What are your thoughts on mos's that don't deploy to "combat areas" without choice? What about referring to soldiers as "pogs"?

The word POG has never bothered me. It's just a word. I've been called a lot worse than that, and they're still just words.

In the last decade and more, I think the POG term has become a bit outdated. I had an encounter with an infantry fellow who was tossing the term around, and over the course of our conversation I feel like this person shrank a little in his boots. As an 11b, he explained that he was deployed to Iraq and guarded the ASP and DHA at Camp Liberty/Victory in Baghdad, and had never gone on a patrol and nearly crapped his pants at some incoming IDF. I kindly explained to him that I, a commo guy, had been out on dozens of patrols and convoys, flown all over, IED's, IDF, restored our BDE TOC comms while under IDF attack, and nearly shot in the nugget a few times. So if by POG you mean someone who doesn't see combat, I find it funny, because between you and me, looks like you're the POG buddy.

Unconventional/asymmetric warfare has made just about anyone who has deployed, eligible for the crucible of combat. If you're proud of what you do and you know your role in the fight, you can justify your position if need be...otherwise you can brush it off and be confident of your contribution. It doesn't matter what some knucklehead says about POGs or whatever, but it is nice to toss that grenade back at 'em and watch their faces.

I can't believe the term "Pog" and "Hazing" are even used by anyone in the same sentence.

First, Id take a good look at what definition of the term HAZING really is.

Second, there will always be some blanket term to use as an indicator of Combat Job Yes or No.

I understand that not every enlistee of any branch is going to attend every possible school for every MOS. I would not expect a Pog-turned-Grunt to come to my section already trained to the point where my confidence in them is already up to 100% the day they show up. I'm not sure grunts-by-MOS have that high of an appraisal of inexperienced grunts who just appeared from their school, either.

But what I might expect is that at the very least their Physical Fitness is to a minimum level that they can perform under their new job description without their lack of fitness becoming an issue, negatively affecting job performance.

It is often a silly human nature for everyone to believe THEIR unit is the single most important unit within any major operation. Combat Arms runs around 10% of the military population, and it takes the other 90% to support them.

I will toss in my 3 cents on this however. IF there is anything to the idea that Grunts feel in any way " a cut above the rest" ...its NOT that we don't have a few (usually Married and living off-base) Grunts who also struggle with physical fitness. But at least we can usually see in them, like most of the rest of us (there are exceptions to everything), that while many folks who sign an enlistment contract are only doing so for the "whats in it for me" (ie college money, healthcare, whatever)...that there are some who did what we did simply out of believing in our Nation and a desire to contribute to it...which just coincidentally can keep one's attitude and therefore performance above water.

Before you blast me...consider your own units...think of those who were most obviously Contributors, and those who were closer to Exploiters. At any work environment.

POG life!!

My first permanent party unit was with the 707th, 7th ID, Fort Ord, Ca. This
was General Bradley's division. I remember several events when MOS did not matter; forced marches with web gear, helmet, butt pack and 2 canteens, fixed bayonet parade formation, yea,...try marching in that one and pulling interior guard. It did not matter what MOS or ASI, etc. We were Soldiers first. I was told, that my Primary MOS was what I signed up for, but while you are in the army, your secondary MOS is basic rifleman, infantryman.

"Oh, Sergeant, that is not what I signed up for. I signed up to be a technician"...Sergeant's reply was "Ah, you are a Soldier first."

The most important thing that I learned at my first duty assignment, after all that technical training, BCT and AIT. I was a Soldier first.

It is not so bad. What made my first assignment interesting was Brave Shield I and II at Ft. Irwin, field duty at Camp Roberts and Fort Hunter Liggett, Ca., and qualifying with an M203 grenade launcher in the back 40 range.

POG, Person Of Garrison from the 1800s in the old Cav days. When the Cav (Horse Soldiers) left garrisonor old forts, the Supply, Admin, Blacksmiths, Cooks, etc were left behind to do "the work of garrison". too bad Soldiers do not know alot about the history of the Army and some of the old words.

I love it when someone says POG, it cracks me up. I've only heard it used in the context of jokes. I've never seen someone use the word in a conversation degrading someone or hazing them. 

The way I saw it... if being a grunt was so amazing, then why was my MOS school full of grunts becoming computer techs... the job I did for the Corps was important. The instructors couldn't do their instructing if their computer, printers, projectors didn't work. They couldn't get paid or get orders if their computers didn't work.. so call me a POG without me, you'd not get paid.