I served durring Operation Desert Storm/Shield in the US Army as a Cavalry Scout (armored reconnaisance specialist). Other than being married and raising children, it was the single most difficult and life changing thing I've ever done. Want to find and exceed you mental and physical limitations? Get a combat arms job in the army.
I have a funny story from last night...
My kids were looking at a picture of my basic training platoon and asked which one was me. Of course the idea is to take away any individuality and make you part of the machine, so it was difficult for them to tell.
I told them, "I'm between a black guy and a fat guy."
"Were you the black guy?" asked my four-year-old son.
My wife and I exchange a silent chuckle and I said, "Yes, son. War can really change a man."
Sometimes I think my kids are brilliant then they ask a question like that.
Anyway...
My basic training was pretty much Full Metal Jacket, word-for-word. The instructors aren't allowed to hit you, but they will cause you great pain, usually in the form of push-ups. I went to basic at Ft. Knox in Kentuky and had one station unit training for 15 weeks. That means no seperate, advanced training. Recon training begins day one mixed in with basic. After that I went to Germany, I was 19-years-old. There I discovered I didn't know what drinking and good beer was. The work was much like any other job, plus a couple hours of physical training in the morning. 7-4, M-F. Usually training either in the field or classroom settings. Every meal was a banquet on post. A couple of months a year we'd go in the mountains and play gigantic games of laser tag between armored divisions.
Wartime sucks, it's a lot of guard duty, no going out to discos on weekends, a real drag. At least I wasn't in the giant sandbox, right?
The pay sucks but the benifits are great.
If you have any questions I'd be happy to answer if I can.
I am thankfull every day and consider myself extremely lucky to not have seen any combat.