Posted on Dec 12, 2015
How many days of "actual combat" do you think an Infantryman deployed in support of OIF/OEF experiences over a year-long deployment?
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Posted in these groups: 
11B: Infantryman
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - Afghanistan
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
Combat
Deployment
11B: Infantryman Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - Afghanistan Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Combat Deployment
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 34
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SGT Justin Anderson , I am not sure if you have read "On Killing" or not, but maybe that is a good start point for your question. I think you should look at how that has been determined in past wars. In WWII, the average Infantryman had 10 days of combat in a year period. Of course their were people with more, but it is an average. In Vietnam, the average Infantryman had 240 days of combat. Now, it was a different type of war and the Generals fought it a different way, so you have to really decide the variables you want to use to get an accurate answer.
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CSM Carl Cunningham
I guess we will agree to disagree. The kids hanging out at Cinnabon and the Green Bean were not in combat. I don't think I can really say that any other way.
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PFC (Join to see)
This is a tough question to ask because it's a very relative these days combat if your talking about jobs and MOS that expose them to combat related conditions like IED's like today the answer is through out there deployment the average infantryman is at risk because of suicide bombers indirect fire ambushes IED etc. Heck even non combat arms jobs like 88M non 12B engineers and supply guys are getting exposed to ambushes and road side bombs. There really is not front line any more which is why I think the POG stereotype really doesn't exist anymore because of the type of war we are in does not go by those rules. So I go with the idea that when infantry man deploy they are in combat from the moment they set foot in theater to the moment they leave.
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1LT William Clardy
I don't know about that, CSM Carl Cunningham. Some mornings that decaf latte was pretty harsh....
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SGT (Join to see)
2LT Earl Dean - I realize this thread is a bit older, but respecfully, when was a Bright Shining Lie banned? I read it as a part of my high school curriculum over 20 years ago.
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That really depends on what you consider to be "actual combat", doesn't it SGT Justin Anderson? Active, two-way firefights are obvious, but what about intermittent and inaccurate mortar and rocket attacks? How about mounted patrols on routes which are occasionally targeted with mines? Recon patrols with no contact? Perimeter guard in hostile (or at least not-friendly) territory? Blue-on-blue from a misdirected airstrike?
And, to keep things in perspective, what do you think that prior generations of infantrymen -- such as the guys who endured at places like Bellau Wood and Anzio -- would think of your definition of "actual combat"?
And, to keep things in perspective, what do you think that prior generations of infantrymen -- such as the guys who endured at places like Bellau Wood and Anzio -- would think of your definition of "actual combat"?
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1LT William Clardy
Let me know what you think about the Birkenhead Drill, LTC (Join to see).
I'm hoping that it will help make clear why I consider over-using the title of "hero" to be debasing its meaning, so we are left with nothing to call those who exhibit truly exceptional courage.
I'm hoping that it will help make clear why I consider over-using the title of "hero" to be debasing its meaning, so we are left with nothing to call those who exhibit truly exceptional courage.
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LTC (Join to see)
hard to read but women and children first was the motto of the sinking ship. like a mini titannic with navy personnel.
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1LT William Clardy
Not just "women and children first" (although the Birkenhead's sinking *did* set that as the standard), but the men stood in formation while the ship sank.
In order to prevent the 2 boats holding the women and children from being swamped by survivors, the senior officer present ordered the men to stand fast. A surviving soldier (who was just a private at the time of the wreck) said you could have heard a pin drop as the 600-plus men stood in formation on the deck, waiting for the ship to sink. An officer testified at the official inquiry,
"The order and regularity that prevailed on board, from the moment the ship struck till she totally disappeared, far exceeded anything that I had thought could be effected by the best discipline; and it is the more to be wondered at seeing that most of the soldiers were but a short time in the service. Everyone did as he was directed and there was not a murmur or cry amongst them until the ship made her final plunge – all received their orders and carried them out as if they were embarking instead of going to the bottom – I never saw any embarkation conducted with so little noise or confusion."
*That* is the Birkenhead Drill, LTC (Join to see).
In order to prevent the 2 boats holding the women and children from being swamped by survivors, the senior officer present ordered the men to stand fast. A surviving soldier (who was just a private at the time of the wreck) said you could have heard a pin drop as the 600-plus men stood in formation on the deck, waiting for the ship to sink. An officer testified at the official inquiry,
"The order and regularity that prevailed on board, from the moment the ship struck till she totally disappeared, far exceeded anything that I had thought could be effected by the best discipline; and it is the more to be wondered at seeing that most of the soldiers were but a short time in the service. Everyone did as he was directed and there was not a murmur or cry amongst them until the ship made her final plunge – all received their orders and carried them out as if they were embarking instead of going to the bottom – I never saw any embarkation conducted with so little noise or confusion."
*That* is the Birkenhead Drill, LTC (Join to see).
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As an infantryman I would say it depends on a few factors: does work at brigade HQ or is he in an infantry battalion? is he in a line company or HHC? If in a line company is he in a rifle platoon or HQ platoon? If in HHC is he in a specialty platoon like battalion mortars or the scout platoon, or does he work in the TOC with the battle staff? What's the role of the battalion that he's assigned to? What part of the conflict (any conflict (OIF, OEF, Kosovo, Bosnia, Desert Storm, Vietnam, WW's 1 & 2, etc) are they in (initial siege/surge, post siege and surge when the fighting is really starting to kick off, middle of the campaign where fighting is sustained, end of the conflict)? I've been deployed 6 times (1 to Bosnia, and 5 between Iraq and Afghanistan). Some were 12 months, some were 17 months. Each one had its ebb and flow of contact. Some of my deployment had more contact than others. Some contact was more significant (if you know what I'm getting at) than others. So I think, in my opinion, there's some factors that have to be looked at and answered when you ask "how many "actual combat days" does an infantryman have in a one year deployment?"
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