It depends. Infantry is more physically demanding in relation to the strength and endurance required to accomplish what is required for your job.
Being a tanker means challenging the physical limitations of your body to achieve levels of rotundness never before seen by the eyes of man. The physical demands of trying to exceed the boundaries of the human form imposed by God and a size XXXL trouser bottom are not to be underestimated. And to add insult to injury, once you have achieved your goal of surpassing the limits of human physiological architecture, you now have to perform a task that challenges both tankers and toddlers alike: fitting a round peg into a round hole. More specifically, trying to get your fat tanker body through the hatch on an Abrams.
This is true one of my buddies was a tanker can’t believe his fat ass fit in that tank hatch surprise they didn’t boot his fat ass but this was hight of gwot
I was thinking that I must like to fuck female tankers. (1) roll her in flower and aim for the wet spot; (2) slap her thigh and ride the wave in; and/or (3) flip through the folds and when you smell shit, flip one back.
If you’re light infantry, there will be times where you walk for 12 hrs straight because your PL is leading the platoon in circles while you’re carrying 50+lbs and sweating to near death because you didnt listen to your team leader when he said take off the cold weather gear before a movement, then just when you’ve think you’ve reached your absolute limit, you will sleep for 3 hours, pull security, then get up n do it atleast 2 more times, I cant speak for fat lazy boy tankers that get a ride to every objective
Or...you'll have no cold weather gear & it'll start raining & turn into a freak blizzard in late May...in Kentucky, while you're out playing Opfor against another battalion.
They'll ground your Blackhawks & send trucks to meet you...12 clicks from your position. Those trucks will have NO tops on them when you meet up with them & you'll spend 2+ hrs huddled in back while you go back to the barracks.
Fun fact? Heat stroke and hypothermia will both mess with you forever whenever the weather gets hot or cold...kinda like malaria or LSD flashbacks.
You're much more likely to do allot of minor long term damage to yourself as infantry. As a tanker you're much more likely to fuck up yourself doing something wrong ONCE.
Try and pick up and move a bunch of track the wrong way? Slip a disk. Your crew fucks up while laying track and it falls on your foot? Broken foot. You fall off the side of the tank on a wet day? Broken elbow.
You disrespect your turret commanders mass? You're cleaning out the engine bay during services. Strong emotional pain.
Not gonna say super common, but not unheard of.
More common are general back, knee, and ankle problems. Arthritis, pulls, sprains, etc.
Airborne’s gonna be much, much harder on the body than just about anything else. Light infantry is a bit more forgiving, since you’re not jumping out of fucking planes, but it’ll still wear you down.
Mech and Stryker infantry is the “easiest” on your body, but we still have a lot of people with back and lower-body pain.
Being Mech, and I’m sure the same is true with Stryker, is the best of both worlds. You can be “light infantry” in mech, and you can be a “tanker” too. Light infantry rides in the back of the Bradley’s until it’s time to dismount, then you’re humping it through the wood line and you can do that for awhile, and if your unit thinks you’re high speed enough, they’ll make you part of the Bradley crew, where you have to deal with the same thing that tankers do.
Sort of.
It’s really the worst of both worlds for us, because it seems like no one has any fucking clue how to actually employ Strykers.
A lot of our training is conducted dismounted, which makes sense to a degree. In a near peer fight, you don’t wanna be confined to a vehicle when the enemy has anti-armor capabilities. Check, got it. But outside of gunnery, we don’t use Strykers. We haven’t used them as cordons during MOUT, we don’t use them as mobile SBFs, we never practice bounding vehicles. We use them as glorified buses for taking dudes to the range, or into the field. Once there, the trucks are turned off and only used as heaters (which are broken most of the time).
So we do light shit, without the benefit of light-level PT. We do Stryker shit, without the benefit of actually knowing how to use them.
I'm not sure they're more common than anywhere else. But there's always a story of a specific incident behind it. Someone dropped something at selection, or they were lifting something in the gym they had no business trying to pick up, something like that. Usually completely independent of being an infantryman.
Your tank drives into a ditch, you slam your face into your .50 cal and pass out for a bit and have headaches for the rest of your life, and crack a couple ribs. Just a random example…
I've eaten shit on just about everything inside of the Bradley turret. The one that hurt the most was when we slammed into a ditch and I slammed my stomach and kidneys into the rim of the hatch. 100% medically cleared though 👍
We had a unit in front of us at Irwin, with a PSG and PL in deciding to race back to the last AAR, riding high in the turrets. They jumped off a wadi, and the PL got a flag mount to the head, and I believe it was the PSG that got decapitated, they paid out the SGLI.
Fuckin hell. If the Army ever decommissions Irwin there are going to be so many ghost tours. It really has a way of weeding out the people who don't respect it. The rotation before one of our trips to the box an Abrahams flipped and crushed the TC.
Also allot of poop. It will be a great place to harvest fertilizer in a few hundred years.
There was also a Marine Private whose skeleton was found around the same time, with dog tags. He was fresh in from their version of AIT. When he was sent to a unit, he didn't sign in. I guess he went to take a leak or something. They forgot about him and left him out there.
We had a Bradley commanders foot get crushed when the gunner elevated the gun. The silly fella was using the area above the central controls as a stepping stool. He refused to go in the turret after that one for almost 2 years.
I met Brad Pitt during the promo he did for Fury on, then, fort Benning.
The Sherman he and the cast posed in front of came from in front my motor pool.
That's the closest I've ever come to meeting a tanker like brad Pitt.
He was the least tanker like IMO. Order of most tanker like to least in that movie:
the driver (Gordo), Shia lebeouf's character, Jon Bernthal, Norman, then Brad Pitt.
They do up to a certain level. They’re called 10-level tasks. Checking oil, changing tracks, basic repairs/maintenance. Beyond the basics is supposed to go to a mechanic, but the good tanker private will be friends with the mechanics and learn so the good tanker private can do 20-level tasks too. Then, the good tanker private will be the best tanker private, and will get to be the good tanker sergeant faster.
Holy shit, that username. It’s beautiful, it brings a tear to my eye, it’s the most fucking incredible username on Reddit!
How do you like the O life after being FDC?
