Posted: 1/28/2009 5:24:50 PM EDT
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What do army infantrymen that are active duty do when not fighting over in iraq?
What do they do at work? |
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I'm sure it's changed and thre is a lot more training going on, but when I was active at Ft. Campbell we rotated through 3 cycles. black, or ready to go, white for civillian and military schooling and block leave, and gold for field time.
When weren't in the field I did a lot of reading, playing video games, floor buffing, picking up trash, guarding the airfield and ammo supply point, taking a couple classes (local colleges usually have a sattelite campuso n post), stuff like that. also a lot of going into the wooded areas for short training. Practicing movements, land navigation, first aid training, all the basic soldiering stuff. |
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What do army infantrymen that are active duty do when not fighting over in iraq? What do they do at work? Training... PT.... Work detail.. Picking up pine cones & Lawn care... Cleaning... Equipment maintainance (PMCS)... More training... And the occasional gawd-fucking-awful cerimonial parade... This is pretty much the same for most of the Army, except that in some support units with a 'real mission' back in garrison, replace one of the 'Training' choices with 'Do your MOS work'.... Most of it is collectively called 'Garrison Bullshit'! |
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I often asked myself the same thing when enlisting 11B seemed like a GOOD idea.
If you're not in Iraqistan or in the field(N.T.C., J.R.T.C., Backyard) you ARE doing busy work. Details, details, shit details, details, color guard, funeral detail, ceremony detail......... Playing OPFOR for other units. Layouts of all equipment for accountability at least once a week. Clean weapons, clean commo gear, clean/maintain Bradley(if mech). Repeat weekly. E.O. class, sexual harassment class, OPSEC class, Combat lifesaver class, Field sanitation class ....... |
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Basically...everything listed above and then whatever else you can sit down and dream up to fit into the training schedule.
What?....there's white space on the calendar?......S3, schedule something now! it's all good though......I wouldn't trade being an Infantryman for anything. |
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It's different if you're in the 82nd or Ranger batt. When you're not fighting or training, you're surrounded by hordes of hot bikini babes at the beach. You drink beer, work on your tan or do some horizontal bikini babe PT. So, go Airborne or Ranger.
I couldn't imagine living the life of a leg. <shudder> |
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It's different if you're in the 82nd or Ranger batt. When you're not fighting or training, you're surrounded by hordes of hot bikini babes at the beach. You drink beer, work on your tan or do some horizontal bikini babe PT. So, go Airborne or Ranger. I couldn't imagine living the life of a leg. <shudder> x10 blue cord + bloused jump boots on class a uniform = chic magnet 
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edited for truthfulness
Composite of a week from events I have witnessed, not all of this occurred in the same week or same day: Monday: Hey guys uhh we have an Equal Opportunity class with some pogues we have to go to. It will be about 5 hours long. It will consist of being told not to rape stuff or drink. Watch a strange campy movie on sexual assault. Watch a male and female e-6 argue over whether a man in a tank top, "Deserves to be raped, due to his clothes" Male e-6 argues, yes indeed he does deserve to be raped. Female is screaming unintelligibly at him. Come out of the other end feeling like you had a lobotomy. Get done with what you need to do for the day. Wait around till 1800 for notes. Notes: We got a range coming up sometime.... soon, maybe. Clean your gear. Tuesday: Everyone to the motor pool to do something, we're not sure what we are doing yet, just be there. Wait around till 1800 for notes. Notes: Sgt. Stuff and 3 privates go to brigade for some sort of detail. I have no idea who your POC is, ask people you see. Wednesday: We need to draw out the weapons to clean them and pmcs them. We also have a class on giving classes. Wait around till 1800 for notes. There are no notes today. Sorry for making you wait. Thursday: Everyone needs shots. Get shots. Wait no we're not supposed to get shots today, that's next month. Get done around 1100. Wait around till 1800 for notes. Notes: We have a brigade fun run coming up next week. Be prepared for an ankle breaking slow pace. Friday: No one wants to be here. Look busy. Clean stuff. Stay out of sight. Prepare to get drunk to forget the rest of the week. Wait around till 1800 to get a briefing. Don't do drugs, don't rape people, don't get a DUI or arrested. Call us if there is a problem. You can call the BN CO if you're drunk and need a ride, he doesn't care. If you fucking call him you will die. Run to the class six and grab enough alcohol to make your brain cry uncle. Start drinking. Go somewhere with women. Extra points if someone gets arrested in the first four hours after the briefing for DUI. Saturday: Too drunk to remember. Sgt. Sorrow at the bar is angry because he is called in to deal with his soldier that was arrested. Sunday: Possibly still drinking, maybe not. Hopefully the bed you pass out in is your own and you are not in jail. Monday: Wake up SPC Guy, who is late to PT. He is passed out, with his alarm going off, tv on a looped dvd intro and his face resting on a half eaten sandwich. Stare amazed as he wakes up, asks what time it is, picks up the sandwich and starts eating it. Learn Pvt. Snuffy got arrested for being intoxicated, puking on a stripper and punching a bartender. All NCOs are failures for not controlling their soldiers 24/7, 365. People are not accountable for their own actions. Junior leaders should exercise mind control powers or attach helmet cams to their soldiers. You're the backbone of the Army. |
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A lot of piss poor attitudes around here. My post was tongue-in-cheek but maybe life in leg land really does suck that bad. It sounds like leg infantry has no pride.
