Soldiers Deserve Some Good Spa R&R

In an age of cubicles, computers, and cushy desk-jobs, it’s easy to forget that there are men and women who still do back-breaking work that most of us couldn’t imagine. Not surprisingly, many of the toughest jobs in the world are performed in the US Armed Forces. These soldiers and sailors certainly deserve their R&R and a long steamy soak in a hot tub. Check out these punishing military jobs and you’ll agree – our soldiers deserve a hot tub.

Tough Military Job 1: Sniper

Lying still, concealed and cramped for hours at a time while observing a target can be exhausting in a way that few but the elite sharp-shooters in our military ever understand. Remaining perfectly still for hours on end causes muscles to cramp and ache. That type of silent exertion also takes a toll on the mind and the body that can take hours to soak away. On top of the rigors of the job, add the intense training and weeding-out process that leaves only the best snipers and you have some guys who could really use a break.

Tough Military Job 2: Navy SEAL

Navy SEALs seem to enjoy punishment, almost to a pathological degree. But they still deserve some relaxation after all they put their bodies through. Just getting through SEAL training takes 30 months of grueling effort: swimming in frigid water, miles of running, and drill after insane drill to test the will as well as the body. It’s all to prepare these elite soldiers operate efficiently as deadly agents in the most dangerous of conditions. That type of elite-level physical and mental stress earns you the right to a hot soak for a few hours in an elite hot tub.

 Tough Military Job 3: Tank Recovery

These guys don’t often get a lot of credit. It’s just one of those necessary jobs required to clean up the messes left behind. Pulling 70-ton tanks out of the deepest mud and muck is dirty, exhaustive work. A crew of four soldiers, whose entire job is to act as AAA for tanks that get buried in mud, sand and other tough spots, can often spend hours trying to free the enormous machines. Many of these tanks are embedded in sludge that’s up to their necks or higher. When your job requires that they hose you down with a pressure washer before you go home, you’ve officially earned you some spa time.

Tough Military Job 4: Infantry

There are more infantry soldiers than any other military group, and surviving boot camp is just the beginning. Long marches through sand, rubble, and dangerous terrain can be as tiring as it is stressful. Patrolling when it’s 100+ degrees, dry, and dusty is draining. Just try hiking (or running) with a 50-pound pack. It will make you ache. Infantrymen live, work and fight in some of the worst conditions in the world. Turn on the spa jets full-blast; these guys are going to need it.

Tough Military Job 5: Air Force Crew Chiefs

If you think a regular car mechanic gets tired and dirty working on your Prius, try being the guys who has to fix F16s and Stealth Bombers. These Air Force Crew Chiefs, clean maintain and repair huge military aircraft, and calling it a dirty job is an understatement. Jet exhaust is covered in grease and burned fuel residue and must be cleaned from the inside. There’s just no good way to stay clean while doing it, you just jump in and get it done. If the day goes particularly well, you may also end up cleaning the blood, guts and feathers of birds unlucky enough to get sucked into the engine. This is truly one of the more gruesome jobs in the Armed Forces. When you get home at night covered in grease and jet fuel, it can be extra nice to immerse yourself in a clean steaming hot tub, just be sure to shower and de-grease first.

The next time you slip into your hot tub to feel the jets massaging your aching muscles, just remember that you’ve got it easy. You could be bone tired, aching from head to toe, or covered in jet grease and tank mud. A sincere THANK YOU to those military personnel who do these jobs. You deserve to relax!