Soldiers in the Infantry (esp. Elite Units) think its the BEST JOB EVE

[Pisces Axxxxx]

I am really scratching my head speechlessly. So many Soldiers who have served in combat units are incredibly proud to have served in Infantry. In fact not only are they so goddamn PROUD to be in Infantry that they wouldn't exchange it with a safer MOS but so much of them who already served for years LOVE the job so much that they WOULDN'T SWITCH for higher paying, safer, and more prestigious job like say Doctoring, Accounting, and even celebrity status that earns millions like Movie Star and Business Owner of mega-corporations like Microsoft!

In fact I always hear of many other people in the Military such as the Reserves, the Support, and esp. the REMFs back in base speak in awe of how anyone can be ******* stupid enough to serve in one of the most dangerous sections of the Army (not my statement, really I know people in the nearby base I live in who aren't in infantrystate this). I especially always hear other soldiers state "why serve in infantry well in fact other MOS offer such higher pay?"

 

Oh this is especially true for the ELITE Infantry units like 101st Airborne, 82nd Airborne, and 1st Infantry Division. Even men from infantry themselves state the training for these more elite units are INSANE and I even heard statements only a madmen would seek to choose to be a member of the hardcore units in the military such as the Rangers and the Paratroopers!

 

I have a friend who served in the 173rd Airborne in Vietnam and ohhh he's so goddamn proud to be a member of this unit he's glad to have served with them in the war. In fact he told me he never wanted to be anything else but a Paratrooper even though he had a PERFECT GPA in High School and he regrets leaving the Paratroops for higher paying jobs.

 

I find this incredibly amusing because the general public often look down on Infantryas a section of the military full of crooks and thugs trying to avoid a prison sentence and the poor who are desperate for a job and too dumb to get a higher ASVAB to be put in other occupations within the Military. In addition I already stated the tendency for other parts of the military esp. the REMFs to look at the Infantry as a bunch of insane madmen motherfuckers who are crazy in the head.

 

I really do have to agree with them. Why serve in Infantry, the one area where you will get killed?The one area where you will get associated with as being a poor ******** high school dropout and probably a criminal? The one area that offers the LOWEST hourly pay in the army (assuming you're below NCO)? The one area that suffers the heaviest casualties in war?

 

Make that at least three fold for elite units like the 173rd Airborne which often have casualty rates exceeding 50% during major operations in war (and I already noted even regular infantryman find such units so demanding only the HARDCORE would even consider trying to join them).

 

And more so why of all places even in peace time would infantrymen rather remain where they are than say switch to becoming a Doctor or Accountant or even BIG CELEBRITY MILLIONAIRES such as Movie Star, Athlete, or successful businessman?

 

Does it have to do with pride?My father's MOS is not infantry and he's primarily an accountant but he went through bootcamp in Fort Benning and he told me one of his bragging rights is that he passed bootcamp from the HOME OF THE INFANTRY as opposed other bootcamp locations. That Fort Benning has not been dumbed down by the inclusion of women in the Military and thus remain as HARD as military bootcamp traditionally is.

 

My father never even intentionally wanted to go to Bootcamp through Fort Benning-he actually was vying for another location thats more lax when he enlisted but limited slot got him deployed there. I still remember just how lean my father was when he came back home.

 

So does it have to do with pride? Even though my father is not infantry in MOS he has utmost respect for Infantry and calls them the toughest of the tough only to be surpassed by more Elite units like the Paratroops and the Special Ops units. He praises them as being the tough guys who are willing to take the hurt that most people in the Army save for SF and Elites, cannot take and he himself admits thatInfantry is so harsh that its not his first MOS he would think of taking. If any one else in the family were to ever enlist in the Army, he DOES NOT WANT his kids to go intoInfantry because of how difficult it is.

 

Can anyone else in Infantry (esp. elite units like the 82nd Airborne and 1st InfantryDivision) explain the logic behind why Infantrymen love Infantry so much their identity is tied to this part of the Military and why choose such a dangerous low-paying MOS over others and this job above all over being paid millions in safer more prestigious civilian occupations?

 

[Onasander]

The Airborne Infantry are not elite, 18,000 soldiers graduate from Airborne School each year. I was in the 1-501st Airborne, which was a Arctic Light Infantry Unit. We can't really be considered special forces, just normal guys, who leap out of airplanes in the middle of the night in freezing temperatures and ski around. It sounds badass, but it didnt feel bad ass, if felt like, well..... ass, and not just any ass, but a very special kind of ass, the kind with uncle sam's c@ck up it.

 

The reason we went was it was necessary, and we felt we could do it. Without it, civilization would break down. Same question could be posed for doctors in a socialist state..... why study for nearly a decade to become a poorly treated government slave for people who increasingly treat you poorly and take you for granted?

 

Society has a way in a republic, one that has long been free and independent, to increasingly self organize. We knew to go when it was needed. It has it's flaws though, as I was deployed injured, returning from Iraq barely able to walk. Apparently you didn't get the call to replace me for convelescence. Democracy seems to speak louder to some more than others, perhaps there was still water in your ear from that time you went swimming and couldn't get all the water out with your pinky. Oh well, it's all water under the bridge, and your middle ear......

 

I expect you to do something wonderful with your life however. I nearly had my nuts blown off, so take a theoretical stab at solving cancer, or donate blood regularly, or call for help whenever you see someone broken down. If your not willing to do it for my nuts, then do it because your unable to understand the reason why, even though a part of you feels you should. Whenever you do a good deed, just imagine the almost sacrifice my testicles made for you, sitting there proudly, on your shoulders. Stand tall brave American!

 

And play the starwars battlefront games, the 501st Stormtrooper Legion kicks some serious butt.

 

Geronimo