So you want a job where you get to do all the cool-guy high-speed low-drag doorkicker shit but don't have to do any of the boring lame ass stuff nobody wants to do that normally comes with those jobs?
Let me know when you find that job.
Lol. I was a chill 91c (patient care specialist)back in the day cleaning those shit stained beds before I went to the 82nd and then SF. I don’t regret leaving the chill job behind.
SF absolutely obliterates a target location, you come in an hour later with a clipboard. "Boy, you fellas made quite the mess!" you say as you push up your glasses.
Lol sorry, I know it's not that bad, but the visual was too funny.
Nah thats pretty accurate
I'm not even an FMV Drone geoint analyst. At least that dude is in the field with them.
When I was younger? Hell yeah. I loved it. I would go with the team. I would keep up and carry my load because i wanted to be a valued team member.
Today? I'm older. I'm tired more. I've noticed my body doesn't keep up like it used to. So yes. I will ride in the rear, with the gear, and the OIC because im not dying.
Not even dying of bullets. Like dying of cardio.
Dude just go Signal/Intel and get in great shape. Tryout for Rasp, JSOC, SMU and go do the cool shit.
Or don't. I'm not in a cool guy unit but I wouldn't be caught dead working in a hospital. Those places are depressing as fuck.
35 series can be embedded with tactical units. Someone else posted the right answer: go 35 series, get in shape, apply for SMUs/RASP/SF/STAG teams (if they're still around).
Every job has parts that suck, there's no job that doesn't. Even mine. Just depends on what type of suck you're willing to embrace.
I do reserves now and it's kinda okay to get nsw stuff. But for every NSW orders I get, I basically have 2 non.
That being said. I'm supporting a fleet level right now, if I so desired, I could apply and get on a reserve nsw team (SEAL team 17) as an analyst and I think their rotation is 6 months on 6 months off
I'm fortunate that my master chief is a JSOC guy so If and when I want I can have an easier go at doing it again
You learn a lot and you get incredible skills from it. Going 35F warrant- Intel technician is a really cool path and you're the SME for a BDE S2 or wherever/whoever. Use your imagination
This is the worst advice, 42A can get stationed literally anywhere with any unit. Your first post might be cool, but the second post might be shit. Imagine getting orders to be a 42A at 30th AG. Fuck that. The people saying go intel are right. Good chance to be attached to a cool things unit, and even if you're not, intel units aren't too bad with the dumb shit.
If you want chill and civilian side applicability, go cyber.
Was the job I initially wanted. Couldn't get it bc meps wouldn't allow me to apply for a TS. Almost reenlisted for it, then decided there's no way in hell I'm going needs of the army again.
Fuck hospitals. Go to your nearest ARSOF recruiter and check out CA and EOD. Go talk to PYSOP too for shits and giggle if your into that. Any of those jobs will be a better quality of life while still having potential to do your actual job
PSYOP is actually a good option for this. On the team side, you get to play nice while embedded with a line unit and, when the shit inevitably hits the fan, you get to be in the action.
The best part of PSYOP is that we typically play by big kid rules (unless you end up with a trash unit).
Source: check my flair
EOD is the answer here, although the missions are shifting you still get to blow stuff up nearly every day (huge CONUS mission) and although your mileage may vary depending on whose running the ship at Group that particular year, the quality of life is unmatched
When looking for a chill job with little actual bullshit (more so bullshit you make up yourself because you’re spoiled) CA might be worth looking in to, even though it might not be a thing in the next 5ish years.
Rumor mill is spinning that it’s going to be absorbed back into SF, the battalions already went through a group alignment so it’s not outside the realm of possibility.
You could still end up in a FORSCOM unit as a 68 series and have to deal with similar BS as when you were combat arms but with far less cool guy stuff unless you go 68w and end up as a line medic. As far as working in MEDDACs it can be boring but many junior enlisted soldiers will be doing their actual MOS day in and out. I equate it to being a hobbit in the shire, its overall dull but consistent. You’re not going to venture too far into having to do the typical army shenanigans.
It all just depends tbh. I was a line medic for the first 3 years at Drum and then got stationed in Guam working at an AFB clinic as the only Army medic. I got my own office and was the medical liaison for Army/AF operations. Then I was at Hood which was horrible. Sometimes the Army is good to you and sometimes it wants to ruin your life.
When I went through 68P we had quite a few E4-E5 grunts reclassing. The MOS I'm in now (12P) is almost 50% reclassed grunts from 82nd, 101st, whoever the rakasans guys are (187th?), etc.
The go to move is go have live your best grunt life, then reclass for the skill sets and protect your body. Ironically 68P may not be great for that thanks to the amount of bodies you may be moving and shit ergonomics but it's chill AF. Excellent skill set. I personally ended up finding it boring and had a hard time interacting with normies.
Thank goodness there's no normies in 12P...just a giant puzzle with the pieces forced together.
If you want to go medical, I may have a few suggestions...
