Army officers

[frorider6]

I've been working on a package for Air Force OTS. My friend is an Army recruiter and she's trying to talk me into becoming an Army officer. I'm prior enlisted Air Force, so I know what the officers do there. But I don't know squat about the Army.

What are some of the better career fields for Army officers? I'd like a flying position, but my eyesight disqualifies me for pilot (just barely). Helicopters have any commisioned nonpilot positions? How about maintenance officers for Army aircraft? Any other cool Army jobs I don't know about?

 

[Longhorn85]

Takes all kinds

If maintenance turns you on you'll want to look into being a Quartermaster Officer or a Transportation Officer. I personally think that if you are career-oriented you should look at the more "warfighting" type fields, such as Infantry, Artillery or Armor (Tanks). There are also Engineers and Signal (communications) officers.

I'm a career Artillery Officer

 

[frorider6]

I'd be going in as career. I just want something cool, interesting, and fun. And I'd prefer not to be camped out in the mud for months on end (unless there was a war of course).

 

[booger]

Army Officers

She's got a quota to meet. Stay with the Air Force. Too bad about your eyes. But there are no wars going on these days so spraying Gooks in the open with a minigun from a Cobra is out. There isn't anything cool about any job in the Army these days. The era of coolness where you could 'Travel to exotic lands, meet interesting people, and kill them' is over. Just get into something that is going to give you lots of experience so that after a couple of years you can resign, go to work for a military contractor, and make big bucks. Around here EDS is king. The way I look at it they are initiating a hostile takeover of all the Army personnel systems. Probably DOD wide next. And as long as Chaney is VP they won't have a lot of opposition.

 

[bigkraut]

Combat arms is where it's at if you want quick career advancement! Go into infantry O.C.S. and after that, apply for every school you can. Like airborne, Ranger, pathfinder, air assault, whatever. You'll move up quicker there than anywhere. Most of the top Army brass at the pentagon had an 11 series MOS. Check out all of the CIBs.

 

[Longhorn85]

go air force

If you have a problem camping out in the mud, definitely go air force, the army doesn't need you. Although the army is a great career and a great life (been in 16 yrs), it is not for the light-hearted. If you like being a leader and working with outstanding soldiers, and yes, travelling to great places like Hawaii, Germany, Korea, Japan and Alaska, plus all over the U.S., try the Army.

Most Army officers do their fair share of field time, but also spend a lot of time doing staff work at the Pentagon, etc. Most also get great executive type jobs after earning retirement at a relatively young age.

 

[booger]

Huh

Check out all of the CIBs.

Right. Just take a walk around the Pentagon these days. Lot of CIB's, but look at the ribbons also. These chumps got theirs in Panama, Grenada, or the 100 hour war in the Iraq. Very few VN era officers left. I work at another military location close by and when I see them I always ask, "When did the Army start allowing you to wear your NRA membership pin on your military uniform"? You ought to hear the reactions. These guys egos are comical. I don't bother the enlisted guys. They've always done the majority of the work. The officers usually just bark the orders. And I've met very few infantry officers in my 32 years in and around the Army that inspire confidence. Even in Nam about the only thing they seemed to do with efficiency is get a lot of men killed with their stupid decisions. But you'll never hear about that stuff. But they got the glory. And of all the awards for heroism that I personally witnessed none have matched the description of the citiation. I now understand the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword". I'm sure there are exceptions but I haven't witnessed them.

 

[Longhorn85]

your ignorance is showing

For someone who has been around the Army for a while you certainly don't know much about it. Officers dont "bark orders", they set policy and sergeants are in charge of execution and "barking orders". Of course there are fewer Vietnam era guys left, the war ended in 75, do the math.

As for short wars in Grenada, Panama and Irag, that is a good thing! I think most sensible Americans want a military that can get the job done quickly and efficiently and get our young soldiers back home as soon as possible. By the way, soldiers died in each of those short wars and many others were willing to.

The army is full of great leaders, not just officers, but sergeants and soldiers too. In poll after poll, the military as a profession ranks near the top of the list in the eyes of a majority of Americans, so your cynical opinion is not shared by most.

Bottom line, we have an all volunteer military so people who don't want to be there don't have to, and it has worked well. Fortunately there has been no need to implement the draft so we don't have to pull lamebrains like you in and train you to fight, but if we have to someday, we will.

 

[bigkraut]

To add to what the previous poster stated, I think the very fact that we were able to achieve quick, decisive victories in places like Panama and the Gulf speaks volumes about how well led todays military is. My friend above was right on target when he said it is NCO's, not officers, more times than not who run things in the field. At least it was that way in the early to mid 80's when I was in.