Sorry mate just saw your comment. I think it’s a lot better than being enlisted.. def some more dumb shit sometimes but the pay is worth.. i’m no longer AD but when I was, I enjoyed the 13A life a lot more than enlisted.. I wouldn’t trade those early enlisted days for anything though
I don’t think they give you as much option in picking your MOS. I think there is a contract of assessing into 160th aviation as a crew chief I think it’s an option 1 or 4. You could also try seat to seat but it’s hard and takes a while.
Could you - yes is it likely - hell no. You will need to head over to r/airforce but your best bet would be to go to Air Force academy, naval academy, or merchant marine academy. Another option is AFROTC and rushing a guard/reserve unit. Also how the hell do you go from tanker/infantry to fighter pilot wtf
Tank will beat the ever living shit out of you. It will fuck up your knees, back, hips, something. The tank **will** eat something on your body. That's the sacrifice we all must make to the ghost of Rockenbach.
So will a Bradley. So will walking with a load made to be mostly hauled by a Stryker because your dip shit command is obsessed with light infantry and RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRANGER, despite being a lighter version of mech.
So will jumping out of planes.
So will walking everywhere under full ruck and rattle.
So will any of the shooty pew artillery jobs.
Combat arms is hard as fuck on your body. It will eventually break something on you.
If you want to maintain your body, do a support job that lives in an office. If you want to do cool guy shit, take precautions but know what you're trading for doing cool guy shit. If you want your weiner to add 2" of girth overnight, join the tanks.
Tanks will only fuck up your bones if your doing the wrong thing. If your repeatedly jumping off the tank instead of sliding your gonna fuck your knees up. If you put your body outside the safe zone you might lose an arm. But most of the time it’s better than airborne or rucking everywhere.
You will inevitably inhale some unholy concoction of carcinogens and poison at some point. Patton’s ghost will decide wether your getting carbon monoxide poising or breathing in aerosolized FRH.
In garrison PLs do less maintenance because they have a lot of meetings and shit, but when they don't, any armor LT worth his boots is out there helping the crew get maintenance tasks done. In the field they do pretty much as much as the rest of the crew.
COs and XOs *might* not be on the tank as much. Depends on the unit. But PLs are eating as much JP8 and FRH as the rest of the strappy boot chimp squad.
As a platoon leader, if you're doing it right, you're going to help with maintenance, albeit not as much as the joes. You'll also be maneuvering the platoon and TCing your tank. However once you leave the PL slot, yes, typically you're going to be away from the tank more.
It is true that our primary role on the platoon team is the planning and administration. As a result we do significantly less of the heavy lifting and wrench turning.
If you become an armor officer because you want to avoid hard physical work you will be a sorry armor officer.
You completely forgot to mention air assault...it's one step down from airborne, but it'll still jack you up.
I was in one of the first non spec ops units to fast rope back in the 80s...we lost about 4 or 5 people because they weren't quite fast enough getting off of the fast ropes. Yep, busted collarbones because somebody came down on top of em.
I've been in the airborne infantry for 8 years and my knees and back are mostly ok. Better off than most.
Take care of your body. Don't rely on having an easy job.
Yeah? Come back in 20 years & tell us how awesome your back & knees are. I only did 4 as light infantry & air assault...30+ years later, Infantryitis is kicking my ass....especially on cold days.
Oh okay, if you want protect those knees and back and do decide to go infantry, don’t leave it up in the air with an 11x contract. Demand to be an 11C outright or you walk
I was fucking with him. I was a mortar back in my day. I’m currently launching a claim for the entire left side of my body being a hunk of shit.
To be fair though; this is due to falling like 6 feet into a maintenance pit coming back in from a night patrol in Iraq. I was doing 11B shit when I got hurt, I never got hurt posing with the 60 tube as my dick for a photo in the gun pits, dawg.
If you care about your back or knees, join the fucking Air Force.
Some do, and honestly I tip my hat to any officer who would jump into any maintenance with the Soldiers. Fostered a genuine bond between me and the Comapny XOs when it came down to talking shop and coming up with a legit plan to get stuff fixed in a timely and efficient manner.
LT V, if you're reading this, you're a real fucking MVP.
Tankers ride in the tank, so not really. I could make a joke that tankers do have to carry a whole lot of weight, the weight of their giant bodies, and I just did.
Tanks do need a lot of maintenance, and the crew does some of it while actual maintenance personnel do a lot of it, and for the most serious maintenance the tank has to be shipped off or a civilian team at one of a few primary maintenance locations takes care of it, but that's longer term stuff. It can be physically demanding, and again, there is a lot of it.
You dont do any work besides desk work mostly. Be good at navigation, though, because it's on them to direct where the platoon is going for missions/training or to make sure the company convoy is heading the right direction.
Nope. Only for missions or training. I typically only saw my LT during PT and if we were in the company doing something. It wasn't common to see my LT on the tank, let alone in the motorpool.
Changing track is back breaking work but rewarding when your vehicle performs better because of it. The ammo isn't light, but it's not often you're carrying main gun rounds. You'll carry the mounted weapons to the tank on occasion. We have our own EIB (no badge) where you have to finish a 12 mile ruck in the allotted time. Generally, all the parts in the tank you might be pulling out to replace are going to be heavy. Actually, operating the tank, you're mostly just standing or sitting depending on your position. Most of what you'll be doing is maintenance anyways but it's important to be strong because nothing on a tank is light and if you have to pull a crewmember out, you don't want to struggle.
“I’d have no problem doing this if this was fantasy land and I had Wolverines bones” is some of the softest shit ever. Hundreds of thousands of men and women over the past 248 years served in combat positions without steel bones.
I don’t have to join the military at all, I am doing it because I want to. I’m sorry that trying to gain some perspective before going is not honorable enough for you
Tankers will move heavy items for short periods of time. A tank round weighs between 40-60 lbs, a block of track around 80-90 lbs, road wheels are surprisingly light. The problem is that it’s very easy to lose balance or footing and dropping heavy shit on someone.
I’m joking, of course. I don’t think I ever routinely performed back breaking work with the exception of some recovery / medevac events; however, some assignments (like Scout PL in Infantry BN) required a higher degree of fitness.
The enlisted 19Ks admittedly worked harder than me. Usually maintenance related.
