Posted on Nov 22, 2018
Should I reclass or stay an 11B for another contract?
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My re-enlistment window is opening up soon and I can’t decide if I want to stay an 11B or reclass.. if I do remain an 11B where are some great places to PCS to? Also, is doing 20 yrs as an 11B feasible and sensible or should I reclass and try to gain as much experience as I can by learning more? I love being a grunt! I need advice from you guys so I can make a sound decision.
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 30
Everyone says how they couldn't be 11B a whole career. These are the same people who don't realize that 11B feed HALF of the Force Generating assignments. That means the Recruiter, Drill, ROTC Instructor, Ranger Instructor, Airborne Instructor, Defense Attaché, IG, EO, etc. That means that once you hit SSG you will start looking at broadening positions off the line. An ideal career path has you moving back and forth between the line and other positions. You will move off and do recruiting or drill, then you bring the knowledge you learned back to the line as a platoon Sergeant. Then you move over to an instructor position and bring that line experience to a school house to teach, then you go back to the line to bring that institutional knowledge back to the line....and so on...
Infantry has the best promotion rate, even better than SF. When you leave the Army you'll be more qualified for positions because you held higher levels of responsibility than other MOS's.
You should get your airborne physical and go to Airborne School when you reenlist. You can go to Alaska, 82nd, or Italy after. All three have great opportunities. Airborne - and later, Jumpmaster - will set you far ahead of your peers. Also, go to Ranger School at your first opportunity.
While you're in those units you will also get opportunities for:Sniper section, Sniper school, RSLC, Ranger, Pathfinder, Air Assault, foreign jump wings, Master Fitness, and a few others down the road. You just have to get over that initial hump and become an NCO.
Infantry has the best promotion rate, even better than SF. When you leave the Army you'll be more qualified for positions because you held higher levels of responsibility than other MOS's.
You should get your airborne physical and go to Airborne School when you reenlist. You can go to Alaska, 82nd, or Italy after. All three have great opportunities. Airborne - and later, Jumpmaster - will set you far ahead of your peers. Also, go to Ranger School at your first opportunity.
While you're in those units you will also get opportunities for:Sniper section, Sniper school, RSLC, Ranger, Pathfinder, Air Assault, foreign jump wings, Master Fitness, and a few others down the road. You just have to get over that initial hump and become an NCO.
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SPC (Join to see)
Wow! I didn’t know I’d be afforded that many opportunities as an 11B! Thank you for taking the time to explain that. Maybe doing 20 as a Grunt is the way to go after all. I’m definitely asking for airborne when I re-up and if I could get a few more schools that would be ideal! Thank you so much SFC (Join to see)
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SFC (Join to see)
SPC (Join to see) you can only pick one when you reenlist, but the other ones you'll be able to go to while you're in the 82nd if you go airborne.
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MSG Jeffrey Kramer
What SFC said. Also, work on obtaining your undergraduate degree, or at least and associate's degree prior to hitting your 20. Army leadership combined with civilian education will open many, many doors. Good luck with your Army career!
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Best place to PCS to as an 11B is Fort Campbell, KY. Now you will run into folks that say there is nothing to do around that post and that is pretty true if you do not have a car. With a car though, your driving distance from Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville,KY (Kentucky Derby - Thunder over Louisville), Nashville, TN, Memphis, TN Land between the Lakes recreational area, Loretta Lynns Ranch (yeah she is old but can still sing), National Corvette Museum, Burbon Trail and Bardstown, KY, Mammoth Cave, etc, etc. Add to all that and once a year Ft Campbell has their one week Week of Eagles celebration (Air show, Airport Equipment display, AAS demos, etc). I was never bored when I was stationed there.
They also have a Special Forces Group there and the NightStalkers which is an aviation unit that flies for SOCOM units.
If your looking at college courses, here are three I took that were Infantry compatible that dove tailed with what you already know and were really easy to score a high grade in. Geography (2 courses - 1 semester each, 5 Natural Science credits each.........one is concentrated on topo map reading, and the other is focused on rocks.......your outdoors most of your life as 11 Series and you encountered a lot of the subject matter). 3rd course, Meterology 101, 3 college credits based also in part on topo map reading but in this case it is in the atmosphere and the terrain lines are isobars of atmosphreic pressure. Awesome course and once again, if you've been in all kinds of weather outdoors and know a topo map you should do fine in this course.
They also have a Special Forces Group there and the NightStalkers which is an aviation unit that flies for SOCOM units.
If your looking at college courses, here are three I took that were Infantry compatible that dove tailed with what you already know and were really easy to score a high grade in. Geography (2 courses - 1 semester each, 5 Natural Science credits each.........one is concentrated on topo map reading, and the other is focused on rocks.......your outdoors most of your life as 11 Series and you encountered a lot of the subject matter). 3rd course, Meterology 101, 3 college credits based also in part on topo map reading but in this case it is in the atmosphere and the terrain lines are isobars of atmosphreic pressure. Awesome course and once again, if you've been in all kinds of weather outdoors and know a topo map you should do fine in this course.
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