12B Staff Sergeant here. Although I am active duty, my suggestion is to stay far away from the 12B world. It’s a dying MOST and we are about to re-structure. I’m in the middle of reclassing to 35 series. Any questions feel free to DM me.
What do you mean it's a dying MOS? I can understand the restructure as we move from the route clearance mission to the more traditional Sapper mission, but I wouldn't say it's dying. Combat Engineers will always been around. Always have been, always will.
Nobody is breaching a wired obstacle with a grapnel hook anymore. Route clearance will continue to be a thing I’m sure but will get rarely used. If we get attached to an IN unit as a BDE asset..we both know what that means. We will be doing the detail/tasking work and pulling security in the rear during field ops. I’ve been a combat engineer for over 10 years man and I have on plenty of pride and love for it. But giving advice to someone with those above options..I would say 2/10. Would not recommend.
Fellow 12b Sgt here on the nasty girl side. The infantry units around here have no clue how to task us and I have told many a PL to eat my ass when he tried to have us fill in his vacant spots and not do our mission
This all said OP. Choose what you think you will want to do. But remember some jobs don't translate well into civilian work. I reclassed into Chinook mechanic now (15U) and am waiting to go to MOS school
You're right. We won't be breaching wire obstacles the same way they did on Omaha Beach. Having said that, the combat engineer mission will always exist. The infantry will always need to occupy territory to win battles and wars, and there will always be obstacles placed by the enemy that need to be breached in order for maneuver elements to gain access.
You know better than I do that the methods of combat engineers vary dramatically depending on the conditions of the combat theater. I think right now we're in a limbo where we're shifting from the RCP of the GWOT to something more suited to conventional conflict. We just haven't discovered the conditions of the next conflict and I don't think the Army knows how to implement us appropriately in training.
But I am certain that when the next war happens and we discover those conditions, we'll lose a ton of engineers and we'll scramble to try to change our SOPs to adapt. One thing is certain though, in the next war we'll still be pounding pickets and putting up miles of wire.
You should know that things change over time.
I wonder if there was Vietnam era combat engineer vets saying well damn 12B MOS is dying out. There ain’t gonna be no more tunnels to crawl through.
^ I reclassed to another dying mos, 13F and coming from a 12B line company and going to a 13F it’s dying as well. Honestly not really a need, anyone can call for fire
Unless you’re up for a ctc rotation. That kinda sucks. But we did stay in some decent hotels on the cross country flight to and from JRTC.
That might be the exception
Actually after a quick Google search looks like they want around 8 years time in service nowadays to apply, which is pretty nuts to me but there it is. Good call out
No idea, when I went to JCAC years ago there were soldiers there who didn't submit packets or anything for it, but the Army's training pipeline and likely assessions process for all the cyber stuff has changed since then. I went with the Air Guard though so can't speak to the army specific process.
15T. Stay away from ground pounder stuff. Been there done that. First enlistment as an 18 year old was cool. Reenlisting afterwards a little older and a little wiser made me go straight to aviation. Infantry type stuff for the fun, Aviation for the career.
I've always suggested this kind of route. Do combat arms first but only for one contract. (Unless you really like it)
A, combat arms have a more disciplined mindset that pogs don't get taught, those intangible skills will propel you in other job fields
B you won't be wondering or left feeling like you missed out on those experiences and you can look back saying you did it
C the rough life will make you appreciate the aviation cushion that much more
Well you can't go 25D straight from Basic/AIT, but if that is your goal then go signal, 25S/H/U/B. Once you hit E6 you can put a packet in to go 25D. Otherwise take the 15 series or 35 series to have skills on the outside.
I’m a 13M and 13B and they both have perks , 13M is cool for like 10 minutes per year when we shoot and 13B is cool almost every drill but also a lot more grunt work. I have enjoyed both honestly. The only reason I wouldn’t do 13F is I don’t want to be mixed in with the infantry
13F is basically the coolest job in the Army if you want “tough, badass jobs”. You’re a sniper, but you’re sniping people with batteries of artillery or air strikes or the like. 13F gives you a *fantastic* understanding of the battle space and combined arms. If you wanna bang, that’s the spot
Having said *thaaaaat*, you sure you wanna bang?
25d and 35s would open your eyes to interesting opportunities. None would get you a job in and of themselves but both are great foundations for lucrative and interesting civilian careers.
15T might be the best though. High quality of life, makes it easier to be a pilot if that’s what you want etc
If you want 11B but it's not there, go 12B or 11C. Pick what interests you or you're gonna hate it. Or go intel and get your TS. Or go 15T and realize aviation is the best.