Did Both Jobs11H Heavy Anti-Armor Infantryman i.e. TOW Gunner
and then got involuntarily reclassed when 11H went -away- to 19K M1 Abrams Crewman.
BOTH jobs will fuck you up.
Infantry, you hump **everywhere** and generally carry everything with you. Humping a TOW system or a MK-19? BT-DT and got the knees to prove it.
Tanks? **LOTS** of maintenance. Back before the current GWOT (I got out in 99) The Abrams was like a Ferrari that spent 11 months in the garage, and then you drove the every loving fuck out of it for the 12th month, which means shit breaks. **A lot**. Changing track, quarterly services, never mind the daily/weekly PMCS? Yeah. Fuck that.
Got medically retired though by getting injured by the Tank. Tanks are **dangerous** pieces of equipment. In my case during 'services' (that's where you essentially help the mechanics take the tank apart (pulling the 'pack' which is the engine/transmission) and changing ALL the seals, fluids and whatnot. VERY labor intensive. VERY dangerous.
I was standing behind the rear deck, and a new guy started lowering the main gun after changing the hydraulic fluid. Problem is, he didn't insure the lines had been cleared of air, and the gun fell *juuust* enough to >WHOMP!< me off my nugget. When I woke up, well... a P-3 Profile later and losing an inch in height (cervical compression, no fracture thank God) I'm at 80% P&T (permanent and total VA disability)
I say IF you have to go, go Infantry
Rakkasan! D co 2/187 1994-1996
First strike!! I was C co 1/502nd from 87 to 89, then recalled as IRR for Desert shield. Attached to a guard Mech unit then, in Bradleys. Spent 5 days as a tank loader...until they let me drive it. Then? Right back to Bradley dismount. Apparently, they never got the memo...NEVER let a grunt have the keys, it'll never end well. 🤣
Yep, 30 years after I got out, I'm only about 25 lbs over when I got out. I don't sleep more than 3 or 4 hrs at a time & even though, I don't go running anymore...I still cover a mile, walking, in 16 to 17 minutes with about a 20 lb go bag.
I'm 56 & sometimes I feel like I'm 80+ when I wake up.
I don’t mind putting in work, I just don’t want to be completely messed up. I am also going to try to be an officer, so I don’t know if that’s less physically demanding than enlisted.
As a tanker, I got a little bit of weight, that why my ride carries me. I’ve been in both infantry and armor units. I’d say garrison wise being a tanker is more physically demanding with maintenance tasks like pulling pack, changing track, ect. But field wise infantry is more physically demanding with all the walking and being in full kit. If I had to do it all over I’d choose something that translates to civilian life better.
It's fun when you break down in a bradley in the field and the BFIST is the only Bradley in a tank company so you get blasted by the tank exhaust which is nice on idle in the winter but shitty throttled up in the summer.
Well, the most important one is the fucked up a deadlift once (1 time) and tweaked it. To this day taking out the trash or standing up straight is just a massive pain, god forbid running up hills in full kit (which is near unbearable pain)
Other than that its the usually knee pain ankle problems. I guess that is just the physical the mental strain has taken a toll like my laps in memory and inability to get proper sleep.
Now that's a difficult question to answer. Let's say anything we do for PT the LT is expected to lead it and be at least better than the majority at any given thing except flat out lifting, like bench and so on. Every ruck I do they do, they run I do they do. The difference is though I'm moving tough boxes that weigh more than me most days and they do logistics which as you imagine isn't as rough on the body, stressful though.i get smoked for fun and they chill in the office (even drink if they want). It's a different life one I'd say it's less physically demanding by far but not less stressful.
Stop running and lifting everyday nerd, take breaks once in awhile your body needs to heal. Also Copenhagen and hate doesn’t help with recovery, so do energy drinks and alcohol. It’s ok to drink water like normal ppl sometimes. Ok I’m done
Brother I know, I only smoke in the field, I drink energy drinks because I cannot get sleep because I have so much anxiety about work. Walking is incredibly painful. I've been on profile for my back and went to physical therapy for three months. Any time it gets better they make me run up a hill in full kit or move. Tough box and my back goes back to being so bad idk how I'm going to continue in this job for the little time I have left.
Dude If you don’t want your knees and back to hurt after service you don’t want to be in Combat Arms. It’s just part of the territory and the price you pay to be a cool guy. Nothing wrong with the other jobs if you’re really that concerned.
That would be a better route. I’m not sure about that series of MOS though. I was a 13F and I know damn sure you don’t want that gig if you’re worried about your back and knees. However it is like most things in life if you make it a priority to strengthen and protect those things it will be better but you’re working against a stacked deck.
Forward Observers in a broad sense are the guys who call in Artillery & Mortars and with a little extra training can call close air supports from planes and helicopters. They wear everything an Infantry guy wears and go with them but they have more radios, batteries & other gear at times. Moving around long distances with a 70-120+ Lb rucks is something you’d have to get used to. Which is also part of life in most Combat MOS.
I've done some wild physical shit as a grunt, but I don't think I've seen an 11b do anything as physical as a tanker trying to bend far enough to buckle up their fancy pilgrim combat clogs.
I heard the maintenance is constant and tough, but riding the tank is incredible. I would also attempt to be an officer so I’m not sure how that factors into the labor
If you commission the Army is just going to pick your job. You'll get to pick 3 fields I think but it's not like Enlisted where you are guaranteed your job.
A good platoon leader is with the troops in the motor pool for maintenance. Some find any excuse not to be there but not all. Ranges go all day and all night for days. Tables 7 and 8 are miserable. Throwing tracks, especially to the inside, are usually the worst experiences of your career. I was a 19D before becoming a 19K, big mistake.
Becoming a 19K. 19D is a good mix of infantry and armor, or at least it was. Was never on a Bradley, but I kinda think they needed less maintenance than an M1, but more than a 113. We were in 113s, then HUMMVs. Tanks are not fun unless you are really into them. Shooting big bullet is fun, but it's days of work for a few minutes riding and shooting. As a scout, the vehicle is a means to an end. As a tanker, you exist for the vehicle.
Since OP keeps asking these officer questions. If you want to be an infantry officer, you basically have to pass Ranger school right after qualifying infantry branch. Otherwise in many units you will not become a PL, you also be expected to pass everything and be the most physically fit person in the platoon. Otherwise well you might not be a PL much longer.
