Can you really choose your job in the US Army?
You can request, you can get a promise in your contract, you can get a reservation for the school, but that’s no guarantee you’ll end up doing what you want. Most importantly, you have to have the necessary qualifications and do well in training.It’s been a long time since I was in the Army, but I recall two cooks in our unit. One enlisted to be in Armor, drive a tank. That lasted until he backed an M48 into an officer’s jeep while learning how to drive cross country. He was in cook school within a couple of days.The other enlisted to be an MP and become a civilian police officer when he got out of the Army. Unfortunately, he did not meet the educational or aptitude requirements to go to MP school. The recruiter knew that up front, lied to him, promised him MP school and signed him up. Once he was in uniform he was reassigned for the convenience of the Army and ended up in cook school.
Choosing a job at MEPS (Army)?
I'm going to meps this week, where I take the ASVAB, get a physical and reserve my mos. The thing is that I'm dead set on which mos I want, and will not take anything less. I mentioned to the recruiter that this mos is my first choice, but not the fact that I will not take anything else. When it comes time to reserve my mos and if it's not available? Then what happens? I k
If I want to be in combat in the US Army, what job should I choose?
Aside from what Jon and Dave have already mentioned (11B - Infantry), there is another ‘job’ you could sign-up for that could possibly get you a higher chance of getting into combat… ready?Enlist in a combat support role that is out in the field (think Combat Engineer, Mortarman, etc.), excel in your role and THEN go through Ranger and/or Special Forces school. Why? If you want to experience combat, you will have a 100% chance of combat as an SF operator (Comms Sergeant, Weapons Sergeant, etc. - they’re all focused on ‘one team’ mentality), and a near hundred percent chance as a Ranger.I’d advocate more for an SF operator role, since the majority of our war is focused on ‘precision’ strikes against Daesh (aka ISIS), and not so much conventional warfare. Hope this helps!
Do you get to choose your job in the Army National Guard?
Allow me to offer an officer's experience. I joined at the nearest armory to my home. It happened to be a combat engineer battalion that had an opening for a commo officer on the battalion staff. And because I had an electrical engineering degree, I was commissioned in the signal corps and assigned to the battalion staff. However, when I reported for duty, my battalion commanding officer had other ideas. Although he allowed me to serve as the commo officer, I believe he wanted another engineer officer. So instead of wearing the semaphore flags insignia of the signal corps branch, I had to wear the castle insigia of an engineer branch. I also had to take engineering courses because there was no one present to help break me in. I assume the commanding officer wanted me to be able to replace any of the other engineer officers in the near future. But after we had a change of command, the new battalion commanding officer allowed me to replace the castles with the semaphore flags.Then when I became eligible for promotion to major, I would have had to transfer to a signal corps battalion 150 miles away or change my branch.
How does the military choose your job? (Army)?
Let me add to the previous answers. Yes, you pick based on scores. Sometimes, there is an incentive to steer people to certain jobs due to shortages. If they tell you the job you want isn't available, and you find nothing else of interest, you need to be firm, and be prepared to walk away, they WILL find you a slot if at all possible, it may take some time.. Its a lot like buying a car, don't let them steer you into a job you are not 100% sure you want. Also, there may be a similar job in another service, and your ASVAB scores transfer.. keep that in mind.
Can you choose your job in the military?
I understand that you can make a "dream sheet" of jobs that you would prefer, and you can only get a job if you got a high enough score on the ASVAB and it is available. But does the military actually show you your contract that states what job you have BEFORE you officially sign on, or do they officially show you afterward? I've read somewhere (and correct me if I'm wrong on this) that the Navy is the only branch that shows you your contract, which tells you exactly what job you have, before you officially sign on for it. In the other branches, you might get what you want, you might not.... Is this true?
In the Army, can you really choose your MOS?
The Army has what is called "Training of Choice." What that means is you will pick your exact job (not a job field, an actual MOS) with either your recruiter or your guidance counselor at MEPS. If you pick it with your recruiter it will be done on his computer and you have seven days to enlist or your selection will be canceled, meaning you have to select another job. If you have a GED without at least 15 semester hours of college you can't pick it with your recruiter and you have to pick it at MEPS. Once you lock your job in at MEPS that job is yours. The only way you will lose the job you picked is either if it turns out you aren't qualified for the job (you picked a job with a Top Secret clearance and two weeks later your credit report is ran and it shows you got a car repossessed a few weeks ago since bad credit can stop you from getting a clearance) or if you go to AIT and you fail your job training. Your job of choice will be written in your contract or your DA Form 3286. Keep in mind that depending on your mission when you get to your first duty station you might find yourself operating outside of your MOS. This is usually reserved for people who have jobs that really aren't needed; I went to Iraq as a 13B and I found myself guarding detainees and doing patrols because artillery isn't needed that much over there. On the other hand, if you joined as a finance clerk, a medic, or a paralegal the chances of you operating outside of your MOS are between slim and none.