U.S. Military: Are all jobs equally important?

If we expect to win, we most certainty can. Civilian casualties suck. But better them than us, and it's on those civilians to allow those evil (*)(*)(*)(*)s to run like radmen.

 

Don't you think high civilian casualties would lead to increased numbers for the jihadists?

Also, how is an airman who hands out towels at the base gym helping with anything?

 

A victorious one. We unleashed hell in WWII, and we won a decisive victory. Since then, we've (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)-footed around and, at best, have had a couple of draws. It's time to get rid of this cancer, even if it means killing off some good cells.

 

Well getting back on point with this thread how does a band member or towel hander unleash the gates of hell?

 

As I said in a previous post, should sufficiently large hostilities break out, the band members and towel handers (even though I have no idea what that is) will rapidly find themselves reassigned to a unit that uses rifles to kill people instead of trumpets.

 

But that can't be true because we are talking about people in the Air Force. I don't even think the army would do that. Do you personally know of any band members being reassigned to infantry?

 

No. Sufficiently large hostilities have not yet broken out.

 

well what jobs could the military do away with without degrading its ability to defend the nation?

 

I think yes! When there is no jobs and government don't create jobs - every job is important and it doesn't matter in army or not in army! And separation on important and non-important jobs is not very good idea!

 

Some jobs are more mission critical than other jobs. A pilot or aircraft maintainer is more critical than a Civil Engineering guy fixing air conditioners in base housing, but most of these guys signed the dotted line before they were assigned a job.

Every job is different in terms of risk, preparation, work conditions, and gaining marketable skills for transition to civilian life after military service. Everybody gets a different experience in the military, some better than others.

My reasons for going into the military was a mixed bag. I dropped out of college and needed direction and work experience. I also wanted to travel and get away from being dependent on my parents. I went in with a guaranteed job in electronics. I fixed instruments and flight controls on F-111s. I worked outdoors mostly and sometimes 80 hours/week. I managed to get enough experience to work on the midnight shift. The work load was lighter and I was able to go to college full time and study during slow nights at work to finish my B.S.. I've been working as a field engineer for 21 years since getting out of the military and I love what I do. I started the military as a college dropout with no applicable work experience and left with a degree and 4 years of intense training and work experience. My oldest son is now in the military and I think he will have a similar situation with his job and living situation.

I married my wife while I was in the military and we still look back fondly at the friends we had. The guys in my shop would get together with our families almost every week. I still keep up with many of them all over the U.S.. We helped each other with home projects, babysitting, college homework, etc...... We were pretty close.

 

Well how would you judge each of the following jobs in terms of importance and respect:

Combat arms
Intelligence
Logistics
Communications
Administrative
Aviation
Medical
Maintenance
Other

 

True, but before the all volunteer military, you had little choice what your MOS or rating would be.

I saw a Marine PFC with a 0311 MOS (grunt) who had a BS in engineering. I suppose on the day his MOS was assigned to him, they needed grunts in the Nam. A week earlier or later he might have ended up with a different MOS.

 

I don't think you should base respect solely on the job they are given. Obviously, some jobs are volunteered for and incur great risk, but most military members are given their jobs after they have committed to join. I would base respect on the fact that they served and then on how they performed their job and live their lives. I knew people who did their job well, but lived like animals off duty and I had no respect for them. I knew civilians while I was in the military who I would trust to raise my children if needed.

When choosing your job (if you get the luxury) you need to think about what you are after. Are you looking for career skills or are you looking to kill bad guys based on patriotism, family history, or whatever other reason and are willing to do what you are told. Technical jobs are more respected by most employers, but that has nothing to do with personal respect.

 

I'm not sure that is the case. It might have been true in the days before the all volunteer Army, but when I enlisted it was for a specific MOS. In fact, I can't think of anyone who didn't enlist to get a specific MOS. So I think everyone gets the job they want (if they qualify of course) or think they want. Sometimes reality doesn't match the glossy brochure.

Although some people, if they failed out of their AIT often didn't have a choice of what MOS they were then sent to. That really was "needs of the Army."

 

I always assumed that the cook was the most important position. I am not being facetious either. Everyone, from the spec ops guys to the 8 star generals to the fighter pilot has to eat. I couldn't qualify for the military so I never served but I imagine that one of the things everyone looked forward to is a hot meal especially if you were on guard duty all day or sneaking around doing ninja stuff with knives and killing bad guys.

 

My vote is combat arms, spec ops, and intelligence

 

My thought is that whatever job you have, do it as if it really is the most important job in the military.

 

I think some jobs do a better job of actually attracting people who want to defend their country and aren't just looking for a paycheck or scholarship

 

Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “An army marches on its stomach.” He lost more soldiers to spoiled food than from battle. The problem was finding a reliable method of food preservation and eventually this led to what we regard as canned goods.

 

Lol getting your man card stamped. That's why I've wanted to join the reserves in the past. Part time man card.

 

Growing up I only had a passing interest in things military. My main source of that was from my Dad, since passed, who served in WW2 as an infantryman. As a draftee, he was a reluctant soldier, his main interest was being a drummer in a swing band. I think the experience had a profound effect on his life and he instilled in me a sincere respect of the service.

Never thought about actually being in the military, what I wanted to do was fly airplanes. I earned a private pilot's license with an instrument rating while in high school, and straight up ran out of money for additonal lessons to earn a commercial pilot's license.. So I figured the military has airplanes, they must provide training of some sort to those who fly those airplanes. I was not a great student in high school but did well enough on the AFOQT exam to enroll in Air Force ROTC in college, and was very fortunate enough to qualifty for and get into undergraduate pilot training after earning a bachelor's degree. It is an extremely competitive endeavor as there are limited slots and ROTC/OTS candidates play second fiddle to Academy grads. Having prior flight experience helped on the AFOQT exam. If anyone reading this is interested in being a military pilot, I want to encourage them to take civilian flight lessons and earn a private pilot's license first...funds permitting of course.

It is extremely competitive and at least in the Air Force, they are now training more drone pilots (unmanned systems) than pilots for manned aircraft...which is going to lead to an eventual shortage of airline pilots in my opinion. We're a very long way from having unmanned systems used in commercial airlines and being an airline pilot will be an in demand job as fewer of them are being trained by our military as fixed wing pilots. Going the civilian route for pilot training is very expensive.

Anway...I seem to have drifted off topic.

I never considered myself the most patriotic,"ooh rah," "gung ho" sort of fellow, but I served. I was in a combat area from time to time but never saw combat, did my job to the best of my abilities and traveled a lot along the way The most important job in the service for me at least, was the aircraft maintainers. I literally trusted them with my life and was never let down. If I made a mistake up there, it was through no fault of any equipment failures, that's for sure.

 

Cooks, Supply, Medics.


In most cases I loved and appreciate all MOS's along with the civil servants that I had the pleasure to work with. All bets off when it comes to Academy football games. Go Army.

 

Until you get activated. The traditional reservist / guardsman all changed after 9/11. The notion of the "weekend warrior" doing 1 weekend a month, 2 weeks a year drill...was history. You had best be prepared to be activated if you join the reserves or guard. We're at a relatively low combat ops level right now, but once you sign up there is no turning back. The (*)(*)(*)(*) can hit the proverbial fan at any time and you have to be prepared to be activated full time and deploy right along with the regulars.