For those of you who have been there done that and those of you who want to go there…what job would you choose enlisting in the Army? Those of you who’ve been there, could you give a description of what it’s really like doing that particular job in Afgan, or Iraq?
Your MOS you choose might not matter. So good luck with that. I was a 63M10(Bradley Fighting Vehicle Systems Maintainer), when I enlisted. I graduated 3rd in my class at FT. Knox. 96.8 Final AVG. Grade. AIT was the last time I ever touched a Bradley. I got sent to a Light Cav. Unit, Delta 4th Cav, 1st ID, 1st BCT. I was a Driver, a Wrench, a Gunner,… Then I got transfered to 1/5FA, where I went on OPs, BDRFs, and still, never touched a tracked vehicle. I always felt safer “Outside the wire” and as such always volunteered for recovery missions on Wheeled Vehicles of various shapes and sizes. Convoy security details, Iraqi National Escort duties and the like. One of my ARCOMS says I’m a Light Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic. So, I guess if you are not a “Teen’ Series”, you can’t really pay too much attention to your expected job description.
I was a 67V Aero Scout Crew Chief. Aviation has always been a passion of mine. I grew up around it, exposed to it my whole life. So, it was logical to combine my passion for aviation with service to my country.
I was a Grunt, and as such I believe that there are only two MOS’s… Infantry and support… 
B
hooah.
there are a grand total of 4 useful jobs in the military, and three of them exist to serve the 4th- pilot, medic, machanic, and INFANTRYMAN. the Infantryman needs the other three to do his job, but without the infantryman, the other three wouldnt have a job.
I was a 25Q/31R Multi-Channel Transmissions Systems Operator.
Basically we were a signal company that supported a brigade sized element.
We had six man teams that were then attached to each BN within the brigade. They provided their signal support so everyone can talk to each other. Each BN will have a CP (command post) with phones, internet, etc. They run their lines to us, and then we connect them into our network.
Also part of our company was the hub for all these lines so about half our company stayed with our company command and never attached to another unit.
Part of the job is setting up antennas so we could transmit the signal, and also running the radios and related equipment. You have to run a generator to power everything, and fix any issues. Once everything is setup its a pretty easy job. Usually we went on 8HR shifts with 2 people per shift. Lots of XBOX and movie watching once we got our stuff setup and running. Ocassionaly your unit you are supporting will task you to do stuff but that didn’t happen to much as they being able to pick up their phone and have it work. They doubly like having internet. You are always attached to the BN HHC. Occasionally you will support a smaller unit if they have a setup area, and will be there a while.
The equipment I worked on is being phased out but its pretty similar in structure. The newer stuff, JNN, is more sat based, and the equipment is more civilian like. Lots of routers, fiber optics, etc. You learn a lot of valuable skill sets, and it would be easy to get a job when you get out. Jobs suck right now but I can still find work.
Negatives to the job is it really is quite pogueish if you are actually doing your job, and it depends on your unit too. The 2nd deployment our services were not needed since everything was hard wired, and only the more remote places still relied on field comms for support. So my unit got tasked to guard duty. About 20 of us got to go to a small FOB in the middle of Baghdad to do ECP and security duty. It was ok but we werent running convoys or anything. I did get to do some EOD escort missions with our brigade’s scout unit. 1st deployment we did do a lot of convoys because our BN cmdr was a medal chaser and he setup a QRF function so he could go around and try to get people blown up for another bullet point on his record. We also had to do mail and support runs to our out sites, personnel replacement, etc. But if you are looking for “action” signal isn’t the way to go. In two deployments we only had a few people get purple hearts. We’ve been hit with IED’s a couple times. One of the purple heart’s was a buddy of mine who had an IED go off next to our 5 ton truck, and it blew a rock through his lower back and out his stomach. That was when we road around in all soft vehicles. Now you cannot leave the gate with those.
Bad part about combat arms is you generally don’t learn technical skills if you want a technical job when you get out. If you are looking at going into LE afterwards it doesnt really matter. Just get something you will enjoy doing. If you want to shoot a lot, kick in doors, and be on the road or humping up and down billy goat mountains infantry or scouts do pretty much nothing but that. If you want to drive a tank or bradley you can do that too.
Looking back I like the technical skills I learned, and I have lots to put on my resume but it would have been more fun being combat arms. Seems the people in combat arms are more serious about the job, and signal attracks lots of lazy people who don’t really want to be there. I worked with our scouts and its night and day between the two. Signal is more relaxed…scouts were more orderly, did about twice the PT we did…however its easier to get promoted in combats arms due to the low points vs. the more technical jobs. Mine MOS was high 700’s for over 2 years straight which is basically maxing everything out on your end…combat arms was 300’s and 400’s to make sgt which is pretty much being a breathing human being.
Based on what I saw if I were going combat arms Id go scout. In our brigade they had a lot more autonomy than the infantry guys. It was a mix unit between scouts and fisters, and we our BRT (brigade recon team). There is also a lot of history in scouts, and I was able to do the Spur Ride with them in Kuwait. Spur Ride is where you do a bunch of tasks, and if you do a good enough job you get to wear the cav Stetson hat, and spurs on your boots. Its ceromonial but I thought it was pretty cool. In the Spur Ride I did they had stations setup between 5 and 15 clicks between points, and at each point they had tasks to do. One was NBC stuff, another weapons, there was an EE section where you had to evade people looking you (we got caught and spent 2 hours hogtied on our backs), enemy vehicle recognition, etc. Ended up being 40-50 miles of humping in 100-120 degree heat with 70lb rucks.