Yes, you are assigned details and are posted for guard mount. When it's your turn in the rotation, that's what you do. Otherwise, you are training to fight. You learn and practice combat tactics. You conduct field exercises including patrolling, ambushes, raids, movement to contact, defensive perimeters - things infantrymen do. You go through MOUT training - Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain. You conduct parachute insertions, airfield seizures, you rappel, you do STABOs and air assaults. You hit the range - rifle, pistol, machine gun, demolition, grenade - lots of shooting and blowing shit up. Land navigation courses, ruck marches, medical training, call for fire, commo, AT weapons, APERS & AT mine employment. You do a ton of Infantry shit. That's your job. That's what keeps you occupied most of the time while you are not deployed to a theater of combat. Saying all infantrymen will be doing is hating life and getting fucked with is absolute bullshit. |
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edited for truthfulness Composite of a week from events I have witnessed, not all of this occurred in the same week or same day: Monday: Hey guys uhh we have an Equal Opportunity class with some pogues we have to go to. It will be about 5 hours long. It will consist of being told not to rape stuff or drink. Watch a strange campy movie on sexual assault. Watch a male and female e-6 argue over whether a man in a tank top, "Deserves to be raped, due to his clothes" Male e-6 argues, yes indeed he does deserve to be raped. Female is screaming unintelligibly at him. Come out of the other end feeling like you had a lobotomy. Get done with what you need to do for the day. Wait around till 1800 for notes. Notes: We got a range coming up sometime.... soon, maybe. Clean your gear. Tuesday: Everyone to the motor pool to do something, we're not sure what we are doing yet, just be there. Wait around till 1800 for notes. Notes: Sgt. Stuff and 3 privates go to brigade for some sort of detail. I have no idea who your POC is, ask people you see. Wednesday: We need to draw out the weapons to clean them and pmcs them. We also have a class on giving classes. Wait around till 1800 for notes. There are no notes today. Sorry for making you wait. Thursday: Everyone needs shots. Get shots. Wait no we're not supposed to get shots today, that's next month. Get done around 1100. Wait around till 1800 for notes. Notes: We have a brigade fun run coming up next week. Be prepared for an ankle breaking slow pace. Friday: No one wants to be here. Look busy. Clean stuff. Stay out of sight. Prepare to get drunk to forget the rest of the week. Wait around till 1800 to get a briefing. Don't do drugs, don't rape people, don't get a DUI or arrested. Call us if there is a problem. You can call the BN CO if you're drunk and need a ride, he doesn't care. If you fucking call him you will die. Run to the class six and grab enough alcohol to make your brain cry uncle. Start drinking. Go somewhere with women. Extra points if someone gets arrested in the first four hours after the briefing for DUI. Saturday: Too drunk to remember. Sgt. Sorrow at the bar is angry because he is called in to deal with his soldier that was arrested. Sunday: Possibly still drinking, maybe not. Hopefully the bed you pass out in is your own and you are not in jail. Monday: Wake up SPC Guy, who is late to PT. He is passed out, with his alarm going off, tv on a looped dvd intro and his face resting on a half eaten sandwich. Stare amazed as he wakes up, asks what time it is, picks up the sandwich and starts eating it. Learn Pvt. Snuffy got arrested for being intoxicated, puking on a stripper and punching a bartender. All NCOs are failures for not controlling their soldiers 24/7, 365. People are not accountable for their own actions. Junior leaders should exercise mind control powers or attach helmet cams to their soldiers. You're the backbone of the Army. You hit the nail right on the head right there. We had some ADA troops who lived by us when I was in Korea they said their schedule was quite similar. There are some similarities to the Air Force there. No forethought and planning is one of my favorites. I always loved explaining to the commander why one of my troops decided to get drunk, piss in a phone booth, puke on a cop, shit his pants, grab a cocktail waitresses boob, and spit in an old man face all in one night. I would have to explain this to the boss like I knew what this stupid ass troop did like I was there when I was at home with my family. Then the old man is yelling at me like I should have prevented this. I would brief my squaddies not to do this shit but they always did it anyways. Then the commander would get pissed because I said the troop needed to fry for his indescretions. |
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This applies for both Infantry and light Cavalry. I had a year in a ceremonial infantry company, four years in an air assault infantry battalion, and four years in the RSTA squadron it converted into.
