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"Didn't survive their terms" in the literal sense?

El Torro wrote:
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Most of us on this forum are from the US (conscription ended in 1973) or the UK (conscription ended in 1960) so probably aren't old enough to have had to go through it first hand. However various European countries had conscription until far more recently, some well into this century. I'm not aware of any European Union countries which still actively conscript, happy to be proved wrong on this point though. There may even be some forum posters who are from countries where conscription is still common place today.

In finland it's mandatory for men unless you get freed on medical ground(that includes me due to huge overweight back then.). Though you have bits of options. Either military(minimum 6 months, specialists and nco 9/12 months), civil service(12 months i think). If neither flies with you and you don't get released by some medical reason time to go to jail.

For the acclimation back to civilian life question:
A major part of my service was spent at a border crossing with Bulgaria. Mostly border patrol and guard duty nothing hardcore. The guard post had a nominal strength of one Officer one NCO and 12 troopers. We were 9 total. So after 6 months of no leave ( as in my home was 800 km away i needed a day's travel to come and go) when i was discharged and got to the train station of a major city, the mass of people coming and going caused me intense agoraphobia for a couple of days. Not very fun.

konst80hummel wrote:
For the acclimation back to civilian life question:
A major part of my service was spent at a border crossing with Bulgaria. Mostly border patrol and guard duty nothing hardcore. The guard post had a nominal strength of one Officer one NCO and 12 troopers. We were 9 total. So after 6 months of no leave ( as in my home was 800 km away i needed a day's travel to come and go) when i was discharged and got to the train station of a major city, the mass of people coming and going caused me intense agoraphobia for a couple of days. Not very fun.

this is so greek
i never knew that that was a thing, but it would explain my hatred torwards crowded buisy cities.