SGT Chris Hill 76635 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I see many different mos&#39;s referring to others as &quot;pogs&quot;, now personally it doesn&#39;t bother me in a way, but we as the military have many mos&#39;s that don&#39;t do the same training nor missions. The hazing derives from the lack of knowledge of knowing that not everyone will be kicking in doors or not airborne. Not everyone knows exactly what they&#39;re getting themselves into when enlisting. Some will laugh that others don&#39;t know how to shoot weapons with expertise, or how to prepare to jump out of a plane. However if you place an infantry man in an artillery mos, will they know how to operate? Probably not! Each mos is unique, no matter what we might say. 92G&#39;s are some of the hardest working soldiers with crazy hours, but they are most made fun of. I myself don&#39;t get called out on high risk missions, but not by choice! I personally would be honored to spend a couple weeks with each mos, to get a feel of what all aspects of the army does on a daily basis. If I got called to go to Afghanistan, I&#39;d go! My mos doesn&#39;t go there though. I&#39;d be all for doing all those crazy missions that others get to do, I&#39;d replace someone that doesn&#39;t want to go in a heartbeat. I was literally interviewed by a CSM to deploy with another unit that&#39;s not my mos related, and got turned down bc why? I didn&#39;t score above a 32 on my m16. <br /><br />What are your thoughts on mos&#39;s that don&#39;t deploy to &quot;combat areas&quot; without choice? What about referring to soldiers as &quot;pogs&quot;? Do people believe that it&#39;s a soldiers personal choice where their unit deploys to? What are your thoughts on mos's that don't deploy to "combat areas" without choice? What about referring to soldiers as "pogs"? 2014-03-15T18:58:50-04:00 SGT Chris Hill 76635 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I see many different mos&#39;s referring to others as &quot;pogs&quot;, now personally it doesn&#39;t bother me in a way, but we as the military have many mos&#39;s that don&#39;t do the same training nor missions. The hazing derives from the lack of knowledge of knowing that not everyone will be kicking in doors or not airborne. Not everyone knows exactly what they&#39;re getting themselves into when enlisting. Some will laugh that others don&#39;t know how to shoot weapons with expertise, or how to prepare to jump out of a plane. However if you place an infantry man in an artillery mos, will they know how to operate? Probably not! Each mos is unique, no matter what we might say. 92G&#39;s are some of the hardest working soldiers with crazy hours, but they are most made fun of. I myself don&#39;t get called out on high risk missions, but not by choice! I personally would be honored to spend a couple weeks with each mos, to get a feel of what all aspects of the army does on a daily basis. If I got called to go to Afghanistan, I&#39;d go! My mos doesn&#39;t go there though. I&#39;d be all for doing all those crazy missions that others get to do, I&#39;d replace someone that doesn&#39;t want to go in a heartbeat. I was literally interviewed by a CSM to deploy with another unit that&#39;s not my mos related, and got turned down bc why? I didn&#39;t score above a 32 on my m16. <br /><br />What are your thoughts on mos&#39;s that don&#39;t deploy to &quot;combat areas&quot; without choice? What about referring to soldiers as &quot;pogs&quot;? Do people believe that it&#39;s a soldiers personal choice where their unit deploys to? What are your thoughts on mos's that don't deploy to "combat areas" without choice? What about referring to soldiers as "pogs"? 2014-03-15T18:58:50-04:00 2014-03-15T18:58:50-04:00 SFC Private RallyPoint Member 76641 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>We are "persons other than grunts."  Is it offensive?  If you let it be.  Are you an Infantry grunt?  I'm not and could truly care less what someone else thinks of me and what I do.  In all actuality if it came down to 42As and 92Gs conducting infantry combat operations our Army would be in pretty bad shape.  Yes, we are all valuable parts of the team and each of us make the Army move but we aren't grunts.  Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 15 at 2014 7:11 PM 2014-03-15T19:11:53-04:00 2014-03-15T19:11:53-04:00 SPC David Wyckoff 76648 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div><p>Never heard the term POG until my kids went in the military. We were REMFs when I was in. I was good with that. In the rear with the gear, they used to say. I considered myself a dirty nasty leg grease monkey REMF. When those infantry boys needed their four deuce generators fixed I was all to happy to do it or the Mech Inf needed those engine packs in the 113s fixed we were johnny on the spot. Actually we fixed everything from coffee pots to wheel and track vehicles because we were a rolling shop.