You want to be in combat?

Great Post. While everyone is on here saying the bad experiences of it all, I want to chime in. I am a current applicant to NROTC, ROTC, and (after this week), West Point and I have to say that I am leaning towards infantry. Like most of you are saying, there is a want for a combat in most instances with people going infantry. For me, however, it's more of chance to break out the monotony that we have been pre accustomed to all our lives. I am pretty sure that some of you would rather have the monotony then put your life in danger but the way I see it is that the Infantry position is a more a desirable when you put things into perspective. For one, you feel like you are actually doing more with what you learned since you are the boots on the ground talking to the people of the nation you are sent in to help (if that's what we are doing in four years time), and it is generally a more spontaneous existence.

I am an athletic nerd, so I generally get a lot of, and emphasize my work out regimen, but other then that I lead a sedimentary life style full of computer, video games, and school. It's not an exciting existence. It's just boring and instead of getting an IT job, or get in Military Intelligence, like my parents would probably prefer, I will do Infantry because it is the most out going and most, in my eyes, beneficial to the betterment of the Army. It also helps that my Uncle went to West Point and my cousin is a cow, or Junior, so I can also go to them if I need advice.

I'm surprised it took this long for a response like this.

Take my post for whatever value you want. I'm just some old guy BSing on the internet, who likely doesn't have things "in perspective."
 
Great Post. While everyone is on here saying the bad experiences of it all, I want to chime in. I am a current applicant to NROTC, ROTC, and (after this week), West Point and I have to say that I am leaning towards infantry. Like most of you are saying, there is a want for a combat in most instances with people going infantry. For me, however, it's more of chance to break out the monotony that we have been pre accustomed to all our lives. I am pretty sure that some of you would rather have the monotony then put your life in danger but the way I see it is that the Infantry position is a more a desirable when you put things into perspective. For one, you feel like you are actually doing more with what you learned since you are the boots on the ground talking to the people of the nation you are sent in to help (if that's what we are doing in four years time), and it is generally a more spontaneous existence.

I am an athletic nerd, so I generally get a lot of, and emphasize my work out regimen, but other then that I lead a sedimentary life style full of computer, video games, and school. It's not an exciting existence. It's just boring and instead of getting an IT job, or get in Military Intelligence, like my parents would probably prefer, I will do Infantry because it is the most out going and most, in my eyes, beneficial to the betterment of the Army. It also helps that my Uncle went to West Point and my cousin is a cow, or Junior, so I can also go to them if I need advice.

Well, I needed a good chuckle. I am curious though, when did the Navy get an Infantry.

Great post Scoutpilot, too bad it sometimes get lost on the Call of Duty Generation.
 
I am curious though, when did the Navy get an Infantry.

In November of 1775.

I see plenty of those airsofter and Call of Duty folks at high school. I can't really blame them for what they believe, we as high school kids have never served and will not understand what it is to serve until we do.
 
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Well, I needed a good chuckle. I am curious though, when did the Navy get an Infantry.

Great post Scoutpilot, too bad it sometimes get lost on the Call of Duty Generation.

NROTC Marine Option. Way to be transparent. It seems that most of you didn't quite get what I was trying to say.

RECAP: Some people want to join the infantry because it is out of the norm in what they did in civilian life.



Also, I guess I should of not said "video games" because it seems you think I think that warfare is all 360 no scopes. And to the OP, I think you said it perfectly. It's just that people do things for different reasons and it seems like you make out most people that go to the infantry for kids wanting to get a fix and be able to tell "war stories".
 
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NROTC Marine Option. Way to be transparent. It seems that most of you didn't quite get what I was trying to say.

RECAP: Some people want to join the infantry because it is out of the norm in what they did in civilian life.



Also, I guess I should of not said "video games" because it seems you think I think that warfare is all 360 no scopes. And to the OP, I think you said it perfectly. It's just that people do things for different reasons and it seems like you make out most people that go to the infantry for kids wanting to get a fix and be able to tell "war stories".

If you think that's the point I was getting at (stereotyping the infantry) then you have missed the point totally. That post was not even about the infantry. I didn't even say the word infantry. You're operating under your own teenage assumptions that "combat = infantry," or more pointedly, "only infantry = combat." It most certainly does not.

As I said before, take it for what you will. You seem to believe that you've figured out more in your 17 or 18 years than I have in my time. Hence, I offer this post to you like I do to everyone else: free of charge, no obligation to read or heed.

But don't you dare try to turn this otherwise nice thread into a pissing match wherein you try to tell us old farts that we lack the perspective to understand your desire to be an infantryman. We get it: you like a challenge, you want excitement, you know life isn't like XBox, you want to be the best, infantry is "boots on the ground" and nothing else compares, etc. You aren't the first and you won't be the last.

The mark of a promising young officer is the ability to shut up and listen. It's never too early to start. Again, the choice is yours.

To the rest who added your own perspective: thank you!
 
I never was in war so I don't know firsthand, but if it was all glory why is it that those that have been in war never speak of it? My Dad did 3 tours in Vietnam and never spoke of it (even to me and I am a USMA grad and was a combat arms officer).
 
I never said that I knew more combat related crap then you neither have I tried turn some thread into a pissing contest. I interpreted what you said as "only people that join the infantry are people who want combat". My bad if that is not what you meant.
 
I always tell kids interested in the service and who ask about the subject "Be careful of what you wish for..." :rolleyes:


Best
 
don't know where...

Don't know where I heard it or who said it..."war is the sum of all evils"
 
The mark of a promising young officer is the ability to shut up and listen. It's never too early to start. Again, the choice is yours.

Well said. Also the mark of a promising young student, citizen, CEO, ditch digger, tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor.
 
The mark of a promising young officer is the ability to shut up and listen. It's never too early to start. Again, the choice is yours.

Well said. Also the mark of a promising young student, citizen, CEO, ditch digger, tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor.

Ohhhhh....so close to "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy", the title of a great spy flick with is also a movie which I am REALLY have to be patient for in the U.S. It opens in DC this weekend.

My fiancee got me "Smiley versus Karla" for my birthday this week. It's the omnibus book of "Tinker Tailor", "The Honourable Schoolboy" and "Smiley's People".
 
Well said Scout. I had gone overseas to do the whole fighting in combat deal and sure enough, when I commission, I am hoping to get a non-combat arms branch. War is all jacked up.
 
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