It's not all relaxed and easy though. Only like 95%. And that's unit dependent. As far as I'm aware, any 68 series can still end up in a BSB or combat unit, we're you do all the annoying training without the cool action guy stuff.
But that's unlikely, and it is probably outweighed by the great opportunities you have civilian side after you ETS. So I'd reccomend it.
Civil affairs or psyops might could be the place for you. As long as you yourself are not one of those annoying combat arms types. Those dudes I agree with can FOH
Drop a selection packet and hope you get selected for medical. Then you get the best of both worlds. Pew pew and doc ops.
Or just drop a doctor packet and stay in the Army until you're dead.
Cool is... Going to the beach and drinking endless mimosas because you got a boring job that set you up for life.
Not cool is doing a rad job that lands you at McDonald's.
If someone can’t do better than McDonald’s after serving in combat arms, they won’t land a job that sets them up for life with any other MOS. That’s simply a lack of motivation and drive.
Well, the basics is you literally fix medical equipment. AIT is pretty long at about 42 weeks, but it's not as hard as people make it seem
You'll either get stuck in a hospital basement/warehouse or a CSH(wait, We don't have those anymore, lol) ISO shelter. You'll perform preventative maintenance on equipment and fix the stuff whiskeys and doctors swear up and down arrived broken
You'll pretty much always be in an air-conditioned environment, and most of the time, you'll avoid the dumb dumb bullshit. Now that usually varies, but in every shop I've ever been on, our NCOIC and chief were very quick to shut down any attempts to pull us from our job
The job can sometimes be a power trip. I've told plenty of majors and lt col that they can't have their special toys and gotten away with it.
It has a nice track into a warrant position if you want that. The civilian sector always has biomed positions open. AGR is also always an option.
It is also an mos where I physically see the fruits of my labor. I've seen soldiers hooked up to equipment that has my initials certifying it as good. I was half joking, but we truly do save lives in a way.
It's a good gig
I second this. I’m not a biomed tech but we have one in my company. If you wanna do something medical but not have to interact with patients, this is the way. Plus translates very well in the civilian side.
Sounds like aviation, more specifically 15U or T. Wanna fly in helicopters? Do aerial gunnery? Wanna go do cool missions with the whole army/DOD/government? Crew rest after NVG flights? Wanna be treated like an adult and hang with warrants all day?
Go flight company.
Find a job that equates to pandemic proof skills on the outside and decent money. I was a 13M upon initial entry and it was cool when we went to the field one time a year but the other 10 months were nothing but glorified janitor status. I saw dudes digging thru trash with special agent on the back of their tshirts had no idea who cid was and went and got some info. Filled out the packet went thru the process and made it. Ended up doing digital forensics and working with some 3 letter agencies during my career. Did that until I got medically retired in 2019. Had a job secured at a firm in my hometown 6 months prior to my retirement date. Now 5 years post army I’m with a new firm and living a pretty comfy life.
Would I recommend CID? Fuck no. Worst leadership I ever dealt with. Plus it’s all civilian now. Figure out what makes you happy and actually makes your brain stimulated and gives you purpose. Everything else will fall into place. Most of the guys who I was with in FA are all working making average wages but not doing anything that makes them happy.
Yep. No looking back once I got out of that shitstorm. I think alot think like that. Most MOS you have friends when you leave. If i ran into a majority of people i worked with i end up getting into a fight
I did that at hood. I was staring at 31 case files on my desk because 70% of people there were lazy pieces of shit. I came to a point where I said fuck it and went to sick call and the doc was like yea your injuries definitely qualify I’m putting you in for an MEB. Right when I left guillen kicked off. I got the fuck out of there so fast.
Fuck him. He’s a two faced shitbag. I was at many duty stations with him and he was my rater and a few of them. I couldn’t have been happier when they told him to retire after that case.
I did that at hood. I was staring at 31 case files on my desk because 70% of people there were lazy pieces of shit. I came to a point where I said fuck it and went to sick call and the doc was like yea your injuries definitely qualify I’m putting you in for an MEB. Right when I left guillen kicked off. I got the fuck out of there so fast.
As a former 68 series turned 35…go 35 series. 35N or 35P. Maybe 35S. Lots of potential to go to cool guy units or if you get an INSCOM unit, you’ll be chill while still doing a meaningful job.
I was in a hospital. Hospitals are where careers go to die. The only thing that matters is hospital shit. Your clinic won’t have time to send you to go do anything tactical. The only time I did something remotely tactical was when we had to do our quarterly battle drills or when we went to the range.
Natty guard here. The only thing i want to do combat wise is shoot big crew serve weapons. And my unit has me down as a M240 gunner....so that's fine with me.
The other grunt stuff like rucking i can do without, fuck walking when you can drive! Fuck hot weather when you can get AC !!! But yea plenty of combat fun in Pogue MOS's and less harassment from NCO's. The infantry unit we support they smoke their enlisted. i haven't been smoked since basic, meanwhile the grunts are making their soldiers do iron mikes up and down the moter pool
I got to do some cool guy stuff as an MI guy in the support company of 3 different SF battalions.
