Should I join the Infantry?

Question

Should I join the Infantry?

Answer 1

do what you feel is right. also, i don't think military experience would prevent you from getting a job. family influences can be strong and they may have good reasons, but ultimately it is your decision. good luck.

Answer 2

Yeah, infantry doesn't translate into anything meaningful. Just ask these "losers": GEN (ret.) Colin Powell, GEN Petreaus, Oliver Stone, about 27 U.S. Presidents lol. Don't believe the hype of what do in is what you HAVE to do when you get out. You can be more than a cop or bouncer. I am in a soft-skill MOS (paralegal) right now and I asked all my Soldiers do they want to do the same thing when they get out and they all said no. I also tracked the ones who ETS'd and none of them our in the legal field.



You can go to college while in using the 100% free TA ($4,500 per semester) we get and save your GI Bill for whenever you get out. That's what I did and manage to get my degrees while in. you can infantry first, then reclass later if you qualify, into another field through re-enlistment (not med-reclass like me).



The infantry can and should inspire you to do more, with less. Endure the worst and use teamwork with good leadership to pull through. Just my opinion.

Answer 3

I am in the army, not infantry but there are two people in my unit that were infantry and changed there mos. they have found jobs outside of the military but the also went to school and are in the reserves. There jobs though have nothing to do with there mos.

Its great you plan to go to school but keep in mind if your going active and going to school that will be very hard.

Good luck to you!

Answer 4

It's completely false about it being harder to find a job when your out. Military will only make getting a job easier. And if you go in as an infantrymen then there is a very realistic chance you see combat. If you go in as a Pharm. Tech. then you will not see combat.

Answer 5

My husband did 4 years in the infantry then got out of the Army two years ago, he was unable to find any sort of good paying job and collected unemployment for six months, then he got hired working in a warehouse where he moved pallets during third shift, the only other jobs he qualified for were mall cop and things like that since he had no college. He actually rejoined the Army last December because he just couldn't find a job that translated from infantry in the civilian world, now he's a water purifier.... BUT he hates it and feels like a pussy so he's actually going back in the infantry, he's just going to make sure he has a college degree before he gets out this time. You can take whatever you want from this story, that was just our experience.

Answer 6

no,it may seem like it is but it,s not ,when i got out in 2008 after 33years (1975-2008 )i got a job working in private security at a nice comfy office duty in the down town area .

Answer 7

A military background can be a great reference for character when it comes to getting employment in the civilian world. The training you recieve in infantry will not directly translate to much in the civilian world though. You will likely see battle in Afghanistan if you join in the near future. Pharmacy tech will be of more value in the civilian market, but it is about what you want to do while you are in that should hold the most weight.

Answer 8

my husband has been infanrty for 3 years now. if you do join be prepared to go to Afgan and thats a given. and if you like being in the middle of all the action then yes this MOS is for you. otherwise i would say no

Answer 9

If you feel strongly about serving your country, then joining the army is probably for you. I've never really thought about the job prospects of soldiers coming back from deployment, but I would think that unless you had some secondary training in a skilled trade or profession (like field mechanic, or field medic, etc) there probably aren't much skills related to being a pure soldier that transfer over to many other jobs (aside from maybe private security or private military agencies).

Answer 10

Infantry does not itself translate into many jobs skills in the civilian world, but the leadership skills and the work ethic you acquire from having served in a Combat Arms MOS is respected and appreciated in many areas. Should you choose pharmacy tech then you can set yourself up for a good job when you leave the Army. In a pharmacy as a technician. But as an Infantry NCO you will be looked at as someone who can lead people and accomplish jobs with little direction. That is what many organizations look for. Infantry officers in particular are in very high demand when they get out of service. Not because they can lead men in battle, but because they can lead and manage people in the accomplishment of tasks. Consider all this.



Don't forget about the GI Bill, but also don't forget that while you are in service you can take advantage of other educational programs to get a head start on your degree. That will make your GI Bill go that much further when you get out. Good luck. Give everything a lot of thought. A couple good links below for you.

Answer 11

Its most likely that you'll be going into combat being in the Army. If you want to go to college and be in the military the way to go is through ROTC at a school. But if you want to enlist and have a job that will transfer to the civilian world the medical field is a great way to go. Pharmacy tech is a job, but the school is hard with a lot of memorization. Not to say it cant be done, Ive seen some less than brilliant people, to put it nicely, graduate from the program. The army's school is a fully accredited program which means you can take the registry and be licensed to work in a civilian pharmacy. And the school isn't as long as other clinical support mos, mine was 48 weeks long to do radiology tech. I think its something like 20 weeks or less.

But being in the infantry wont mean it will be harder to get a job if you do get a college education. In whatever field you choose it will mean you know how to lead, work hard, and handle stress efficiently.

Ultimately, you will do what you want. No one on yahoo answers or your family can make the decision for you. Good luck.

