What does it mean to be a 13F, is it a good choice. Is Ranger school a possibility?

As a forward observer, yes, you will go to combat; yes, you qualify for ranger school; yes, you work closely with and as an advisor to senior officers at each echelon of command - so your written and verbal communication skills must be on point. You also learn to speak various military languages like Field Artillery (because that's who you are), Infantry (because that's where you work), military intelligence (they let you know where the bad guys are), Special Forces (because they always need a good FO), Air Force, and Navy because you will employ their assets to become the greatest casualty producing weapon on the battlefield. But that's just my point of view. Good luck

Being a 13F has its ups and its downs, honestly unless you go to ranger regiment or end up SF the chances of seeing combat these days is pretty slim, not impossible, just pretty slim. It's a great job, and if you want to do well you have to care, and study in your off time to put yourself ahead of your peers, and it pays off. Going to ranger school is most definitely an option, and as a 13F with a ranger tab outside of regiment, you could get just about whatever you want. However, just like infantry (because we work so closely with them) the amount of time you spend in the field, in the suck can take it out of some people, but if you live for that sh**, i say go for it. I've been doing it for almost 9 years, and i wouldn't change a thing if i could go back.

Look. Cooks can be in contact with the enemy. Truck drivers can get in the mix. In the Army everyone is a soldier 1st and their specialty is next.

No matter what branch of the military you join or whatever MOS you select expect to be in combat; that’s the whole reason the military exists.

Don’t let that scare you. We’ve all been there. Perhaps you can study up and get better scores which would lead to better MOS choices?

I was a 13f for 6 years! I truly believe it’s one of the best jobs in the military! You get to run with the best of the military depending on the path you take! As a 13f ur the go to guy for intelligent, the guys they send behide enemy lines and the guys who get to fuck the most shit up at one time! You create more havoc then anyone one else in the military! I wouldn’t go ranger if I was you I would do a couple years in the regular army and get to know ur job in and out! Then head straight to SFAS school! If u get chances to take other schools like JTAC take it if you can go to sniper school take it any school they offer take it it will help big in ur career!
FIST all the way

I don't see why you couldn't be a Ranger, when I was a FO for 81mm mortars, I seen the Ranger patch on others out in the field, my MOS was 11Bravo.
But with that said, I feel that every combat unit needs a good FO out there for fire support.

Yeah your definitely going into the thick of it. Fisters are a special breed of soldier hated and unwanted but highly respected across the entire armed forces. We are the eyes of death. We can destroy entire city's at the push of a button and provide unparalled security by controlling everything from birds to paladins. Our teams are small and are notoriously tight knit and fiercely loyal.

For me , it was a great MOS. However , MOS's are like everything else in life , it really depends on your personality and what you put into it.
For me , they were a great group of guys , a handful of shenanigans ( putting it lightly) , but able to solve complex equations on the fly. If you've got a thick skin , a healthy sense of humor , quiet confidence and actual skill , you'll fit right in. If you're into rank advancement , and comfortable conditions , it may not be for you. However , as I said earlier , it's really about you , your attitude , what you like and your desire to be good at the job.
Best of luck in whatever you decide.

I'm currently a 13Fox best job in the Army personally, and yeah you can get a shot at ranger school at AIT they ask people for volunteers and you just take a pt test for it, it's really easy. 13foxs are needed. And you'll be embedded in front line units such as Cav, or Infatry

Have you looked at 19D Cav Scout?

I joined the day after the attacks on 9/11. I was over weight ( 245) when I joined at 20yrs old. Signed with airborne after ait. I lost 55 lbs by the end of ait and 12 more after airborne. Being a fister not only kept me in shape physically, but mentally also . Because of the mentality of a fister I pushed hard than ever . Went from E-1 to E-5 in 2 1/2 years. Not sure how it is now but being tabbed and not in Regiment put me ahead of most in my platoon. I would recommend to anybody that wants the fun , combat , respect of Infantry but not having to deal with Infantry bullshit. " F'ing fisters always doing what they want " was a common phrase i had yelled at me.