Present and Future for 0311s

[dreamachine]

Hello everyone, new here, I'm planning on enlisting in about a month. I've had a lot of time to think about it and I'm almost 100% on enlisting 03XX and shooting for 0311, and after a few years 0321.

The top three questions on my mind are;
1: What is life like for the average 0311? What is the average day/week/month like when one is and is not deployed?

2: I assume most of the infantry has been withdrawn from the Middle East, so what are most 0311s doing right now?

3: If you had to guess, will the infantry, specifically 0311s and 0321s, be deployed to fight against ISIS?

I thank anyone who takes the time to read this and answer my questions.

Similar Threads:

• Other MOS than 0311
• 0311
• 0311
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[Tennessee Top]

1. Can't say - was not a grunt.

2. The grunts in the middle east are there as trainers/advisors to foreign troops and not conducting combat operations. There is a small group of Raiders (special forces) conducting operations which we'll never hear about. Besides the middle east, there are always grunts deployed as Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU's) and assigned to Security Forces/FAST platoons. Other than that, grunts are pulling garrison duty on the east coast, west coast, and overseas.

3. This will mostly depend on the next Commander In Chief. If I had to guess, I would say no. Putting ground troops back into the middle east again is not a popular idea especially with politicians.

[Rocky C]

For the time being you can click on all the threads under yours that say " Similar Threads ".

#1 perhaps some 0311's will be by to give you some knowledge.
#2 Don't assume that....
#3 Your guess is as good as ours...

[dreamachine]

@Tennessee Top: Okay, I figured most of them were at the main bases in the Continental United States. I don't know about it being that unpopular to send ground troops in in politics though. I mean I've watched ever Republican debate and so far whenever it gets brought up they all say they would send ground troops to combat ISIS. That said, even Obama said in the State of the Union that he suggested that Congress should put it to a vote as to whether or not we send troops to combat ISIS.

As foolish as it may sound, I don't really like the idea of joining the infantry and then never seeing combat... I mean that just sounds like having a race car and never being able to take it out of first or second gear...

@Rocky C: Understood. I'll be sure to check out those other threads. I just made this one to essentially get a more updated tally as to what is going on. I know things must have changed a lot in the past few years for USMC infantry as we began to withdraw troops from the Middle East. Plus I was hoping there might be some inside whispers/rumors about possible combat missions in the future.

[Mongoose]

Dreamachine, combat is not the glory some envision. I don't know about grunts today but was a tough life when I served. I spent 12 months in Nam. Only had a rear area for about 2 months, where we had bunkers to sleep in. Almost all the rest of the time, we slept very little and when we did it was on the ground, half the time in pouring down rain in mud up to your knees. Many times we had to ration our C rats. We never had enough to eat or fresh water to drink. In 12 months I bathed with real soap 3 times. Twice at Bn. Aid and once on in Country liberty. Leeches ate up everything that the insects left. We always had fungus growing on our feet and around our crotch area. Our utilities rotted off our bodies as we had no way to clean them. As did our boots, from always being wet. We never had the medical supplies we needed, and constantly had the running ****s. We had to always be on guard because of snipers. My unit went from one operation to another with only enough time in between to stage for the next one. We were in battles where we suffered 60% casualties. Combat is not pretty, nor is it fun. It's raw survival at it's worst. If this is your kind of passion, by all means go in as a snuffie. But make sure, because when the **** gets thick, you can't walk away and go to the movies.

[dreamachine]

Mongoose, yeah that sounds pretty terrible. It definitely makes the desert sound a lot better than it did.

I don't really see combat as something glorious as much as a way to test myself and push myself to my limit, as well as to pay back my country for all it has done to me. For nearly a decade now the VA has literally clothed, fed, and housed my family since my dad was injured (non-combat related) and I kind of feel like I have a debt to pay the nation for that.

Plus there's something in me that just aspires to be a 'warrior', as cheesy as that may sound. It's hard to express in words what exactly makes me want to experience combat...

[USMC 2571]

One thing's for sure--we can all identify with that part of what you said about wanting to serve our nation. Good luck and keep us posted right here on this same thread.

[Rocky C]

I said all I had to say on this thread...

[Tennessee Top]

@Tennessee Top: Okay, I figured most of them were at the main bases in the Continental United States. I don't know about it being that unpopular to send ground troops in in politics though. I mean I've watched ever Republican debate and so far whenever it gets brought up they all say they would send ground troops to combat ISIS. That said, even Obama said in the State of the Union that he suggested that Congress should put it to a vote as to whether or not we send troops to combat ISIS.

Like you said, the president has been asking Congress to pass a resolution authorizing him to use force in Iraq and Syria for some time now. They won't do it (for whatever reason). For that reason, I'm saying politicians do not support putting troops on the ground there. I don't see that changing anytime soon - if ever.

[dreamachine]

Tennessee, I hear you. I was just hoping perhaps if Trump won or something he'd be able to push it through somehow.

[Tennessee Top]

If you're old enough to vote, you need to make your choice count this election cycle.

[irpat54]

a day in the life as a grunt (03xx) when deployed over seas if not in combat, you train, if you are at home in the USA, you train,, long periods in the field on maneuvers, float time, and back for more training,, you will get some weakens off but a lot of that is so you can clean your gear, then their are the inspections,,

the life of a grunt is not glamorous but it is the back bone of the Corps..
IMO as an 0331..