What are the best branches for Army Officers and why?

I can give you my talk on the two Branches I served.
Want to be where the rubber meets the road, want a mentally and very physically challenging career with a lot of opportunities for advancement in the Regular Army? Then Infantry is a good choice. Lots of slots for Infantry Officers and all the top guys tend to be out of Combat Arms, which is logical for a war fighting organization. Downside? It's easy to get hurt, even if you aren't in combat, you are gone a lot and you better like living outside. But I volunteered for it twice and don't regret either time.

Engineers. I branch transferred to the Engineers when I joined the Kentucky National Guard. Even then, Engineer units were very active. Commanding a Combat Engineer Company and being the Assistant Brigade Engineer in a Divisional Combat Engineer Battalion were two of the best jobs I had in the Army. The school has some difficult courses, for me Bridging and Power Distribution. The downside on Active Duty is that some 70 percent of the total Engineering capacity in the US Army is in the Reserves and National Guard, so sometimes slots for advancement can get a bit scarce. OTOH, a lot of top brass are Engineers. And you still get to blow shit up.

Hope that helps.

At the end of your career you need to look at what you gave and what you kept.
As a former knuckle-dragging, I looked at my branch options this way:
1) how challenging is the training?
2) how selective is the training?
3) what will I get from the training and what will I keep?
4) where do I want to be career-wise in the next decade and how do I execute that plan?
Every branch will tell you why theirs is the best. They're all right and they're all wrong. I guess I never depended on the military to fulfill 100% of my training goals but I always looked at "what can I do on my own to make me a better soldier vs. what do I NEED Uncle Sam to do". For instance, I chose to make MI my career because it interested me but also because I can't just declare myself an intelligence officer or aviation, etc.; it is ordained by the military. However, I can attend language classes or learn other hard skills that would make me a valuable asset despite not sitting in that MOS. So for "less delicate" career options like infantry, that same set of criteria applies...do you need a special school to ruck, shoot, learn combatives, field skills, etc.? I always leaned towards the latter because I always thought I'd rather be a skilled-up "smart guy" who can shoot, move & communicate vs. a shooter who has to learn a complex set of skills on my own. From a cost and quality of life perspective as well...if I'm reaching in my own pocket to learn a skill, I'd rather it be something I enjoy like a combatives or bushcraft class vs. taking a college class in French. Strapping on a ruck and going to the field is free and fun. Acquiring a technical cert or clearance IS NOT.

Army is the best branch for army officers

Sorry for typos, my eyes also aren't the greatest, and the spell check on this thing isn't the greatest, as you've no doubt observed, despite my nest efforts, I'm afraid....

