In need of hair help

So I’m in the army and have to have my hair up everyday for work. My hair is thin and has lots of breakage. I hate putting gel in my hair because I wear it all day every day. I don’t put gel in it whenever I can but I still have to have it in a pony tail. What products do you recommend as a good alternative to using gel? Also how can I make my hair stronger if I have to have it slicked back and in a pony tail every day?