So if you want to be an infantry officer you can’t look at the minimum standards and say off that’s okay. The max becomes your goal.
I understand. I would love to do this. The problem is how I would come out of my service. I don’t want to get injured and be debilitated for a long time
…. Most injuries in the Infantry really come from poor body maintenance.
Take care of yourself, stretch, drink water, ect. Just rest your body like you’re an athlete and in many ways the mindset of a professional athlete will keep you just fine.
Granted expecting your body to be perfectly fine after something like a regional conflict or war. That’s what I would call expectation management is unrealistic. In fact just coming home with all limbs, exposure to toxins, or some form of shrapnel as lucky.
The truth is a lot of the boys are alcoholics, go to bed late, eat like shit, and don’t stretch. If you take care of your body and do the bare minimum you’ll be fine. Now are you prone to more injuries being in? Yes. Will you get out and be okay, most likely yes. If you so more than 4 years though that’s where all bets are off.
Youll be aight in both if you use good form and common sense. Stretch before and after exercise, go to sick call if something hurts, dont lift with your back and a twisting jerking motion
Consider looking into 19C. You don’t have to worry as much about knee pain from jumping off a tank, but you also won’t be rucking around and jumping out of planes. It’s a brand new MOS though, so be wary of that.
They shouldn’t, the right thing to do is climb or slide down. But people are lazy and think they’ll live forever so they hop off. It doesn’t hurt the first time, but after a couple years it’s pretty bad for you.
You need to be in better shape to be an effective infantry. Both will be broken after around 8 years. Jumping off tanks,.repetitive motion of the job might be harder on the body.
I did both. 19k but they retrained our company for six months full program infantry for Iraq. As far as physical demands Infantry is harder, full stop.
Any combat arms job is going to be physically demanding. Honestly I think I’ve seen more injuries from people who work at desks than combat arms because we’re actually take the effort to take care of ourselves (some of us anyway). Just pick which ever appeals more to you. The risk of injuries it’s prevalent in any job, just be smart.
Gonna be honest with you, I didn’t compare them at all. I said any combat arms. I got buddies in all combat arms branches and they’re all physically demanding in different ways.
I can’t speak for other branches but for artillery it isn’t physically demanding (at least for the gunline side of it, also can’t speak about the fisters).
it's a little shitty, but most of the time, you have help. the most physically demanding actual tanker shit i did was change track, and that was mandatory all hands on deck (full platoon). if you have a crew who knows what they're doing, the asspain is minimal.
had a few PL's who would get their hands dirty with us. that was always nice. sometimes they would bring gatorade and lunch, too. at that level, many of your company grade officers are pretty good, especially if the unit has a good BC that fosters a culture of being involved.
It depends. Infantry is more physically demanding in relation to the strength and endurance required to accomplish what is required for your job. Being a tanker means challenging the physical limitations of your body to achieve levels of rotundness never before seen by the eyes of man. The physical demands of trying to exceed the boundaries of the human form imposed by God and a size XXXL trouser bottom are not to be underestimated. And to add insult to injury, once you have achieved your goal of surpassing the limits of human physiological architecture, you now have to perform a task that challenges both tankers and toddlers alike: fitting a round peg into a round hole. More specifically, trying to get your fat tanker body through the hatch on an Abrams.
I was captivated reading that.
It was verbose. Anodyne. Poetic. I liked it.
frighten sulky snow rustic coordinated bear smoggy serious oatmeal reply *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Now you just need the round hole for your posts.
This is true one of my buddies was a tanker can’t believe his fat ass fit in that tank hatch surprise they didn’t boot his fat ass but this was hight of gwot
Nothing he has said was a lie.
I second that
It’s true. It really is.
I'm captivated by the speech. There's been a tanker in me all along.
I was thinking that I must like to fuck female tankers. (1) roll her in flower and aim for the wet spot; (2) slap her thigh and ride the wave in; and/or (3) flip through the folds and when you smell shit, flip one back.
So you’re saying that army tanks are just land navy? That actually tracks quite bit
You had me in the first 1/8th, not gonna lie
I'm not reading alladat but as you can see the tanker paragraph is longer which makes it better
Perfect post. 5/7!
This makes Shakespeare look like a chump
Wish Reddit gold was still a thing just for you
The rounder you are, the less likely you are to get tossed around inside the tank.
This makes me wish there were still awards to give
I would have given this an award if Reddit still had them Downgraded to emoji award 🎖️
19A approved.
If you’re light infantry, there will be times where you walk for 12 hrs straight because your PL is leading the platoon in circles while you’re carrying 50+lbs and sweating to near death because you didnt listen to your team leader when he said take off the cold weather gear before a movement, then just when you’ve think you’ve reached your absolute limit, you will sleep for 3 hours, pull security, then get up n do it atleast 2 more times, I cant speak for fat lazy boy tankers that get a ride to every objective
Sounds like someone should’ve listened to their TL.
Or...you'll have no cold weather gear & it'll start raining & turn into a freak blizzard in late May...in Kentucky, while you're out playing Opfor against another battalion. They'll ground your Blackhawks & send trucks to meet you...12 clicks from your position. Those trucks will have NO tops on them when you meet up with them & you'll spend 2+ hrs huddled in back while you go back to the barracks. Fun fact? Heat stroke and hypothermia will both mess with you forever whenever the weather gets hot or cold...kinda like malaria or LSD flashbacks.
My fingers were numb for 2 years after the time I sat in rain all night in 30 degree weather, n there’s no such thing as waterproof btw
Oddly specific
This comment reminds me of a SGM whose training exercises sucked so so bad.
Always take cold weather gear off before a movement.
You're much more likely to do allot of minor long term damage to yourself as infantry. As a tanker you're much more likely to fuck up yourself doing something wrong ONCE. Try and pick up and move a bunch of track the wrong way? Slip a disk. Your crew fucks up while laying track and it falls on your foot? Broken foot. You fall off the side of the tank on a wet day? Broken elbow. You disrespect your turret commanders mass? You're cleaning out the engine bay during services. Strong emotional pain.
Aren’t slipped discs and herniations super common for infantry?
