I think some of you marines need to get off your damn high horse and quite being so damn sensative!!  Sofa-king was complaining about a few soldiers in particuar, not the services as a whole.  Then he followed up with some questions containing legitimate concerns.

Yet a few of you (and you know who you are) sling insults instead of actually helping him!!  You need to relax, after all he wasn't personally attacking you now was he?

Some of you guys think that just because others haven't gone thru bootcamp that they have no right to critisize anything military.  Yet because you have served that you know everything!!  Rather vain don't you think?

At least Sofa-King clearly stated that he didn't know everything!  He came here with questions, yet sadly some just thru insults.[V]

sgtar15

PS Sofa-King, good luck with whatever you choose, just do your best and you will succeed!

Thanks Sgtar15,and the others.I get enough flak from my mom's side of the family,all my cousins are are law or med school,and I'm going to be a grunt.Only one person on my mom's side has tried the armed forces,she joined the army,and she dropped out of basic training.She had to get a good lawyer for this breech of contract.I'd just like to be the first one in my family to have "done the deed" plus,I personnaly think that if everybody in America served in the armed forces for at least a few years,our country would be filled with alot better people.

Sofa:
If you are not by one of the larger bases, Lejeune, Pendelton, 29 Palms, the chances of you getting an active duty Marine "grunt," or combat arms type at all are remote.  Most times those arms forces day events are done by reservists or the active duty personnel that are there to train the reservist.  While part of 2nd MarDiv, my battery was tasked with several of them (I cannot comment on Army or 1st/3rd Mardiv practices). At least at that time, I had to send my best people, the CG inspected every one of them, plus all their gear.  We didn't allow civilians to handle weapons that they could easily walk away with.    

You specifically said "new ARs are among the most reliable, and accurate rifles around" well what did he day that was wrong?  You where try to show how smart you where, and he was trying to show how smart he was.  You even complained about "Some stupid guy walked up, the typical "fat, know it all" jerk who normally is found at these shows" well having done a few of them, most of those that come up tell you all about the weapons fall into a category close to that.  Beside getting a few people who know something of what they are talking, you get every type of fantasy warrior and wannabe in the world telling you how good or bad this weapon is.  I have been told that you cannot hit a man sized target beyond 300 m with a M16, his wife all along telling me he knows what he is talking about he is a Lt in the National Guard.  I have been told that the AK is so much better than an M16 because you can shoot M16 rounds in it.  I have been told so many ridiculous things about the Marine Corps I cannot remember them all.

11b4v
I may be a dumb Marine, but did stay in a holiday inn last night. When you say "never pull the charging handle rearward on a SAW without opening the feed tray cover first," are you saying that to, unload and or inspect that there is not a round in the feed tray or in the receiver area, than close the feed tray cover pull the charging handle to the rear?  Or are you saying open the feed tray cover, than pull the charging handle to the rear?  

Hey Sofa_King have you looked at the coast guard? Don't laugh, the do there deed every day and there is plenty of tech. training.

I think Delta is comprised of almost 100% grennies, I know many of the SF fellas went through RIP. There seems to be this thing that some SF guys dont like Rangers because of their straight by the book, outlook. Very Military. OTOH I`ve seen plenty of SF guys try to get into Rgr BTN cuz they miss that same military bearing. Also SF are more thinkers than your garden variety Ranger, different missions. They do more work sans the usual supply line whereas Rangers like support. Personal tastes. Delta is still pretty tightlipped about their capabilities and mission, so I could be off. If HDR drops by he might give a better picture of their makeup.
Striker,I didnt mean to sound like a dick, just the one guy who wasnt in a grunt unit (aviator) is the one you suggested he listen to. HDR not only offered advice but help as well. My outlook represented in my past replies on this thread are of some of the dummy`s I ran into. Not my experience as a whole. I would do everything again. My best years were spent in the ARMY. I dug it and wish I woulda stayed in. Again, my apaologies if I came off rude. Safe and Sane  