<br>As far as being deployed, the grunts were happy to see us coming. We were a contact team and usually carried extra cartons of cigs, candy, razors, and reading material from the px van. But then again that was a different time. We didn't have the wire or FOBs.<br> <br></p><p>I have seen people get defensive about being called POGs but I think that's speaks to a deeper insecurity on their part. I am proud of my service. I pushed my kids to do more in the military and go farther. I do the same thing to my grandson. He wants to be a Ranger in the worst way. Because my Pop is Navy, my son and oldest daughter are Air Force and my baby daughter and I are Army, Holidays and family suppers can get pretty interesting.</p><p>Honestly I never viewed any hazing (if you could call it that) that I got in the military as anything other than team building. </p> Response by SPC David Wyckoff made Mar 15 at 2014 7:37 PM 2014-03-15T19:37:57-04:00 2014-03-15T19:37:57-04:00 1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member 76649 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I believe it's spelt, "pogue".<br> Response by 1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 15 at 2014 7:43 PM 2014-03-15T19:43:42-04:00 2014-03-15T19:43:42-04:00 MAJ Private RallyPoint Member 76679 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>This brings up another problem that is going to continue to grow. We have been at war for over a decade now and people are used to pointing out those who didn&#39;t deploy as shammers and pogues. After Iraq closed down and the drawdown in Afghanistan it is going to be very difficult to get a deployment. Give it 10 years&amp;nbsp;and we will go back to the 90s Army where few combat patches around and they were considered the SMEs because they had been there. Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 15 at 2014 9:18 PM 2014-03-15T21:18:21-04:00 2014-03-15T21:18:21-04:00 LTC Yinon Weiss 76685 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);&quot;&gt;Infantry can&#39;t win it alone. They need to be transported, fed, paid, sometimes protected... they also need supplies, maintenance, communications, and they need medical care when they are wounded, etc. &amp;nbsp;Combat arms can&#39;t win complex and large scale wars on their own.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);&quot;&gt;I think the Marine Corps has a much more healthy outlook on this issue. Everyone is taught that the infantryman (even more specifically, a rifleman) is the most important MOS in the Marine Corps. Either you are a rifleman, or you support a rifleman. That&#39;s all there is to it, and you take great pride in whichever role you have, and each side respects the other for it. The Army sometimes suffers a bit too much from an &quot;us&quot; versus &quot;them&quot; mentality, which is not productive.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);&quot;&gt;When it comes to individuals, I try to look at the performance of the individual. I have a Supply Sergeant who is worth his weight in gold, and I would say he is one of the most important members of our Special Forces Company.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(248, 248, 248);&quot;&gt;Those who look down upon others just because they are not the same MOS or don&#39;t have a badge, in my opinion, don&#39;t have a good appreciation for what being part of a team actually means.&lt;/div&gt; Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Mar 15 at 2014 9:26 PM 2014-03-15T21:26:49-04:00 2014-03-15T21:26:49-04:00 CW2 Private RallyPoint Member 76692 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>POG = Personnel Other than Grunt. GRUNT = General Replacement UN-Trained. So a POG is anyone who has some training and experience, i.e. not the FNG. Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 15 at 2014 9:42 PM 2014-03-15T21:42:41-04:00 2014-03-15T21:42:41-04:00 1SG Private RallyPoint Member 76698 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div><p>As I read your post the only thing that jumps out at me is Hazing. Calling me a POG may or may not be right but it is not close to hazing. This is one of the issues I feel we have with the military. If someone says or does anything slightly offensive or hurtful it is considered hazing. </p><p> </p><p>Now I am no infantry Soldiers so you can call me POG all day long. I am great at my job and without me you cant kick in doors. Call me anything you want. It is about being proud of who you are. The Combat arms guys call us POGs because they are proud of what they do and not all people can do it. </p><p> </p><p>Would it be hazing if I stood around with a bunch of Soldiers talking about how civilians don't know how hard it is to be a Soldiers. Those civilians got it easy cause I fight for their freedom. If I use the word civilians in the same context as POGs am I hazing the civilian population. We as a military really need to get away from using words like 'hazing" and "toxic leader" as a catch all. </p> Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 15 at 2014 10:04 PM 2014-03-15T22:04:30-04:00 2014-03-15T22:04:30-04:00 SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member 76699 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div><p>Through all the bluster, it is funny (to me) that Infantry Soldiers tend to complain the most about everything having to do with their MOS.  For example, they have to sleep outside in the elements, get shot at, hump ridiculous amounts of gear, don't get to shower often, don't sleep in beds, etc.  I simply smile and ask them if someone held a gun to their heads at MEPS when they chose their MOS.</p><p><br></p><p>They also make fun of everyone else who has access to a PX, yet (on deployments) when the Infantry guys roll into a major base, they beeline for the PX and clean it out like a plague of locusts.</p><p><br></p><p>I also ask them if Aviation Soldiers are POGs as well, when they come to extract their butts from a hot LZ.  You can almost hear the crickets.</p><p><br></p><p>Airborne types:  Yeah they call non-Airborne Soldiers "Legs."  The truth is, most Soldiers with Airborne wings on their uniforms have likely not jumped since Airborne School and have a whopping 5 jumps to their credit.  Whenever I hear the "Leg" moniker being used, I ask the Airborne trooper what he does once he hits the ground.  Yeah, they walk just like the rest of us.  Having known quite a few Airborne qualified people who actually have more than 5 jumps, I have been told that it is not IF you get injured, it is WHEN and how badly.  Eventually the jumping will catch up with you in the form of lower extremity and back problems.  So who comes out ahead in that respect?</p><p><br></p><p>I don't care who calls whom what.  I was a Corrections Officer prior to the Army, and have been called everything that there is out there, and those names were a lot worse than POG or LEG.  So bring it on.  I don't care.</p><p><br></p><p>I do what I do, and no one calling me names is going to change that.</p><p><br></p><p>Sticks &amp; Stones...</p> Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 15 at 2014 10:06 PM 2014-03-15T22:06:27-04:00 2014-03-15T22:06:27-04:00 SSgt Private RallyPoint Member 76777 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div><p>I know without the right weather conditions a mission can and has been scrubbed.   Likewise having food is important or that supply has equipment and things like boots and other combat gear.</p><p><br></p><p>How about bullets or fresh water?   </p> Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 16 at 2014 2:41 AM 2014-03-16T02:41:02-04:00 2014-03-16T02:41:02-04:00 MAJ Private RallyPoint Member 76848 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Pogs are what we called the cardboard coins AAFES gave us as change in Iraq because they had the cut the weight of the stuff they brought into country. Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 16 at 2014 7:30 AM 2014-03-16T07:30:58-04:00 2014-03-16T07:30:58-04:00 SSgt Private RallyPoint Member 76958 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Where all apart of the same team. I have seen combat arms service members who were cowardly in combat and &quot;POGs&quot; whoop it in when the chips were down. At the end of the day your job doesn&#39;t make you bullet proof. I would rather work with a &quot;POG&quot; who has the right combat mindset than a combat arms guy who would rather be somewhere else. I can make the &quot;POG&quot; what I need him to be.&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;It&#39;s probably a cultural thing, but I&#39;ve never heard of &quot;hazing words&quot;.