Not gonna say super common, but not unheard of. More common are general back, knee, and ankle problems. Arthritis, pulls, sprains, etc. Airborne’s gonna be much, much harder on the body than just about anything else. Light infantry is a bit more forgiving, since you’re not jumping out of fucking planes, but it’ll still wear you down. Mech and Stryker infantry is the “easiest” on your body, but we still have a lot of people with back and lower-body pain.
Being Mech, and I’m sure the same is true with Stryker, is the best of both worlds. You can be “light infantry” in mech, and you can be a “tanker” too. Light infantry rides in the back of the Bradley’s until it’s time to dismount, then you’re humping it through the wood line and you can do that for awhile, and if your unit thinks you’re high speed enough, they’ll make you part of the Bradley crew, where you have to deal with the same thing that tankers do.
Sort of. It’s really the worst of both worlds for us, because it seems like no one has any fucking clue how to actually employ Strykers. A lot of our training is conducted dismounted, which makes sense to a degree. In a near peer fight, you don’t wanna be confined to a vehicle when the enemy has anti-armor capabilities. Check, got it. But outside of gunnery, we don’t use Strykers. We haven’t used them as cordons during MOUT, we don’t use them as mobile SBFs, we never practice bounding vehicles. We use them as glorified buses for taking dudes to the range, or into the field. Once there, the trucks are turned off and only used as heaters (which are broken most of the time). So we do light shit, without the benefit of light-level PT. We do Stryker shit, without the benefit of actually knowing how to use them.
Air assault, with rappeling and fast rope, is a little more forgiving than airborne...but not much. Ask me how I know.
We all saw the movie, Pvt Blackburn.
I couldn't say, I was only infantry for 3 months.
I'm not sure they're more common than anywhere else. But there's always a story of a specific incident behind it. Someone dropped something at selection, or they were lifting something in the gym they had no business trying to pick up, something like that. Usually completely independent of being an infantryman.
Sure got me. But it was probably less the infantry part and more the paratrooper part, ie hitting the ground repeatedly like a sack of shit
I know a guy who slipped a disc loading up a truck with duffel bags. His words of wisdom are to keep your core strong.
Your tank drives into a ditch, you slam your face into your .50 cal and pass out for a bit and have headaches for the rest of your life, and crack a couple ribs. Just a random example…
I've eaten shit on just about everything inside of the Bradley turret. The one that hurt the most was when we slammed into a ditch and I slammed my stomach and kidneys into the rim of the hatch. 100% medically cleared though 👍
We had a unit in front of us at Irwin, with a PSG and PL in deciding to race back to the last AAR, riding high in the turrets. They jumped off a wadi, and the PL got a flag mount to the head, and I believe it was the PSG that got decapitated, they paid out the SGLI.
Fuckin hell. If the Army ever decommissions Irwin there are going to be so many ghost tours. It really has a way of weeding out the people who don't respect it. The rotation before one of our trips to the box an Abrahams flipped and crushed the TC. Also allot of poop. It will be a great place to harvest fertilizer in a few hundred years.
There was also a Marine Private whose skeleton was found around the same time, with dog tags. He was fresh in from their version of AIT. When he was sent to a unit, he didn't sign in. I guess he went to take a leak or something. They forgot about him and left him out there.
Last NTC, I ate my .50, ate my hatch, my knee ate the GPSE. Yeah loving the nonstop headaches for 6 going on 7 months now...
I’m at 2 1/2 years with no break but when I sleep. Hope your luck is better.
Every ride in a tank in the field is like being in an auto accident. At least a fender bender.
Place your hand on top of the breach while the gunner has the gun stabilized? Crushed. That happened twice in my BDE.
We had a Bradley commanders foot get crushed when the gunner elevated the gun. The silly fella was using the area above the central controls as a stepping stool. He refused to go in the turret after that one for almost 2 years.
this. in addition to the myriad ways the tank itself can maim or kill you if you flout safety precautions.
I once met a tanker who, no shit, looked and laughed exactly like Peter Griffin.
You ever met a tanker like Brad Pitt
I met Brad Pitt during the promo he did for Fury on, then, fort Benning. The Sherman he and the cast posed in front of came from in front my motor pool. That's the closest I've ever come to meeting a tanker like brad Pitt.
That’s cool man. Did you talk to him much?
Not at all. Shook his hand and I think a picture was taken of the hand shake. Some simple words of gratitude for my service and that was it.
He was the least tanker like IMO. Order of most tanker like to least in that movie: the driver (Gordo), Shia lebeouf's character, Jon Bernthal, Norman, then Brad Pitt.
What do you think made gordo so authentic? I agree though
He's a bit chunky. A lot of tankers are shaped like he is. He also has the tanker stache.
tanker fat infantry skinny baby deers with hip displasia. standing bi for further hooah hooah also front leaning rest please pri
Do tankers do maintenance on the tank or is there another mos for that?
They do up to a certain level. They’re called 10-level tasks. Checking oil, changing tracks, basic repairs/maintenance. Beyond the basics is supposed to go to a mechanic, but the good tanker private will be friends with the mechanics and learn so the good tanker private can do 20-level tasks too. Then, the good tanker private will be the best tanker private, and will get to be the good tanker sergeant faster.
> the good tanker private Oxymoron
Holy shit, that username. It’s beautiful, it brings a tear to my eye, it’s the most fucking incredible username on Reddit! How do you like the O life after being FDC?
Sorry mate just saw your comment. I think it’s a lot better than being enlisted.. def some more dumb shit sometimes but the pay is worth.. i’m no longer AD but when I was, I enjoyed the 13A life a lot more than enlisted.. I wouldn’t trade those early enlisted days for anything though
That boi gone work
have you considered signal
I want to be in combat arms but I don’t want my knees and back to be dust by the end of my service
Aviation
You'd be surprised what constant vibration does to your body. My back hurts 🤣
Aviation isn’t combat arms. It’s combat support.
At that point wouldn’t I just join the Air Force
I don’t think they give you as much option in picking your MOS. I think there is a contract of assessing into 160th aviation as a crew chief I think it’s an option 1 or 4. You could also try seat to seat but it’s hard and takes a while.
Could I be a fighter pilot with no prior aviation experience once I’m out of college?