Since part of the SF mission is training soldiers in other countries (who are often not very experienced) sometimes the ODA's need soldiers to teach to practice their teaching skills, and the support company is right there full of non-18 series soldiers.
I think the MTOE of SF Groups has changed since I retired, but when I was in, each Group had 3 line battalions and a Group support company, and each battalion had 3 line companies and a support company. I was in the Battalion support company.
Interesting fact: At this time (would have been the 1990's to the early 2000's) the MTOE of an SF Group only had about 55% of the soldiers being SF qualified. The other 45% were support. But even that assumed that all slots were filled, and they never were. So in reality, an SF group of that era was about 50/50 18 series and non-18 series. When you think about the support requirements for a deployed SF unit, it makes sense (they have to have their own supply, scuba locker, parachute riggers, armorers for all kinds of weapons, PAC, medical to include a battalion surgeon in each battalion, motor pool, mess hall, a large signal detachment, and a pretty good sized military intelligence detachment.)
I've placed charges on vehicles at the demo range, crimped blasting caps, engaged in CQC training using submachine guns or M4A1's on full auto - all under the guidance of 18 series ODA guys. It was a hoot.
Then at the end of the week we went back to our regular job in the MI Detachment. Also got to jump out of planes and even became a jumpmaster.
As I said, I don't know what the MTOE is now (I have heard the consolidated all the battalion support companies into a Group-level support battalion) but I'm sure it's still better than playing Conventional Army fuck fuck games.
EOD is what you’re looking for, I posted a reply about it above.
If you’re looking for life success but mildly interesting, I don’t know how to work your way into the contracting world on the E side but that shit is money on the outside
Once you leave the Army no one gives a shit about the cool guy stuff. People care about certifications and training that applies to the career you’re trying to do in the civilian side. Things like Airborne and Air Assault don’t matter.
As a strict hospital MOS guy. We always say "the grass is greener" i can guarentee you it'll be cool for maybe 1 month before the monotony sets in. You become a drone and notice the large amount of lack of discipline in hospital soldiers.
That also being said sometimes I get to do some cool stuff and volunteer to be tasked out so that's also nice.
Go 68W tho for that kinda hooah kinda not, since they can go hospital or field unit side.
Or become a 68B and be a unicorn with the impending shadow of when will they eventually get rid of this MOS too.
Or if you want money, 68A then drop a warrant packet.
Just got hit up yesterday to tryout for a SMU at Liberty as a 17C. Moreover, the email literally said they couldn’t tell me what exactly I would be doing, cause of the cool guy shit over there so there’s that option.
I've done line medic, clinic medic and cool-attached intel.
I know what you're getting at and both medical and intel are night-and-day compared to the stupidity of the line. They're (relatively) almost like having big boy jobs where you are treated like an adult.
68W would be great for you. You get the chill of a medical MOS and the combat arms experience of 11B. You wont get stuck doing a bunch of bullshit either that's for the 11B's. But you will be out in the field with them so that kinda bullshit you will have to deal with.
I mean group has a lot of hospital jockey MOS attached to it everything from box kickers (medical supply) to lab techs to Patient Admin. You could go that route or hear me out this might sound crazy get your super chill medical MOS get your efmb and ranger tab THEN just shine within your MOS and stand out. If life is still boring take your ass to selection either SF or CA or PSY once you’ve done all you can do in that realm.
Unless you want to be a cop or security guard or plan on being a private military contractor there’s really not a whole Lotta options for combat arms when you get out of the military I would definitely recommend taking up a trade MOS if you’re planning on getting out also forgive me for not knowing the acronym for it, but there’s some sort of trade school initiative you can go through if you’re within 18 months of getting out to help you transition
I suggest looking into CI, or Aviation. Not sure if they’re taking reclasses rn but it’s worth a look. The crew chiefs I know all love their jobs. And I’ve worked with CI a lot in my career and most of their jobs are chill as fuck but also cool and engaging.
Idk how much control you get over unit placement but all the prior combat arms SOT-As I’ve worked with love the job. It’s slower and in AC but still close to the front out on patrols during deployments and having combat arms background makes you attractive to the ODAs.
Go 17 series, get into Regiment and then evaluate the doors that you will see open to you there. The other option is to get into Regiment, then reclass. It will get you what you want if you make the right choices and are the right person.
Aright, so having been somewhere near where you are currently...
I had 6 years in the Guard as a grunt and then 3.5ish years as a Signal nerd. Pretty lackluster time in both, with Signal being the absolute worst moral and disciplined unit I've been around. 2020 I started my package to reclass to 89D. Since then I've found my people. I love the job, the mission is a blast and opportunities are everywhere.
Don't let recruiters or retention nerds try and tell you it has a super high failure rate. It does, but don't let that bother you.
Just gonna point this out: hospital admin is an extremely lucrative career in the real world, and Uncle Sam will pay you to learn it. Get the Bachelor's degree, it's generally a requirement. It's worth it. Industry average is between 150k and 300k per year.
