View Full Version : Why did you choose infantry?
I was talking to my recruiter today after doing an IST run. She asked me what MOS I was most interested in, and I told her infantry. She asked me, "Why infantry?"
It basically got me thinking as to why I lean towards infantry.
My reasons:
- Physical demand and mental demand.
- If I wanted a technical MOS, I could have gone to another branch.
- Front lines, doing the dirty work.
- Being a grunt is very unique in its own way.
- For some reasons unknown to me, infantry is very appealing.
All of those reasons are from my knowledge and my point of view. So if I have anything skewed or wrong, I am willing to be enlightened. Also, I understand that there are no direct career benefits from being an infantryman, such as there are with technical MOS's, other than law enforcement and security.
My ASVAB score is 89. From what I've been told I basically could choose almost any MOS I want, but for some reason I want infantry.
So Marines, why did YOU choose infantry as your MOS? I would like some insight on this puzzling question.
Thanks,
JP
Everybody wants to be infantry until they actually do infantry then they start thinking ... why didn't I take another MOS.
I was the same way, in fact the first time I talked to a recruiter, it was a shock to me there were jobs in the Marine Corps outside of infantry. In fact I talked to a recruiter for the first time when I was 16, and when he explained his job as a Motor T driver, I was like "So you drive trucks, then get out and shoot people?"
When I took the ASVAB I did pretty well and the SNCOIC of my RSS wanted me to go intel. I told him no way, I'm going infantry or not going. There was just somthing inside me that could only be satisfied by becoming an infantry Marine. As corny as it sounds, I think some men are simply born to be warriors.
Now that I've been in for a little while, and seen some of the stuff, both good and bad that goes on inside the Corps I have a slightly different view of things. I'm probably going to get lit up all over the place for saying this, but I don't understand the point of joining the military to do something I could do in the civilian world. I know that being a Marine is the best thing ever and all that, but I wouldn't go through some of the pure BS, just to fix trucks or work on computers or w/e. Nothing against those who do, it's just not for me. I care about my job because it gives me a chance to do something I never could as a civilian.
I'm probably going to get lit up all over the place for saying this, but I don't understand the point of joining the military to do something I could do in the civilian world. I know that being a Marine is the best thing ever and all that, but I wouldn't go through some of the pure BS, just to fix trucks or work on computers or w/e. Nothing against those who do, it's just not for me. I care about my job because it gives me a chance to do something I never could as a civilian.
Thank you so much Marine. As stupid as it sounds, you reminded me one of the reasons I want to be infantry. If I wanted to do a civilian job, I would've not even thought of the Marines. I want to join the Marines and do something completely different from anything else, and from what I see that points me towards infantry.
My mind might change in the next few months, years, maybe just weeks, but as of now I'm looking towards becoming an infantryman.
Lisa 23
03-11-10, 08:21 AM
JP702, just remember that whatever MOS you decide that you want, EVERY job in the Marine Corps is very important, whether it's being a grunt, supply, cook, traffic management, admin...they are ALL very important.
Good luck to you!
HOWARDROARK3043
03-11-10, 08:41 AM
infantry---- hey supply did our benchmades and surefires come in yet
supply-----i dont know,,, take me out on a mission and we will see
infantry----okay,,
supply------next day here are your benchmades and surefires,,,,oh and i found you some new boots and cammies0---------when am i going out again,,,,,,,,,,,,,
you dont need to go infantry to get dirty,,,,,,,just trade
I'm probably going to get lit up all over the place for saying this, but I don't understand the point of joining the military to do something I could do in the civilian world.
It's simple. The military pays people to train and perfect things that will benefit them AFTER they leave active service. The Marine Corps opens many doors for people in many different MOSs. You can't just walk into a Toyota dealership and tell them to train you, with pay to be a mechanic. You can walk into a recruiting office and asked to be trained to be a mechanic. You can't go to the local airport and ask them to train you, with full benefits to be an air traffic controller. You can at the local recruiting office.
The skills learned in the hundreds of MOSs offered throughout the U.S. Military are far more beneficial to the average person's future than what is learned as an 03XX.
Old Marine
03-11-10, 08:59 AM
Choice of MOS. There was no such thing when I joined. You made do with what they gave you and moved on, just as when a Marine with more stripes than you said squat, you said how much and what color.
