Part I: Why I decided to do my military service

Memoirs from boot camp

It did not take me much to decide what I wanted to do right after I graduate from University: I wanted to fulfill the obligatory military service.

A lot of my friends were trying their best to avoid the military service. Taking advantage of a new law that exempted Lebanese nationals who live abroad for a period of five consecutive years, many of my friends were going to pursue graduate degrees outside Lebanon. Many others were desperately searching for jobs in the Arabian Gulf or the United States or Europe. The less fortunate ones had to settle with postponing their military service by continuing their education in Lebanon hoping that some day compulsory military service would be waived.

The remaining few had to join the army because of one of two reasons. The first reason emanates from the fact that their families depended on them and had been sustaining a lot of financial undertakings for a long period of time and now it was time for them to start helping their parents money-wise. And the second because they were neither accepted at a college nor offered a job abroad.

I, like a handful others, decided to join the army willfully. I did not want to pursue a master’s degree because I thought it was not convenient for me at the time. “I should have some sort of work experience,” I thought. Plus, I had never had a full-time job with a monthly wage before and the idea of receiving a salary, however miniscule, was enticing.

I could have worked somewhere overseas for five years and got exempted from military service, however, I was a proud Lebanese, and nobody could make me leave my country. Why do I have to flee my country just because I have to do something many people did not like? It makes sense to do something you have to do. Besides, I had been studying for the last 23 years and there was nothing better than a compulsory one year paid break! I thought of it as a period of contemplation and thought where I will decide what course I shall choose for my life. It was something like the gap year.

From what I have heard from other men who have finished their compulsory military service, the service is generally uncomfortable especially for people who are used to the city and its spoils. Furthermore, many people said that it was a waste of time particularly the second part of the service where the lieutenants, fresh out of the Military Academy, would be distributed over the largely nonfunctional divisions of the army.

“Working in the army divisions is nonsense,” they said, “there is no work, no activity.”

Three of my classmates who joined the army in July, right after we graduated from university told me that they were enjoying army camp. Initially, they were shocked at the strict and demanding lifestyle. They had recently graduated and they were in desperate need of a break, away from their studies and responsibilities. At boot camp, there was no freedom. Nevertheless, they encouraged me to go for it. They said it was a great experience.

A few people I know who are currently working, told me that it was better to finish the compulsory military service before taking up permanent employment. They said that it would be bad for my career to interrupt it for a whole year.

Oddly enough, my parents too encouraged me to join the army. They said that it would help build my character and that it was practical to finish it and thus be free to work or study whenever I wished or deemed appropriate. I think they encouraged me to join the army so as I would not travel. It was sort of another way of telling me that they did not want me to leave Lebanon. Who could blame them? They are parents, and they cannot bear being separated from their children.

Unlike my parents, my older brother, who has finished his military service and is currently working in the prosperous Gulf emirate of Dubai, advised me not to sign up. Just like the rest of the people, he said it was a waste of time. He encouraged me to seek employment outside Lebanon. “You are going to leave anyway,” he said, citing the fact that there are higher paying jobs and better employers outside Lebanon.

Actually, there were interesting job opportunities outside Lebanon which I looked into. They were tempting; however, I did not want to leave Lebanon and not be able to come back before the end of the five year period. The law allows such people to come to Lebanon before the end of the five year period but they are restricted to short visits and each visit should be at a one year interval. What if something bad happened and I needed to come back to Lebanon urgently? What if I did not like my job and wanted to return? I did not want anyone to control my access to my country.

In the end, I did not even apply to any of these jobs.

So, my mind was set. I was going to finish the service no matter what it took and no matter how exhausting. It was a unique opportunity for an exceptional experience that I may never go through in my life and I was adamant at getting the most out of it.