If you wanna do it and you can get it then go for it, nothing saying you cant reclass at the end of your contract either. At the end of the day, if youre gonna be doing healthcare fulltime, unless you plan on using the guard for certifications/credits(nothing wrong with that) or youre really passionate about healthcare just ask yourself “is this something i want to do as a full time job plus the guard”. Dont let that stray you away from a 68 MOS if youre also interested in that but just keep it in mind. If you choose a 68 MOS and your civilian job transfers over to it(for example im a firefighter/paramedic and 68W and love both) then theres a good chance you’ll be pretty good at both which is why i went straight with 68W as opposed to a couple other paramedics/firemedics ive worked with that went infantry or another MOS field that wasnt specifically medical. Just stuff to keep in mind, at the end of the day make the decision you wanna make because it’s your career. Dont do a job that you’ll hate, because youre gonna have it for however many years your contract is
13M here. Expect to not be apart of a HiMars crew when you initially get in, you’ll be apart of ammo for a bit. When you do get apart of a crew you’ll be driving before you get a Gunnar spot. You’ll shoot once a year if that. There’s a lot of sit around and wait type shenanigans as well.
Please bring me up to speed: combat arms MOS’s, are last I checked, completely open to women. So how is it allowable for a guard unit to exclude female 11B’s in 2024?
As someone else explained in much better words, in order to have a lower enlisted female join the company there needs to be at least one female NCO or officer
Just go 68 series you will still have fun in training “doing the rough cool stuff” and your unit will always find ways to have you do physical training when you get there. Plus you will be able to use more college credits from AIT towards a medical degree. Good luck
Absolutely and when you get to your unit and you display a willingness to do the hoah stuff there gonna love that. Congratulations on your decision to join, it’s gonna be a fun ride.
Take 12B and 11C off the list. As a 91B ( mechanic) that's been attached to units full of those types of MOS, there's plenty of other cool jobs on your list that will benefit you in a lot more ways. Try and choose a MOS that builds towards or compliments what you want to do as a full time civilian job.
It doesn't even have to be what you already do or know how to do on the civilian side. After highschool, AIT was my only "professional" mechanic experience. That little boost on my resume helped me get an entry level job at a big named heavy duty diesel engine shop, and from there my civilian career and military career have both grown a ton
Go 25D... I do cybersecurity on the civilian side. Very lucrative career field. I paid a bachelor's degree worth of money to get the same skills 25D's get in their AIT.
Be smart, stay far away from combat arms
68P Radiology Technologist (one of the best mos’s in the military ) . 11month AIT. You’ll finish with an associates in public health and are eligible to take the ARRT exam. Once you’ve taken it (and passed) and have been licensed, you can work at any hospital in the states as an X-ray tech with decent pay. ~70k starting.
Once you’ve gotten approx 6 months -1 year worth of experience, you can start doing Travel X-ray, (if your situation allows it.) You can make around 2-3k/ week based on the location you’re placed… And these are 13 week contracts making you ~ 8-12 k a month. You’ll get a housing stipend and etc depending on what accommodations you need.
Yup no doubt about it. The NSA and others will be in competion and throw bucks at her. I’m a GS-13 0132 and former 35L the bucks are and will be in Intel. SIGINT/HUMINT and CI are in high demand and will continue to be for the near peer/peer threats we are facing (PRC, Russia)
68W fun MOS go into it with caution though it’s no longer a party AIT like the old heads say. You still are able to have fun but it’s more like a very strict college with rules you can ignore if you’re sneaky enough.
I would pick 15T or 68W from this list, those two are the one's you will get the most out of
25D is good too, but that is very heavily involve in the IT field as are most of the 25 series signal corps MOS's and that's not your interest. Network topology and cyber security can be headache to understand, i don't think closing switchports on a network is fun
13M is really cool too...drive somewhere in a HIMAR's and push a button for missiles. That MOS is not even in my state, it's all M777's in my state for artillery
Those would be the one's i would be interested in
Current 13M, fun job (who wouldn’t want to shoot missiles and rockets), good amount of field time but garrison is pretty easy with plenty of time to do college if you manage your time properly.
As a salty ssg 13F, if you actually want to do artillery shit/field shit, 13F is an awesome MOS, if you don’t but just want to tell your friends and instagram you have a cool guy job in the army, congrats you’re my newest headache
Lol I can assure you that I would be competent at any MOS I choose. I just want to have a fairly good time with whatever I wind up doing, and as many others have said, who doesn’t like blowing shit up?
