Careers in the Army with low deployment rates?

gridironkid

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I have been looking into different branches of the Army and I am curious if there are any careers in the Army that have low deployment rates.

Thanks
 
Awesome. Just awesome.

Hope this sheds some light in why I really created this post

I have been interested in commissioning as a 2nd Lt. in the Army since I was a junior in high school and I still have that internal desire to serve in the military since then (5 years) I started school at a local community college and now will be transferring over to a 4 year university (Va. Tech) My parents have always been giving me advice to not join the military out of their care for my well being. They assume that since the army is the main fighting force of the military, you are always put out in the front lines despite the fact that your MOS may not require you to do so (they always talk about fighting in the middle east and the casualty rates to add fuel to the fire)--however since I am very passionate about pursuing this route and am aware of the life and death consequences (they know too) I still want to commission as an officer. My dad was telling me that in the event I still wish to pursue this route to pick a branch in the Army that has a very low deployment rate to avoid the risk of death. I personally want to have a successful Army career where I can excel in my MOS/Branch of choice. So far here are my choices (despite the things my dad told me)

Combat: Armor Officer (btw what are the casualty rates of an Armour Officer v. Infantry)
Combat Support: Intelligence Officer
Combat Service Support: JAG (I do wish to go on to Law School down the road)

Thanks
 
Graphic Artist... "Now that's a man with a plan!"
 
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My parents have always been giving me advice to not join the military out of their care for my well being.

What do you want to do?

Understand that being respectful to your parents is important, but soon or later you need to make decisions for yourself. What if your mother doesn't want you to marry someone you love?

Didn't your father base some of his advice on what he saw on movies. We ask doctors for medical opinions. We ask lawyers for legal opinions. Like you are doing here, we ask military folks on opinions on military matters.

So you could find a military position with the lowest rate of combat death or deployment, but you might not be happy or you won't have the same opportunities.
 
You could always join the AF and become a missileer. Your only "deployments" are to some remote places in the Dakotas and the Northern Plains of the US.
 
(btw what are the casualty rates of an Armour Officer v. Infantry)

Kid, you are going from the frying pan into the fire with questions like this.

It's simple, your almost if not already 22 years old. If by now you have not been able to make a decision, you have been asking these same questions for months, it may be time to move on to a new goal.
 
What do you want to do?

Understand that being respectful to your parents is important, but soon or later you need to make decisions for yourself. What if your mother doesn't want you to marry someone you love?

Didn't your father base some of his advice on what he saw on movies. We ask doctors for medical opinions. We ask lawyers for legal opinions. Like you are doing here, we ask military folks on opinions on military matters.

So you could find a military position with the lowest rate of combat death or deployment, but you might not be happy or you won't have the same opportunities.

I understand what you are saying but I want to do what I want without them crying over the decisions I make for myself. My parents haven't served a day in the military and they go by what they see on television and the reports of casualties and individuals that have been severely wounded. I try to explain to them the difference between officer v. enlisted but to them it is the same thing "you fight, you fight". What bothers me the most is that they use scare tactics (advice) and warnings to keep me from serving in the military. They like to say things like "when you could grow older, get married and have a family then become a grandparent; why would you decide to make your life span shorter?" my father would have moments where he thinks that me serving in the military is a good thing then all of a sudden his outlook would be completely different--they honestly confuse me sometimes and when I try to explain to them how the military works I second guess myself because they seem to act as if they know everything about it.
 
Kid, you are going from the frying pan into the fire with questions like this.

It's simple, your almost if not already 22 years old. If by now you have not been able to make a decision, you have been asking these same questions for months, it may be time to move on to a new goal.

it not that I cannot make a decision its that my parents, although they are coming from a good heart, seem as if they are corrupting my whole thought process of what I want to do at the same time I don't want them to think "I did a bad job raising this kid" or "that is it, his life is going down the drain--its a shame how someone so young can get into something that will destroy him" . No matter how much I tell them about the military (even though its from people that know more than they) they cannot seem to fully grasp the whole concept behind deployments, officership, MOS (especially my dad no matter how much he has been told)
 
