How do I join the military but NOT join the infantry?

I got out of the USAF in 2005, so maybe this has changed since (but I doubt it)...

If you join the Army, you have your job locked in before you go off to basic training. Unless you get injured or something in basic training or something else really unlikely happens, you'll go and train for the job you signed up for. LIke all branches of the armed services, the higher you score on the ASVAB, the more (and better) job opportunities there are for you.

If the USAF, if you don't get a guaranteed job you are merely at their mercy. This is what I did. Thankfully, I got a decent ASVAB score and they gave me a decent job.

I honestly don't know what the Coast Guard, Navy, or Marines do, but I doubt it's much different than the USA or USAF.

When I joined I was in what sounds like a similar situation as you are. I didn't particularly like it, but in the end, glad I went.

Join the Navy or the Air Force and you won't be in the infantry.

Just google a list of Army MOS's (MOS = job).

There are plenty of things you can do in the Army that have nothing to do with infantry. If you have a good ASVAB score, you will have even more choices.

I have a number of friends that served, none in the infantry. One friend worked in communications, spent his entire time working in radio. Another was a helicopter pilot, another was a helicopter mechanic, another was an MP.

This is really counter-intuitive to civilians (at least it is to me), but infantry is actually a really competitive group to get into. I'm not sure if this is true for people that straight up enlist, but I know it is true for people in military school going through officer training.

My brother just finished at military school and got his assignment. He was allowed to rank his top choices before they gave him his assignment. He picked infantry for #1. When I asked him why, he said almost everyone puts infantry at #1, making it very hard to get into. It's in high demand.

I think it has to do with them being trained constantly for combat. Ultimately, they want to use those skills or they may feel like that training was worthless.

Not sure how this affects you if you are not going through a military school to enlist as an officer but I would look into it.

Just go into your recruiter and ask to take the language test (DLAB) because you want to go into 97 or 98 Intel Military Occupation Specialist (MOS) positions (linguist, interrogator, voice intercept, counter-intel, etc.). I then went to the Defense Language Institute (DLIFLC) for more than a year in Monterey, CA, got the GI Bill, and a bonus for signing (paid once you graduate DLI and your Advanced Individual Training (AIT) school. I also got to travel to do in-country language immersion programs in Germany (there's a school there too) and in a country that spoke my language. Can't beat that.

Then you go to college for free, with a foreign language immersion program under your belt.

Anything you want to be sure of make sure the recruiter writes it in the contract before you sign it. None of this trust me or we will work it out later. Recruiters don't care what happens after you sign on the dotted line.

"Not infantry" is a huge category that includes all of the Navy and Air Force and a majority of the Army and Marines (in practice - even if you get basic training as a rifleman).

"No killing" is a smaller category and depends on your definition of killing and how directly you might be involved in killing. Do you mean medic/corpsman? Truck driver? Any of the thousands of technical positions? Study what your real options are in each service and try to narrow down what you are looking for before talking to a recruiter.

join the coast guard. If you're luck you'll be stationed on the great lakes rescuing sail boats and arresting drunks

No killing for me wrote:

I'm graduating in June. My family has no money for college. I have been offered a job next year to drive a delivery box truck and they will pay for big rig trucking school. I want to talk to a military recruiter soon. How do I join the military but NOT join the infantry?

1) Are you a GREAT student? If so, get accepted to an IVY League school and if your family really has NO money for college, you will get a full ride (they pay based on need, not merit).

2) IF you are a great student, apply to any of the hundreds of colleges that DO give merit scholarships...and get a full ride. Many colleges have published criteria to meet to get a full ride...here in Ohio, if you get a 30 or higher on the ACT and are in the top 10% of your class, then OSU, Bowling Green, Toledo...they all give a full ride for that. Other schools simply will hand out great scholarships IF YOU ARE A TOP STUDENT.

3) If you are NOT a top student, then go work, take some loans, and pay for a cheap college somewhere. Shepherd University in WV is $6,125 a year. There are other cheap colleges too, and they will STILL give you financial aid on top of being cheap.

Bottom line is you can make college work if you want to.

I want to play football but I don't actually want to go on the field.

Don't play football.

Fagpole is right. Toledo practically begs decent students to attend because of the terrible student retention rate. I go fo freeeeeeeeee

This is the correct answer.

ReaganwbushcheneyromneyoreiilylimbaughrobertjohnsonIII are all experts at avoiding combat, and the draft for that matter. Should ask them.

The Navy has numerous fields that will pay you for over a year of serious technical training and you will be obligated for another 3-5 years. The training and experience will set you up for excellent post service jobs. Just make sure you know exactly what you are signing up for and have the training guaranteed.

No killing for me wrote:

I'm graduating in June. My family has no money for college. I have been offered a job next year to drive a delivery box truck and they will pay for big rig trucking school. I want to talk to a military recruiter soon. How do I join the military but NOT join the infantry?

See if you can get George HW Bush to adopt you

Coast Guard is good but the enlisted advancement rate is moving at a snail pace right now.

Coast Guard! wrote:

join the coast guard. If you're luck you'll be stationed on the great lakes rescuing sail boats and arresting drunks

Once you become a REMF remember that grunt that gave you the freedom.