Did you keep the same MOS/branch during your career? How difficult was the transition?

SFC Mark Merino — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:30:41 -0400

Infantry, Artillery, Human Resources, Intelligence, there are hundreds of jobs across the joint services. Did you switch jobs, branches, or Corps? What were the challenges that you faced, and were you happy with your decisions?

Response by SGT Richard H. made Sep 8 at 2014 6:32 PM

SGT Richard H. — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:32:54 -0400

MOS changed, but not Branch. I was PI$$ED when I had to transition from 11B to 11M

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2014 6:33 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:33:54 -0400

There are other jobs besides Infantry???

Response by CPO Jon Campbell made Sep 8 at 2014 6:44 PM

CPO Jon Campbell — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:44:43 -0400

I was a Port Securityman until someone decided that it was politically incorrect and then I was a Port Security Specialist. Later, after 9/11, the Coast Guard realized that antiterrorism should really be a full time job and was not just a job for reservists, so they took the antiterrorism part out and gave that to GS13's. There wasn't much left, after that so all of us PS's had to find other gigs. I became an Marine Science Technician. Being a PS was great becaue it was a reserve only rating. No one knew what we were supposed to do, so if you wanted to, you could do just about anything. Our rating badge should have been a Swiss Army knife.

Response by Cpl Rick West made Sep 8 at 2014 6:55 PM

Cpl Rick West — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:55:39 -0400

Yes and no. One of my MOS's I could do. The other would have put me in prison for life. So I didn't think I should do that one anymore. LOL.....

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Sep 8 at 2014 6:56 PM

MSG Wade Huffman — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:56:53 -0400

Nope... I first enlisted as a 64C (which is now 88M), reclassified through reenlistment into 54E (NBC) which changed to 54B, and then reclassified into 00R (Recruiting and Retention) as a Career Counselor, shortly after that, the 00R MOS split into 79R (Recruiting) and 79S (Career Counselor) and I stayed as a 79S Career Counselor for the last 13 years of my career.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2014 7:05 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 19:05:58 -0400

NO, I did not get to remian in the same MOS/Career Field. Upon completion of AIT at Ft. Knox, a handfull of us were given orders and a plane ticket to El Paso, Tx to attend "Redeye" School. When I asked, the Drill Sergeant said you will find out when you get there. As most will already know, Redeye was a should fired heat seeking missile (the predecessor of the STINGER). So we attended/completed training and off to the 11th ACR (my enlistment option) in Fulda Germany.
Upon arriving in Fulda, looking forward to getting into a Line Troop, I'm sent to HHT, Redeye Section (WTH)! Wait, send me to a line unit; A,B,C Troop, hell I'll be glad to go to Tank Co. (D). No such luck..EXCEPT, when it time for annual Tank Gunnery. We (and everywhere else in the 70s) were short handed squadron wide and unable to man full crews on Sheridans or M60s. So off to A troop I would go, team up with an esteablished crew of 3 to fill it out to a 4 man crew. It was a great 4-6 weeks of training, crew drills, FTXs, etc. Then off to Tank Gunnery and Qualification. Loved it. Then back to the Redeye Section. After PCSing in 77 to Ft. Polk, (Redeye Section in 3d Bn 10th Inf.) stayed for 18 months and back to Fulda. Now I'm a E5, and Im right back after raising all kinds of hell, and meeting with sqdn CSM and XO, in the Redeye Section. 2 E6s got moved out and I'm in charge! From that point on, I was as happy as could be. Got promoted to SSG during that time. Being in Charge of an independently operational section, under operational control of the S3 tactically! yeah I was happy. In 1980, DA gave us a choice either reclass into 16P (Chapparel/Vulcan), 16S Stinger, or return to your primary. I took 16S thru the rest of my career and retiring as a 16Z. However, I will always considered my self as an Armored Cav Troop. That is where I learned to Soldier, to be an NCO, learned what being a good leader was all about. I just had the opportunity to share it among other Soldiers. Even though I fought it in the beginning, No regrets! Except for the 3 years I spent as a DA Selected Recruiter in Charlotte and Monroe NC. I was so glad to return to the mainstream Army! Recruiting duty was not fun in the early to mid 80s. USAREC was all about management, leadership took a back seat, I regret to say! I did not look back when PCS time came around.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Sep 8 at 2014 7:58 PM

SFC William Swartz Jr — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 19:58:37 -0400

26 years a Tanker, with short breaks as: driver for 4th ID Chief of Staff '90-'91, Recruiting '95-'98 and as Ops NCOIC for ASG-Kuwait '10-'11.