SgtBoyed
03-11-10, 09:18 PM
I can understand the warrior in Marines wanting to be Grunts. Why would someone do a MOS in the USMC that they can do in civvies? Simple. It's the Marine Corps. And Marines now matter what we are doing...whether it's shooting people, cooking beans, kicking boxes, chasing sparks, writing up leave papers...we ARE the best in the world at it. Truth be told, generally...Grunts see combat more often than POGs. However, there are times when People Other than Grunts see action. I'm a 2881, I fixed Comsec radios when I was in. I chose the job because of the benefits it would provide when I got the service...I chose to be a MARINE...because I wanted the challenge and I wanted to be the best.
egbutler1
03-11-10, 09:30 PM
For as long as I wanted to be in the military I wanted to be a grunt. I wanted the hardships and to be the best in all the infantry in the whole world. There was no war when I DEP'ed in, all that started a few months after I signed up, I was naive enough to think that killing would be cool and make me a man just like pops and grandpa. I loved the infantry but wow looking at my 18yr old self with all my knowledge and experience how stupid was I, it don't get real till that first bullet goes by and than holey shiit your life is changed forever. So I joined the Infantry to basically destroy **** kill people defend the US and have something that I could look back on for the rest of my life and be proud of, to bad now I can never forget what I have seen. But nothing outweighs the pride i feel for being a Marine but better still a Grunt.
JP702, just remember that whatever MOS you decide that you want, EVERY job in the Marine Corps is very important, whether it's being a grunt, supply, cook, traffic management, admin...they are ALL very important.
Good luck to you!
Yes m'am! I understand that without any of the other MOS's, the Marine Corps would not be able to function. Every MOS is crucial. If I don't get the MOS I desire, I do have some backups. Always gotta have a plan B. And thank you WMarine. I'll need it! :)
And I realize that being a grunt isn't going to be all guns, explosions, and glory. I expect to see, feel, and do things that I would never think that I'd experience. And egbutler, you're right. If I end up going on the battlefield as a grunt and a bullet zips by me, I'll probably think "Oh ****, why the %^*$ did I do this", but from what I see, that's part of being a grunt.
Thanks for the replies Marines.
I just hope to freaking God that my B-med waiver gets through. :( All these posts about East Coast recruiting frightens me.
Bulk, FS19, and Butler pretty much hit this square on the head.
- When you're out, all you want is in. When you're in, you wonder why all you wanted was in.
- Being a grunt is rough, get used to it, be proud of it.
- The unknown calling/drive. We're born to be such
- I scored high as hell on the ASVAB, they all said go cryptolinguist, but for me it was the grunts or nothing at all.
- It aint glory.
- Unless you're the army who hunkers down and dumps mags at nothing, combat is not enjoyable, to say the least. Beware what you wish for.
We are glorified outcasts. Society wants nothing to do with us, but praises us for what we do, what irony. We take care of our own, as our own is all we have.
As for the pogs, they talk too much about being our "equals", you never can rely on them for anything. Sure, they say they do this and that, but we don't give a rat's ass. We drive our own trucks, we get our own ammo, our own chow, but I'm already offending plenty. You'll learn how chit runs once on our side of the fence, it's a grunt vs pog war that never will end, like a married couple fighting, and regardless of how heated the fight gets, the grunts always wear the pants in this relationship.
0331
As for the pogs, they talk too much about being our "equals", you never can rely on them for anything. Sure, they say they do this and that, but we don't give a rat's ass. We drive our own trucks, we get our own ammo, our own chow, but I'm already offending plenty. You'll learn how chit runs once on our side of the fence, it's a grunt vs pog war that never will end, like a married couple fighting, and regardless of how heated the fight gets, the grunts always wear the pants in this relationship.
0331
The funny thing is, the only Marines that think they are better than the rest are grunts.
Nobody else sits around talking about grunts the way grunts sit around talking about everybody else. You're merely trying to pump up your own ego, for whatever reason (low self-esteem I would guess). If you ever lat moved you would be very disappointed to learn just how nonexistent 03s are in the minds of every other Marine in the Corps.
