My Recruiter steered me away from a combat MOS. What should I do?

Recruiters have many reasons for steering you in a certain direction. If you have a high ASVAB score they are going to steer you towards a job that requires a high ASVAB score because they are harder for the recruiter to fill. If someone with a 98 ASVAB comes in and asks for a job that requires a 35 they will probably try to steer them to a job that requires a high ASVAB. It makes sense. If you want to be a trigger puller stick to your guns. I assume you want to fly helicopters later. Find out what the selection process is and what it values in the process such as ASVAB scores, other standardized test scores (when I wanted to fly I got the Air Force Officer Qualification Test study book and went through it, especially the aviation sections, until I had the damn thing memorized), private pilot license, recommendations, etc. Being a wrench turner on a helo will not give you an advantage in the selection process. Being awesome at whatever job you do will. All jobs in the military are important. The helo doesn't take off without a bunch of excellent, hard working, knuckle busting wrench turners. Pick a job you are passionate about and you will do great. Don't get pushed into something you think you will hate as you will likely not do as well and that will make your chance of getting selected for flight training less. If you want infantry go for it. We need good folks busting knuckles and out on patrol. If you can't do the high school to flight school program (you do know about that right?) pick a job you love, excel at it, find out how the flight school selection process works, work to maximize your application package and cross your fingers. When I came in I wanted to fly F-15s and ended up flying C-130s. Thought I would hate it but I loved it. In time you'll find the greatest challenge is not flying or even combat but being a great leader. Being a great leader is the greatest challenge and the greatest accomplishment. Good luck!

Mr. Hay, ultimately whatever path you choose will have its own benefits and dangers. the question you must ask yourself is what do you feel comfortable looking back on, if you live to do so.... regardless of military service you could breath your last tomorrow, or next week.... live what is in your heart, and you will always be proud of your service.

Thank that recruiter. The "action" as you say involves embracing the suck and being in the field in the same smelly uniform for weeks on end sleeping in your own sweat and filth under your own poncho-constructed shelter covered in ticks guarding your perimeter from the opposing forces or (Op-For) and occasionally doing some cool patrols and building clearance.

I was a recruiter and would steer people with very high ASVAB/GT scores into tech fields. Their skills in these support fields are just as important as infantry and are vital. I was a grunt. It is a hard life and it is not for everyone. The people I knew in the Air-Wing did not find repairing aircraft boring and there have been times they had to defend their Air Bases.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but you might start by making your own decisions. First you say you let your recruiter steer you in a direction that he wanted you to go and you went, and now you are on here asking us what to do as if we can save you. Again I'm not saying this to be a smart-ass, but that person looking back at you it from the mirror that's the person you should be talking to about this and that's the person that should make all of your decisions going forward. Best of luck to you, and as a former 11 Bravo or I guess life ever since I ETS as one you'll have a lot of fun if you get to the Infantry but a lot of boring time to and those comments that the guys made about the war part you know it's not just TV anymore.

If you know what you want and your recruiter steers you away from it don't sign up. You need to think of your long term goals. Not being in the Army I am not familiar with MOS's. A family friend just went through helicopter repair school knowing that in the future he wants to become a helo pilot. I am sure he will get chosen ahead of the guy that thought repairing things would be boring. Now he will know what he is flying and will have a better understanding of what to do if a mishap occurs. Plus the recruiter has quotas to fill and that could be why he pushed you to where he did. Things don't happen in the service without proper training. If you do get picked up to become a helo pilot please don't tell them that sitting in a classroom going over the parts of the helo (that you would already know about if you went to the maintenance school) is boring. You may end up there anyways.

Ask for an Artillery slot. The Good Life!!!! Go Army and Be All You Can Be! Crack! BOOOOOOM!!!! AR-TILLERYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!

In 1988 after passing the physical, the recruiter wanted to put me in a noncombat slot and I declined. I told him I would like to be outside and then I told him if war broke out I wanted to be sure to do my part and not behind a desk. But no Infantry, please. So, he suggested a 13 series Field Artillery position. I looked it over, said it looked good and signed!

Hey man, your recruiter is trying to take care of you especially if you want to go for Aviation. Your focus should be selecting a MOS that you can get the most out of. In the event that you don't want to stay in for your 20, you can use the Army to launch you into a career that you enjoy. That being said, you can always put in a Warrant packet for flight regardless of MOS. At the end of the day, if you've made your mind up that you definitely want to be combat arms, don't let him put you in an MOS that you don't want; the only time that you have decision power over your career is when you are an initial-entry recruit. Don't have any regrets!

My career in the USAF was crash recovery, heavy and flightline maintenance on various DOD acft, along with some special duty positions like Assistant NCOIC Correction Custody and a Recruiter as well.

I'll say this, just because you are maintaining an aircraft, doesn't mean you're not in the mix. The weapons system you are working on is needed where it counts the most, ensuring lives are not lost for US and allied frontline in the dirt. My last unit was 354TH EFS, We flew OA/A-10's. Every guy out there ever ambushed, under heavy fire from our enemies, might not make it home to family and friends if I didn't ensure our A-10's were ready to go on a moments notice.

Stop looking at the little picture and take in the big picture, look at it this way, the guys on the front line, they're the tip of the spear so to speak, then you have the guys who support them they are like the spear head, behind that are people who make up the spear shaft, if any part is missing the tip of the spear will not work.

I wonder why you really joined, those who understand know the life serving in not hollowood at all. its about sacrifice. I, for the most part had an uneventful career 95% of it was every day life, the other 5% was moments of terror and heartache. So, why are you really here, a means to an end? Or do you really want to serve our great nation?

I spent four years in the Infantry and never saw combat. Even if you get the MOS you think you want, there are no guarantees. One of my room mates from when I was stationed in Germany went to sniper school and subsequently was on a sniper team in Bosnia where the team he was on nearly got overrun by the locals. It was a near thing for them to make it back. They were receiving small arms fire and constantly relocating to avoid being overtaken by the enemy advance. The mission was to separate belligerents but when they are shooting at you and you are shooting back, they are the enemy. Even good snipers can't hold off a larger force for long. They got back, but he still suffers from PTSD because of that and can barely leave his house. Some days he can't even make it out of his room. He and I have talked about it, but it isn't the kind of thing you can fully share.
I understand that you want to serve, but don't think it is a video game where you can come out the other side and not be shaken by the experience. Good luck.