What I learned during my three-month stint with the Qatari Army…

I joined Qatar’s mandatory National Service programme in October 2016 and never got a chance to write much since then. But I did publish an opinion piece on the cancellation of National Day ceremony. Now, I’m back from the army.

The National Service Programme was designed keeping Qatar’s youth, under the age of 35, in mind. It aims to train and teach them the values of life. I’m sure a lot of people will be wondering about the kind of training we received in the army. Believe it or not, I was so scared at first.

Before joining, I erroneously thought the Army was going to be a place where you would get bullied and judged and pushed around. Looking back, I made a new family and revived values that I always had, but never really aware of.

I was terrified on the first day when my brother drove me to the camp. I simply did not know what to expect. Hollywood movies had really screwed my head up, but I guess that has now changed a lot.

For the sake of confidentiality, I will not go into the types of training that were conducted in the military programme. However, I’m glad about the government’s intention to prepare nationals to protect their home. The region is going through a very difficult time and two GCC countries — Qatar and the UAE — have pushed for a compulsory military program.

Here are three benefits that I feel I gained after my short stint in the Army.

1. Self-confidence and teamwork

Thanks to my roommates, my self-confidence got boosted. I was able to cooperate with them in teamwork activities. I learned how to abide by the rules. There are no individuals in the army, but only a collective group. I represented my entire faction in everything I did. We all tried to avoid misbehaving as individuals because we get punished collectively for individual misbehavior. This helped me learn that we all represent one mass. On a civil level, it made me aware that I need to look out for my colleagues at work, friends and family because if one of us gets into trouble, we all lose.

2. Time management

While many of us are used to a laid-back lifestyle, time management is of utmost importance in military camps. We all need to be present at assembly meetings to get attendance and continue the training throughout the day. A lot of people found it difficult to get used to at first, but we soon got the hang of it.

3. Respecting authority

We got used to being rebels as young adults and we often resent authority from our households to our workplace. There are times where we make our own choices, but in a military environment, you need to follow orders for the greater good. Back home, we often listen to our elders and respect their orders and act upon it. Respecting authority is important keeping in mind that if your Father or manager succeeds you do as well.

Seminars and lectures:

The military camp provided us with multiple sessions on different topics like family relationships, tolerance and understanding different projects in Qatar — 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar rail and Qatar National Vision 2030.

I missed my family and friends terribly, but seeing others in the camp made me feel better. I have started to appreciate my family and friends much more. I'm tougher than ever before and frankly, after leaving camp, I miss being isolated with the friends I have made.

I realized that Qatar is very small and that we are one big family despite differences of tribes, ethnicities and religious affiliations.

Military Camp was a great learning experience, one I will happily undergo again if given another chance.