Tragic.
sully0331
03-12-10, 08:06 AM
FS19 perfectly said not wrong one bit. Your either a Grunt or not if you can get passed the bull**** as a boot entering a Grunt unit then your fine and as long as your not a ****bag after the first hazing or so you will be good and the **** bags will get lit up the Grunts is great just gotta stay motivated good luck kid.
Kegler300
03-12-10, 08:08 AM
As a broke 17 y/o, the $2,500.00 Combat Arms bonus was very appealing and sealed the deal.
Phantom Blooper
03-12-10, 08:53 AM
The funny thing is, the only Marines that think they are better than the rest are grunts.
Nobody else sits around talking about grunts the way grunts sit around talking about everybody else. You're merely trying to pump up your own ego, for whatever reason (low self-esteem I would guess). If you ever lat moved you would be very disappointed to learn just how nonexistent 03s are in the minds of every other Marine in the Corps.
Tragic.
Is this Marine Corps wide?
In 16 years as a Marine and grunt I never engaged in a conversation with other infantry Marines about whose MOS in the Marine Corps was better.
In my time we fought the other branches except the corpsmans!
The only time in my Marine Corps service I ever heard of this argument was since the advent of the internet and various Marine Corps sites.
It is the Marine Corps....not a Marine Corps of ONE.
ALL MOS's are important and critical......
A body of persons acting together or associated under common direction...a Band of Brothers and Sisters!
It would definitely be tragic if one sat around for the complete enlistment and biatched about the job that they signed up for as a volunteer Marine.
The tragedy lies in that these posts are constantly being made and Marines not realizing that they are ALL Marines and the spirit of teamwork and gungho.
If you don't like your job or your orders...reenlist and get another MOS and go somewhere else.
Pride of being a Marine regardless of MOS is all that is necessary!:evilgrin:
sully0331
03-12-10, 09:03 AM
Slug well said brotha...GRUNTS is a brotherhood no one else will ever understand unless you have done it...we are not all equal in the Corps as much as some may think reality check your not and if you cant admit it then your just stupid or plain ignorant. Every other job in the Marines is mostly catered to helping the GRUNTS get the mission done when you sit back and think about it. I have nothing but respect for every MOS because its a team but when you try to say were equal its a lie and terribly wrong admit it and the fight would have ended a long time ago.
Is this Marine Corps wide?
I have no idea, as the only 03s I've ever associated with were on this site. With the Marines I work with and other Marines I've met/talk to throught the years the word "grunts" or "03" or "infantrymen" were never in a single iota of our conversations. I guess it kinda sucks that grunts sit around and talk about POGs 24/7 yet we just don't really have anything to sit around and say about them in return.
Case in point, many of them here couldn't even tell why they wanted to be an 03 without including something about non-03s. Ask someone why they wanted to be any other MOS and they will never say anything about 03s.
try to say were equal its a lie and terribly wrong
Yea, you got that right.
I love Grunts. As a 0151, they saved my dumbass in the field many times.
With a name like Troy, I would be the only WM assigned to grunt units many times until they realized, hey, look, boobies. Then my orders would be cancelled or there would be a mad scrabble to figure out what to do with me, and the saga start all over again.
doc h fmf
03-12-10, 10:52 AM
I Love Being With The Grunts And Thats How We
doc h fmf
03-12-10, 10:56 AM
Became A Tight Knit Family. Oooooooooooorrrraaaaaahhhhhhhhhh
Semper Fi My Brothers.
Stephen Doc Hansen Hm3 Fmf
I have no idea, as the only 03s I've ever associated with were on this site. With the Marines I work with and other Marines I've met/talk to throught the years the word "grunts" or "03" or "infantrymen" were never in a single iota of our conversations. I guess it kinda sucks that grunts sit around and talk about POGs 24/7 yet we just don't really have anything to sit around and say about them in return.
Case in point, many of them here couldn't even tell why they wanted to be an 03 without including something about non-03s. Ask someone why they wanted to be any other MOS and they will never say anything about 03s.
Yea, you got that right.
Looks like you're proving to us that you're talking out your ass. Typical.
Case in point, many of them here couldn't even tell why they wanted to be an 03 without including something about non-03s. Ask someone why they wanted to be any other MOS and they will never say anything about 03s.
You really think it's all about you? It's all about being NOT LIKE YOU. THAT's the key.
