Info on US Army branches

[Skywatcher]

Hey guys.

I'm planning on doing Army OCS after graduation, and the website that my recruiter gave me (branchorientation.com) is offline.

Could anyone please give me some detailed information about the armor, military intelligence and combat engineering in particular? I'm especially interested knowing about the sort of knowledge and skills that would be valued in each of those branches.

Thanks for the help.

[Gun Grape]

There is Field Artillery, the King of Battle, the God of War.

Then there are the other branches that the nonhackers belong to.

Of the three that you mentioned. Armor branch does track maintenance , then goes out and finds targets for the King to kill.

Tank track is heavy, they like someone with a strong back and a weak mind.



Combat Eng. Dig toilets for the King to defecate in. Then they build parapets to go around the Cannons.

Knowledge of plumbing and skill with a shovel will come in handy



Intel digs through garbage cans, looks at pictures, and listens to gossip to find clues in the hunt to find targets for the King to kill.

Janitorial skills and being a good listener will serve you well.


:)):)):))

[Gun Grape]

On a more serious note, The people over at military dot com pretty much cut and paste the official sites. Try this link, click the name of the branch that you are interested in


Army Commissioned Officer Jobs - Main Menu

[Kernow]

There is Field Artillery, the King of Battle, the God of War.

Then there are the other branches that the nonhackers belong to.

Of the three that you mentioned. Armor branch does track maintenance , then goes out and finds targets for the King to kill.

Tank track is heavy, they like someone with a strong back and a weak mind.



Combat Eng. Dig toilets for the King to defecate in. Then they build parapets to go around the Cannons.

Knowledge of plumbing and skill with a shovel will come in handy



Intel digs through garbage cans, looks at pictures, and listens to gossip to find clues in the hunt to find targets for the King to kill.

Janitorial skills and being a good listener will serve you well.


:)):)):))

Like your sense of humour and vivid imagination :)) You don't have to be particularly bright to be a 'Five Mile Sniper' ;)

[Shek]

Hey guys.

I'm planning on doing Army OCS after graduation, and the website that my recruiter gave me (branchorientation.com) is offline.

Could anyone please give me some detailed information about the armor, military intelligence and combat engineering in particular? I'm especially interested knowing about the sort of knowledge and skills that would be valued in each of those branches.

Thanks for the help.

As a LT and CPT, what you studied in college could be helpful in the COIN environment, but in any of these it will be your ability to assess a situation, determine possible courses of action, and then lead your soldiers in executing that course of action violently. This may range from attacking an enemy force to doing a detailed social analysis of a town to determine the best project to implement (and this can apply to either AR, MI, or EN). As a note, you cannot branch combat engineer - you will be an engineer and depending on the unit you are assigned to you could lead a sapper platoon (light combat), and heavy combat platoon, or a construction platoon. As a MI guy (or gal), you will also have a wide variety of potential positions.

It may be helpful if you explain why these three particular branches motivate you so that we can confirm or deny your impressions and potentially steer you into another branch based on what you think you know and like about these other branches.

Lastly, this is meant to motivate you and not discourage you, but the LTs that have a toughest time are those that are direct OCS commission. If you do decide to apply and have friends that are serving or have served, make sure you talk to them about do's and don'ts - survey junior enlisted, NCOs, company grade, and field grade officers. You have to balance a lot as a company grade officer - caring and knowing about your soldiers without getting so close that it compromises your ability to make decisions that can often have a life or death ramification. I'm fortunate that I don't have to look back upon soldiers that died under my command like some of my peers and wonder if I did all that I possibly could to make sure they were trained and prepared. In most cases, it's simply a matter of the enemy gets a vote too, but it's not a responsibility to be taken lightly.

Best of luck.

[Skywatcher]

Thank you very much sirs, all of you. I'll get back in a little bit (between the captain and sergeant at the recruiting station getting me into shape and chasing down my documentations, to my professors, I will have to severely cut back on my Internet forum browsing at all forums, unfortunately until the end of the month, probably).

Armor: I'm very interested in seeing (or is the right word participating) direct combat and I've been informed that I'm of the right physical size for a tank man. What really appeals to me about armor is the tradition behind it, such as Patton and the maneuvers undertaken during Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, as well as COIN operations, all of which requires officers to display initiative, discipline and situational awareness while coordinating and leading the platoon. (I hope I don't sound like some promotional material).

