Military-to-Civilian translations. Deadpan. Slightly salty. Occasionally useful.
- Tweets 16
- Following 14
- Followers 17,826
- Likes 385
TDY = Temporary Duty.
Civilian version: “work trip” that somehow still requires a 12-slide after-action review.
1
12
611
Office dress code: “business casual.”
Veteran: I own one pair of non-tan pants and I will treat them like dress blues.
2
17
2,514
Military: “Stand by to stand by.”
Civilian: The meeting that could’ve been an email is now a 47-minute Teams call with no agenda.
3
1
24
1,342
“What’s your greatest weakness?”
I still say “roger” on Zoom and then have to pretend it was a joke.
2
4
935
They say “we’re a family here.”
Veteran translation: You’re about to get extra duties and no extra pay.
1
16
856
Maintained 98% equipment readiness
→ Kept the shared Google Drive from becoming a war crime.
1
3
674
“Can you stay a little late?”
Military reflex: Yes.
Civilian lesson: They meant 15 minutes, not until the building is locked.
1
1
10
1,099
When at a job interview, what’s the best way to explain you were an expert floor buffer?
6
2
6
1,098
Civilian meeting: “Does anyone have any questions?”
Veteran brain: If I ask the real question this meeting will last another 40 minutes. Silence is the play.
3
1
23
1,374
Military: Coordinated multi-agency operations under austere conditions
→ Civilian: Ran the office when the boss was on vacation and the copier died.
2
13
900
At a job interview:
“What’s your leadership style?”
Almost said: I can get 40 people to do something they hate before sunrise with only mild complaining.
2
20
1,724