Grunts hold two things high, and that's the pride in being a grunt, and the shown fact that we are not like the rest.
To tell you the truth, we think the vast majority of you are absolutely heinous, with no sense of intensity, urgency, or value. You move slow, without force, without any command presence. I guess you have to realize that just exactly how you train, and how you take your training, can cost you your life or your brothers' lives before you take things seriously and move with such.
We are a cut above, be damn sure of that.
As for the grunts that are here, here's some damn motivation and pride -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4a_i6SY7a8
SGTBrentG
03-12-10, 12:34 PM
What was motivating about that? Is this REALLY what you makes you proud? If this is moto and pride, then the Marine Corps has changed since I was there.
What was motivating about that? Is this REALLY what you makes you proud? If this is moto and pride, then the Marine Corps has changed since I was there.
That guy above...well, you have no idea. But I won't go into it again.
To tell you the truth, we think the vast majority of you are absolutely heinous, with no sense of intensity, urgency, or value. You move slow, without force, without any command presence. I guess you have to realize that just exactly how you train, and how you take your training, can cost you your life or your brothers' lives before you take things seriously and move with such.
You think all of that of us, and in return we don't bother thinking anything of you.
A true Marine Corps tragedy. :cry:
SGTBrentG
03-12-10, 01:14 PM
Well there is certainly every reason to be proud to be a grunt. However, that crappy link was somewhat juvenile. I would be embarrased to be tied to that. It's a little difficult to have respect for anyone when you obviously don't have any for yourself (whoever made that crap). And I have to say that I had a lot of friends who were grunts. Cocky SOB's they were....and rightfully so. BUT, they respected other people.
BUT, they respected other people.
Bingo! :thumbup:
GSEMarine94
03-12-10, 01:38 PM
Take it to PM or the hooch.
There is a certain amount of jealous envy toward people other than grunts. There is only so much you can take sleeping in a muddy hole and getting up in the middle of the night to go on an armed patrol for 4 hours and coming back and standing radio watch till dawn before you start getting an attitude. You are well aware that you just walked 20 miles drinking hotwater out of a canteen that smells like a goat puked in it while your counter part is sitting in an air conditioned office drinking ice cold mountain dew and he slept in a bed the night before under clean sheets and had a shower. You start to develope a certain animosity. It is not the grunts are better than you but at times you really wish you were the one eating pizza and drinking a pitcher of beer instead of the one slapping yet another coat of deet on and using your helmet for a pillow.
Slug you need to stand down. You aint better than anyone!
I'm just waiting for them to whip 'em out and measure.
Phantom Blooper
03-12-10, 03:34 PM
I'm just waiting for them to whip 'em out and measure.
When I was stationed at Camp Lejeune in the early eighties....I peed of a bridge into a creek.....this was in January......not only was the water cold....but it was DEEP too!
From an old grunt who knows that it takes the whole Marine Corps to make an effective outfit.
Just like that joke in the Chuckles of the Day.....The Marine Corps as a whole body needs every body part to run smoothly.....when your azzhole tightens up an shuts down the backbone and the rest goes to shiat!
Nuff said....dead discussion!:evilgrin:
Phantom Blooper
03-12-10, 07:27 PM
I just watched the video.
I see NOTHING motivating or having a sense of pride....except for maybe some of the flick pictures.....but the verbiage is not the way I remember or want to leave this world remembering the grunts.....it must be a new wave thing.
I see this as derogatory and disdainful to ALL Marines!
:evilgrin:
wildcard6
09-01-11, 09:51 AM
I joined the infantry with no bonus. Why? I don't even know. But I will say that the instructors at Infantry School told us that all the things we learned would be completely useless in the civilian...
Ice Man
09-02-11, 12:02 AM
There is a certain amount of jealous envy toward people other than grunts. There is only so much you can take sleeping in a muddy hole and getting up in the middle of the night to go on an armed patrol for 4 hours and coming back and standing radio watch till dawn before you start getting an attitude. You are well aware that you just walked 20 miles drinking hotwater out of a canteen that smells like a goat puked in it while your counter part is sitting in an air conditioned office drinking ice cold mountain dew and he slept in a bed the night before under clean sheets and had a shower. You start to develope a certain animosity. It is not the grunts are better than you but at times you really wish you were the one eating pizza and drinking a pitcher of beer instead of the one slapping yet another coat of deet on and using your helmet for a pillow.