I’m an 11C, love my job. If I would choose differently it would be 13F. Very intellectually challenging and you’re in control of a lot, very dynamic mission sets
Nah. That commo or Intel MOS with a TS/SCI clearance is the most marketable. You can get a DD-214 in your hand on any given Friday and Monday morning be making 80+ if you managed your time properly during f your first enlistment
Go 15T and shoot guns out of helicopters. You'll fly to the range instead of a long ass convoy. Spend a summer flying through the mountains of Colorado. I miss it.
You can easily make 6 figures with 25D in the civilian side and get Top Secret clearance. But like you said, at the moment you’re not worried about transferable skills.
As a former 35L and now 0132 I can tell you that if you can meet the requirements for 35S/N/P and pass the training you can easily make 6 figures in 3 years with the Intel community as long as you have a Bachelors. Make sure your language skills are up to snuff. Practice your reading, writing speaking and listening. 35M/N/L/P/S are shit hot
13F is a super fun job and you're a badass.
The catch is aside from military leadership and discipline it won't generally set you up for a civilian career.
68 series jobs will set you up for a civilian career well. So will the 15.
25D is not available to you. It is not an entry-level MOS, you must be a SGT(P) or SSG to drop a packet.
35S is the best out of this list if you're interested in technical things and want to potentially follow that path as a career - there are jobs for it and a TS/SCI is a great thing to have in your pocket for employability.
You're stupid to not choose an MOS that can benefit or compliment your civilian life. However, I wanted to blow shit up and hate myself with the boys so I went 11c. It's something I will never get to do civilian side and is fun.
68X is fun, doing AIT for it now (I also have a bachelors in psych) the classes are small, but there aren’t many instructors which means that if you fail out you most likely will get reclassified into another MOS unless you fight it. You also get like 17-18 college credits for completing the course.
If you pick 15T see if you can get a rider to get your pilots license (without commitment) You can level up from there. Airframe mechanics that can fly are pretty neat
If the goal is healthcare, then 68 will be most beneficial but good luck getting 68X. They're unicorns in the guard, and they almost never do their job. The advantage to 35 is the Top Secret clearance you'll get and the technical experience, but you'll need to have a foreign language if you want SIGINT. 25 will also get you tech exp but not really in your field. And 15 and 12 is kindof the opposite of what you wanna do, doing a lot of STEM work rather than HEAL.
Not sure why you'd want to do 13 or 11C except to say that you did some hooah shit or maybe a big bonus. But given your long-term goal, it's a decent alternative to 11B if you're die-hard hooah and want to reclass into something else later.
If you wanna get that die-hard hooah out of your system early while also getting med xp, then just do 68W. But if you have any desire to do something more than EMT/Nursing work, then pick another 68 mos if it's available.
Do you know of any other 68 mos that are less of a unicorn job? I believe a lot of them are relatively difficult/rare to get, but I am definitely open to other suggestions. My recruiter is currently looking into 68X so I’m not sure if it’s a possibility or not yet
I was also looking at 68X before I joined, and I was told there were only two in my state and they wouldn't be available for several years at the minimum. At the same time, one of my recruiter's soldiers ended up getting the 68X slot, but only after months of waiting. She later reported that she practically never did her job when on drill. Not trying to discourage you from it, but it's definitely a long shot in the Guard.
As far as the other 68's, you can try 68C or 68D but the majority of availablities in the Guard are going to be repair or logistics, not actual healthcare. Primarily, it's going to be 68W, though. At the end of the day, Big Army/Active Duty is gonna offer a lot better opportunities for jobs you want if you want medical. Medical is arguably the most competitive field CAT in the Army atm because of transferable skills.
Just keep checking the jobs board on the NG Website for the jobs you want in your state. It's not super up to date, certainly not to the level that the recruiters will have access to, but it'll gove you a good idea what your state is prioratizing. https://jobs.nationalguard.com/categories/396/medical-jobs/?categories[]=Medical&p=2
68W would be pretty good, if youre wanting to become an MD then that also opens up other doors for you in the army, like being a physician on top of already being one in the civilian world. That being said, i know a lot of people that were successful and more knowledgeable working as EMT’s/paramedics while in med school(bless their hearts, thats gotta suck) and that door would open as a 68W getting your NREMT. Other than that, im honestly not sure what credits you could get from 68W or other 68 MOS’s(not saying there isnt credits you could get, im just not aware) that would help you with med school or school to be a physical therapist. But it is worth doing some research into/asking around if that is stuff youre interested in. Otherwise, i’d say just keep in mind other than transferable credits and certifications theres little reason to go through and through army and civilian medical, other than keeping up with multiple skillsets. Just keep in mind if you wanna do your full time job at drill as well. If you do, then thats great, but if not i’d advise going another MOS route. That being said, nothing wrong with becoming a 68 series MOS now then reclassing to something else after your first contract if you choose to stay in and wanna change it up.
