Posted on Aug 25, 2018
Which branch should I pursue through ROTC (or OCS), Infantry or Armor?
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I soon plan on going through ROTC (or OCS), and I still often think which MOS would be better off with. I'm currently in a cannon crewmember, but not because I wanted to be one, since the KY National Guard doesn't have armored units. Field Artillery never really applied to me, being further behind the front lines. Not that it matters, because I intend to go active after I get commissioned, God-willing. I also hope to change my MOS. I hope I could go armor. But then I started thinking more about how often armor is used in 21st century warfare. So I started leaning toward infantry, though I'm not big on ruckmarching. I already a lot of that in basic, and if, somehow, I do go OCS, I would do a lot more, though I might decide to go mechanized infantry. So I would like to know which MOS would be better for me.
19A: Armor Officer
11A: Infantry Officer
ROTC
OCS
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 32
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there is a saying that in Infantry and special ops, you equip the man, while in armor you man the equipment. ( I'm pretty sure I heard that from another infantryman.). But I did attend the Armor Officer Advanced Course as a foreign exchange student from Infantry. And an awful lot of the focus is about "fighting the tank" and maintaining it. I found there was a very different mindset with the armor guys than in the airborne infantry units I served in.
With armor, it was sort of like," we will beat your ass because our M1 can shoot and maneuver circles around your T72. " It was tank capabilities vs tank capabilities. Whereas in airborne infantry units, it was more, "we will beat your ass because I'm a MFing American paratrooper and it doesn't matter if all I've got is a knife in my hand, because I'm just badder than you." I found I really enjoyed serving with soldiers with that mindset.
But that being said, you should probably go armor. There is another saying, "the worst ride beats the best walk" and frankly if you are already whining about humping a ruck based upon the relatively small amount you did in basic, you will never make it as an infantry officer. And infantry soldiers deserve leaders who don't whine about difficult things.
With armor, it was sort of like," we will beat your ass because our M1 can shoot and maneuver circles around your T72. " It was tank capabilities vs tank capabilities. Whereas in airborne infantry units, it was more, "we will beat your ass because I'm a MFing American paratrooper and it doesn't matter if all I've got is a knife in my hand, because I'm just badder than you." I found I really enjoyed serving with soldiers with that mindset.
But that being said, you should probably go armor. There is another saying, "the worst ride beats the best walk" and frankly if you are already whining about humping a ruck based upon the relatively small amount you did in basic, you will never make it as an infantry officer. And infantry soldiers deserve leaders who don't whine about difficult things.
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http://www.mors.org
You might find this of interest, seriously, I'd been Army ROTC though I'd gone USAF OTS instead... Ops research is highly germane in both branches, the group here has an excellent journal...you didn't say what major you wanted for your Bach, however, ops research is frequently overlooked, I developed a serious taste for it when I'd been Army ROTC and did a paper as an undergrad on wargaming, I'd gotten Army ROTF mil history award as a junior, the one award I ever gt in the program, trust !ex yue find it of very serious international st, I assure you, please elaborate, grades, GPA, major, other services you've considered, I realize you want Army, however, I !merely QSL to try to encourage you to have the broadest possible viewpoint, I jadmt been enlisted prior, so trust me, in that regard, that:s gonna help you a good deal, promise, God knows it would've helped me....
You might find this of interest, seriously, I'd been Army ROTC though I'd gone USAF OTS instead... Ops research is highly germane in both branches, the group here has an excellent journal...you didn't say what major you wanted for your Bach, however, ops research is frequently overlooked, I developed a serious taste for it when I'd been Army ROTC and did a paper as an undergrad on wargaming, I'd gotten Army ROTF mil history award as a junior, the one award I ever gt in the program, trust !ex yue find it of very serious international st, I assure you, please elaborate, grades, GPA, major, other services you've considered, I realize you want Army, however, I !merely QSL to try to encourage you to have the broadest possible viewpoint, I jadmt been enlisted prior, so trust me, in that regard, that:s gonna help you a good deal, promise, God knows it would've helped me....
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