You will train if you have a good chain of command. You will sit around while your chain of command is in meetings if you have a bad chain of command. If your chain of command is a collection of burnouts with a few Iraq tours who are trying to slack and sham until it is time to get on the plane again, you will not train properly, your predeployment training will consist of a lot of stupid block-checking tests my cat could pass, and your chances of survival will sink like a cinderblock in a septic tank. If your chain of command is experienced and is trying to pass that experience along in an organized fashion so you don't do anything to get you or them killed, listen to them. I hate to say it, you won't know what kind of chain of command you'll get until you get there. I wouldn't trade those years I had for much. |
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Thats pretty much it.... P.T. Cleaning weapons Guard duty Mess duty Getting all your "required" shit done Spit shining shoes Pressing Cammies Buffing floors Getting yelled at for not getting shit done And then maybe...... LIBO !!!!! Well, the guard duty is largely civillians now, as are the chow halls... Spit-shining isn't really possible with anything we're issued (rough-out boots, and patent-leather dress shoes (corframs)) and ironing/pressing are a violation of AR-670-1 (and post regulations, on Ft Lewis) LIBO? Lemme guess... A Marine... |
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A lot of piss poor attitudes around here. My post was tongue-in-cheek but maybe life in leg land really does suck that bad. It sounds like leg infantry has no pride. Yes, you are assigned details and are posted for guard mount. When it's your turn in the rotation, that's what you do. Otherwise, you are training to fight. You learn and practice combat tactics. You conduct field exercises including patrolling, ambushes, raids, movement to contact, defensive perimeters - things infantrymen do. You go through MOUT training - Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain. You conduct parachute insertions, airfield seizures, you rappel, you do STABOs and air assaults. You hit the range - rifle, pistol, machine gun, demolition, grenade - lots of shooting and blowing shit up. Land navigation courses, ruck marches, medical training, call for fire, commo, AT weapons, APERS & AT mine employment. You do a ton of Infantry shit. That's your job. That's what keeps you occupied most of the time while you are not deployed to a theater of combat. Saying all infantrymen will be doing is hating life and getting fucked with is absolute bullshit. In my eight years active I spent one year among legs. You are correct, not even half the pride. |
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Buff floors Clean Latrines Pick up cigarette butts PMCS in a nutshell http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b358/cbarzyz/army/cleaningtheroom.jpg 
I’m guessing you’re the guy holding the whip? |
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i agree with the training, training, training, details, details, details, pmcs, pmcs, pmcs, pt, pt, pt. Then Party  This was pretty much the way it was twenty years ago. In Germany (C Co., 1-48th INF, 2nd BDE, 3AD) we trained and maintained ALL the time; we were either in the field, getting ready to go, or just got back. In between we trained, either in the barracks, or in the little training area behind the Kaserne. Once the Armor guys got their brand-new first model M-1's, everyone's morale got a lot better; we didn't feel QUITE so much like speed bumps against the 300 Warsaw Pact divisions on the other side of the fence. Fort Polk (C Co., 3-6th INF, 2nd BDE, 5th ID) things were way more relaxed, but we were in the field just as much, but on foot much of the year-we were the 2nd lowest-priority division in CONUS, and we used up our fuel budget for the tracks in, like, April, Man. So we humped, and humped, and humped, in that God-awful Louisiana heat. But, since we had an ex-Airborne Ranger C.O., we did some GREAT training; so much so that I actually loved my time there, blisters and sunburn and fire-ants notwithstanding. Like others have said, having good leadership DEFINATELY makes a difference; my Vietnam-era senior NCO's and Officers made sure of that. I was lucky both times in being in units that had reputations for being squared-away, and having some pretty damn good leadership. Now, the partying, THAT was something, too...................................... 
