Is being in Infantry worth it?

[joey513]

I shouldn't even have to ask this question. I know it's worth it, but I want the opinion of current and former grunts. I really want Infantry, and not because I want to go to war and kill and be cool like Rambo or some dumb reason like all those call of duty loving kids make up. No, I want Infantry because it's what people think of when they think of Marines. They're the very tip of the spear, and I wanna be a part of that. I want to have the camaraderie that grunts have. I know its a very tough life, but it seems like a rewarding one. My contract right now is 0200/2600, but if I can get that changed, I'd be thrilled. One problem is, my parents don't want me being an 03, and they know damn well I want it. They'd rather me choose something that transfers over to the civilian world. Also, I've talked to my recruiter about it and he seems hesitant about letting me go infantry. So, if anyone can share their experience as a grunt with me, and let me know if it's really worth it, I'd really appreciate it.

[Backhaus 1103]

It's not the job itself that people hate it's the bullsh!t that goes along with it. When not on deployment or in the field aka actually doing our job, there isn't much to do. We clean sh!t A LOT, from weapons until they're so clean you're taking the paint off. We clean our rooms to retarded levels aka field day. We clean the ground aka police calling. After we do all that, we sit around and do nothing aka standing by untill you wonder why the fu*k you are still here. Garrison sucks...a fu*king fat cock. If it wasn't for garrison, I would love my job. Deployment is fun and if I could be on one for four years, I would.

In the end, I don't think it's worth it and there are way more fun without the BS mos out there. But in the end, I couldn't see myself as anything but a grunt. Oh and it's fun to make fun of pogs haha.

[usmc987332]

I have no idea why your recruiter is hesitant to reccomend the infantry, it is probably where you will end up in the beginning anyway. True, it does not prepare you for a civilian career like some...

[usmc987332]

It's not the job itself that people hate it's the bullsh!t that goes along with it. When not on deployment or in the field aka actually doing our job, there isn't much to do. We clean sh!t A LOT, from weapons until they're so clean you're taking the paint off. We clean our rooms to retarded levels aka field day. We clean the ground aka police calling. After we do all that, we sit around and do nothing aka standing by untill you wonder why the fu*k you are still here. Garrison sucks...a fu*king fat cock. If it wasn't for garrison, I would love my job. Deployment is fun and if I could be on one for four years, I would.

In the end, I don't think it's worth it and there are way more fun without the BS mos out there. But in the end, I couldn't see myself as anything but a grunt. Oh and it's fun to make fun of pogs haha.
Things will get better. I seem to catch a lot BS in your post and believe you were just letting off steam. You must have had a bad day.

You'll come around after you have been a foxhole for a few weeks.

[joey513]

Thank you very much for your replies. And thanks Backhaus for a detailed description on what grunt life is like in garrison. It sounds like a tough life, and full of a lot of BS. I'm debating whether I should stick with my intel contract at this point. I still very much wanna be an 03. I don't wanna someday have that thought in my head asking "what if I went infantry?", ya know? Thanks again for the replies

[03Foxtrot]

joey513,
Get in the habit of thinking for yourself. Don't let the prejudicial opinions of others matter more than good sound judgement that you are capable of yourself. Just because you are young and at the beginning of your Marine Corps journey does not mean you are at the mercy of only those with more experience. Being a grunt, a Marine grunt is second to no other MOS in my opinion. It takes a lot more personal comittment then just training. All others are in support of the infantry and it is the infantry that truly distinguishes Marines from all others. Yes, there is much training and yes, there is much between deployments that carries with it a high degree of what many call BS but your personal responsibility to be the kind of Marine that deserves the accolades of both the former and future Marines that are your brothers forever demands no less from you. If you really want it, go for it, but not because it's what others expect from you, it;s what you expect from yourself. As a former grunt and the son of a Marine grunt, with all of the baggage that accompanies those of us that saw combat, I would never wish for another MOS.
Good luck and Semper Fi

[Backhaus 1103]

Things will get better. I seem to catch a lot BS in your post and believe you were just letting off steam. You must have had a bad day.

You'll come around after you have been a foxhole for a few weeks.

I actually lived in a foxhole in Feburary of this year...it sucked, but I'd rather be there then in garrison.

[Backhaus 1103]

I lied...that was the worst month of my life.

[usmc987332]

Joey,

It seems you are getting advice from every corner, grunts, non-grunts and your parents. Look at all advice, then do what your guts tell you to do.

Incidentally, I spent a February and March in the foxhole. It was pure hell, and I suffered both physically and mentally, but I learned more about life in those two months than all of my other 84 years.

