The thing was, I would say this- realism isn't the aim, it's a cited point of reference. Task Force Hephastatus is the perfect example of this. Yes, I stole a lot of inspiration from Arma 3, and I mean, a lot (fuck, it might as well have been called a personal take on it, but hey, I thought I'd add a lot of my original content to create a semi-self created story). But I put in my own timeline, my own way of how things could work- and "Realism" in some cases, doesn't mean historical or exactly even a future path. I don't like going overboard with it- or else you'd never be able to RP it out effectively enough. 

And while the modern soldier is perhaps sitting away in peacetime, this is something as a writer, that we can subdivert- we aren't done with Afghanistan, and while the calm and peaceful moments are in there, nobody wants that. They want the moment when things go to shit, is frantic. And I know more than well enough what conflict is like- I am in a MilSim clan, with many former military members. They have banter. You may not understand it, but these are people who laugh in the face of death, they're really funny, they just don't give a shit sometimes about the little things, even in the worst of times. Crazy really.