Posted on Apr 27, 2019
My son is joining the US Army. What advice would you give him to get the most out of his service?
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Hes trying to decide between Combat Engineer and Fire Support Specialist. He is an Eagle Scout, in amazing physical shape and is a pretty good shot.
21B: Combat Engineer
13F: Fire Support Specialist
Advice
Enlisted
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 49
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The best advice would be to go in with high personal standards for yourself. This can be through long and short term goals. Typically, unhappy Soldiers are those who have no sense of purpose. It is easy in big units to feel lost in the massive amount of people. Have goals for your career and conduct. Stay humble
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Tell him to go for the gusto and put in an 18X packet and become a Special Forces soldier.
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1SG Dean Mcbride (MPER) (CPHR)
CW4 Craig Urban As I tell all my Ranger buddies... Unless things have drastically changed, you can be in a Special Forces unit and go to Ranger School - returning to your SF unit. You can't be in a Ranger unit and get SF qualified and expect to return to your Ranger unit.
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Either MOS is fine. If I had it to do over again, I'd have gone to OCS. Take college classes as time allows (degrees can be earned online nowadays).
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SGT James Murphy
Also, it's been a while so the rules may have changed but if he goes to OCS and decided being an officer wasn't for him he'd come out of that as an E-5 right guys? or did that change?
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1SG Dean Mcbride (MPER) (CPHR)
SGT James Murphy As far as I can recall... If you do not graduate from OCS, you revert to the rank held when you started OCS. It was never meant to be an INS (Instant NCO School)...
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SGT James Murphy
1SG Dean Mcbride (MPER) (CPHR) - It was when i was in Basic but that was 1967 and they needed officers and NCO's for the MeatGrinder! Also my DI was getting ready to retire in a couple years so he went to OCS Made It and I ran in to him at a PX in Korea in 1968. Couldn't stop myself I kept calling him Sgt Earl and everybody kept looking at me. He was headed for the Nam so I hope he made it. Prayed for him and think of him often. Great Tuff Guy! Taught me how to properly Knife Fight!
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SPC Matt Ovaska
They offered me OCS. I turned it down. They lasted 2-3 weeks. Their names can be found on the wall.
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