Funny some of the scouts would rather be signal, and at that time Id rather have been a scout. Each person hates their job and would rather do something else at times. We got a lot of down time but its a pretty puss job most of the time. For some people scouts wasnt for them, and they’d rather have our job.
Amen to that shit.
Doing SIGINT with charlie company currently. I want to get moved over to alpha company which is HUMINT
HUMINT guys get to tag along with infantry and live outside the wire more.
However, I will be upfront and say infantry is awesome, and probably the best all around MOS for the army experience, because a good chunk of what the army does revolves around infantry.
Hear…Hear!
Thanks for the responses. I’m more the physcial and kinetic type of individual. I’m looking for that LE career afterward for sure. Some of the jobs I’m looking at are Combat Engineer, Calvary Scout. I’m 29. Very physcially fit. I definately don’t mind humping it. The more job descriptions I get from those of you who’ve done it the better off I am I feel deciding. Of course it was mentioned it might not even matter what the hell I choose. But I’d like to get those skills that matter most to making the transition into a LE career field.
as an intended lifer, i have a degree of contempt for people who join up only as a means to an end. i say that only to lend perspective, not to be a dick to you or anyone else. i truly resent the fact that i had to MEB out so early, while other assholes are just there to do their “time” and move on.
but if this is really just a means to an end, then there shouldn’t be any debate- go MP. i’m sure it varies by region, and i know it varies by agency, but most cop vets i know were MPs in service. so long as you’re personable and dont have a fucked up background, its an almost guaranteed admit-one at a PD.
Sounds like you need to IM “mark5pt56”.
I have no delusions of grandure or false hopes of being the decorated combat soldier who gets to tell war stories to his grandkids and flaunt his days in combat just cause I got to serve a tour or 2. This is simply something I want to do. A means to an end by no means. I have plenty of options in life where I’m at now. A chance to gain new experiences and a set of skills, while traveling over seas to see a different side of the world. Even if it’s a shit hole. Sounds like a real opportunity.
Being an MP in the Army or a Zero, has nothing to do with a carrier in LE… The best street coppers I know were all Grunts in the Corps with High School diplomas…
B
there are a lot of PDs full of former MPs that don’t seem to care. we’ve got two major PDs in the portland area that definately seem to have a preference for MP- Hillsboro PD most of all. Marine MPs with clean records are prime candidates.
i’ve seen other depts advertise things like “preference given to military service, especially military police” as well, more than a couple times.
11H
Tow Gunner
I’ve heard it doesn’t exist anymore.
One of the best times I had in my life. I went in after 8 years in the submarine force. Big difference to say the least. Sitting on top of the Humvee when everyone else was humping in the wee hours of the morning. I got a pistol. That was freakin cool. Only kid on my block with a pistol. A no shit Colt too. 
There wasn’t much for us to do around the back 40. So a few of us just did OPFOR for the units on base and all of the NG units doing their weekend. I learned a lot in my time in the Tennessee Liberation Army. NG guys tend to start yelling and milling around when you shoot at them. SF guys tend to start running directly at you. Better blow by the rally point and keep on truckin if they’re after you. Better yet, plan for that beforehand.
A lot of fun then. Pretty serious shit now. I’m like the other dude here. I had problems with some of the dudes doing their 2 or 3 for college money, in both services I was in. Guys who don’t give a shit tend to get themselves and everyone near them hurt.
If you’re there, it’s serious business, especially now. It’s not a stepping stone for anything in real life. Even in LE. I’m sure you could get an LE job now if thats what you want to do. No reason to spend time in the Army for that.
I think time in the service stands by itself. Nothing before, or after. It isn’t going to change the core you. It’s just going to show you what kind of person you really are.
The fact that you’re asking now means you should probably go. You don’t want to be 50 and wondering what you missed.
Just the ole 2c.
And, don’t be a buddy fucker.
I enlisted as a 12B Combat Engineer with a SF contract (now days that would be a 18Xray) and did 12 years as a 18C SF Engineer. Did alot of demolition work. Followed that by 2 yrs as a 18F SF Intell Sgt and finally 18Z SF Senior Operations NCO for 10 yrs. Spent 24 yrs jumping out of airplanes and 15 yrs on a Combat Dive team. Never regretted a minute. In SF your either doing your job, teaching others to do their job, training or going to another school learning more. Not many BS taskers these days like in the 80-90s. Physcially demanding, mentally challenging, work with foreign troops everytime you deploy, long hours and you get to shoot alot:D.
CD
Sounds like you were used and abused. Thank God medics don’t get the shaft like that.
W H A T !?!?!?!? I guess Field Artillery, Cavalry, and Armor don’t count.
I’m insulted. Everyone knows that soldier medics lead the way. Who says that medics wouldn’t exist without infantry. Every soldier is a grunt whether they want to be one or not. I have yet to see a warfighter that is willing to head outside the wire without a medic. No one can train without a medic. Medics and docs take care of your family members. Most importantly, the Medical corps takes care of the old timers that have fought past wars or who have retired. We maintain the legacy of the Army. We do our damdest to keep the promises that were made in the past.
Haha…without signal everyone would run around like chickens with their heads cut off not knowing what to do…