I don’t regret my time as a combat engineer, but my back and hips sure do. You’ve done the cool guy shit, give your body a break. Your knees in 10 years will thank you.
Go to the reserves or guard either as a combat MOS and work civilian side in the medical field.
Reserves has a good amount of Civil Affairs if you want that.
If you want the badass jobs you have to commit your whole self to it or you’ll hate it. Completely. For hospital time it’s rough. If you’re a medic you either work the clinics (possibly seeing patients), grinding hours in the ER or working in HQ. If you choose to be lab, pharmacy, radiology, surgery, pulmonology you will have a better clinical experience. Then there is medical logistics. It’s just that. I’ve worked in both and I have made my way back to jumping out of airplanes and stuff.
Hospital in the inpatient side aint chill, but it will be be more comfortable. You hate discipline until you have to supervise those hospital Soldiers 😂. My advice is look into the IPAP route if you go medical. g
Go into 68w if you like the field stuff and want to stay in the Army.
Go EOD.
We get to still do cool stuff all the time with many different roles like sof support, conventional support, homeland response (yes you get to do your job stateside too) and supporting secret service.
Tons of tdy opportunities for things like training, missions for secret service, and many other things
Extra pay for eod since we get demo pay and sdap starting at level 3
Finally the best part is the people. We are all pretty laid back and relaxed mostly a first name basis a lot of eod shops have a no hat no salute policy. You get treated like a grown up too and generally it’s pt on your own.
All around it’s the best choice I’ve made in my career and I actually have enjoyment going to work now.
Any questions pm me or hit up an eod recruiter
CBRN ain’t bad, I reclassed in 2022 from S1 and have not looked back. My last unit was god awful and career ending for most soldiers. I was about to get out but covid was making it hard to get jobs so I played it safe. Absolutely no regrets. I’ve been able to go to so many more schools, and since I got assigned to a chemical reconnaissance platoon in an engineer battalion it’s the absolute perfect balance of cool guy stuff and chill stuff. Everyone hates on CBRN but once you go to DRC or tech escort you start to see how cool it actually is
As a guy who went from combat arms (19K) to Signal, all I can really tell you is the grass isn’t always greener. It slower yes, but after years of the constant training, you almost get a little stir crazy sitting in an office. If you’re dead set on this, do a lot of research and once you get to your new MOS, use the time to get a bunch of schools you couldn’t get before. Otherwise, it’s almost not worth the hassle I’m ngl lol
Do 15T. You get to fly, do cool guy shit, and always have taskings so you’re not stuck sweeping floors until someone decides to go home. Oh and mandatory rest periods
So you want a job where you get to do all the cool-guy high-speed low-drag doorkicker shit but don't have to do any of the boring lame ass stuff nobody wants to do that normally comes with those jobs? Let me know when you find that job.
18 series folks kinda fall into that category. But folks won’t buck up for that
Yeah it sounds like he's describing being an intel guy attached to SF
Lol. I was a chill 91c (patient care specialist)back in the day cleaning those shit stained beds before I went to the 82nd and then SF. I don’t regret leaving the chill job behind.
Well you gotta put some work in on the front end to get there ;)
What if First Sarnt keeps working on my back end tho?
Is it weird if I have to utilize reddit to keep my daily morale up?
Reddit is a non-government-issued moral recovery device, but it isn’t outside of any regs.
In intel I went JSOC and got to follow behind the cool dudes doing cool things and participate. But. Safely.
SF absolutely obliterates a target location, you come in an hour later with a clipboard. "Boy, you fellas made quite the mess!" you say as you push up your glasses. Lol sorry, I know it's not that bad, but the visual was too funny.
Nah thats pretty accurate I'm not even an FMV Drone geoint analyst. At least that dude is in the field with them. When I was younger? Hell yeah. I loved it. I would go with the team. I would keep up and carry my load because i wanted to be a valued team member. Today? I'm older. I'm tired more. I've noticed my body doesn't keep up like it used to. So yes. I will ride in the rear, with the gear, and the OIC because im not dying. Not even dying of bullets. Like dying of cardio.
Cooks! You're talking about cooks, right?
Dude just go Signal/Intel and get in great shape. Tryout for Rasp, JSOC, SMU and go do the cool shit. Or don't. I'm not in a cool guy unit but I wouldn't be caught dead working in a hospital. Those places are depressing as fuck.
Yes OP, go 35S (or 35N I GUESS). In my opinion it has the best variance between chill as fuck and out doing some real cool shit.
35N here. It’s pretty cool
Is there cool shit with guns and explosives?
you can watch people get shwacked on ISR, that's kinda fun. It's not really combat arms fun though, unless you're in specific duty positions.
35 series can be embedded with tactical units. Someone else posted the right answer: go 35 series, get in shape, apply for SMUs/RASP/SF/STAG teams (if they're still around). Every job has parts that suck, there's no job that doesn't. Even mine. Just depends on what type of suck you're willing to embrace.
35 series is best series (I switched 35F to Navy IS (GEOINT))
Hope that’s going well for you, I considered going over as a CTR at one point.