&lt;/div&gt; Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 16 at 2014 2:06 PM 2014-03-16T14:06:52-04:00 2014-03-16T14:06:52-04:00 SGT Private RallyPoint Member 76960 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>all it is, is just talking smack i call my buddies pogs all the times and i know quite a few hazing pog cadences but all of it is just in good fun i have many friends who are pogs and ill still have a beer with them because in the end were all brothers that like to talk smack its a sibling rivalry for the most part, and being infantry we like to be a league of our own so to speak. but all in all its in good fun Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 16 at 2014 2:08 PM 2014-03-16T14:08:13-04:00 2014-03-16T14:08:13-04:00 MAJ Jim Woods 77136 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div><p>Hazing to me is used as a right of passage as in fraternity hazing, DI hazing, or OCS Tac Officer hazing, or Ranger Training hazing.  It is all used as a part of becoming a member that is like minded.  Going through it and surviving is a matter of personal pride.</p><p><br></p><p>Being called a POG, Leg, Grunt, Rotorhead, Ash and Trash, Shit Burner (gotta' be a VN vet for that one), or any other colloquial verbalization is kinda' like me calling my brother "Dork Nozzle" . Those are names used to render offhanded respect to those who are like minded. As in the Services.  One of my best friends is a retired USMC Scout Sniper.  I call him Jarhead and remind him that I know who both my parents are. I do it with considerable respect for who he was and what he did.  Only insiders even know what it's all about.  Oh Yeah, If any one else other than a proud member of the Military community called him that............ I would be the first to the fight.  </p><p><br></p><p>I was a POG as a contractor in Iraq in 2011.  Of course once in a while I would wear my CIB cap and then it was "Hey Old Man, did you really know George Washington?".  It never goes away no matter who you are. Just go with it and have fun.</p> Response by MAJ Jim Woods made Mar 16 at 2014 7:44 PM 2014-03-16T19:44:19-04:00 2014-03-16T19:44:19-04:00 SGT Private RallyPoint Member 77302 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Calling someone a POG is hazing in your book SGT H? To me that sounds like the mindset of the newer, weaker, more politically correct Army that we have today. Either you're a grunt, or your not. If you're going to take it personally when you're referred to as a POG then in my opinion you need thicker skin.<div><br></div><div>As far as whether it's a personal choice as to where your unit deploys to, of course it isn't, and you knew that when you asked it. That doesn't change that when you enlisted you opted for your particular non combat related MOS. You had the option to go combat arms, and you opted out. The price of that choice is to be a POG.</div><div><br></div><div>This doesn't make you less of a soldier. Doesn't matter what your MOS is, if you do it well then I'll give you all the props in the world. As others have mentioned, infantryman wouldn't get very far without support. Embrace your POGness, and the next time someone tries to put you down with that term punch the guy in the face. Guarantee you he'll look at you under a whole new light afterwords.</div> Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 17 at 2014 1:08 AM 2014-03-17T01:08:28-04:00 2014-03-17T01:08:28-04:00 GySgt Private RallyPoint Member 77334 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I ♥ POG Life Response by GySgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 17 at 2014 3:37 AM 2014-03-17T03:37:07-04:00 2014-03-17T03:37:07-04:00 SSG Private RallyPoint Member 78848 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Pog I don't think is a hazing word, its more of an MOS pride/competition. Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2014 12:23 AM 2014-03-19T00:23:30-04:00 2014-03-19T00:23:30-04:00 SSG Private RallyPoint Member 78948 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div><div>Grunt = Infantry</div><div>POG = Personnel Other than Grunt<br><br>If it upsets you so much, re-class and become a grunt. Did some big bad Grunt call you a POG? So what? I'm an MP, I am proud of being an MP. Is an MP a POG? Yup, so what? It's what I chose to do in the Army. You made the choice of being a 92G, you could of been 11B, but you didn't chose it. I could have been 11B, but i didn't chose it ether. </div> Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2014 8:07 AM 2014-03-19T08:07:42-04:00 2014-03-19T08:07:42-04:00 SSG (ret) William Martin 78954 <div class="images-v2-count-1"><div class="content-picture image-v2-number-1" id="image-2122"> <div class="social_icons social-buttons-on-image"> <a href='https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rallypoint.com%2Fanswers%2Fwhat-are-your-thoughts-on-mos-s-that-don-t-deploy-to-combat-areas-without-choice-what-about-referring-to-soldiers-as-pogs%3Futm_source%3DFacebook%26utm_medium%3Dorganic%26utm_campaign%3DShare%20to%20facebook' target="_blank" class='social-share-button