Sofaking,
As far as the soldiers you encountered at the show, they were probably there on detail. The ARMY has this thing called "RED CYCLE", which works like this: Within a Division, each Brigade and seperate Battalion will have their turn as the detail or "bitch" unit. That will entail doing all the crap work around the post and all the "hey you" details that come down from higher. Details like the Armed Forces Day displays you mentioned. So these soldiers could have been from any type of unit, and unless the "tasking" calls for unit specific equipment: i.e. Bradleys, M1 Abrams, UH60/64S, whatever unit just happens to be on red cycle get to do the deed. And with the pace that the ARMY has been going at the last few years (at least in the 1 CAV DIV), weekends at home are becoming a precious thing. So, if these soldiers were active duty, maybe this explained their "tude", maybe not.
As for grunts being on lower end of the intelligence scale, don't believe it. Everyone in the service that aren't Infantry think that unitl they have to do our job "to standards"! To make Sergeant in the Army you have to go to Primary Leadership Developement Course (PLDC). PLDC is not MOS specific, so all types of MOSs merge there. Always talk from the other MOSs about "dumb grunts", until the test scores and graded field exercises begin. Then it's; "how do I do this?", "whats a field of fire?", "how do I select an ORP?", and at the the end of the field problem; " I didn't know you Infantry guys had to know so much". A soldier is a grunt because he chooses to be one! Not because he is too dumb to be anything else!
One other thing you'll get in the Infantry; Leadership skills alot sooner than others. Most other MOSs don't get to lead any amount of soldiers until they make E6 or E7, if then.
So the choice is yours, but if you do decide on Combat Arms, specifically Infantry, start getting in shape now before you enlist. If you think your already in shape, get in better shape. "If you ain't pucking at the end of a run, you ain't running hard enough!" And; If you puck while running, "if it ain't a K-POT full-------keep moving!" OUT!

SOFA-KING aka m56smart? Please consider the 82d
at FT.Bragg,NC. It seems with your intelligence
that you should become a squad leader almost
immediately. If you do go, take some courage and
backbone with you. Don't worry about your attitude, the guys at Bragg will take care of that for you. Walk the Walk before you Talk the
Talk. If the US Military is not Bright enough
for you, The British may let you serve like your forefathers.  

Just had the complete history of US Army Rangers and training on "suicide missions" on the history channel.Looks pretty tuff.

Sofa king what did you score on the ASVAB. If your score was high enough why not go into something besides "grunt." Nothing against infantry but it doesn't have much of a future. Not too many companies are hiring professional killers these days. Get a job that mimics a civilian career so you have something to do when you get out. Besides the farther away you get from the grunts the fewer dumb people you run into.

Hmm... he might be able to do that, but he might not like the company. HM's Govt. can't get enough bodies to join the British Army, so there are some proposals about to go trolling in HM's Prisons for recruits, just as in the Napoleonic era...

No idea about foreigners serving in the British Army nowadays, (unless one is a Gurkha), although one could, for about two hundred years, be a foreigner and enlist in the King's Royal Rifle Corps, now part of the Royal Green Jackets.

Anybody know of anyone who served in one country's army, then turned around and enlisted in another (deserters do not count- I'm talking modern day, as well), such as: first in the US Army, then British Army or Bundeswehr?

------------------

Re the British Army and its dubious recruits, the Duke of Wellington observed, "I don't know what effect they will have upon the enemy, but by God, they frighten me."

Just a comment on dumb grunts. Some of us grunts joined because we actually wanted to be where the fighting is if it happened. I for one could have done anything in the Army with my GT score. I decided to go llbravo. I wanted know what it was like to be a grunt. I was not looking to make a career out of it. I wanted to go in and get as close to combat as I could. I met many grunts with college degrees or were very intelligent. If you look at the vast number of grunts in the Army you are bound to run across your garden variety idiot,but their are alot of us who are well read and intelligent. To me their is nothing more honorable than being the tip of the spear of your country the Queen of Battle.If I did not join the infantry I would have regretted it personally for the rest of my life. I honestly believe in a war time situation if you don't use your brain housing unit to its fullest capacity you will be a dead grunt alot sooner than some brain dead person. I think movies and the television shows have given grunts a bad reputation. One should never generalize. This is not a flame its just one grunt sticking up for the vast numbers of great men who have served and died as a Grunt. I always say with pride that I was a Grunt.

