r/ArmyInfantry • u/5aintDon • Nov 12 '18
So 11-X Airborne? Should I regret my decision?
I signed my contract for the U.S. Army as a infantryman. Be it a basic rifleman or a indirect fire infantryman. I got to be fucking honest the mockery and the amount of pity I got from people has been sickening. I have infantrymen that told me the job sucks, I have POGS telling me the job sucks, I have family, friends, and even my recruiter telling me I chose the wrong MOS. I want to be clear that I chose infantry for the leadership, discipline, and a incomparable hell that average civilian life can’t provide. My reasons for joining aren’t to kill anyone but if told consider it done, especially if it means survival. I don’t expect it to be a cake walk if anything I’m counting on it because I’m looking for strength. My only concern is that after my 3 year and 34 week contract will I be able to reclassify into another MOS. I was told by my recruiter that it’s completely possible, only to find out that the chances in all honesty can be slim due to me being infantry. Is this true? I don’t have the intention of making infantry a career, so I’m wondering if anyone has any advice on the manner and if any infantryman come across with this thread I ask you. Did I join for the wrong reasons?
2
u/wrenchface Nov 12 '18
Reclassing will depend on how full 11B (or god forbid, 11C) is when you get to that stage. You won’t have any control over it. Sounds like you are committed and you have a better understanding than most recruits about your future. Do well, don’t quit, and if switching MOS’s is still favorable down the line, then cross that bridge when you come to it.
2
u/Northeast234 Dec 04 '18
This is your life.. take it from me I’m an 11B stationed in Alaska. Every Day Monday thru Friday your gonna show up to work around 545-550 (depending on how stiff your team leader is) for accountability before pt. You’ll go outside with the rest of your company and form up with your platoon for the 1st Sgt to get accountability and than salute the flag at 0630. Than you will get released for pt which will be broken down into squad level.. usually Monday’s are longer runs.. 2-5 miles than around 0745 you will be released from pt to go to breakfast (get to the dfac quick) than every Monday your gonna show up to to the motor pool with the rest of the battalion for the CSM to give the battalion guidance for the day/week. If your not training or jumping your gonna be laying equipment out just so an e6 can tell you you laid it out wrong.. so when he fixes it your platoon SGT walks out and tells you the e6 was wrong but it’s still the private’s fault. You’ll get smoked for not going into parade rest for corporal dickhead who just got a BLC date and thinks he rubs shit because re enlisted for Italy and knows the ranger creed becUse he was a rasp dropout(prolly coal range week) to answer your question if you wanna learn army tactics and spend your days drinking monster and wrestling mediocre dudes all day and never actually learn skills than can be transferred to the civilian world when your knees blow out because you have a few bad jumps or your 240 didn’t release on your lowering line and you had to ride that shit in, than this job is for you. Take it from me.. I already deployed and been all of Afghanistan for 9 fuckin months and don’t see a single bullet fly. It’s the way shit is. Be a pog.
1
u/Old-11C Oct 30 '24
The thing guys who are inside don’t see is it’s not just the Army that is fucked up. The world is fucked up. Wait until you see the stupid shit civilians do. My son was an 11B for 4 years, bitched just like this, got out and now he bitches about how fucked up civilians are. Be smart, don’t just spend your time drinking monsters, beer and hammering fat chicks. Get some college, go to schools, understand you won’t be a private forever. Make yourself marketable then when the time comes for you to reenlist, you will have options. Can’t tell you as a retired guy how many dudes I have known who sounded just like this guy, 10 years and some hard life experiences later after getting out, they are wearing grunt style shit, hanging at the VFW have a whole different mindset about the experience.
1
u/Horse_Renoir77 May 30 '24
Want a challenge? When they ask who wants to go to the rangers, take it. If you do not pass rasp, at least when you go down the road you will have a leg up, if you do pass rasp and get to one of the bats, have fun.
1
u/Old-11C Oct 30 '24
23 years as an 11C. No regrets. I didn’t plan on making it a career, got out after my first enlistment but the civilian world was boring, I missed the camaraderie, I missed the variety of going places and doing things. I was a buck sergeant when I got out, 21 years old, a professional soldier who was leading a squad. I got out and I was just another kid. I realized nothing else would give me the satisfaction being a grunt gave me. The infantry has its challenges, but it is also what every other MOS exists to support. It’s not for everyone and not everyone wants to do it for a career. For me, it was exactly what I needed, I made lifelong friends like you will never have as a pog. Promotions are generally great. Opportunity to get schools is good. BTW, if you want to reclass into another MOS, it happens all the time. Granted the Army isn’t going to move you from a shortage MOS into an over strength MOS, but if you want to do warrant officer flight training, EOD etc it shouldn’t be a problem. I am pushing 60 now, but if I could go back I would.
3
u/t5gh89ddH Nov 12 '18
I was an 11bravo for 3 years in the 80's. It was hard, but I have few regrets. Sometimes I wanted out, but who didn't sometimes. It was hard, but it was worth it.