Negative aspects concerning military career and service life can have widespread effects in many aspects of the military personnel system. Areas of irritants in the military service discussed, involving Australia, Canada, U.K., and the U.S., are the following: negative aspects of service life, sources of job satisfaction in the military service, and factors related to the termination of service. Identifying these negative aspects would lead to an understanding of the problem viewed by servicemen as irritants in their military career and popular misconceptions of the military service. Deterrents for enlistment motivation in Australia and the U.K. were identified as inadequate monetary compensation and the service term required. Common negative aspects of military service life include dissatisfaction with pay, problem of family separation, and inconveniences of changing stations. Sources of job dissatisfaction among personnel is the performance of duties not directly related to their specialized areas. Military rules and regulations account for the problem of turnover in military service. A bibliography is appended. (EC)