facebook-share-button'><i class="fa fa-facebook-f"></i></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What+are+your+thoughts+on+mos%27s+that+don%27t+deploy+to+%22combat+areas%22+without+choice%3F+What+about+referring+to+soldiers+as+%22pogs%22%3F&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rallypoint.com%2Fanswers%2Fwhat-are-your-thoughts-on-mos-s-that-don-t-deploy-to-combat-areas-without-choice-what-about-referring-to-soldiers-as-pogs&amp;via=RallyPoint" target="_blank" class="social-share-button twitter-custom-share-button"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a> <a href="mailto:?subject=Check this out on RallyPoint!&body=Hi, I thought you would find this interesting:%0D%0AWhat are your thoughts on mos&#39;s that don&#39;t deploy to &quot;combat areas&quot; without choice? What about referring to soldiers as &quot;pogs&quot;?%0D%0A %0D%0AHere is the link: https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/what-are-your-thoughts-on-mos-s-that-don-t-deploy-to-combat-areas-without-choice-what-about-referring-to-soldiers-as-pogs" target="_blank" class="social-share-button email-share-button"><i class="fa fa-envelope"></i></a> </div> <a class="fancybox" rel="742818fdbad5f0d00c4b8c9119448667" href="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/002/122/for_gallery_v2/1001550_276049252570718_1309025918_n.jpg"><img src="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/002/122/large_v3/1001550_276049252570718_1309025918_n.jpg" alt="1001550 276049252570718 1309025918 n" /></a></div></div>PUMP- People Under Military Police Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Mar 19 at 2014 8:25 AM 2014-03-19T08:25:43-04:00 2014-03-19T08:25:43-04:00 SSG V. Michelle Woods 78973 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>If I'm called "morale support", is that considered hazing?  Response by SSG V. Michelle Woods made Mar 19 at 2014 9:01 AM 2014-03-19T09:01:04-04:00 2014-03-19T09:01:04-04:00 PO1 Private RallyPoint Member 79188 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>How is calling someone a POG hazing? This makes no sense to me at all. POG, Boot, FNG, are all endearing terms. It's apart of the dysfunctional family that is the Armed Services.  Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2014 1:30 PM 2014-03-19T13:30:11-04:00 2014-03-19T13:30:11-04:00 CW3 Private RallyPoint Member 79205 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Everyone&#39;s a pogue fobbit until the ammo, fuel, food, or water doesn&#39;t show up. Then all of the sudden the larger portion of the army suddenly becomes relevant to grunt types. Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2014 1:49 PM 2014-03-19T13:49:50-04:00 2014-03-19T13:49:50-04:00 SGT Montana Crawford 79280 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I was only infantry 3 1/2 years before reclassing to medic, aka "Grunt with heavier backpack", hah!<div><br></div><div>But I must say that in my very limited experience, POG was always used as an endearing term towards our commo/supply guys who we held in the highest esteem. The only time we used "POG" with venom was when a non-11B tried to say they were "basically the same thing as infantry". But that's another thread entirely.</div><div><br></div><div>As I'm now a combat medic and no longer authorized a blue cord, you could jokingly call me a POG all day, and my only response would be a laugh and a "At least I'm not a Fobbit!"</div> Response by SGT Montana Crawford made Mar 19 at 2014 3:13 PM 2014-03-19T15:13:50-04:00 2014-03-19T15:13:50-04:00 CW3 Private RallyPoint Member 79289 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>It's not hazing.  Seriously.  I've been hazed in the military, and being called a POG is nowhere near hazing.  <br><br>Yes, name calling is dumb.  I'm not going to let someone calling me a POG break me mentally or otherwise.  <br><br>You know what they say...Signal Corps.....you can talk about us, but you can't talk without us! Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2014 3:18 PM 2014-03-19T15:18:04-04:00 2014-03-19T15:18:04-04:00 LCpl Mark Lefler 79420 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>The way I saw it... if being a grunt was so amazing, then why was my MOS school full of grunts becoming computer techs... the job I did for the Corps was important. The instructors couldn't do their instructing if their computer, printers, projectors didn't work. They couldn't get paid or get orders if their computers didn't work.. so call me a POG without me, you'd not get paid. Response by LCpl Mark Lefler made Mar 19 at 2014 5:02 PM 2014-03-19T17:02:15-04:00 2014-03-19T17:02:15-04:00 SSG Christopher Freeman 79504 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>The way I see it, you are either a POG or grunt. Either way, everyone contributes to the fight in their own respective way. Response by SSG Christopher Freeman made Mar 19 at 2014 6:39 PM 2014-03-19T18:39:39-04:00 2014-03-19T18:39:39-04:00 SPC Private RallyPoint Member 79829 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I love it when someone says POG, it cracks me up. I've only heard it used in the context of jokes. I've never seen someone use the word in a conversation degrading someone or hazing them.  Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2014 4:33 AM 2014-03-20T04:33:22-04:00 2014-03-20T04:33:22-04:00 CW3 Private RallyPoint Member 80469 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Here's the thing though:  There are plenty that use 'Pog' in a very derogatory manner...and I think that's what's being objected to.<div><br></div><div>Personally, if someone's going to call me a 'Pog' in a derogatory way, I'm just going to sit there quietly and wait until their computer goes down.  But I'm a Chief, and worse, I'm a Signal Corps Chief, so I'm evil like that.  Muahahahahaha!</div> Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2014 9:17 PM 2014-03-20T21:17:48-04:00 2014-03-20T21:17:48-04:00 SFC Private RallyPoint Member 80489 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>POG, Person Of Garrison from the 1800s in the old Cav days. When the Cav (Horse Soldiers) left garrisonor old forts, the Supply, Admin, Blacksmiths, Cooks, etc were left behind to do "the work of garrison". too bad Soldiers do not know alot about the history of the Army and some of the old words. Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2014 9:39 PM 2014-03-20T21:39:54-04:00 2014-03-20T21:39:54-04:00 SSG Mike Angelo 161950 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>My first permanent party unit was with the 707th, 7th ID, Fort Ord, Ca. This<br />was General Bradley's division. I remember several events when MOS did not matter; forced marches with web gear, helmet, butt pack and 2 canteens, fixed bayonet parade formation, yea,...try marching in that one and pulling interior guard. It did not matter what MOS or ASI, etc. We were Soldiers first. I was told, that my Primary MOS was what I signed up for, but while you are in the army, your secondary MOS is basic rifleman, infantryman. <br /><br />"Oh, Sergeant, that is not what I signed up for. I signed up to be a technician"...Sergeant's reply was "Ah, you are a Soldier first."<br /><br />The most important thing that I learned at my first duty assignment, after all that technical training, BCT and AIT. I was a Soldier first. <br /><br />It is not so bad. What made my first assignment interesting was Brave Shield I and II at Ft. Irwin, field duty at Camp Roberts and Fort Hunter Liggett, Ca., and qualifying with an M203 grenade launcher in the back 40 range. Response by SSG Mike Angelo made Jun 23 at 2014 9:48 PM 2014-06-23T21:48:27-04:00 2014-06-23T21:48:27-04:00 SSG Private RallyPoint Member 302512 <div class="images-v2-count-1"><div class="content-picture image-v2-number-1" id="image-12167"> <div class="social_icons social-buttons-on-image"> <a href='https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rallypoint.com%2Fanswers%2Fwhat-are-your-thoughts-on-mos-s-that-don-t-deploy-to-combat-areas-without-choice-what-about-referring-to-soldiers-as-pogs%3Futm_source%3DFacebook%26utm_medium%3Dorganic%26utm_campaign%3DShare%20to%20facebook' target="_blank" class='social-share-button facebook-share-button'><i class="fa fa-facebook-f"></i></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What+are+your+thoughts+on+mos%27s+that+don%27t+deploy+to+%22combat+areas%22+without+choice%3F+What+about+referring+to+soldiers+as+%22pogs%22%3F&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rallypoint.com%2Fanswers%2Fwhat-are-your-thoughts-on-mos-s-that-don-t-deploy-to-combat-areas-without-choice-what-about-referring-to-soldiers-as-pogs&amp;via=RallyPoint" target="_blank" class="social-share-button twitter-custom-share-button"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a> <a href="mailto:?subject=Check this out on RallyPoint!&body=Hi, I thought you would find this interesting:%0D%0AWhat are your thoughts on mos&#39;s that don&#39;t deploy to &quot;combat areas&quot; without choice? What about referring to soldiers as &quot;pogs&quot;?