Here's the thing, o? Every time someone gets on Jere seeking similar such advice, the info is always quite sketchy, needing to ask for more and adequate info, to be able to give the best possible advice, I've just noticed that over and over again, as I've read countless similar submissions, as I said, just an observation, honest. So, here's what's needed to do this right, OK? Do a really detailed bio sketch, so far as possible, hobbies, interests, reading tastes, sports, martial arts, etc. Then, go into exact course titles of all serious coursework you've done, as well, STEM, clinical, non-STEm but serious, e.g., economics, etc. What assocs if any? What major? What GPA? Same for Bach, coursework, total number of credits, grades, GPA. What are your main interests? I saw what you said about branches, however, that's nowhere near enough to be able to help us help you optimally, honest. So, flight interests of any? Might you consider warrant? I saw about OCS, it's just that the question is raised in Jere about warrant as opposed to commissioned, WO I just figured raising it Jere !Ade at least some sense, honest. Next, you have to understand, that from day one, regardless of svc, regardless of branch, you'd be expected to get a !asters, minimum, even if part time, as well as to do PME, not solely in your own svc, but in other svcs, whether correspondence/nonresident, or asking to be allowed to attend, all svcs are REAL serious about masters for company grade commissioned, I'd expect the same would be true for warrant, as well. PhD that !might wait, masters, Jo way, that's from virtually day one I assure you, so what majors for it? What interests? Have you published at all? Do you have any research interests of any kind seriously? That:s also why I asked about hobbies and reading tastes, as those facets frequently intertwine, I've found. Next, must you go Army? Or, have you looked at other svcs possibly? If so, which svcs and why? I was Army ROTC, then went USAF OTS, I had to apply twice for USAF OTS, o was recycled once, had to go through it twice, when it was at Lackland, not Maxwell where it is jpw. What matters isn't what you want, it's about who'd want you, that's reality, now, I wasn't prior enlisted, I wish o had been, having been would have helped immeasurably, of helped many I trained with at USAF OTS, I could see the obvious greater ease with which they adjusted to the role, so in that regard, I obviously eny you, certainly. However, you might also have interest in the NOAA Commissioned Corps, the USPHS Commissioned Corsp, depending on your interests, I'm not saying you do have such interest, I !erepy mention those as few typically consider them, OK? Now, why would you want a given branch, of you went Army? What specifically would attract you to each one, as specifically as possible? How much military history, biography, and autobiography have you read, not solely Army, but of all svcs? How !much foreign history have you read? Do you have any interest in wargaming? Operations research? Have you actually done any engineering? Cop sci (CS)? IT? If engineering, what types? Electrical? Mechanical? Materials science? Would you want policy? Research? Science? Law? Would you eventually want a PhD, even of later? Get a copy of the autobio of Gen acolin Powell, and read very carefully how he got his !asters, and went for White House Fellow, you'll find it quite instructive, I assure you, I four d his presentation unusually detailed and lucid. Let !e send this, as this tablet isn't the greatest, and often conks out, I'll try to send more stuff I think you might find of interest...my object wasn't to overwhelm, merely to point out observations I've !Ade as I've seen such questions as those you've asked by others, and answers I've tried to give them, as well, in similar fashion, OK? Of you'd want to ask anything, or chat further, of be most eager to hear morez certainly, I hope that was all of at least some use, I have Kore, as I'd said, I just don't want to overwhelm, however, there are numerous facets you and others seeking what you ask about never explain, which is why I generally try to pose the questions I ba e Jere, OK? Also, look up USAF AFIT, and Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), look up military submitting for Rhofes Scholars program, IPL try to send more, as I'd said, OK?

Based on my 34 year military experience and training, Combat Arms are the best branches for Army Officers. Infantry, Combat Engineers, and Special Operations. Signal Corps is an excellent choice.
I am an Infantry Officer, Infantry Mortar officer, with a secondary of Operations Research Systems Analysis.
I served as a Combat Engineer when I was enlisted PO3 (Join to see)
I graduated from USMA, West Point in May 1980 as an Infantry Officer.
I have many friends who are general officers - each four star general was an infantry officer, two have commanded SOCOM, two have commanded CENTCOM, one commanded AFRICOM

I’m an infantry officer in the Guard. Originally branched Armor but then my cav squadron was transitioned to an infantry battalion. Off to IBOLC I went. It’s been good so far. I understand why people shy away from combat arms, especially infantry. But I don’t know another career that gives pride to a man like serving in the infantry. No, there is not a 1-1 correlation in the civilian world, but that is what makes it so special. Sure, you can gain skills in other branches that transfer to the civilian world. If that is your goal, just go into the civilian market. I joined to do something different, not something I could do civilian side. The lessons you gain from being in the infantry are unmatched, IMO.

Those considering an Army career should follow the best advice given to Army officer candidates during both World Wars. Join the Air Force. Unlike the Army, the Air Force knows how to win wars and take care of its people, including those in the Guard and Reserve.

I agree that reading and finding something that suits you is best. I chose Transportation after being Armored Cav for 2 years. I liked trans/logistics area as we were first in and last out. We were always around the action and it was a rewarding career.

The best branches for officers, in my opinion, are the Logistics branches (Quartermaster, Transportation, Ordnance, Medical Services (MED LOG). You get great hands-on experience with Logistics in the military and civilian world and you also get leadership experience in that field. Imagine, EVERY company has logistics and needs logistics managers. Why not capitalize on your military experience and leverage that when you inevitably get out. Yes, infantry, MI, Artillery, and Armor get the glory and do cool stuff, but its also very competitive and the technical skills you learn are tactics and business leadership. If you want a leg-up on the competition, go LOG. Hope this helps!