Like some of the other posters here my DS has zero interest in being in the infantry. He understands the " needs of the Army..." and of course would do his very best. I wonder is there a job(s) one could choose that would reduce the chances of one being branched to an infantry unit? Just curious. Thanks.
Do you mean working/assigned to an infantry unit? Infantry is a branch, so no one will branched to an infantry unit. Bull assumed that your DS does not want to assigned to an infantry unit.
As for Branch detail, when I did it it was on volunteer basis for USMA whereas for ROTC it was the need of the Army. So very limited option as branches with no chance of involuntary branch detail into Infantry are Field Artillery, Engineers, and Aviation, Air Defense Artillery, Armor, Chemical
Army Regulation 640-10
f. Donor branches are Adjutant General, Finance, Military Police, Military Intelligence, Ordnance, Quartermaster, Signal, and Transportation. Recipient branches for the branch detail program are Air Defense Artillery, Armor, Chemical, Field Artillery and Infantry.
As Bull mentioned your DS becomes a Field Artillery officer, he could be assigned to an Infantry unit as a Fire Support Officer. An MI officer can be assigned to an Infantry unit as the unit Intelligence officer. A Signal office can be assigned to an Infantry unit as the unit Signal officer.
Unless we go back to the Cold War days, there will no front line so non Infantry units could be facing same threats (i.e. Jessica Lynch's unit during OIF) or Artillery and Armor soldiers trading their guns and tanks to perform Infantry missions.
If I may recommend, your DS's decision process should based on what he wants to do, not what he wants to avoid. Worst case scenario, he will spend some time in an Infantry unit. He learn a lot from the experience. For example, Military Intelligence can be divided into two types of assignments Echelon Above or Below Corps. If you are in a Echelon Above Corps type unit, MI soldiers are indoors, stateside, and/or secure base. Below is not everything that is not above. If you are a light infantry Battalion intelligence officer, you are rucking it with other Infantry soldiers. The MI branch expectation is to have a diversity of assignments, so the branch expect officers to to serve at both tactical and non-tactical units.