Gents, you all have heard the argument that anyone can join the army to be an infantryman.  Yeah right!

By the same token you could also argue that those who can't hack it as infantrymen end up or chose other MOSs or branches in the army.

The truth is the infantry requires skill, intestinal fortitude, expertise in the art of mounted and dismounted warfare and manuever against an adversary at close quarters, profound knowledge of light fighter tactics, strong leadership in extreme circumstances both in training and combat, intelligence, and resilience.

Other MOSs/branches require 'some' of the same, but the point is the infantry is not for brainless men with low GT scores like so many in our Army love to imply.  All jobs in the army require EXPERTISE in their trade.  It is true the way our recruiting system works many low GT score civilians are automatically sent to Ft. Benning, that just makes the job of infantry leaders harder at times.  By the same token many high GT score individuals who have their sights set on special ops chose the infantry as their means to get there (of their own accord).  Just look at CPL Pat Tillman.

It is true that infantry training (including enlisted and officer) a lot of it is physical and dirty and requires plenty of time in the woods.  It is so because it HAS TO BE THAT WAY.  That does not mean that it is for the 'brainless' as so many who can't hack it elude to.  That is like saying that car mechanics are dumb because they are always covered in grease and work hard, when actually many are quite smart and successful.

Currently in our army we have the mech infantry, stryker, aasslt, airborne, light, Ranger, and even SF infantry in the form of 18 BANG-BANGS (18 series personnel can also qualify for the CIBs).  All those form the tip-of-the-spear in combat specially now during the GWOT.  Without the 11Bs, 11B1Ps, 11As, 11B2Vs, and 18Bs in our army the tangos would be eating our lunch right about now.  It takes strong and intelligent enlisted and officer leadership to lead infantry formations in battle.

If you are 11BANG-BANG be proud of it and don't let anyone with dilusions of grandeur tell you different. Other soldiers should be looking up to you and not the other way around.  You are part of a long tradition that started back in 1775 with the Minute Men of the Revolutionary War.

Recently had a talk with some leg MI puke captain who tried to look down on me as an infantry LT and instead got put in his REMF place.

I'm here in Iraq and I've never been prouder to wear the CROSSED RIFLES.

RLTW!

Speaking of MI. I ran into a MI last week who is on Active and home on leave. I was wearing a Tee shirt with the 82nd Logo, and we started talking. During our conversation, I jokingly said "Is it true that MI is one of the oxymoron things"?, he chuckled a couple times, stopped, looked at me and said "WTF is a oxymoron"?

RJ 

RJ - SCOUTS OUT!

As most of you know I am very fond of saying:

There are only two branchs in the Army: Infantry and All Others

If it were not for the Infantry no one else in the Army would have a job.

If it were not for all of the other's the Infantry could not do their job.

Stay Hard, Stay Safe Rios

  michael.bauman@shell.com

Ran headlong into this bizarre belief by REMFs after being stationed in Germany. All of the 11Bs assigned the 9th FA (Pershing-IIs) for warhead security had GT's of 110 or higher... 15E missle maggots would try talking down to us but I'll be damned if I could find one with a GT over 90... Guess the Army didn't want smart folks operating thier nuclear weapon systems( maybe they thought intelligent soldiers would think a little too much about the consequences.) Either way, it made for some interesting and one-sided debates between us and them. Heh... managed to convince the two missle-dweebs who had some sense and smarts to reclass to 11B after they deactivated 56th command.

"The degenerative and loony should never be denigrated but, rather, thanked. In their absence, the rest of you would be obliged to fill congressional seats... positions naturally unsavory to the sane and honorable."

Thorax