Slug you need to stand down. You aint better than anyone!
Speak for yourself. I've never once thought about POG's and wished I was one of them because I had a long hump or a really hard day of training and wished I was in an office somewhere getting fat eating pizza. We love it when it sucks. I've also never been one to think I was a badass, but comments like that seem ignorant to me. And for the record, seven years in the infantry and I've never once drinken out of a canteen, aside from in bootcamp.
The whole canteen thing is we're a generation apart. There is no elite-ism in the infantry but you have to admit the grunts lead a different life than the pogues.
If you further wish to discuss my ignorance we can do that here ;)
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101949&page=519
DevilDog0820
02-12-12, 04:01 PM
because I didnt wanna be a pog
andrew5760
02-12-12, 08:09 PM
This grunt vs pog "war" is stupid. We all fight the SAME war. We're all Marines aren't we? We all earned our title as Marines. We fight the same enemy.
But to you grunts... We hold a special bond. A bond we would only understand. And seriously, I love ya'll for this.
To the other MOS's. Keep doing what ya'll do. Semper Fidelis.
Tennessee Top
02-13-12, 12:04 AM
I was never a grunt and never saw combat. In fact, I was an admin chief. But, I can tell you this...I am a Marine and a successful one at that. When I went to the resident SNCO Academy in Quantico, I had no problem competing with grunt SNCO's and, in some areas, even graded out higher than they did. When I went to MSG School as a student detachment commander, there were grunt SNCO's in my class (along with former DI's). Not only did I compete with all of them, I was the SNCO honor grad for our class; me, a lowly 0193! Hard for some of you to believe I know. Then, out on the program, my detachment in Port au Prince Haiti was named the #1 detachment in the Marine Security Battalion for 1987, I was named the detachment commander of the year (just as prestigious as DI of the year and recruiter of the year), and awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. As the detachment commander, I effectively lead grunts including one senior sergeant who was a Recon Marine. During that year, there had to at least be a handfull of grunt detachment commanders spread amongst the detachments around the world but none of them had the best detachment on the program...wait for it...an admin chief did! As a SNCO, I completed the nonresident programs for The Basic School and The Amphibious Warfare School as well as a bachelor of science degree. Not bragging; I can back everything up with documentation, copies of diplomas, award citations, or pics of my honor grad plaque from The Marine Corps Assn (you cannot order one of those on-line). Just making the point that regardless of some bellicose opinions here, pog's can and do excell, compete with grunts, and in certain circusmstances, even out-perform grunts...believe it or not. It happens a lot more than you realize and I am proof.
Tennessee Top
02-13-12, 03:29 PM
Just to finish my point (had to leave earlier).
Like I said, I have lead grunts and pog's. Were the grunts treated any differently simply because of their MOS? Of course not; they were all Marines in my eyes and deserved the same level of leadership. And, guess what...they all had their own strengths and weaknesses. They all made mistakes, learned from them, and carried on. Grunts are outstanding in some things but lacking in others and the same thing can be said about pog's (whether you want to admit that or not). Looking back now, it's difficult to remember who had what MOS because it didn't matter. What mattered was we were all Marines working together as a team to accomplish the mission and we did that superbly.
I have all the respect in the world for grunts. Where would our Corps be without them? However, you can say the same thing about pog's; where would we be without them? Some of the finest Marines I've ever known have been grunts and some of the finest Marines I've ever known have been pog's. Funny how it works like that. Maybe that's why it's called the Marine Corps and not the Grunt Corps.
kaelobo
02-13-12, 04:03 PM
i dont recall them asking me, been so long was there a choice of mos, i dont remember them asking me if iwanted any thing when i got off the bus at PI, and in rvn they had pizza and dew , now thats a little much, they probably ate long rat while i ate c rates, water did smell funny in that canteen, my ***** is the sun and heat iam fair complected ,i love all marines little problem with house mouses but iam geting mental help for that to, s/f:usmc:
kaelobo
02-13-12, 04:14 PM
correction on spelling ,complexion, fair skin,freckles, please dont get offended you college grad , 10th grader here Catholic school too.