Enlisted Archives - Task & Purpose

By David Roza Feb 13, 2021

Mandatory Fun

This service member just enlisted in the Space Force with his alien pal by his side

Take me to your leader!

By James Clark Sep 8, 2020

She was born in a Russian prison and became a trailblazing infantry Marine

18-year-old Maria Daume’s path to the yellow footprints of Parris Island, South Carolina, which will culminate in her graduation on...

By Council Of The Former Enlisted Aug 14, 2018

The Long March

14 Lessons for Transitioning: A Collection By Long March’s Council Of The Former Enlisted

1. Stay in touch with some of the people you were there with. No one is going to listen or...

By James Clark May 10, 2018

Lifestyle

Everyone Is Gone On Leave And You’re Alone At The Barracks. What To Do…

Spring is here, along with plans for road trips and getaways on those few precious three and four-day weekends that...

By Brad Howard Mar 22, 2018

Humor

Barracks Life: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Unless you are married or came in as a Staff Sgt, you will probably spend a fair chunk of your...

By Adam Weinstein Oct 24, 2017

Analysis

These 2 Factors Distinguish Military Members Who Love Trump From The Ones Who Don’t

Whatever prejudices you hold about officers vs. enlistees — or ground-pounding grunts vs. managerial fobbits, flyboys, and squids — you’re...

By James Clark Sep 19, 2017

History

Remember when Jimi Hendrix got an official reprimand in the Army for masturbating?

Before Jimi Hendrix was a living icon, knocking out psychedelic guitar riffs and counterculture ballads that remained relevant after his...

By James Clark Jun 27, 2017

popular

These States Have The Highest (And Lowest) Enlistment Rates In America

Patriotism can be a hard thing to measure. However, most would agree that signing on the dotted line and taking...

By James Clark May 26, 2017

Humor

So, Who Exactly Does The Vehicle Inspections For The Corps’ Top Marine?

Ah, the life of an enlisted Marine: Arrive at every formation 15 minutes prior to being 15 minutes prior, then...

By James Clark Apr 19, 2017

News

The Navy Is Designing Its New Subs To Be More Convenient To Women

The Navy is designing the first U.S. submarines built specifically to accommodate female crewmembers — and the new boats will...

By Sarah Sicard Jun 21, 2016

Joining the Military

Navy Will Hire Civilians As Chiefs And Captains Out Of Boot Camp

The average time for an enlisted service member to become a Navy chief is 13 years. On the officer side,...

By Sarah Sicard Apr 13, 2016

Joining the Military

‘Enlisted Military’ Ranks As One Of The Worst Jobs In The World

CareerCast, an online job database, ranked being in the military as an enlisted service member as one of its worst...

By Paul D. Mooney Aug 12, 2015

Community

Sarcasm, Scotch, And Veteran Stereotypes Led This Former Marine To Produce His Own TV Pilot

Nearly two years ago, on a Friday evening in September 2013, I trudged home from work, clambered up the four...

By William Treseder Jun 4, 2015

Community

It’s Time To Abolish The Enlisted-Officer Divide

The U.S. military has been an all-volunteer force now for over 40 years. Despite some misgivings, everything has turned out...

By Carl Forsling May 13, 2015

Leadership

5 Ways New Leaders Can Change The Military For The Better

It seems almost everyone thinks they’re the smartest and most innovative person in the room. Oftentimes, the same people who...

By Liz McLean Mar 27, 2015

Career

Leave Your Rank At The Door When You Choose Your Next Career

I will be honest, I would consider some of the enlisted I worked with in the past, my closest friends...

By Elana Duffy Jan 28, 2015

Support

Hiring Managers Need To Stop Prioritizing Rank

Recently, a friend sent me a flier and invite for a program teaching critical skills to those veterans going through...

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