What is it like to be an Infantryman in the Guard?

Question

I'm considering selecting that as my MOS. I'm very confidant I will score well enough on anything they give me to do anything I want, but am considering CHOOSING to be an infantryman if only so I can respect myself for something. I'm seventeen years old and have many goals in life that I want to start pursuing as soon as I'm out of high school, including higher education. I also want to serve my country. I accept that I may be deployed to fight, but I do not want to spend three or four years doing so- I have degrees to be earning. What I want to know is A) how will I this play into my 'civilian' life and what will it be like being an Infantryman? Thank you.

Also, what are my chances of deployment? According to Wikipedia almost have of our forces in Iraq are Guards, so I'm assuming its high. What is the mortality rate of Infantryman?

Answer 1

Alright... Being realistic joining the infantry is not a wise career move... sure you have the comradierie and esprit-de corps that comes w/ being a grunt but when you get out you wont too much better off than when you went in because its not a job that can be easily exchanged out for a civilian position. If you do have your little heart dead set on going infantry and there is no changing your mind then go Marine corps or active duty army... To join as a 11b in the guard is the equivalent of playing camping w/ rifles one weekend a month 2 weeks a year. Kid go aviation or intell. or something that you can get a REAL job in after your done w/ skills an employer wants. The infantry is the most deployed mos outside of transpo. Go for the money kid.

Answer 2

My son joined the Guard at 17 and he's been in almost two years. He is a Combat Engineer. He joined because he felt that it was his responsibility to serve his country; it's something that he's wanted to do since he was little. He went to Basic the summer between his junior & senior year of high school, and to AIT the summer after he graduated from high school. To say that his maturity and self-respect increased a million-fold after this would be an understatement.

What you need to understand is that once you join the Guard, you belong to them. They don't care if deployment, annual training, drill weekends, etc. interfere with your civilian job, school, personal life, whatever. This is not necessarily a criticism of the Guard; it's just the way the military is. If you can accept that & understand that your education might be delayed by deployment or State Emergency Duty (in case of natural disasters, for instance)--but paid for by the Guard when you get back--then it's for you. It's really something to consider carefully before you do it.

I agree whole-heartedly with another answerer that you should ask a recruiter to put you in touch with someone your own age who's already in the Guard. Talking to that person will give you a far better picture of what it's really like than most answers here will.

Answer 3

You spelled 'confident' wrong.

Army Infantry training is highly comparable to the average Marine training. It's tough, but it will be worth it.

If you're planning on both serving you're country and being in the infantry, hooah to you. But your worries will in all probability come to be realized. You will be deployed, especially as infantry. You will get deployed multiple times. Going to college and being in the infantry at the same time really is not a reasonable picture to paint. Once you're in, you're in. You'll be deployed as many times as your country needs you, the priority won't be for you to get your education, it'll be the sandbox (Iraq).

If you trully want to be infantry and get your higher education, there's only one thing that I can think that's right for you, ROTC. You can get your education and be an infantry officer (post graduation). You can do a lot more good as an great officer rather than just another grunt, with no intention of belittling the US Infantry. You can make a bigger difference, make a greater impact, and do more for your country as an officer, in my opinion anyways. I think ROTC is your best bet.

If you have anymore questions, email me or go to goarmy.com to chat with a live recruiter.

Answer 4

Being an infantryman is hard work, but most love it, a true brotherhood in MOST units.

Talk to a guard recruiter and have him hook you up with a young infantryman who can tell you more. Someone who is not a recruiter, you will get true info.

Answer 5

I am in the transporation core and not in infantry but I know a lot of my buddies who are in infantry.Life is miserable in infantry.U WILL get deployed.Chances of loosing your legs in an IED attack is also very good.Since u are only 17 I suggest u join the adjutant general or signal core branch and go infantry only when yhis war is over.
SPC Ahmed
436 TC BN

Answer 6

You can serve your country by not being a corporate thud in the military and just go to college and educate yourself so you won't be slave to cowardly old people hiding in opulent buildings in Washington DC.