Light, Airborne, Air Assault, Heavy, Striker, Bradley... Which do you prefer and why?

CPT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 17:30:11 -0400

Which type of Unit do you prefer and why?

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Aug 24 at 2015 5:33 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 17:33:16 -0400

Heavy. Bradley. Why? I have a tattoo of mine on my left arm. 25mm old school gunnery. Turn the reticle as low as it gets and follow the sensing round. I never had grunt time on a Stryker. Most guys I met loved them. Much stealthier than a M2/3 series. Why not put a M242 on that bad mamma jamma?

Response by SGT Stephen Gober made Aug 24 at 2015 5:34 PM

SGT Stephen Gober — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 17:34:22 -0400

Stryker by far. Nothing we've had before can match its capabilities. My ICV can keep a squad safe and effective under almost any conditions.

Response by MAJ(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2015 5:53 PM

MAJ(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 17:53:37 -0400

I had a Brad/HMMWV Platoon as a Scout PL. We were in Baghdad, so my platoon really just operated wheeled or light. I really don't have a general preference though. I am more of a situation dependent kind of guy. Protection and firepower are nice but so is maneuverability depending on the scenario.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2015 6:01 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 18:01:26 -0400

Walk softly and carry an Armored Cavalry Regiment, I always say.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2015 6:21 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 18:21:18 -0400

Out of all the infantry units I have been in I enjoy serving in a Long Range Surveillance Company. There are only three in the Regular Army. It was an awesome place. I would go back as an officer if I could. I have never been anything but LRS and Mech. I like the Bradleys for the firepower but not for the maintenance that goes with it. One track goes down and you training is just about screwed. If you throw a track you might as well bust out a snickers because you are going to be there a while.

Response by SSG Robert Webster made Aug 24 at 2015 6:32 PM

SSG Robert Webster — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 18:32:23 -0400

Airborne. Why because of the pay and the excitement of being Airborne. Otherwise, once we are delivered, we are really not much different than Light or Air Assault. Airborne Paratroopers have one thing going for them than most and that is our ego, pride, and moral that is very rarely equaled, and that is what sets us apart from any other type of soldier on the battlefield. Whether the soldier is male or female, I will take an Airborne Paratrooper to cover my back over any other type of soldier, next would be a Marine. (Got to stick my two Jarhead uncles in there somewhere.)

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2015 7:09 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 19:09:56 -0400

Airborne, I love the wind blowing in my face.:-)

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2015 7:17 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 19:17:52 -0400

Bradley. No question about it. Firepower, maeuverability, firepower, pissed off dismounts in the back, firepower.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 24 at 2015 8:15 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 20:15:46 -0400

Armor if the terrain is suitable. You cant beat the speed, lethality, and armor of one of our tanks.

Response by SGT Aaron Barbee made Aug 24 at 2015 8:56 PM

SGT Aaron Barbee — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 20:56:33 -0400

After my time as a tracked mechanic, I will argue until I'm blue in the face that Heavy/Armored Cavalry is always the way to go. I loved my time with mechanized/armored cavalry units, and if you know what you're doing as an operator/driver, there aren't too many places you can't get with a Bradley or 113. And you really can't argue against the awesome power of the Abrams or the Mobilized Howitzer.

Response by PFC Ray C. Scheesley made Aug 24 at 2015 9:25 PM

PFC Ray C. Scheesley — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 21:25:41 -0400

Light Infantry followed by Airborne. Nothing like moving around the mountains with everything you need, on your back.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2015 10:15 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 22:15:19 -0400

Any that I wear my blue cord is fine with me

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Aug 24 at 2015 10:44 PM

SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 22:44:34 -0400

Airborne.
1.) Gratuitous sexual advances
2.) Free liquor
3.) Money

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2015 11:00 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 23:00:33 -0400