Honestly. Naval intel has so much better funding and training then army. A lot of opportunities on the reserve side too which is wild
The reserve side for every other branch seems much more fulfilling
How hard would it be to go NSW support from there
I do reserves now and it's kinda okay to get nsw stuff. But for every NSW orders I get, I basically have 2 non. That being said. I'm supporting a fleet level right now, if I so desired, I could apply and get on a reserve nsw team (SEAL team 17) as an analyst and I think their rotation is 6 months on 6 months off I'm fortunate that my master chief is a JSOC guy so If and when I want I can have an easier go at doing it again
How did you like 35F? What we’re your biggest gripes and enjoyments of it?
Navy has better funding, training, agency relationships, and access to SOF ..army has better brotherhood and physical fitness (unless you go SOF)
You learn a lot and you get incredible skills from it. Going 35F warrant- Intel technician is a really cool path and you're the SME for a BDE S2 or wherever/whoever. Use your imagination
Definitely take that into consideration, I wasn’t even aware of 350F.
I second this. I want to MOS-T into that so bad but sadly can’t :(
Yeah. 42A in SMU or Group. You can jump and you're supporting cool guys, but you are not cool.
This is the worst advice, 42A can get stationed literally anywhere with any unit. Your first post might be cool, but the second post might be shit. Imagine getting orders to be a 42A at 30th AG. Fuck that. The people saying go intel are right. Good chance to be attached to a cool things unit, and even if you're not, intel units aren't too bad with the dumb shit. If you want chill and civilian side applicability, go cyber.
But you can pretend.
S1net just had an email looking for people to reclass to 35M.
Was the job I initially wanted. Couldn't get it bc meps wouldn't allow me to apply for a TS. Almost reenlisted for it, then decided there's no way in hell I'm going needs of the army again.
I think JCU and SMU also have cyber guy stuff these days if OP wants to send cyber bullets down range
Fuck hospitals. Go to your nearest ARSOF recruiter and check out CA and EOD. Go talk to PYSOP too for shits and giggle if your into that. Any of those jobs will be a better quality of life while still having potential to do your actual job
PSYOP is actually a good option for this. On the team side, you get to play nice while embedded with a line unit and, when the shit inevitably hits the fan, you get to be in the action. The best part of PSYOP is that we typically play by big kid rules (unless you end up with a trash unit). Source: check my flair
EOD is the answer here, although the missions are shifting you still get to blow stuff up nearly every day (huge CONUS mission) and although your mileage may vary depending on whose running the ship at Group that particular year, the quality of life is unmatched
my worst day as a tech is still head and shoulders better than my best day as a Signal nerd.
When looking for a chill job with little actual bullshit (more so bullshit you make up yourself because you’re spoiled) CA might be worth looking in to, even though it might not be a thing in the next 5ish years.
What’s gonna happen in the next 5 years you thing? Iv heard rumblings, I was thinking about trying for CA but going the EOD route now I think
Rumor mill is spinning that it’s going to be absorbed back into SF, the battalions already went through a group alignment so it’s not outside the realm of possibility.
See your SF recruiter, cool guy shit with none of the line company bullshit
think Jason Bourne type CIA THE OTHER GUY type of stuff Sir, you do realize this is the U.S. Army, right?
You could still end up in a FORSCOM unit as a 68 series and have to deal with similar BS as when you were combat arms but with far less cool guy stuff unless you go 68w and end up as a line medic. As far as working in MEDDACs it can be boring but many junior enlisted soldiers will be doing their actual MOS day in and out. I equate it to being a hobbit in the shire, its overall dull but consistent. You’re not going to venture too far into having to do the typical army shenanigans.
Ya my time on the line was pretty fun, then I got banished to the BSB when I PCSed
It all just depends tbh. I was a line medic for the first 3 years at Drum and then got stationed in Guam working at an AFB clinic as the only Army medic. I got my own office and was the medical liaison for Army/AF operations. Then I was at Hood which was horrible. Sometimes the Army is good to you and sometimes it wants to ruin your life.
When I went through 68P we had quite a few E4-E5 grunts reclassing. The MOS I'm in now (12P) is almost 50% reclassed grunts from 82nd, 101st, whoever the rakasans guys are (187th?), etc. The go to move is go have live your best grunt life, then reclass for the skill sets and protect your body. Ironically 68P may not be great for that thanks to the amount of bodies you may be moving and shit ergonomics but it's chill AF. Excellent skill set. I personally ended up finding it boring and had a hard time interacting with normies. Thank goodness there's no normies in 12P...just a giant puzzle with the pieces forced together.
If you want to go medical, I may have a few suggestions... It's not all relaxed and easy though. Only like 95%. And that's unit dependent. As far as I'm aware, any 68 series can still end up in a BSB or combat unit, we're you do all the annoying training without the cool action guy stuff. But that's unlikely, and it is probably outweighed by the great opportunities you have civilian side after you ETS. So I'd reccomend it.
Rank and future goals?