Response by TSgt Scott Hurley made Sep 8 at 2014 7:58 PM

TSgt Scott Hurley — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 19:58:43 -0400

I was in the AF for my entire 20. Sometimes I wish I went into the Marines. Of course I remained a 2A6X6 Aircraft Electrical/Environmental Systems my entire career. In the end I was 2A676 (Craftsman) in my field. Of course I did not get to do anything else. I almost did cross train into Airborne Controller on AWACS. But that fell thru

Response by LTC Hillary Luton made Sep 8 at 2014 8:16 PM

LTC Hillary Luton — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 20:16:32 -0400

I started out enlisted as a 76V - Maintenance Supply. I was commissioned Adjutant General Corps, branched transferred to Quartermaster and picked up a functional area of Public Affairs. Nope, can't say it was a challenge to branch transfer. It is a little easier to branch transfer in the Reserve then AC (or so I understand from one of my AC bosses.)

Response by SPC David S. made Sep 8 at 2014 8:28 PM

SPC David S. — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 20:28:48 -0400

Going from Army Reserve to National Guard was fairly easy as the NG unit was activated for Desert Storm. I didn't see the AR unit getting called up so I wanted to switch. I thought there would be all sorts of red tape and roadblocks but quite the opposite. I knew the XO from AR unit and knew the CO in NG unit. Not sure if that helped but both where needed in making it happen. Also new MOS.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2014 8:42 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 20:42:52 -0400

I started enlisted as Field Artillery. Following my commission, I have been Adjutant General Corps, Public Affairs, and Quartermaster. I am spent much of the last decade in Public Affairs.

I have been happy in PAO.

Response by 1SG Frank Rocha made Sep 8 at 2014 9:40 PM

1SG Frank Rocha — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 21:40:56 -0400

I have been the same MOS my entire career, following my normal Career progression. Couldn't imagine doing anything different.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 9 at 2014 2:34 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 14:34:54 -0400

I enlisted as a 31F when signal was still 31 series. In 2009 a 25N MTT from Ft. Gordon came to Bragg and I was able to go since 25N is simply the 21st century version of the 25F. The training was easy, but it took the Army over a year to process the MOS change.....

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 11 at 2014 9:50 PM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 21:50:56 -0400

2002-2005 15P Flight Ops
2005-2012 74D BN CBRN NCOIC (my true love!)
2012-current 88N Chief Movement Supervisor

When I enlisted I wanted to be a UH-60 pilot but genetics screwed that up (thanks Dad for the red-green color vision). Being in the National Guard there are a-lot of stagnant E-6 to E-8 ( especially in aviation and grease monkeys) so moving up is hard if you don't change MOS. I found Chemical and loved it. I would have been happy to stay in Chemical until I retired but when your BC , who is also your Mom's boss on the civilian side, tells you your changing fields you don't really have much say in the matter.........

Response by CMDCM Gene Treants made Sep 11 at 2014 10:32 PM

CMDCM Gene Treants — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 22:32:24 -0400

No, not really. I started out as an Electronics Technician (Communications) and learned Radar on the Job. But My first NEC/Mos was for High Frequency Transmitters. I did that on Guam, Antarctica, and Naples. While I was with ANtarctic Support Force I also picked up my first Instructor NEC/Mos as a Second Class. In naples I was picked up and promoted to First Class. I ran a Crypto Section, but did not have the NEC for it, but did have the clearance and experience.

When I left Naples, my detailer sent me back to CONUS for duty without regard to my NEC as an ET-0000 since there were no billets for HF Transmitter tech available CONUS. I went to Sea Duty in Charleston. During this tour I made Chief.

Next I picked up the NEC for Command Career Counselor and went to Hawaii for duty with a Destroyer Squadron. As a Staff Member I rode a total of 12 different ships, but deployed with only 6 when we went to WESTPAC.

Returning to CONUS for shore duty I was detailed as an Instructor and picked that NEC up again. During my tenure as an Instructor I was attached to both the Military side as a Company Commander and Battalion Adaunt in the Integrated Training Brigade, a new concept for the needed military training of our newer students, most of whom were right out of boot camp. Since this was new and being invented on the fly I wrote many Instructions and Curriculum. As a result I became a Master Instructor. After my first year and 1/2 in the ITB, I returned to ET Schools and took over teaching electronics. Part of teaching is of course writing curriculum and instructions. Once again I was designated a CNET Master Instructor. When I was promoted to Senior Chief I picked up, Communications Branch Head, then Radar Branch Head and by the time I left I was the Senior Instructor for Electronics Schools.

After I picked up Master Chief I put in for as was selected for my last NEC as a Command Master Chief. My last 13 years in the Nay covered 4 Commands including 2 ships as the Command Master Chief. So, various NECs throughout my career.

Response by SFC Vernon McNabb made Jan 12 at 2015 7:20 PM

SFC Vernon McNabb — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 19:20:18 -0500

I have been a Blackhawk mechanic/crewchief/TI/FI/SI and Platform Instructor for over 20 years. Always 60s, nothing else. Why walk/ride when you can fly?

Response by SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT made Apr 16 at 2015 10:07 AM

SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 10:07:49 -0400

No It was a no brainier to get out of Military Police (95B). They wanted me to become a tower rat on the East German border.

I reclassified to Computer Programmer (74F) and was originally sent to a Signal Brigade in Germany that did not own any ADP equipment