I am grateful I got the chance to try pretty much all of them...I gained a lot of experience and had a good time...but after awhile getting beat up inside of tanks, Bradleys, APCs, and wearing out my back and feet made me want to try something else new...I think being infantry prepared me to graduate and become a deep sea diver...the discipline in the infantry is unmatched compared to all other MOS's. Although I thought leaving the infantry meant I would be strictly diving....not the case...we rucked with more weight, physical training longer and harder, but it gave me the opportunity I never dreamed of..to travel all over the world, almost as if we were on vacation...not to mention, most of the team members were prior infantry as well...I still will always be an infantryman...you just don't lose that mentality!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2015 11:34 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 23:34:48 -0400

Been light/ Air Assault and now mechanized. Loved my time in the 101st but the mech world isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Also being a master gunner means I'll spend the majority of the rest of my career mech, if not all of it.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 25 at 2015 5:46 AM

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 05:46:41 -0400

At the end of the day, if you remove everything but the man with a rifle you end up with the Light Infantry. The Airborne may be the most elite, Air Assault may be the most flexible, Mech has the most fire power, and the Strikers are supposed to be the most balanced...but it is the lowly light fighter that binds them all in a single brotherhood. Alongside the Infantry are the support soldiers who enable them and are equally exposed to the threats they encounter. I never spent a day as a light fighter, but I respect them and appreciate their thankless task.

Response by SPC Richard Walsh made Sep 6 at 2015 11:32 PM

SPC Richard Walsh — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 23:32:21 -0400

I prefer light doesn't have to wait for supporting troops and can stay fluid in action the get the job done anywhere no environmental handicap.

Response by LTC Colin Hanzlik made Sep 15 at 2015 2:27 AM

LTC Colin Hanzlik — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 02:27:18 -0400

As an Armor/Cav guy, the best infantry support came from the old M113 infantry because they knew that the 113 was only a way to keep up with the armor and cavalry units until they needed to dismount. Once the Mech Infantry went to the Bradley, they got a "mini-tanker" mentality and more GIBs died in the back of the track than deployed on the ground. I didn't work with any Stryker units except to kill them at the NTC in their first major exercises, but most of them transitioned from Bradleys and still had the same mentality. Hopefully, they've progressed since then and are getting boots deployed on the ground rather than sitting in the back listening to their IPods! The Armor/Cav officer's challenge with Light/Airborne/Air Assault guys is getting them to the right place on the battlefield to affect the fight ('cause once you get them on the ground, they ain't goin' anywhere quickly enough to matter)!

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 15 at 2015 1:26 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 13:26:49 -0400

I like the tanks as they are fast, have a lot of armor and firepower, and destroy things in its path.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 15 at 2015 1:38 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 13:38:05 -0400

Having "grown up" in a light infantry BCT...I'm fond of light infantry and all of the suck that comes with it.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 31 at 2015 12:50 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 12:50:39 -0500

Heavy....despite the necessary evils of maintence I really do enjoy being on tanks beats the heck out of walking!

Response by Sgt Wayne Wood made Oct 2 at 2016 4:35 PM

Sgt Wayne Wood — Sun, 02 Oct 2016 16:35:46 -0400

Marine

Response by SFC George Smith made Oct 2 at 2016 9:48 PM

SFC George Smith — Sun, 02 Oct 2016 21:48:45 -0400

depends on the mission

Response by 1SG Darren James made Jan 13 at 2017 10:10 AM

1SG Darren James — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 10:10:49 -0500

Sir, it's literally different strokes for different folks. I've seen Mechanized (though I myself was a dismount), Airborne (LRS) and now true Light. The level of Soldiers I came across as a whole in the Airborne world was outstanding, so I'd go with that. But I'm at 2-2 Infantry right now, and my platoon is both hungry and savage. So I like it here too. I saw more specialized training come down in the Airborne world though.

Response by PVT Nicholas Hernandez made Jan 17 at 2017 11:36 PM

PVT Nicholas Hernandez — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 23:36:54 -0500

I was a driver in a mech unit and I wouldn't trade it for the world

Response by SSG Darrell Bullock made Jan 21 at 2017 3:50 AM

SSG Darrell Bullock — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 03:50:14 -0500

Light Inf.