NO SLACK! Battalion 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division

Yeah, it's not as if anybody is drafted into the infantry.  Unless you go "open contract" you have to volunteer.  Consequently, their is nothing to the myth that infantrymen are somehow less intelligent then support troops.

In fact, the support troops are the ones who tend to be slack-jawed cretins, that is, people who weren't intelligent enough to find a good "vo tech" school and needed their hands held to learn a trade.

As Matt observed, people join the infantry (and other combat arms specialties) for the best of reasons.  These people tend to be intelligent and aggressive.  The world is full of successful former-infantrymen who are doctors, engineers, lawyers, and captains of industry.  If you enlist to learn how to fix airplanes you will probably do that for the rest of your life until you are laid off.

LOL figgered one of you guys would speck up, I have nothing against the Rangers they are a fine light infantry group. But partner they are not heavy infantry, they can't hold very long and we got to move fast to relieve them. I am a Bradley master gunner (ret) of course, and spent time as a unit sniper in my younger years. Parden me if I happen to be as proud of the position I held as you are of yours. Kiwi? And you want to borrow it, I kind of dought that.

Rew

I left the service last year.  I started out enlisted as a medic in the Army Reserve, finished college doing ROTC and was commissioned as a 2LT in the Infantry.  I went through Airborne, Ranger, Pathfinder, Scout Platoon Leader Course, and the Special Forces Qualification course before I decided to get out.  I am now in law school.  I wanted to make a few points after reading your post.  I want to make sure you are not decieved by any recruiter that will fill you with BS just to get you in.  I had alot of unhappy Privates as a platoon leader that were not motivated when they got to their unit.

1) If you are in the Army Infantry, forget college while you are in.  You will be deployed 6 months out of the year and will never be able to complete a class.  College is given as a re-enlistment bonus, soldiers are given a year to go to school if they re-up after 4 years or so.  Not until then.

2) If you want to go to college, then go.  If you like the military do ROTC.  There is no commitment and you can check out all 4 branches of the service.  OK, so maybe you are not ready for college, many of my guys were not, so they joined for a few years.  Just don't lose sight of your own objectives.  The military can be a trap.  You get a few bills, a girlfriend, and before you know it...20 years later, no college education, and 3 kids and a fat wife.  You'll see what I mean.

3) If you go in the Army Infantry, select RIP, and don't let a recuiter tell you it is not available or you can select it at your unit.  Once you are at your unit, you will never get anything, EVER!!!  You can select Airborne training as a sign up bonus (usually), and guaranteed RIP.  RIP is Ranger Indoctrination Program.  It is after basic and it gets you ready for a Ranger BN if you pass.  Even at the Ranger Battalion, many do not get to become Ranger tabbed.  The competition for slots is hard, and only about 50% will make it.  If you fail, they'll ship your ass out to where ever the Army needs you- you'll have no choice.  

4) Once you become E-4 promotable, you can select to attend SFAS, the Special Forces Selection course.  This is open to any MOS, not just an Infantryman.  Cooks, Mechanics, anyone.

5) My dad was a Marine and he is proud. I look at my time in the Army like the movie Stripes, it was pathetic and I have only a few proud memories.  I can't endorse the Marines, but they seem to stand proud on their own.

6) If you do go Army Infantry...avoid the Mechanized Infantry like the plague...you'll see...that is where the broken and tired go.  Too tired or too broken to walk.

This is aboslutly wrong.  When I left the Army last year (made O-3 10 days before, so really I'm a 1LT) I was recruited by alot of companies because of my demonstrated skills in leadership positions and responsibility, which is not easy to find, even among college grads at 26 years old.  I was offered jobs in the banking sector, and with several IT firms (glad I didn't go there now!).  I decided to return to school, sorry to say- law school).  Don't ever say that the Infantry is a dead end job.  The skills and teamwork cannot be found or tought by any other method, than sweat and tears.  That is where intestinal fortitude comes from.

I am not the #1 student in my law school class, but I did get a great internship with a very prestigeous firm because of my demonstrated ability to lead and more importantly, FOLLOW.