I got a 99 on the ASVAB. Why do people discourage me from infantry?

Question

I know I'm a smart kid and all but why do people say that being an 11B is a waste? What MOS do u all think I should look at?

Answer 1

My husband got a 97 and he also went infantry even though everyone thought he should do something else. He just said that he couldn't see himself behind a desk and so did what he wanted. One thing the people who discourage you forget to mention is that you get rank MUCH faster being infantry which translates into more money for you. Do what you want to do and forget about what anyone else says. They aren't the ones that'll be walking all those miles in your boots! Good luck! ;-)

Answer 2

Which people?

Some people have no respect for the infantry because they think that just anyone can pick up a rifle and go toe-to-toe with a fanatic suicide fighter.

Based on that score, you qualify to enter training for any MOS, but that doesn't mean you have the physical aptitude, the courage or the tenacity to succeed. There is no multiple choice fill-in-the-bubble-sheet test for that.

By all means take a look at all the career choices the Army has to offer. No one (except maybe your recruiter) says you can't go into one of the other services to see what kind of job they can give you.

Remember, once you take the oath of enlistment, they can put you into whatever job they need you in. You may end up being one of the very few going around complaining that you wanted to be in the infantry and got stuck in intelligence. On the other hand, that's just a possibility, not a likelihood. Whatever preference you choose, just make sure it's YOUR choice.

Answer 3

Well, I don't know about other people, but I would discourage you for several reasons.

1. There are some jobs only a few people are smart enough to qualify for. Someone with your level of intelligence could be of more benefit to the frontline troops by using your God given talents in just such a career.

2. Infantry MOS's don't generally have great after-market value... meaning, once your enlistment is over, the skills aren't transferrable to civilian life... so you would have to start completely over, learning something from the ground up. However, the MOS's that require higher ASVAB scores tend to put you through schooling... so you're better equipped and have skills that typically do translate (in one form or another) to civilian life.

Think about the skills you'd have as an infantryman.... as opposed to an air traffic controller, or electronics tech... or some career field that requires 1 year of school or more... and it's clear to see which would set you up best in future years, once your enlistment is up.

Answer 4

CalLawguy:

99 is the highest you can get on the asvab. You are thinking of the GT score which goes up to 150.


Infantry is a great MOS. It involves quick and creative problem solving, the highest level of leadership and communication skills as well as advanced tactical and technical knowledge. Keep in mind that you can re-classify later in your career if you want to. I'd go 11B, some of the smartest guys I've served with are 11B's.

Answer 5

It depends on who is trying to discourage you. Your recruiter will try to discourage you because he has a quota to fill for MOS that call for your qualifications (based on the ASVAB), and it is relatively easy to find infantry qualified people. (I believe a 33 is required to qualify for basic rifleman (in the Marines, anyway)). Your friends and family will try to discourage you because they think that only infantry will get shot at. Let's not forget the young lady taken prisoner in '04 when her convoy was attacked. She was motor transport or supply, but combat doesn't care.

If you really want to go infantry, even though you are technically over qualified, you can always find something in the middle. You could opt for artillery or armor, and, while still being a 'ground pounder', you get to learn a technical skill, such as mechanic/machinist, or an electrician, especially on the M1 Abrams, as there are a lot of sophisticated electronics on it, as well as the new generations of SP (self-propelled) artillery and MLRS systems.

Answer 6

You can have any job you want. Why be a ground pounder? Unless that is your goal. Personally, I'd suggest doing something else. Get something you can use as a career if you decide to get out. Get into aviation. Fixing them or flying them. Either career field pays well. You could go medical, if that is where your interests lie. Paralegal, maybe. Intel is a good field. There are great jobs in the intelligence services after military service. (NSA, CIA, FBI). Your choices are endless. You are qualified for most of the jobs they offer. I don't know about a specific MOS, I'm air force. Our system is different.

Answer 7

Shoot. You beat me. I only had a 97. Used that to go to the Naval Nuclear Power School, second only to cryptography.

Nothing says you shouldn't join the infantry, but if I were you, I would use those brains and secure a specialty that requires the smarts. You will put yourself in a better spot for advancement. Once you join, nobody cares about your ASVAB. A grunt is a grunt, and there won't be much room for you to escape that line of work and upgrade.

Answer 8

Look at the MOS you want. I mean with a 99 you can probably get whatever MOS you want. An if you have a college degree you could probably be an officer. But do what you want.

Answer 9

i actually scored a ninety 5 and signed as much as be a Marine grunt as nicely. Myself and others like me did it using fact the infantry is the ethical extreme-floor of the protection stress. different than for pilots, that's the main regarded-up-upon activity. You get the exposure, the bragging rights, the main action, and so on. All in all inspite of the indisputable fact that, i've got on no account standard a single smart grunt who did no longer get out as rapidly as he ought to, be it by way of a fee or no longer reenlisting. absolutely everyone with brains figures out fairly rapid that truly, noone exterior the civilian international seems on the infantry as something however the idiots who chosen the activity the place you would be walking around on your guy or woman grime (piss, vomit, crap) devoid of showering for days. fact: that "ethical extreme floor" is a collection of crap. tell your fool pal to apply his intelligence for some thing. there's a reason the Marine Corps has low standards for the infantry. they choose the smart human beings to %. smart MOS's, no longer one's that comprise the definition: cannon fodder.

Answer 10

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CORRECTION - It appears they have changed the scale from a max of 147 when I served (1979-1992) to the new 99 scale.
That being the case, you are eligible for any MOS that does not require a specialized degree.
You would be foolish to go 11B when there are so many other options available to you. Unless you already had an advanced degree like I did, take advantage of MI or electronics maintenance or something with a huge re-up bonus (they are paying up to $100,000 now)