I will tell you as someone who had to do mandatory army service that this wasn't my experience at all.
Being a soldier is about being a mindless vessel that can take orders, execute them and report back for more orders.
If you start to think, think creatively or show too much empathy or compassion you might get punished.
Mandatory army service can be like that. It’s like everyone’s miserable to be there. The grunts hate it. Their superiors think they hate it and so treat them like they are worthless. A soul sucking experience if you are unfortunate.
