Join the Army, Take Drugs. Woo Hoo. Doctors in the US used to take amphetamine to help them stay up for long shifts. It's probably not all that bad unless you get addicted to it or the coming down phase really gets you depressed which is known to occur.
The Ministry of Defence has admitted that it prescribes the amphetamine dexedrine, which is capable of keeping users awake for as long as 60 hours.
While the MoD has refused to say what it uses the Class B drug for, leading narcotics experts say that the main purpose is to keep soldiers awake during special operations. However, they have warned that the substance can be highly addictive.
In addition, the MoD has admitted that it permits soldiers to take a drug called kava-kava, from the South Pacific, which is known to be linked to severe liver damage.