What is it like to be stationed in a TRADOC unit?

MSG Thomas Currie - I can't say I know what it's like to be AD in a TRADOC unit, but I do remember having graduated AIT and a classmate of mine was assigned to the POST upon graduation. Then thinking at the time that totally BLOWS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I imagine its like getting a custodial job with the high school you just graduated from.

I suspect he'll be completely segregated from recruits while continuously on guard trying not to be mistaken as one in his day to day life when in uniform (like crossing the street) until he's finally a CPL.

MSG Thomas Currie - You forgot to mention virtually no field time ever...

SSG Brian L. - In his MOS that's probably true, but that's not generally true across TRADOC assignments. Most TRADOC assignments are to the various branch schools. Most courses include at least one field exercise -- sure, that's a small part of each course, but guess what? The same people are used to support every one of those field exercises. Depending on which courses you're supporting, that means being in the field anything from one day a month to five days a week.

It's been quite a few years since I was a SPC in a nominally-FORSCOM unit on a TRADOC installation where we were tasked with supporting the school. The typical day started with getting ready to go to the field, then going to the mess hall for "early breakfast" -- early breakfast meant that the cooks let you into the dining room when they arrived to start getting ready for the real breakfast meal, so all you had was your choice of cold cereal with milk, not even coffee because there wasn't any yet (if the cooks were friendly or inattentive you grabbed a second box of cereal to shove in your pocket for later). Jump in the back of a 5-ton to ride out to the field to make sure everything was ready by 0700. Meanwhile the 'young gentlemen' attending OBC would have a leisurely breakfast before waiting for their 0800 scheduled bus ride out to the field. About 0900 the instructors would finish briefing the students and send them to our vehicles. Drive around all day doing whatever that day's lesson called for, then about 1600 the young gentlemen would dismount for their AAR and their 1630 bus ride back to the cantonment area. Once the students were all gone (typically 1645, maybe 1700), we could start after operations maintenance to have the vehicles ready for the next day. About 1800 jump back in the 5-ton for a ride back to the unit area - generally arriving just after the mess hall had closed. Of course, that is if you weren't one of the people detailed to spend the night guarding the vehicles.

NCOs saying how cushy a TRADOC assignment is were never assigned to a TRADOC unit as an E4 or below.

MSG Thomas Currie - All I can speak for is the 88M course, and E-4 and below were basically kept out of contact with the Trainee's. All instructors were required to be E-6 or above, with an occasional E-5 (considered to be "immature") used for field support. E-4 and below generally maintenance or supply support. Some lower enlisted in the S-1 and S-4. Lost most of the lower enlisted when maintenance went civillian.

Thank you

When I was Opns Sgt for a training brigade, I had the complete master training schedule for each course laid out on my wall, and the ATRRS fill schedule on the pull out slide of my desk. For any date in the next two years I could tell you where each platoon of any company would be and what they would be doing.

There was a short period when things weren't quite that predictable. We got a new Brigade Commander who decided that having "full faith and confidence" in his Battalion Commanders included letting them ignore the training schedule without coordinating with anyone. A few months later he became the only colonel to be relieved of command by the post CG. After that things went back to being predictable.