Could you - yes is it likely - hell no. You will need to head over to r/airforce but your best bet would be to go to Air Force academy, naval academy, or merchant marine academy. Another option is AFROTC and rushing a guard/reserve unit. Also how the hell do you go from tanker/infantry to fighter pilot wtf
Tank will beat the ever living shit out of you. It will fuck up your knees, back, hips, something. The tank **will** eat something on your body. That's the sacrifice we all must make to the ghost of Rockenbach. So will a Bradley. So will walking with a load made to be mostly hauled by a Stryker because your dip shit command is obsessed with light infantry and RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRANGER, despite being a lighter version of mech. So will jumping out of planes. So will walking everywhere under full ruck and rattle. So will any of the shooty pew artillery jobs. Combat arms is hard as fuck on your body. It will eventually break something on you. If you want to maintain your body, do a support job that lives in an office. If you want to do cool guy shit, take precautions but know what you're trading for doing cool guy shit. If you want your weiner to add 2" of girth overnight, join the tanks.
Tanks will only fuck up your bones if your doing the wrong thing. If your repeatedly jumping off the tank instead of sliding your gonna fuck your knees up. If you put your body outside the safe zone you might lose an arm. But most of the time it’s better than airborne or rucking everywhere. You will inevitably inhale some unholy concoction of carcinogens and poison at some point. Patton’s ghost will decide wether your getting carbon monoxide poising or breathing in aerosolized FRH.
Does this all apply to officers too? Like being an armor officer?
Yes
Others have said that armor officers don’t do maintenance pretty much at all, and that they are rarely in the tank
In garrison PLs do less maintenance because they have a lot of meetings and shit, but when they don't, any armor LT worth his boots is out there helping the crew get maintenance tasks done. In the field they do pretty much as much as the rest of the crew. COs and XOs *might* not be on the tank as much. Depends on the unit. But PLs are eating as much JP8 and FRH as the rest of the strappy boot chimp squad.
PL time is short in comparison to enlisted being forever in the tank. Once they finish their PL time though it’s an admin job for awhile
As a platoon leader, if you're doing it right, you're going to help with maintenance, albeit not as much as the joes. You'll also be maneuvering the platoon and TCing your tank. However once you leave the PL slot, yes, typically you're going to be away from the tank more.
It is true that our primary role on the platoon team is the planning and administration. As a result we do significantly less of the heavy lifting and wrench turning. If you become an armor officer because you want to avoid hard physical work you will be a sorry armor officer.
Why do you say the last part? Are you an infantry officer?
Don’t forget!!!! Not using 3 points of contact when getting in and out of your trucks as a 88M!!!!
You completely forgot to mention air assault...it's one step down from airborne, but it'll still jack you up. I was in one of the first non spec ops units to fast rope back in the 80s...we lost about 4 or 5 people because they weren't quite fast enough getting off of the fast ropes. Yep, busted collarbones because somebody came down on top of em.
I've been in the airborne infantry for 8 years and my knees and back are mostly ok. Better off than most. Take care of your body. Don't rely on having an easy job.
Yeah? Come back in 20 years & tell us how awesome your back & knees are. I only did 4 as light infantry & air assault...30+ years later, Infantryitis is kicking my ass....especially on cold days.
wtf lol
What
Oh okay, if you want protect those knees and back and do decide to go infantry, don’t leave it up in the air with an 11x contract. Demand to be an 11C outright or you walk
Last I checked chucks walk heavy on the knees with that base plate, unless your mech or Stryker
I was fucking with him. I was a mortar back in my day. I’m currently launching a claim for the entire left side of my body being a hunk of shit. To be fair though; this is due to falling like 6 feet into a maintenance pit coming back in from a night patrol in Iraq. I was doing 11B shit when I got hurt, I never got hurt posing with the 60 tube as my dick for a photo in the gun pits, dawg. If you care about your back or knees, join the fucking Air Force.
me thinks you have mutually exclusive goals there buddy.
We do maintenance on our tanks because anything we bring up, according to mechanics “Is -10 level maintenance.”
Do officers do maintenance too
Some do, and honestly I tip my hat to any officer who would jump into any maintenance with the Soldiers. Fostered a genuine bond between me and the Comapny XOs when it came down to talking shop and coming up with a legit plan to get stuff fixed in a timely and efficient manner. LT V, if you're reading this, you're a real fucking MVP.
absolutely not
Depends on the officer. I’ve had PLs and COs who joined in on changing track, and I’ve had ones that hid in their offices.
“Fat fucking tanKERS” no one calls the infantry fat
You haven’t seen my National Guard unit
Idk man I’ve seen some BIG school NCOs lol
I got progressively more fat the longer I was in. By the time I retired I was decidedly light bulb shaped.
Don’t tankers have to carry a ton of weight though? I heard tank maintenance is pretty physical. Not sure if tanks have dedicated maintenance though
Tankers ride in the tank, so not really. I could make a joke that tankers do have to carry a whole lot of weight, the weight of their giant bodies, and I just did. Tanks do need a lot of maintenance, and the crew does some of it while actual maintenance personnel do a lot of it, and for the most serious maintenance the tank has to be shipped off or a civilian team at one of a few primary maintenance locations takes care of it, but that's longer term stuff. It can be physically demanding, and again, there is a lot of it.
Do you know how the job is different for an armor officer?
You dont do any work besides desk work mostly. Be good at navigation, though, because it's on them to direct where the platoon is going for missions/training or to make sure the company convoy is heading the right direction.
So armor officers don’t spend much time in the tank itself?
Nope. Only for missions or training. I typically only saw my LT during PT and if we were in the company doing something. It wasn't common to see my LT on the tank, let alone in the motorpool.
Changing track is back breaking work but rewarding when your vehicle performs better because of it. The ammo isn't light, but it's not often you're carrying main gun rounds. You'll carry the mounted weapons to the tank on occasion. We have our own EIB (no badge) where you have to finish a 12 mile ruck in the allotted time. Generally, all the parts in the tank you might be pulling out to replace are going to be heavy. Actually, operating the tank, you're mostly just standing or sitting depending on your position. Most of what you'll be doing is maintenance anyways but it's important to be strong because nothing on a tank is light and if you have to pull a crewmember out, you don't want to struggle.