I don't care what you do, life will not be a bed of roses, but if you do what you want, it will be rewarding.

Good luck and God bless,

[joey513]

Thank you so much for all of your advice. I know this is what I want to do, and I'm gonna do it. The only problem now is trying to change my job. I already signed for intel. But I don't leave until July, so I'll see what I can do. Any advice on convincing my parents and my recruiter? Also, what if I cannot get Infantry because there are no slots? Thank you!

[joey513]

no, that they are not! thanks dcb.

[Capital M]

fair warning. there are going to be times when your going to want to shoot yourself in the foot for giving that intel contract up.. I had one, I did what you want, told my recruiter i wanted to do something more active....tried to get infantry and when i couldnt, I ended up getting artillery.

Now I love my job, with a passion, but I cant tell you how many times ive been sitting up on an OP in less than optimal weather, waiting for the gunline to be ready or in the middle of a 14 mile hump, wondering where Id be if I had stuck with the cushy intel job.
Id definitely try and get an infantry slot, it will probably beway more fun. but im just giving you a heads up, your going to give up a lot of amenities and have some regrets when your living in a fighting hole

[usmc987332]

fair warning. there are going to be times when your going to want to shoot yourself in the foot for giving that intel contract up.. I had one, I did what you want, told my recruiter i wanted to do something more active....tried to get infantry and when i couldnt, I ended up getting artillery.

Now I love my job, with a passion, but I cant tell you how many times ive been sitting up on an OP in less than optimal weather, waiting for the gunline to be ready or in the middle of a 14 mile hump, wondering where Id be if I had stuck with the cushy intel job.
Id definitely try and get an infantry slot, it will probably beway more fun. but im just giving you a heads up, your going to give up a lot of amenities and have some regrets when your living in a fighting hole
What happened to that urge for adventure in your blood? Six months and already have some misgivings. Some of those Vietnam guys can probably tell you about a few discomforts in the infantry. You poor fellows won't even see what you are shooting at when you get deployed.

I spent time both as an assault Marine and an arm chair Marine. As far as I am concerned, you could taken that arm chair and shoved it.

[TJR1070]

I wouldn't think an Iwo Jima ASS-KICKER would ever be comfortable in an arm chair Bob. Semper Fi!

[03Mike]

Was being a grunt worth it?

For me it was - but I knew a lot of Marines who wouldn't agree. They're the ones who, quite frankly, I don't think would have been happy anywhere and if they'd actually managed a lat move would regret it later in life.

Was it always fun?

Nope - not by a long shot. The suckage factor can be high - no doubt.

Would I trade my experience or do it differently if I had it all to do over again?

Not a chance. Being a Marine, and being an infantryman wasn't something I did, it was something that I became. It is something that I am, even though I've hung up my tree suit years ago. Become a Marine, and become a grunt for the right reasons and don't look back - take that first step and embrace it.

Being grunt you won't learn skills that transfer to a civilian job?

Bullspit. I'm in a position now to hire a lot of people, and by and large I'd pass over people with experience to hire an infantry NCO or SNCO and here's why.

First, the biggest skill that a grunt NCO brings to the game is their ability to get stuff done. Period. I can give you a task, you ask what support is available, timeline, etc, and then you execute and accomplish on time. A lot of your cilivian counterparts will take the task and ***** about this or that.

[03Mike]

Was being a grunt worth it?

For me it was - but I knew a lot of Marines who wouldn't agree. They're the ones who, quite frankly, I don't think would have been happy anywhere and if they'd actually managed a lat move would regret it later in life.

Was it always fun?

Nope - not by a long shot. The suckage factor can be high - no doubt.

Would I trade my experience or do it differently if I had it all to do over again?

Not a chance. Being a Marine, and being an infantryman wasn't something I did, it was something that I became. It is something that I am, even though I've hung up my tree suit years ago. Become a Marine, and become a grunt for the right reasons and don't look back - take that first step and embrace it.

Being grunt you won't learn skills that transfer to a civilian job?

Bullspit. I'm in a position now to hire a lot of people, and by and large I'd pass over people with experience to hire an infantry NCO or SNCO and here's why.

First, the biggest skill that a grunt NCO brings to the game is their ability to get stuff done. Period. I can give you a task, you ask what support is available, timeline, etc, and then you execute and accomplish on time. A lot of your cilivian counterparts will take the task and complain about this or that.

Second, you know how to make a decision and how to stand behind it. No decisions by committee. You make sure you understand the task. You evaluate resources and courses of action. You decide. You act. You execute, and you accomplish it.