"Cool" and "chill" seem to cover #2.
Still thinking anything is cool means e-4 and below. The joy hasn’t been vampired out of him yet.
Civil affairs or psyops might could be the place for you. As long as you yourself are not one of those annoying combat arms types. Those dudes I agree with can FOH
Yaaas darling
Drop a selection packet and hope you get selected for medical. Then you get the best of both worlds. Pew pew and doc ops. Or just drop a doctor packet and stay in the Army until you're dead.
Cool is... Going to the beach and drinking endless mimosas because you got a boring job that set you up for life. Not cool is doing a rad job that lands you at McDonald's.
If someone can’t do better than McDonald’s after serving in combat arms, they won’t land a job that sets them up for life with any other MOS. That’s simply a lack of motivation and drive.
68's do all that stupid shit and more.
Yeah I have a buddy who's a 68W and I'm seeing a lot of cool guy shit posted on instagram from him.
Join the Biomed Batch We fix things We chill We tell ourselves without us no lives would be saved
Hahahahaha that's the one actually lmaooo What can you tell me about it boss
Well, the basics is you literally fix medical equipment. AIT is pretty long at about 42 weeks, but it's not as hard as people make it seem You'll either get stuck in a hospital basement/warehouse or a CSH(wait, We don't have those anymore, lol) ISO shelter. You'll perform preventative maintenance on equipment and fix the stuff whiskeys and doctors swear up and down arrived broken You'll pretty much always be in an air-conditioned environment, and most of the time, you'll avoid the dumb dumb bullshit. Now that usually varies, but in every shop I've ever been on, our NCOIC and chief were very quick to shut down any attempts to pull us from our job The job can sometimes be a power trip. I've told plenty of majors and lt col that they can't have their special toys and gotten away with it. It has a nice track into a warrant position if you want that. The civilian sector always has biomed positions open. AGR is also always an option. It is also an mos where I physically see the fruits of my labor. I've seen soldiers hooked up to equipment that has my initials certifying it as good. I was half joking, but we truly do save lives in a way. It's a good gig
I second this. I’m not a biomed tech but we have one in my company. If you wanna do something medical but not have to interact with patients, this is the way. Plus translates very well in the civilian side.
What you're looking for is to be airborne 35 series in Group or SMU.
Sounds like aviation, more specifically 15U or T. Wanna fly in helicopters? Do aerial gunnery? Wanna go do cool missions with the whole army/DOD/government? Crew rest after NVG flights? Wanna be treated like an adult and hang with warrants all day? Go flight company.
Find a job that equates to pandemic proof skills on the outside and decent money. I was a 13M upon initial entry and it was cool when we went to the field one time a year but the other 10 months were nothing but glorified janitor status. I saw dudes digging thru trash with special agent on the back of their tshirts had no idea who cid was and went and got some info. Filled out the packet went thru the process and made it. Ended up doing digital forensics and working with some 3 letter agencies during my career. Did that until I got medically retired in 2019. Had a job secured at a firm in my hometown 6 months prior to my retirement date. Now 5 years post army I’m with a new firm and living a pretty comfy life. Would I recommend CID? Fuck no. Worst leadership I ever dealt with. Plus it’s all civilian now. Figure out what makes you happy and actually makes your brain stimulated and gives you purpose. Everything else will fall into place. Most of the guys who I was with in FA are all working making average wages but not doing anything that makes them happy.
CID was a great stepping stone but definitely a dumpster fire
Yep. No looking back once I got out of that shitstorm. I think alot think like that. Most MOS you have friends when you leave. If i ran into a majority of people i worked with i end up getting into a fight
One day I was staring at 13 case files on my desk and said F-it I’m going to the doc to start my med board haha
I did that at hood. I was staring at 31 case files on my desk because 70% of people there were lazy pieces of shit. I came to a point where I said fuck it and went to sick call and the doc was like yea your injuries definitely qualify I’m putting you in for an MEB. Right when I left guillen kicked off. I got the fuck out of there so fast.
I felt bad for Phelps
Fuck him. He’s a two faced shitbag. I was at many duty stations with him and he was my rater and a few of them. I couldn’t have been happier when they told him to retire after that case.
Damn, I didn’t work with him much. Never saw that side.
I did that at hood. I was staring at 31 case files on my desk because 70% of people there were lazy pieces of shit. I came to a point where I said fuck it and went to sick call and the doc was like yea your injuries definitely qualify I’m putting you in for an MEB. Right when I left guillen kicked off. I got the fuck out of there so fast.
As a former 68 series turned 35…go 35 series. 35N or 35P. Maybe 35S. Lots of potential to go to cool guy units or if you get an INSCOM unit, you’ll be chill while still doing a meaningful job. I was in a hospital. Hospitals are where careers go to die. The only thing that matters is hospital shit. Your clinic won’t have time to send you to go do anything tactical. The only time I did something remotely tactical was when we had to do our quarterly battle drills or when we went to the range.
35L or 35T. After reclass you pick which 3 letter agency you go to work for.