 

[booger]

ttlpkg

I think we need to have 'serious war' so you can participate at the field level. I'm not talking one that is won by the virtue of our superior weaponry. I think our differences on Officers and NCO's barking orders are just a matter of symantics. All I was trying to say was when push comes to shove the point-man and his squad are usually in the thick of it while the platoon leader and CO are somewhere off behind a log calling in arty or an airstrike.

It was a different story for the officers/wo's that flew the choppers and such. They put their life on the line everyday. But the commanders at the company, battalion, brigade and division level were just a bunch of 'Yes Men'. Just like they are today. And whatever policy comes down from the top, no matter how idiotic and politically motivated, they just go along with it. They have no choice. It's their career.

America is a powerful nation and I don't discredit the leaders for what they do to keep us on the top of pile. But on an individual basis most of them that I've met can't beat their way out of a wet paper bag. But they know how to follow orders and that is all that matters.

And F**k the polls. America in general doesn't know much about what really goes on in the world. They know what they read in the media. There is more 'Black Bag' shit going on than you can shake a stick at.

I spent 2 years in VN hunting and camping, as I refer to it now. In those days I figured it was OK. Looking back and having access to the Operations Logs from my units I know now that I didn't have a clue what was going on.
And a lot of the entries are pure BS. Without going into detail I can understand why they were doctored. But this is the shit that history will be written against.

The Army is just a slice of Americana. And how many people around you 'really' impress you? I can count the ones I know on 1 hand. The others I've met throughout my life are few and far between.

After looking at your profile and seeing that you are an Army Officer I can understand somewhat your thinking. It's like a horse of a different color.

And I know soldiers died in Panama, Grenada, and Saudi. They died in all wars. That's just the nature of the business. But some guy getting a CIB just for showing up and in a lot of cases not even coming under fire doesn't qualify in my mind. As far as medals(etc) go there are only 3 that are worth anything. The MOH gives you a monthly stipend for the rest of your life. A purple heart was worth a case of San Miquel beer in 1969 VN. And the CIB/Purple Heart gives you a shoe in
the door at the VA for an almost automatic disability award for PTSD.

I can see you're down around Austin but I don't have a map available so I don't know whether or not that's located near Hood. Maybe you're in one of those armored Cav units. But if you haven't already done so try an assignment at the Pentagon and see what the professional 'Chairborne Rangers' do. They think more like those characters over on the Hill than an Army Officer. Or should I say 'don't think'. It's just 'Yes Sir' and 'No Sir'.

I'll shut up now.

 

[FrankRizzo]

Fuck the Army all together dude. The Air Force is the way to go if you are dead set on a militery career. You'll get put into an Army Officer Corps based on the "needs of the Army". The when you are an Infantry Officer and sleeping out in the fucking snow while the Air Force guys are getting paid permissive TDY and per diem, sleeping in a hotel room. Now THAT is some good god damn training. Fuck the HooRah bullshit.

Just my .02

 

[booger]

You Got It

It's just 'An Army of One' these days anyway. One guy can't do alot.

 

[Longhorn85]

when you are an Infantry Officer and sleeping out in the fucking snow while the Air Force guys are getting paid permissive TDY and per diem, sleeping in a hotel room.

Wow. I must admit that is very, very true. You also spend a lot of time away from your family. But remember, that is why it is called SERVING your country. If you're not selfless and dedicated, don't consider the army.

 

[FrankRizzo]

Are you teaching ROTC stuff down in Austin ttlpkg? I think that would be cool duty.

I was an S-1 clerk in the Army. I was the smart mouthed punk wearing cook whites with way longer than regulation hair typing your OER and crying about having to go to the NTC. I got out, got a degree, and will never take another order from a man with a GED again.

Plus I started out making what a Major does. Soon I will pay more in TAXES than a LTC makes. hehehe i hated the military.

 

[bigkraut]

A clerk? Oh, I thought you had a "real" job in the Army. j/k. I wasn't lifer material myself, but I didn't think it was a bad experience. Quite the contrary. The infantry though, isn't clerking. Long hair wouldn't fly and a smart mouth would have been closed by the business end of a rifle butt or e-tool. I saw it happen. This was done to enlisted men by enlisted men. And of course, the "blanket parties". I operated in a more squared away Army. A clerk with no discipline is one thing, that wouldn't have been tolerated coming from a combat soldier. Not by anyone. I saw a better, more honorable, highly efficient, and well managed Army. You're experience is not timely, relevant, or typical where it comes to modern infantry.

 

[FrankRizzo]

The smart mouth and "lack of discipline" as you put it was derived from taking orders from incompetence more than most of the time. I also seriously doubt that even if you were weidling a rifle you close my smart mouth anyway. For anyone with more than half a brain my experience is very typical. If you were a blind yes sir, no sir, grunt so be it. Sounds like you needed to stay in. There is no honor in being ordered around by an idiot and having to put up with it. BUT, you have to be able to think that far in the first place. Some did find comfort in not having to make decisions for themselves. Me, I hated it. I didn't choose a combat MOS for all those reasons.