Answer 12

First off, you are going to achieve weight. You will grow older and begin to achieve mass. The Army will aid you with this relatively a bit of. When I enlisted, I was once 2lbs over the minimal weight requirement for my top. I was once 120lbs and the load requirement was once 118. I'm simplest within the National Guard so I do not even do that complete time (besides on deployments), however I am now at a constant weight of 150lbs. I am nonetheless thin, however I'm towards common. one million. Yes. two. Probably. But, who cares? three. No. Just hold up. Small men more commonly do higher than the significant men, truthfully. four. Don't fear approximately this. Slim to none, however there may be the threat. But alternatively, there is a threat you can get in a destroy to your method to MEPS. five. Yup. 6. Yes, it is continuously a well proposal to get more potent. Especially while you are a small man. 7. Depends utterly on in which you're and what your challenge is. Everyone you meet, will say anything totally one of a kind. The simplest factor I can let you know for definite, is that it is going to be depressing. Even persons who by no means depart base might let you know this. eight. Up to 80lbs. Light infantry consists of round 50-60lbs of equipment.... no longer adding vests and the entire further junk. Since you can normally be dressed in a small or medium vest/plates, you can be wearing lower than each person else. :-D

Answer 13

We're at war on two fronts and President Obama just pledged 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan a few hours ago. I'd say your chances of seeing combat on one or two deployments are pretty high.



My mother told me she would disown me if I joined the military. I went to college instead. My aunt told my cousin she would disown him if he joined the military. He enlisted in the Marine Corps, did two deployments, got out, went to Penn State for free with the GI Bill and got a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Now he works for Lockheed Martin designing God know what...Guess what my aunt did...She supported and loved him the whole time. His family didn't have much money when he enlisted but since its been nearly a decade and they've done alright, they bought him a car when he graduated college since he hadn't spent a dime of their money.



If you want a job with the government or in law enforcement, you can claim veterans credit that gives you a little edge on the kids with just the diplomas. But remember, you could come back from a deployment missing limbs or with other disabilities that can limit your employment.



If you have good grades and are in good shape, getting an ROTC scholarship might be in your best interest. A family friend of mine had Army ROTC pay for college and went to officer school after he graduated. He eventually got his Ranger tab, was stationed in Korea for a year, deployed to Iraq, got out and is now in law school. You get school paid for AND while your a Lt, you get paid significantly more.



Pharmacy Tech and Pharmacists are two very different careers. 3 of my best friends are studying to be Pharmacists now. Pharmacy is now a 6 year doctorate program with several license exams and clinical work. When my friends are home for the summer, they work in local pharmacies as Pharmacy Techs. The people who are career pharmacy techs are making 15 dollars an hour. One of my friends is in his 5th year and was promoted to Pharmacy Intern this past summer at Rite Aid. He was making nearly that as a student. So make sure if you're going into Pharmaceuticals, you shoot for that highly competitive six figure pharmacy job.



It all depends on you man. There are a few former infantry Marines and Soldiers in my classes. None of them regret their service. Some say having been to Iraq multiple times that college is the best place in the world you can be.



If you are brave enough to sign up to go to war, by all means. Just remember, you don't want to be the annoying private in your company who complains that he could have been partying in college instead of over in the sandbox taking dumps in drums filled with diesel fuel.

Answer 14

No. Go for Pharmacy Tech.

Answer 15

army infantry isn't so bad if u want to do it juss do it. u cant be scared because if u are than theres no point in entering and it wont be harder to find a job it will actually give alot more opportunities and will pay for collage.

Answer 16

You've got other options than infantry for the military.



oh..GI bill. I dont know if the GI bill applies to non-infantry branches, but if it did, the order would go like this:



1. Air Force

2. Navy

3. Army

4. Marines



those rankings are in terms of quality of life, and just technical training required too. (although it depends on which MOS for some...)

Answer 17

Have you thought about an officer role? Can easily trasnfer that to the civilian world as a manager type job.

Answer 18

you could prob get a job as a body guard lol aint many places that pay you to fight besides the military lol

Answer 19

Just to let you know if look at people you have killed long enough you will be forever changed.Just food for thought. Thank you for your service either way.

Answer 20

If you want to tour Afghanistan or Iraq then by all means enlist. If not, then don't.



You would be better off going to community college, but hey, your choice.

Answer 21

Yes u should go, and what do you mean it will be hard finding a job, plus when u leave the army you get paid alot of money

Answer 22

go join the marine corps its harder and the trainings a few weeks longer but its worth it. but if you join the infantry you may see action. depends on whether they decide to deploy you if you join soon you probaly will be deployed .

Answer 23

no. dont go. stick to pharmacy tech! it'll be better for you in the long run.

Answer 24

Yes go buy Call of duty Modern warfare. it's your Training Stimulator see if you can make it past war back to your normal life.

Answer 25

Sorry, but that's not possible.



You can enlist in the military, but they will tell you where and in what capacity you will serve.