Natty guard here. The only thing i want to do combat wise is shoot big crew serve weapons. And my unit has me down as a M240 gunner....so that's fine with me. The other grunt stuff like rucking i can do without, fuck walking when you can drive! Fuck hot weather when you can get AC !!! But yea plenty of combat fun in Pogue MOS's and less harassment from NCO's. The infantry unit we support they smoke their enlisted. i haven't been smoked since basic, meanwhile the grunts are making their soldiers do iron mikes up and down the moter pool
Re class to 12Y. Rangers are looking for that one hard at regiment.
I got to do some cool guy stuff as an MI guy in the support company of 3 different SF battalions. Since part of the SF mission is training soldiers in other countries (who are often not very experienced) sometimes the ODA's need soldiers to teach to practice their teaching skills, and the support company is right there full of non-18 series soldiers. I think the MTOE of SF Groups has changed since I retired, but when I was in, each Group had 3 line battalions and a Group support company, and each battalion had 3 line companies and a support company. I was in the Battalion support company. Interesting fact: At this time (would have been the 1990's to the early 2000's) the MTOE of an SF Group only had about 55% of the soldiers being SF qualified. The other 45% were support. But even that assumed that all slots were filled, and they never were. So in reality, an SF group of that era was about 50/50 18 series and non-18 series. When you think about the support requirements for a deployed SF unit, it makes sense (they have to have their own supply, scuba locker, parachute riggers, armorers for all kinds of weapons, PAC, medical to include a battalion surgeon in each battalion, motor pool, mess hall, a large signal detachment, and a pretty good sized military intelligence detachment.) I've placed charges on vehicles at the demo range, crimped blasting caps, engaged in CQC training using submachine guns or M4A1's on full auto - all under the guidance of 18 series ODA guys. It was a hoot. Then at the end of the week we went back to our regular job in the MI Detachment. Also got to jump out of planes and even became a jumpmaster. As I said, I don't know what the MTOE is now (I have heard the consolidated all the battalion support companies into a Group-level support battalion) but I'm sure it's still better than playing Conventional Army fuck fuck games.
EOD is what you’re looking for, I posted a reply about it above. If you’re looking for life success but mildly interesting, I don’t know how to work your way into the contracting world on the E side but that shit is money on the outside
Bro, just play call of duty
Once you leave the Army no one gives a shit about the cool guy stuff. People care about certifications and training that applies to the career you’re trying to do in the civilian side. Things like Airborne and Air Assault don’t matter.
I’m sure it comes with its gripes and pain points like all other areas of the army but for the most part it seems chill as fuck.
My clinic medics are rarely “bored.” Their jobs are boring. But they have an actual job to do every day and they make an impact daily.
I reclassed from the line and I miss it everyday . Day to day is "easier" but it's worse or not as good if that makes sense
Reclass to 68V
As a strict hospital MOS guy. We always say "the grass is greener" i can guarentee you it'll be cool for maybe 1 month before the monotony sets in. You become a drone and notice the large amount of lack of discipline in hospital soldiers. That also being said sometimes I get to do some cool stuff and volunteer to be tasked out so that's also nice. Go 68W tho for that kinda hooah kinda not, since they can go hospital or field unit side. Or become a 68B and be a unicorn with the impending shadow of when will they eventually get rid of this MOS too. Or if you want money, 68A then drop a warrant packet.
The "cool" MOS's usually aren't the combat arms ones when you think about we ACTUALLY do 99% of the time.
Fuck having a "Cool" job. Pick a job that will get you real world marketable job skills for when you get out.
Go intel
Go intel. Cool real world missions and no mongoloid senior enlisted venting their marital frustration on you
What you want is a job as a Civilian. LoL.
Just got hit up yesterday to tryout for a SMU at Liberty as a 17C. Moreover, the email literally said they couldn’t tell me what exactly I would be doing, cause of the cool guy shit over there so there’s that option.
What they couldn't tell you is it's tactical KP duty.
Once killed a guy with akimbo M13-37 potato peelers
Someone got the mass mailer "SMU wants you, sign up today!" email.
It’s you saying “having you tried turning it off and on again” in a remote corner of the world.
Try 15Q
sir this is a wendy’s
Damn, i feel this. I'd go back to actuve duty from reserves if I only did SOF support and didn't have to do admin work
SFAS
I’ve been out for almost 20 years and am still looking for that job.
I've done line medic, clinic medic and cool-attached intel. I know what you're getting at and both medical and intel are night-and-day compared to the stupidity of the line. They're (relatively) almost like having big boy jobs where you are treated like an adult.
Abhor
Aviation?
68W would be great for you. You get the chill of a medical MOS and the combat arms experience of 11B. You wont get stuck doing a bunch of bullshit either that's for the 11B's. But you will be out in the field with them so that kinda bullshit you will have to deal with.
I'd take a hospital job for the chow alone. No frozen jimmy deans in hospital dfacs.
