Re: Why you are suffering.
I was shipped to Korea for a year's tour four days before my daughter was born. She's six months old and I haven't even met her (Though my leave is only 16 days away). I also miss the wife who had her, and my awesome mini-me of a son.
Oh, also, the company the army hired to move my stuff lost some of it, I got flagged because of a stupid battalion policy and cannot get promoted, go to schools, etc, even though I did everything right. It's just a stupid, bad battalion policy to flag anyone involved in any kind of investigation. Why? Because fuck the soldiers! How this policy was ever put into place I sincerely do not know. It doesn't even make sense. I'm not about to pay the $3,000 because somebody else lost something, but it's looking like I'm gonna call GI, here, soon.
Oh, also, I went from living in a house, with my family and two cars, to living in a two-man barracks room, I have to sign out every time I go outside, I can't be out past 1AM, we're currently on General Order 1, so I can't even have a drink with my dinner, etc.
This place, this battalion, sucks balls.
Also, about your advice about not being selfish; fuck off.