%0D%0A %0D%0AHere is the link: https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/what-are-your-thoughts-on-mos-s-that-don-t-deploy-to-combat-areas-without-choice-what-about-referring-to-soldiers-as-pogs" target="_blank" class="social-share-button email-share-button"><i class="fa fa-envelope"></i></a> </div> <a class="fancybox" rel="6d3d808b451fdfbabfa73229eeba0c69" href="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/012/167/for_gallery_v2/poglife.jpg"><img src="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/012/167/large_v3/poglife.jpg" alt="Poglife" /></a></div></div>POG life!! Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2014 12:10 AM 2014-10-31T00:10:55-04:00 2014-10-31T00:10:55-04:00 Cpl Christopher Bishop 302702 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I can't believe the term "Pog" and "Hazing" are even used by anyone in the same sentence.<br /><br />First, Id take a good look at what definition of the term HAZING really is.<br /><br />Second, there will always be some blanket term to use as an indicator of Combat Job Yes or No.<br /><br />I understand that not every enlistee of any branch is going to attend every possible school for every MOS. I would not expect a Pog-turned-Grunt to come to my section already trained to the point where my confidence in them is already up to 100% the day they show up. I'm not sure grunts-by-MOS have that high of an appraisal of inexperienced grunts who just appeared from their school, either.<br /><br />But what I might expect is that at the very least their Physical Fitness is to a minimum level that they can perform under their new job description without their lack of fitness becoming an issue, negatively affecting job performance.<br /><br />It is often a silly human nature for everyone to believe THEIR unit is the single most important unit within any major operation. Combat Arms runs around 10% of the military population, and it takes the other 90% to support them.<br /><br />I will toss in my 3 cents on this however. IF there is anything to the idea that Grunts feel in any way " a cut above the rest" ...its NOT that we don't have a few (usually Married and living off-base) Grunts who also struggle with physical fitness. But at least we can usually see in them, like most of the rest of us (there are exceptions to everything), that while many folks who sign an enlistment contract are only doing so for the "whats in it for me" (ie college money, healthcare, whatever)...that there are some who did what we did simply out of believing in our Nation and a desire to contribute to it...which just coincidentally can keep one's attitude and therefore performance above water.<br /><br />Before you blast me...consider your own units...think of those who were most obviously Contributors, and those who were closer to Exploiters. At any work environment. Response by Cpl Christopher Bishop made Oct 31 at 2014 3:39 AM 2014-10-31T03:39:00-04:00 2014-10-31T03:39:00-04:00 SSG Jason Cherry 302731 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>In the last decade and more, I think the POG term has become a bit outdated. I had an encounter with an infantry fellow who was tossing the term around, and over the course of our conversation I feel like this person shrank a little in his boots. As an 11b, he explained that he was deployed to Iraq and guarded the ASP and DHA at Camp Liberty/Victory in Baghdad, and had never gone on a patrol and nearly crapped his pants at some incoming IDF. I kindly explained to him that I, a commo guy, had been out on dozens of patrols and convoys, flown all over, IED&#39;s, IDF, restored our BDE TOC comms while under IDF attack, and nearly shot in the nugget a few times. So if by POG you mean someone who doesn&#39;t see combat, I find it funny, because between you and me, looks like you&#39;re the POG buddy.<br /><br />Unconventional/asymmetric warfare has made just about anyone who has deployed, eligible for the crucible of combat. If you&#39;re proud of what you do and you know your role in the fight, you can justify your position if need be...otherwise you can brush it off and be confident of your contribution. It doesn&#39;t matter what some knucklehead says about POGs or whatever, but it is nice to toss that grenade back at &#39;em and watch their faces. Response by SSG Jason Cherry made Oct 31 at 2014 5:11 AM 2014-10-31T05:11:32-04:00 2014-10-31T05:11:32-04:00 SPC James Mcneil 334257 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>The word POG has never bothered me. It's just a word. I've been called a lot worse than that, and they're still just words. Response by SPC James Mcneil made Nov 19 at 2014 4:58 PM 2014-11-19T16:58:38-05:00 2014-11-19T16:58:38-05:00 2014-03-15T18:58:50-04:00