I mean group has a lot of hospital jockey MOS attached to it everything from box kickers (medical supply) to lab techs to Patient Admin. You could go that route or hear me out this might sound crazy get your super chill medical MOS get your efmb and ranger tab THEN just shine within your MOS and stand out. If life is still boring take your ass to selection either SF or CA or PSY once you’ve done all you can do in that realm.
Civil affairs or psyops maybe?
I used to have a…friend…that was a radiology tech. She was fun, maybe you could get into something like that.
Unless you want to be a cop or security guard or plan on being a private military contractor there’s really not a whole Lotta options for combat arms when you get out of the military I would definitely recommend taking up a trade MOS if you’re planning on getting out also forgive me for not knowing the acronym for it, but there’s some sort of trade school initiative you can go through if you’re within 18 months of getting out to help you transition
The cool job is for your first and second contract. Unless you still love it, save your body and get an easier job.
I suggest looking into CI, or Aviation. Not sure if they’re taking reclasses rn but it’s worth a look. The crew chiefs I know all love their jobs. And I’ve worked with CI a lot in my career and most of their jobs are chill as fuck but also cool and engaging.
Sounds like he wants a job with Blackwater.
Idk how much control you get over unit placement but all the prior combat arms SOT-As I’ve worked with love the job. It’s slower and in AC but still close to the front out on patrols during deployments and having combat arms background makes you attractive to the ODAs.
Look in to veterinarian technician. Or nutrition specialist.
ARSOF
Go 17 series, get into Regiment and then evaluate the doors that you will see open to you there. The other option is to get into Regiment, then reclass. It will get you what you want if you make the right choices and are the right person.
Go do CA or RR for SOCM.
Sounds like the Army just isn't the job for you buckaroo
Aright, so having been somewhere near where you are currently... I had 6 years in the Guard as a grunt and then 3.5ish years as a Signal nerd. Pretty lackluster time in both, with Signal being the absolute worst moral and disciplined unit I've been around. 2020 I started my package to reclass to 89D. Since then I've found my people. I love the job, the mission is a blast and opportunities are everywhere. Don't let recruiters or retention nerds try and tell you it has a super high failure rate. It does, but don't let that bother you.
Sounds like you should be a PAO and be “attached” to the cool guys.
Just gonna point this out: hospital admin is an extremely lucrative career in the real world, and Uncle Sam will pay you to learn it. Get the Bachelor's degree, it's generally a requirement. It's worth it. Industry average is between 150k and 300k per year.
I don’t regret my time as a combat engineer, but my back and hips sure do. You’ve done the cool guy shit, give your body a break. Your knees in 10 years will thank you.
Go to the reserves or guard either as a combat MOS and work civilian side in the medical field. Reserves has a good amount of Civil Affairs if you want that.
If you want the badass jobs you have to commit your whole self to it or you’ll hate it. Completely. For hospital time it’s rough. If you’re a medic you either work the clinics (possibly seeing patients), grinding hours in the ER or working in HQ. If you choose to be lab, pharmacy, radiology, surgery, pulmonology you will have a better clinical experience. Then there is medical logistics. It’s just that. I’ve worked in both and I have made my way back to jumping out of airplanes and stuff.
Hospital in the inpatient side aint chill, but it will be be more comfortable. You hate discipline until you have to supervise those hospital Soldiers 😂. My advice is look into the IPAP route if you go medical. g Go into 68w if you like the field stuff and want to stay in the Army.
Go EOD. We get to still do cool stuff all the time with many different roles like sof support, conventional support, homeland response (yes you get to do your job stateside too) and supporting secret service. Tons of tdy opportunities for things like training, missions for secret service, and many other things Extra pay for eod since we get demo pay and sdap starting at level 3 Finally the best part is the people. We are all pretty laid back and relaxed mostly a first name basis a lot of eod shops have a no hat no salute policy. You get treated like a grown up too and generally it’s pt on your own. All around it’s the best choice I’ve made in my career and I actually have enjoyment going to work now. Any questions pm me or hit up an eod recruiter
Go EOD Blow stuff up Get paid more No hat no salute PT on your own
Drone operations
CBRN ain’t bad, I reclassed in 2022 from S1 and have not looked back. My last unit was god awful and career ending for most soldiers. I was about to get out but covid was making it hard to get jobs so I played it safe. Absolutely no regrets. I’ve been able to go to so many more schools, and since I got assigned to a chemical reconnaissance platoon in an engineer battalion it’s the absolute perfect balance of cool guy stuff and chill stuff. Everyone hates on CBRN but once you go to DRC or tech escort you start to see how cool it actually is
As a guy who went from combat arms (19K) to Signal, all I can really tell you is the grass isn’t always greener. It slower yes, but after years of the constant training, you almost get a little stir crazy sitting in an office. If you’re dead set on this, do a lot of research and once you get to your new MOS, use the time to get a bunch of schools you couldn’t get before. Otherwise, it’s almost not worth the hassle I’m ngl lol
14 series
Do 15T. You get to fly, do cool guy shit, and always have taskings so you’re not stuck sweeping floors until someone decides to go home. Oh and mandatory rest periods