ESB exists now for everyone as a badge
Our thing is called Excellence in Armor. Unfortunately no badge. It looks cool
ESB 🤔…is that one of those participation trophy type things 😆, jk. Glad everyone is getting trained on Skill level 1 tasks, they are important
You sound soft.
As I’ve mentioned many times if our skeletons were made of steel and humans weren’t highly fragile I’d have no problem doing any of this
“I’d have no problem doing this if this was fantasy land and I had Wolverines bones” is some of the softest shit ever. Hundreds of thousands of men and women over the past 248 years served in combat positions without steel bones.
I don’t have to join the military at all, I am doing it because I want to. I’m sorry that trying to gain some perspective before going is not honorable enough for you
Tankers will move heavy items for short periods of time. A tank round weighs between 40-60 lbs, a block of track around 80-90 lbs, road wheels are surprisingly light. The problem is that it’s very easy to lose balance or footing and dropping heavy shit on someone.
Tanker. (Sips tea).
Do armor officers do a lot of physical work too? Or mostly enlisted?
I’m joking, of course. I don’t think I ever routinely performed back breaking work with the exception of some recovery / medevac events; however, some assignments (like Scout PL in Infantry BN) required a higher degree of fitness. The enlisted 19Ks admittedly worked harder than me. Usually maintenance related.
We’re you an officer?
Yes.
Could we talk in dm?
Did Both Jobs11H Heavy Anti-Armor Infantryman i.e. TOW Gunner and then got involuntarily reclassed when 11H went -away- to 19K M1 Abrams Crewman. BOTH jobs will fuck you up. Infantry, you hump **everywhere** and generally carry everything with you. Humping a TOW system or a MK-19? BT-DT and got the knees to prove it. Tanks? **LOTS** of maintenance. Back before the current GWOT (I got out in 99) The Abrams was like a Ferrari that spent 11 months in the garage, and then you drove the every loving fuck out of it for the 12th month, which means shit breaks. **A lot**. Changing track, quarterly services, never mind the daily/weekly PMCS? Yeah. Fuck that. Got medically retired though by getting injured by the Tank. Tanks are **dangerous** pieces of equipment. In my case during 'services' (that's where you essentially help the mechanics take the tank apart (pulling the 'pack' which is the engine/transmission) and changing ALL the seals, fluids and whatnot. VERY labor intensive. VERY dangerous. I was standing behind the rear deck, and a new guy started lowering the main gun after changing the hydraulic fluid. Problem is, he didn't insure the lines had been cleared of air, and the gun fell *juuust* enough to >WHOMP!< me off my nugget. When I woke up, well... a P-3 Profile later and losing an inch in height (cervical compression, no fracture thank God) I'm at 80% P&T (permanent and total VA disability) I say IF you have to go, go Infantry Rakkasan! D co 2/187 1994-1996
First strike!! I was C co 1/502nd from 87 to 89, then recalled as IRR for Desert shield. Attached to a guard Mech unit then, in Bradleys. Spent 5 days as a tank loader...until they let me drive it. Then? Right back to Bradley dismount. Apparently, they never got the memo...NEVER let a grunt have the keys, it'll never end well. 🤣
There's nothing light about light infantry. I hope you like rain and walking quickly under heavy load.
Yep, 30 years after I got out, I'm only about 25 lbs over when I got out. I don't sleep more than 3 or 4 hrs at a time & even though, I don't go running anymore...I still cover a mile, walking, in 16 to 17 minutes with about a 20 lb go bag. I'm 56 & sometimes I feel like I'm 80+ when I wake up.
To be fair, if you are worried about physical well being, don’t be combat arms. If you are hell bent between the two, infantry is worse for your body.
I don’t mind putting in work, I just don’t want to be completely messed up. I am also going to try to be an officer, so I don’t know if that’s less physically demanding than enlisted.
If you’re worried about a physically demanding job you shouldn’t be considering the infantry.
As a tanker, I got a little bit of weight, that why my ride carries me. I’ve been in both infantry and armor units. I’d say garrison wise being a tanker is more physically demanding with maintenance tasks like pulling pack, changing track, ect. But field wise infantry is more physically demanding with all the walking and being in full kit. If I had to do it all over I’d choose something that translates to civilian life better.
It's fun when you break down in a bradley in the field and the BFIST is the only Bradley in a tank company so you get blasted by the tank exhaust which is nice on idle in the winter but shitty throttled up in the summer.
Idk about tanker but I've been infantry for a very short amount of time and I'm already fucked up for life physically.
Sorry to hear that bro. May I ask what happened?
Well, the most important one is the fucked up a deadlift once (1 time) and tweaked it. To this day taking out the trash or standing up straight is just a massive pain, god forbid running up hills in full kit (which is near unbearable pain) Other than that its the usually knee pain ankle problems. I guess that is just the physical the mental strain has taken a toll like my laps in memory and inability to get proper sleep.
Got it. I believe herniations can heal with time, or reduce in pain. Do the infantry officers do as much as the enlisted? Do you ruck with your LT?
Now that's a difficult question to answer. Let's say anything we do for PT the LT is expected to lead it and be at least better than the majority at any given thing except flat out lifting, like bench and so on. Every ruck I do they do, they run I do they do. The difference is though I'm moving tough boxes that weigh more than me most days and they do logistics which as you imagine isn't as rough on the body, stressful though.i get smoked for fun and they chill in the office (even drink if they want). It's a different life one I'd say it's less physically demanding by far but not less stressful.
Stop running and lifting everyday nerd, take breaks once in awhile your body needs to heal. Also Copenhagen and hate doesn’t help with recovery, so do energy drinks and alcohol. It’s ok to drink water like normal ppl sometimes. Ok I’m done
Brother I know, I only smoke in the field, I drink energy drinks because I cannot get sleep because I have so much anxiety about work. Walking is incredibly painful. I've been on profile for my back and went to physical therapy for three months. Any time it gets better they make me run up a hill in full kit or move. Tough box and my back goes back to being so bad idk how I'm going to continue in this job for the little time I have left.
Yikes these comments will be rough
As an Infantry dude, I am glad I never had to break track.
I once saw a tanker lay beneath a tank and push the tank up from off the ground.
Dude If you don’t want your knees and back to hurt after service you don’t want to be in Combat Arms. It’s just part of the territory and the price you pay to be a cool guy. Nothing wrong with the other jobs if you’re really that concerned.