Third, I know that I can count on you and that you won't require much direct supervision. I know that you'll do what needs to be done to accomplish the task on time.

Fourth, an infantryman understands what I mean when I say "It's F'ed, I need you to un-F it."

Fifth, I know that you'll tell me if something is "F-ed up", and that if I say, "I know, but we need to do it anyway" that it'll get done.

I could go on and on, but bottom line, in many cases I can teach you the technical side of how to do something - that's the easy part. But those five things I've mentioned can't be taught in a week of OJT.

So, yes, being in the infantry can teach you a lot about valuable civilian job skills, because those five skills are rare in the civilian world.

[joey513]

that was exactly the type of motivatoin I was looking for Mike! Thank you so much. I agree with everything you've said. I mentioned to my recruiter I wanted to switch to Infantry and he though I was an idiot, since an Intel contract is extremely hard to get and I got it with no problem. But I'd much rather be a grunt, by far. I've yet to tell my parents. They're so against me being in Infantry, and I'm afraid of how they'll respond.

[usmc987332]

that was exactly the type of motivatoin I was looking for Mike! Thank you so much. I agree with everything you've said. I mentioned to my recruiter I wanted to switch to Infantry and he though I was an idiot, since an Intel contract is extremely hard to get and I got it with no problem. But I'd much rather be a grunt, by far. I've yet to tell my parents. They're so against me being in Infantry, and I'm afraid of how they'll respond.
Just pick up the phone and say, "Mom and dad, I done did it." Then hand up.

[Phantom Blooper]

This is dated from a different era......the grunts of this day and age have different weapons and gear and many technological pieces of equipment to help in the quest and fight of today.....but basically a grunt is a grunt agrunt no matter what year servrd in the Marine Corps.


The average age of the infantryman is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's; but he has
never collected unemployment either. He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away.

He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and 155mm Howitzers. He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you
the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must. He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.

He can march until he is told to stop or stop until he is told to march. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient. He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts. If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands. He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job. He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay and still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death then he should have in his short lifetime. He has stood atop mountains of dead bodies, and helped to create them. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed. He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful. Just as did
his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.

He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.

[usmc987332]

This is dated from a different era......the grunts of this day and age have different weapons and gear and many technological pieces of equipment to help in the quest and fight of today.....but basically a grunt is a grunt agrunt no matter what year servrd in the Marine Corps.


The average age of the infantryman is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's; but he has
never collected unemployment either. He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away.

He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and 155mm Howitzers. He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you
the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must. He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.

He can march until he is told to stop or stop until he is told to march. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient. He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts. If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands. He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job. He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay and still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death then he should have in his short lifetime. He has stood atop mountains of dead bodies, and helped to create them. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed. He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful. Just as did
his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.

He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.
You know, if you take a bicycle and substitute for the 10 year old junker, you've got my generation.

[joey513]

This is dated from a different era......the grunts of this day and age have different weapons and gear and many technological pieces of equipment to help in the quest and fight of today.....but basically a grunt is a grunt agrunt no matter what year servrd in the Marine Corps.


The average age of the infantryman is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's; but he has
never collected unemployment either. He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away.

He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and 155mm Howitzers. He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you
the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must. He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.

He can march until he is told to stop or stop until he is told to march. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient. He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts. If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands. He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job. He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay and still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death then he should have in his short lifetime. He has stood atop mountains of dead bodies, and helped to create them. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed. He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful. Just as did
his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.

He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.

You know, that sounds just like me! Haha wow, maybe I really was meant to be a grunt. And if I told my parents that and then hung up, I'd be dead before I even made it to Afghanistan. Haha and besides, I like to keep my parents updated, and they like to know what's going on. After all, they signed the papers, so I might as well keep them informed.

[joey513]

Well, I have some bad news. At PT today my recruiter told me I'm unable to get Infantry because there are no spots open. So I'm sticking with Intel, which I don't think will be bad. It may actually end up being more enjoyable than I imagined it. I'd just rather be a grunt. Oh well, sh*t happens I guess. Thanks for all the advice anyway, I really appreciate it.

[03Mike]

Being an intel Marine is a great option - especially with you go into it with a grunt mindset. Every Marine is a rifleman - many forget that when they get the armchair. So, stay strong and be the best Marine you can.

[joey513]

I'll definitely be the best Marine I can and give everything 110%. I agree, Intelligence is a great field to get into. I'm still able to try to lat move into Recon, right? I'd like to eventually lat move into Recon or Counterintelligence/HUMINT.