I understand what you are saying but I want to do what I want without them crying over the decisions I make for myself. My parents haven't served a day in the military and they go by what they see on television and the reports of casualties and individuals that have been severely wounded. I try to explain to them the difference between officer v. enlisted but to them it is the same thing "you fight, you fight". What bothers me the most is that they use scare tactics (advice) and warnings to keep me from serving in the military. They like to say things like "when you could grow older, get married and have a family then become a grandparent; why would you decide to make your life span shorter?" my father would have moments where he thinks that me serving in the military is a good thing then all of a sudden his outlook would be completely different--they honestly confuse me sometimes and when I try to explain to them how the military works I second guess myself because they seem to act as if they know everything about it.

You might be more American you think.

Typical American mentality is that to every problem there is a solution. I don't think you will find a solution where your parent will be happy and you will be happy. You need to ask yourself what do I want? Just like previous discussions, it sounds like you already made up your mind, but for whatever reason you seek confirmation from this forum, which means nothing and you won't get it.

What made this country better than other countries is (a question you should ask your parents if they want you to live in this country or not) for whatever reason folks made personal sacrifices to make this country better. You could a part of the history or just a bystander watching it. Your parents might say someone else could be in the Infantry and die, but why that person or why not you?
 
Said a little softer...

Choosing to serve something greater than yourself is incredibly noble. But it's a decision you need to make (for OR against)... even if that means your parents don't understand.

I'm guessing you are trying to choose certain MOSs to "compromise" a bit with them, and that's a nice thought. But you are 22 and these are your parents, not your wife and children. So you need to decide for you, not compromise for them.

Good luck and congrats on your desire to serve.
 
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You might be more American you think.

Typical American mentality is that to every problem there is a solution. I don't think you will find a solution where your parent will be happy and you will be happy. You need to ask yourself what do I want? Just like previous discussions, it sounds like you already made up your mind, but for whatever reason you seek confirmation from this forum, which means nothing and you won't get it.

Pretty good MemberLG, your answer can only come from the person you see each time you look in the mirror. In the end that is the only opinion that really matters.

Good Luck Kid
 
my father would have moments where he thinks that me serving in the military is a good thing then all of a sudden his outlook would be completely different--they honestly confuse me sometimes

This type of thinking will have more bearing on your risk for death than any branch choice will. Indecision on the field of battle will almost certainly lead to death regardless of your branch. Second guessing yourself will never improve a decision already made.

Don't let your parents' irrational fears drive your daily thoughts. Be confident in your training and your soldiers' skills and you will have much better outcomes.
 
Past actions are not always good indicators of future actions. We can't tell you what jobs are going to take casualties in the next war. The 8th Air Force in WWII took some of the highest casualties in the entire war, but bomber pilots don't have as much worry fighting the Taliban.
Some jobs are going to be more risky than others (special operations, infantry, etc), but we are pretty terrible at predicting what will be "safe" in the future.

It is up to you to figure out what career you should do. You parents will try to give you advice, but the decision is yours.
 
Past actions are not always good indicators of future actions. We can't tell you what jobs are going to take casualties in the next war. The 8th Air Force in WWII took some of the highest casualties in the entire war, but bomber pilots don't have as much worry fighting the Taliban.
Some jobs are going to be more risky than others (special operations, infantry, etc), but we are pretty terrible at predicting what will be "safe" in the future.

It is up to you to figure out what career you should do. You parents will try to give you advice, but the decision is yours.

I have really been looking into M.I.--but outside of this fact; do you think an Armor Officer faces the same risks as an SF or Infantry Officer?
 
I have really been looking into M.I.--but outside of this fact; do you think an Armor Officer faces the same risks as an SF or Infantry Officer?

I really don't mean to be blunt here...but..

You really need to step back from trying figure out the risk factors in each branch. They are all risky, look at the number of casualties caused by IED's, they don't care if your SF or a Quatermaster driving or walking on the road.

If risk is a factor which I assume it is because of the number of times you have asked about it, the Army is not the right career choice for you. You have no control over what branch you get, you could want MI and get Infantry. You need to be prepared to accept any risk that comes with joining the military. Those that accept that risk don't ask which branch is safer.

To answer your question, yes.
 
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