Military Intelligence: I am aware that I will probably not see combat in this branch, but my first concern is utilizing my abilities the most for the benefit of the United States of America. I have studied other nation's militaries for research projects, as well as foreign cultures and my professors have remarked upon my analytical capabilities.

Engineering: Combat support is of course important, and I've seen how crucial it is in both COIN warfare as well as during both World Wars, I personally feel that Engineering is a bit underappreciated. Besides, if it's good enough for Robert E Lee, it's good enough for me, I guess.

Shek: Yes, I'm aware of that matter and have discussed it with the Captain here, who has seen combat while embedded with an Iraqi unit in Mosul, I think it was.

[lwarmonger]

Be aware, as an armor LT you are most likely not going to be in a tank. Armor OBC is the toughest OBC out there, and you will most likely go to a Stryker unit (MGS platoon leader is an MTOE spot, but not one that actually exists) to be an infantry PL, or a light unit to be a scout PL... or you will lead a combined platoon of mech infantry and tankers in an HBCT.

I'm an Armor LT, was an infantry platoon leader for 9 months and am now XO for my company. In Stryker land you are all infantry. Just don't get too wrapped around the axle about being in tanks. The vast majority of my OBC classmates haven't been. Even my buddies who have been in HBCT's have been leading their guys as infantrymen operating out of MRAPS and Humvees. And for those of you artillerymen, my current roomate is our FSO (and good buddy of mine), and he is essentially the company S-3 (not many fires to coordinate and plan). He will be heading over to the FA unit here in a few weeks to be a... platoon leader for a platoon that is doing patrolling, same as the rest of us.

Combat engineers are extremely good at engineering... most of the units I have seen here not in any way tactical, but extremely proficient at their job. They don't need to be tactical though, because we are there to protect them. Just don't be expecting to do too much "combat" type stuff as a combat engineer.

Combat arms is combat arms. At the end of the day it is all about taking care of soldiers.

[lwarmonger]

Oh, and if you want to do power point presentations and be a desk jockey, military intel is the place for you. I wouldn't want to work in the S-2 shop... but that may just be me. I get enough desk time as XO.

[Skywatcher]

Be aware, as an armor LT you are most likely not going to be in a tank. Armor OBC is the toughest OBC out there, and you will most likely go to a Stryker unit (MGS platoon leader is an MTOE spot, but not one that actually exists) to be an infantry PL, or a light unit to be a scout PL... or you will lead a combined platoon of mech infantry and tankers in an HBCT.

I'm an Armor LT, was an infantry platoon leader for 9 months and am now XO for my company. In Stryker land you are all infantry. Just don't get too wrapped around the axle about being in tanks. The vast majority of my OBC classmates haven't been. Even my buddies who have been in HBCT's have been leading their guys as infantrymen operating out of MRAPS and Humvees. And for those of you artillerymen, my current roomate is our FSO (and good buddy of mine), and he is essentially the company S-3 (not many fires to coordinate and plan). He will be heading over to the FA unit here in a few weeks to be a... platoon leader for a platoon that is doing patrolling, same as the rest of us.

Combat engineers are extremely good at engineering... most of the units I have seen here not in any way tactical, but extremely proficient at their job. They don't need to be tactical though, because we are there to protect them. Just don't be expecting to do too much "combat" type stuff as a combat engineer.

Combat arms is combat arms. At the end of the day it is all about taking care of soldiers.

Thank you, sir. Personally, Strykers are just as fine to me as Abrams or Bradleys. That's very helpful. I'll be sure to ask the recruiter when we met up again on Wednesday.

Again, thanks to y'all and a belated veteran's day.

[Capsoda]

Lets see, there is the sniper bate also know as mine detectors and javelin catchers, iron coffin drivers, egg beater drivers (my mom told me to stay away from kitchen appliances), cheese rats (every branch of the military has these),sausage stringers, whipping boys and tit-less WACs. Did I miss any??? :))

[Blue]

Could anyone please give me some detailed information about the armor, military intelligence and combat engineering in particular?

Military intelligence??? What is that??? Sober up quick, your hallucinating.