next step is to make a plan to ready yourself. And a back-up plan. Write it down. Have practical goals, timelines, standards (mostly from the Army), and a “how” you will get there. Don’t worry in the beginning so much about getting this right because you still have a year. That struggle will make you better.
Your plan might change as you progress, and that is okay. But without a plan, you are guessing, and guessing doesn’t work out well. You can’t hit a target that you don’t have. Don’t depend upon luck or chance. In the Army, luck has a way of becoming bad luck.
The forever lesson is to be prepared. Just like the Boy Scouts, “Be Prepared.” Be ready. Be able to predict what you will need to survive; and this is why you might be reading this series. Be able to predict what comes next in your progress through the Army; whether it’s the day after you join as a Private, or after having 20 good years toward retirement. Be prepared.
Learning now to survive in the Army will also require sacrifice: time, effort, money, and giving up many things you like to do. What you sacrifice means you have to figure out what to give up to attain your vision.
Personal sacrifice is the only way to succeed in the Army, or, frankly, in any high-quality career or valued vision.
Oh, one thing that you should remember, especially when you’re not progressing as much as you would like. The Army is a lifestyle. Either you are totally in it, and are on the right path, or you’re not.
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Please read my books:
LESSON: Never sacrifice your morals. That is one that we are prepared to never betray.
Looking toward many months of reading on this very important topic. Thank you, Gen. Satterfield in advance, as you show young people the way of success in the US army (or in any of our military services). Go Navy.
Indeed. Navy Vet, you da man. And thank you for your service to our nation.
Leave it to Gen. Satterfield to start a new series on the US Army. Gotta love it. Keep these coming, sir. I’m going to enjoy each and everyone of them. Oh, I finally finished reading your book “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” and perhaps it will fall right into this new series on “how to survive the US army.”
This is going to be another great series. I just hope that it later becomes a book. And, naturally, Gen. Satterfield will use our input to better that book.
As a high school teacher — soon to retire, thank goodness — I’d like to thank Gen. Satterfield for his newest series, one that many of us would like our students to read. It looks like the point here is not that you “need to survive the US army” but that is what you will need to survive, period. I’m sure to get a few laughs in at my woke colleagues who will crunch their teeth at the very idea that people actually have to be responsible, strong, and intelligent. They’ll call it racist. Ha Ha. Boy, I’m happy I’m retiring soon.
Wow, just discovered these two articles on “surviving the US Army.” I look forward to reading it each day.
Adolf, me too. I hope this series catches on, especially with the target audience of the Army. If that happens, instead of old doggies like me, it’ll be useful to potential recruits. Also, a secondary benefit, and one that is probably more important to gen. Satterfield, is they will learn to become better people for it. So, with that in mind, it is a good idea—just me thinking—to read the book “55 Rules for a Good Life.” Much of what we see in these articles, and future ones I would suspect, will reflect the ideas contained there.
👍👍👍👍👍👍 Beat me to the same idea.
So true !!!!!!!
“Your plan might change as you progress, and that is okay. But without a plan, you are guessing, and guessing doesn’t work out well. You can’t hit a target that you don’t have. Don’t depend upon luck or chance. In the Army, luck has a way of becoming bad luck.” — Gen. Doug Satterfield.
Beautiful, I forward looking to it.
Sir, we’re here to help support this effort. I’m interested in how this will progress. We all know that there thousands, literally, of tips on how to succeed in the military (and Army specifically). How you tackle it different from and better than these others will be the trick to have a good series. 🫡
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Be a great American Patriot like Gen. Satterfield, and you are on your way to success in the US Army.
This article delivers essential wisdom on preparing for U.S. Army success through rigorous physical training, cultural knowledge, and detailed planning. Its honest emphasis on grit, commitment, and sacrifice truly motivates aspiring soldiers to commit fully. A must-read that highlights how preparation turns challenges into rewarding achievements. Read and learn. Don’t be dumb.
Welcome to Gen. Satterfield’s website on senior leadership. Valdez, thanks also for your comments on the Cuban problem, as their economy and government is in self-destruct mode. I’m interested in your take on Cuba and now this new series.
Thank you, Jason. 😁