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Buff floors Clean Latrines Pick up cigarette butts PMCS in a nutshell http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b358/cbarzyz/army/cleaningtheroom.jpg I’m guessing you’re the guy holding the whip? LOL! nope, I'm the one on my hand and knees scrubing the floor! LOL! |
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I was in the Robert E Lee in Mintz Germany 8th I D , 2nd/28th Inf Reg.
All I did was ride my harley all over the place / Hollond/ black forest/ October fest/ France/ Bom holder/ all over the place getting drunk and screwing every chick That wonted to ride with me. Other than that yes it was boring. |
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Buff floors Clean Latrines Pick up cigarette butts PMCS in a nutshell http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b358/cbarzyz/army/cleaningtheroom.jpg
I’m guessing you’re the guy holding the whip? LOL! nope, I'm the one on my hand and knees scrubing the floor! LOL! I saw the guy with the whip had a “porn stache” and thought that might be you. 
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edited for truthfulness Composite of a week from events I have witnessed, not all of this occurred in the same week or same day: Monday: Hey guys uhh we have an Equal Opportunity class with some pogues we have to go to. It will be about 5 hours long. It will consist of being told not to rape stuff or drink. Watch a strange campy movie on sexual assault. Watch a male and female e-6 argue over whether a man in a tank top, "Deserves to be raped, due to his clothes" Male e-6 argues, yes indeed he does deserve to be raped. Female is screaming unintelligibly at him. Come out of the other end feeling like you had a lobotomy. Get done with what you need to do for the day. Wait around till 1800 for notes. Notes: We got a range coming up sometime.... soon, maybe. Clean your gear. Tuesday: Everyone to the motor pool to do something, we're not sure what we are doing yet, just be there. Wait around till 1800 for notes. Notes: Sgt. Stuff and 3 privates go to brigade for some sort of detail. I have no idea who your POC is, ask people you see. Wednesday: We need to draw out the weapons to clean them and pmcs them. We also have a class on giving classes. Wait around till 1800 for notes. There are no notes today. Sorry for making you wait. Thursday: Everyone needs shots. Get shots. Wait no we're not supposed to get shots today, that's next month. Get done around 1100. Wait around till 1800 for notes. Notes: We have a brigade fun run coming up next week. Be prepared for an ankle breaking slow pace. Friday: No one wants to be here. Look busy. Clean stuff. Stay out of sight. Prepare to get drunk to forget the rest of the week. Wait around till 1800 to get a briefing. Don't do drugs, don't rape people, don't get a DUI or arrested. Call us if there is a problem. You can call the BN CO if you're drunk and need a ride, he doesn't care. If you fucking call him you will die. Run to the class six and grab enough alcohol to make your brain cry uncle. Start drinking. Go somewhere with women. Extra points if someone gets arrested in the first four hours after the briefing for DUI. Saturday: Too drunk to remember. Sgt. Sorrow at the bar is angry because he is called in to deal with his soldier that was arrested. Sunday: Possibly still drinking, maybe not. Hopefully the bed you pass out in is your own and you are not in jail. Monday: Wake up SPC Guy, who is late to PT. He is passed out, with his alarm going off, tv on a looped dvd intro and his face resting on a half eaten sandwich. Stare amazed as he wakes up, asks what time it is, picks up the sandwich and starts eating it. Learn Pvt. Snuffy got arrested for being intoxicated, puking on a stripper and punching a bartender. All NCOs are failures for not controlling their soldiers 24/7, 365. People are not accountable for their own actions. Junior leaders should exercise mind control powers or attach helmet cams to their soldiers. You're the backbone of the Army. God damn, I hate that speech! |
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The best thing I ever did in the Army was finding that extra rare (near Unicorn status) object that is on the commanders property book, the last place anyone saw it was at the very back of a fully laden conex, this is a life or death situation, and its 15 minutes until COB on a Friday....