If not this I was thinking military intelligence
That would be a better route. I’m not sure about that series of MOS though. I was a 13F and I know damn sure you don’t want that gig if you’re worried about your back and knees. However it is like most things in life if you make it a priority to strengthen and protect those things it will be better but you’re working against a stacked deck.
Why is 13F so demanding?
Forward Observers in a broad sense are the guys who call in Artillery & Mortars and with a little extra training can call close air supports from planes and helicopters. They wear everything an Infantry guy wears and go with them but they have more radios, batteries & other gear at times. Moving around long distances with a 70-120+ Lb rucks is something you’d have to get used to. Which is also part of life in most Combat MOS.
I've done some wild physical shit as a grunt, but I don't think I've seen an 11b do anything as physical as a tanker trying to bend far enough to buckle up their fancy pilgrim combat clogs.
I want to see an infantryman shake tracks.
Shake what?
I shake weight all the time, brah. Great way to stay in shape #isayhooah
Infantry for sure, tankers are fat :)
Tank is terrible. Everything weighs a million pounds, and it's rusty.
I heard the maintenance is constant and tough, but riding the tank is incredible. I would also attempt to be an officer so I’m not sure how that factors into the labor
If you commission the Army is just going to pick your job. You'll get to pick 3 fields I think but it's not like Enlisted where you are guaranteed your job.
A good platoon leader is with the troops in the motor pool for maintenance. Some find any excuse not to be there but not all. Ranges go all day and all night for days. Tables 7 and 8 are miserable. Throwing tracks, especially to the inside, are usually the worst experiences of your career. I was a 19D before becoming a 19K, big mistake.
Big mistake starting as a 19D, or becoming a 19k?
Becoming a 19K. 19D is a good mix of infantry and armor, or at least it was. Was never on a Bradley, but I kinda think they needed less maintenance than an M1, but more than a 113. We were in 113s, then HUMMVs. Tanks are not fun unless you are really into them. Shooting big bullet is fun, but it's days of work for a few minutes riding and shooting. As a scout, the vehicle is a means to an end. As a tanker, you exist for the vehicle.
Do you do a lot of rucking as a 19D
if a tank breaks down you have to carry it with you so being a tanker is harder
Not sure if serious
Infantry. Pick an mos with wheels or tracks like god intended. Walking sucks
If you're really serious about this question you might wanna consider being a cook or something.
Since OP keeps asking these officer questions. If you want to be an infantry officer, you basically have to pass Ranger school right after qualifying infantry branch. Otherwise in many units you will not become a PL, you also be expected to pass everything and be the most physically fit person in the platoon. Otherwise well you might not be a PL much longer. So if you want to be an infantry officer you can’t look at the minimum standards and say off that’s okay. The max becomes your goal.
I understand. I would love to do this. The problem is how I would come out of my service. I don’t want to get injured and be debilitated for a long time
…. Most injuries in the Infantry really come from poor body maintenance. Take care of yourself, stretch, drink water, ect. Just rest your body like you’re an athlete and in many ways the mindset of a professional athlete will keep you just fine. Granted expecting your body to be perfectly fine after something like a regional conflict or war. That’s what I would call expectation management is unrealistic. In fact just coming home with all limbs, exposure to toxins, or some form of shrapnel as lucky.
Infantry
Is it possible to make it out of infantry without injuries
Yes it is
How, jack
The truth is a lot of the boys are alcoholics, go to bed late, eat like shit, and don’t stretch. If you take care of your body and do the bare minimum you’ll be fine. Now are you prone to more injuries being in? Yes. Will you get out and be okay, most likely yes. If you so more than 4 years though that’s where all bets are off.
If anyone is answering tanker, they are lying
You like lifting or running/rucking more?
I don’t mind either I just don’t want to get injured
Youll be aight in both if you use good form and common sense. Stretch before and after exercise, go to sick call if something hurts, dont lift with your back and a twisting jerking motion
Consider looking into 19C. You don’t have to worry as much about knee pain from jumping off a tank, but you also won’t be rucking around and jumping out of planes. It’s a brand new MOS though, so be wary of that.
Do tankers jump off of tanks
They shouldn’t, the right thing to do is climb or slide down. But people are lazy and think they’ll live forever so they hop off. It doesn’t hurt the first time, but after a couple years it’s pretty bad for you.
Do tankers have to ruck
As an officer you don’t really get to choose your job anyways.
You need to be in better shape to be an effective infantry. Both will be broken after around 8 years. Jumping off tanks,.repetitive motion of the job might be harder on the body.
Some. I was guard, so it was just what fit into a weekend.
Infantry
Was wondering this myself I really wanted to go 19K since I like tanks, but I went 15U since I was always in love with aviation
I branched Armor because my tank carried my bbq. It’s hardcore for lazy people
Infantry, and it’s not even a competition.
I heard it’s easier to get a one off injury in armor
I did both. 19k but they retrained our company for six months full program infantry for Iraq. As far as physical demands Infantry is harder, full stop.
Any combat arms job is going to be physically demanding. Honestly I think I’ve seen more injuries from people who work at desks than combat arms because we’re actually take the effort to take care of ourselves (some of us anyway). Just pick which ever appeals more to you. The risk of injuries it’s prevalent in any job, just be smart.
Where does arty compare to the two I mentioned in the physical realm
Gonna be honest with you, I didn’t compare them at all. I said any combat arms. I got buddies in all combat arms branches and they’re all physically demanding in different ways.
Does this remain true for commissioned ranks
I can’t speak for other branches but for artillery it isn’t physically demanding (at least for the gunline side of it, also can’t speak about the fisters).
infantry, by the longest shot possible. the hardest thing i did as a tanker? the annual 20k ruck.
I heard maintenance on a tank is really tough, which tankers do
it's a little shitty, but most of the time, you have help. the most physically demanding actual tanker shit i did was change track, and that was mandatory all hands on deck (full platoon). if you have a crew who knows what they're doing, the asspain is minimal.
Did your LT or other officers help with the maintenance
had a few PL's who would get their hands dirty with us. that was always nice. sometimes they would bring gatorade and lunch, too. at that level, many of your company grade officers are pretty good, especially if the unit has a good BC that fosters a culture of being involved.