The smiley faces in post was an attempt to bring across light heartedness and insincerity. TtlPkg is a long time Artillery officer and I was attempting to explain to him why I felt the way I did about the military. No need for you to come in and start flaming about something you once WERE.

 

[bigkraut]

I'm sorry if it came off sounding like I was flaming you. As is often the case with the written word, things are sometimes misunderstood. Mainly, it isn't about being a brainless automaton, there were very good reasons that the Army demanded attention to detail and discipline from us(combat arms personnel). I'll just go into the most obvious. As a clerk, you had a very important job. Administrative functions are essential, so I am not belittling them. However, the job of an infantryman is very dangerous. A breakdown in discipline could get people needlessly killed. At any given time, I was in possession of weapons that could wreak an untold amount of death and destruction in a second. I think those charged with using such tools must be very disciplined. That's why I say that the standards of discipline for an infantryman would have to be higher than those of a clerk. Is has little to do with intelligence. It has everything to do with running an efficient fighting unit.

 

[Longhorn85]

I guess the bottom line is that the original poster of this thread should know that like anything else the military is what you make of it. No guarantees as to whether you'll like it or not.

No Frank, I'm not an ROTC instructor, that would be a cool job though, esp at UT

 

[frorider6]

Damnit, I posted this on Friday, hoping that when I got back today, I'd have some good information on Army officer career fields and maybe some descriptions of life in said jobs. Seems all I got was a big pissing contest over which branch is the best.

Maybe I'll start a new thread on subject this with a big fucking "NO WHINING, BITCHING, OR FLAMING" banner at the top.

 

[FrankRizzo]

No quarrel here Kraut. Glad to meet ya!

:lmao @ Frorider

Sorry bout that bud, I was enlisted and basically can provide you with zero insight on an officers career.

 

[Longhorn85]

Damnit, I posted this on Friday, hoping that when I got back today, I'd have some good information on Army officer career fields and maybe some descriptions of life in said jobs. Seems all I got was a big pissing contest over which branch is the best.

Maybe I'll start a new thread on subject this with a big fucking "NO WHINING, BITCHING, OR FLAMING" banner at the top.

see the 1st response to your post, hothead

 

[frorider6]

see the 1st response to your post, hothead

I read that and it did help sway me towards the Army. Thanks ttlpkg. The only reason I don't want to be camped out for months is because I tend to lose weight quickly if I'm not lifting and eating properly. I'd just hate to join and end up in worse shape physically than when I started.

 

[Longhorn85]

You won't be camped out for months, on average about one week out of every 2 or 3 months. You'll have plenty of time to workout, believe me. You'll run 3 times a week usually when you're not in the field. The army takes fitness seriously because soldiers need to be fit, plus most like to do it on thier own, so we have a hell of a lot of gym facilities.

Every army post has at least one nice gym that has the type of equipment that you would find at any Gold's Gym. It's not just soldiers working out either, it's family members and civiian workers so there is just as much scenery as anywhere, and it's free.

The post where I am is large and we have 5 big gyms. The one I worked out in at lunch today has the complete set of Hammer Strength machines. It also has a full complement of dumbells, freeweights, cardio machines, etc, etc.

I have been an Artillery guy for over 15 years and I probably have averaged 3 trips to the gym per week over all that time. When I came in I was 6' 180 and now I weigh 200 and am in much better condition.

 

[frorider6]

ttlpkg-I'm being swayed more and more towards the Army. The Air Force really is more of a corporation environment. Kinda like United Airlines with guns. The whole fitness attitude seems better in the Army too. At my AF base, we had one gym and the free weight room looked about 20 years old and was stuffed into 2 racketball courts with the adjoining wall torn down.

I see you're an Artillery Oficer. Are you commisioned or is that a title? I'd like to hear about OCS.

 

[bigkraut]

Thanks Frank, great to meet you as well. Frorider, I'm in the same boat as frank. I was enlisted, you know, the kind of guy you will be giving orders to. lol. It is my fault that the thread got off topic. Soldiers, current and former, love to fuss. Sorry about that. I wish you well with your future military career.

 

[Longhorn85]

I see you're an Artillery Oficer. Are you commisioned or is that a title? I'd like to hear about OCS.

I attended Army OCS in 1987. It is at Fort Benning and lasts 3 months. It is a fairly tough school. You should be in shape and ready to be harassed when you show up. Most of the guys there will have prior enlisted service. I was an E4 when I went, and there were E3s, E6s and even one E7. Also some guys straight out of college. You do a lot of field training and learn a lot about Army organization and doctrine.

OCS is run by the Infantry school so you will be learning Infantry skills, which are basic to every soldier, such a road marching, marksmanship, drill and ceremony, general orders, military courtesy and small unit tactics.

It was a good time.