ETA: When this object is found, it turns out the new LT had it in his desk the entire time, but since he was new he didnt know what is was. |
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edited for truthfulness Composite of a week from events I have witnessed, not all of this occurred in the same week or same day: Monday: Hey guys uhh we have an Equal Opportunity class with some pogues we have to go to. It will be about 5 hours long. It will consist of being told not to rape stuff or drink. Watch a strange campy movie on sexual assault. Watch a male and female e-6 argue over whether a man in a tank top, "Deserves to be raped, due to his clothes" Male e-6 argues, yes indeed he does deserve to be raped. Female is screaming unintelligibly at him. Come out of the other end feeling like you had a lobotomy. Get done with what you need to do for the day. Wait around till 1800 for notes. Notes: We got a range coming up sometime.... soon, maybe. Clean your gear. Tuesday: Everyone to the motor pool to do something, we're not sure what we are doing yet, just be there. Wait around till 1800 for notes. Notes: Sgt. Stuff and 3 privates go to brigade for some sort of detail. I have no idea who your POC is, ask people you see. Wednesday: We need to draw out the weapons to clean them and pmcs them. We also have a class on giving classes. Wait around till 1800 for notes. There are no notes today. Sorry for making you wait. Thursday: Everyone needs shots. Get shots. Wait no we're not supposed to get shots today, that's next month. Get done around 1100. Wait around till 1800 for notes. Notes: We have a brigade fun run coming up next week. Be prepared for an ankle breaking slow pace. Friday: No one wants to be here. Look busy. Clean stuff. Stay out of sight. Prepare to get drunk to forget the rest of the week. Wait around till 1800 to get a briefing. Don't do drugs, don't rape people, don't get a DUI or arrested. Call us if there is a problem. You can call the BN CO if you're drunk and need a ride, he doesn't care. If you fucking call him you will die. Run to the class six and grab enough alcohol to make your brain cry uncle. Start drinking. Go somewhere with women. Extra points if someone gets arrested in the first four hours after the briefing for DUI. Saturday: Too drunk to remember. Sgt. Sorrow at the bar is angry because he is called in to deal with his soldier that was arrested. Sunday: Possibly still drinking, maybe not. Hopefully the bed you pass out in is your own and you are not in jail. Monday: Wake up SPC Guy, who is late to PT. He is passed out, with his alarm going off, tv on a looped dvd intro and his face resting on a half eaten sandwich. Stare amazed as he wakes up, asks what time it is, picks up the sandwich and starts eating it. Learn Pvt. Snuffy got arrested for being intoxicated, puking on a stripper and punching a bartender. All NCOs are failures for not controlling their soldiers 24/7, 365. People are not accountable for their own actions. Junior leaders should exercise mind control powers or attach helmet cams to their soldiers. You're the backbone of the Army. Classic!!! That pretty much sums up being a Soldier down on the line. |
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The best thing I ever did in the Army was finding that extra rare (near Unicorn status) object that is on the commanders property book, the last place anyone saw it was at the very back of a fully laden conex, this is a life or death situation, and its 15 minutes until COB on a Friday....
ETA: When this object is found, it turns out the new LT had it in his desk the entire time, but since he was new he didnt know what is was. LOL! The item you're looking for is ALWAYS in the back of the conex, but it's usually found in the immediate area of the officer who is looking for it. |
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Jeebuz...that sounds like my unit now...
The current thing is that, if we are assigned to go to some type of schooling, like EO or UPL or something that starts at 0800, we still have to go to p.t. formation at 0630 in ACUs for "accountability"...by the time we salute the flag and get felled out and Top finishes grilling us as to why we are not doing p.t., we have maybe a hour if we are lucky to grab breakfast somewhere before class starts...and since it is a 20 minute drive for me to go home, it is not worth it to go home to eat... 
Hell, my platoon leader AND shop NCOIC both know where I am supposed to be, and if I don't go to class, someone will get called about it, probably starting with me and heading up the chain from there. Apparently, trusting an NCO to be where he needs to be is anathema these days, and we have to be hand-held everywhere... |
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What do army infantrymen that are active duty do when not fighting over in iraq? What do they do at work? Activated National Guard go out and fight the war. Active Duty guys from the Eighty Duece patrolled the inside of the Green Zone, and opened the gate so we could leave. When we come home, we get drunk, enjoy our families, and cushy civvie jobs. The Airborne guys go on detail, until we need them again. |
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What do army infantrymen that are active duty do when not fighting over in iraq? What do they do at work? Activated National Guard go out and fight the war. Active Duty guys from the Eighty Duece patrolled the inside of the Green Zone, and opened the gate so we could leave. When we come home, we get drunk, enjoy our families, and cushy civvie jobs. The Airborne guys go on detail, until we need them again. HOOAH!!!! MILITIA!!!!! |
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In war, kill people and blow stuff up, and PT to make up for the PT time lost when you were out doing missions.
In garrison, yeah, clean weapons, do layouts, other details, and a lot of PT, and training. I have pretty much always been in infantry units, and they were always off waaaaay earlier than the medics, commo, staff guys etc. |