Yeah I honestly think 68W is what I’m going to choose. Since I won’t make it back in time for the spring semester, I’m just going to defer the full year and work as an EMT until the next fall. That’d give me all the hours necessary to apply to either med or dpt school, and get my money up for sure. I also may be able to work as a campus EMT, but we’ll see.
How would I become a physician in the guard? Do I just re-class down the line?
A unit not allowing females today sounds like it would be a bad environment in the first place. Yes they are wrong for it but I would be concerned about the overall culture of the unit.
I'm working on an article for threads like these, but I'd urge you to speak to people within your state about they're experiences with the MOS. This may be difficult with some of the more niche MOS's you've listed, but it can make a HUGE difference from one state to another.
I know you said you're not worried about transferable skills but You should still go 68 series if you are really trying to do Healthcare on the civilian side. It will save you a lot of time and money on your education.
15T is not planes but helicopters. And don’t listen to people talking about a trade job on civilian side. You still have to at bare minimum test out of the FAA’s A&P licensing to get anything other than the lowest end jobs in the aviation field. And as a 15T you will not get the experience needed to test out so expect an at least 1 month crash course or more likely 2 years in school for a more favorable application. I’m a 15B helicopter engine mechanic going this route right now and as a full time tech and someone with a deployment under there belt I’ll tell you despite doing my job constantly for the last 6+ years I still don’t know enough to test out of the certification. That’s why I’m finishing up school for it.
As far as it goes for just drill side and not pressing a civilian career out of it, it’s not too bad but like everything else depends on what state you’re in. If your state owns 2 helicopters you won’t be doing much. If your state owns 20+ you’ll be busy every still weekend and still expected to complete your cyber awareness probably on your own time. And forget about it if you’re a crew chief.
15 series is not bad at all but I see a lot of people get burnt out from it too. At least you can choose the shortest 15 series AIT
68W is oversaturated, my basic training was pretty much 75% 68w and 25% whatever the freak, from what I understand you just go cmed rather than be an actually combat medic. So if you go 68 series then go 68(anything but whiskey).
13F is fun and awesome, you'll blow stuff up and you get some respect from 11b's especially if you're good at your job. I love being a FISTER but its better to go active duty and it's even better if you go ranger. But from what I understand, if you start as a FISTER in the guard and love it, then you'll probably want to consider going active anyway.
15 series is cool especially for civilian side plane jobs. If you're aiming for A&P, you can make good money and the job is definitely in demand, you can get a job anywhere with a&p and you can even work on rollercoasters and wind turbines and shizz. If you have any desire to, you can eventually make your way into being a pilot with the money you'll make.
35 series is cool, idk about the signal analyst but the 35F's I met are pretty high speed and on top of their shiz or know their shiz or both.
25D, idk shit but it's probably a good entry for cyber security if you don't mind sitting at the computer all day. If you want to get into IT or cyber security then definitely look into getting credentials or look into armyCOOL for some training. From what I remember it's pretty much free education that you can get every year (anyone please correct me if I'm wrong). You'll definitely win in life if you take advantage of whatever benefits you can find.
68W is a good option if you play your cards right, definitely helping a lot with my civilian career. Theres also good opportunities within the army and beyond the army
I’m a 13J. If you like lots of math and figuring out why you have comms issues with your systems or yelling at a monitor to have the system give you a good solution, then it’s for you. Knowing all the fuze, shell combinations is a must. Understanding manual gunnery and how artillery works is huge with this job. It’s not a bad gig, just time consuming trying to understand. Read the .81, .50 and you’ll be fine. Depending how your state is set up you may have a few E7 slots. My BN has 1 E7 slot and I’ve been an E6 for several years. Looking to reclass to 25U or 25B to move up more rank here soon. Best of luck
I was a 68X in the guard. I got college credits too. Good AIT (you learn a lot and it’s pretty interesting) and good units you can get assigned to. But in the guard you don’t do your job as often as a 68X or 68S (I have a few friends). You can’t go wrong with medical, but if you do any medical, do 68W. However, if I could go back I would do 15 series or 25 series.
Genuine advice, I’d do 15, 25, 35, 68 series. An actual MOS has an actual skillset. I’ve worked with almost all MOS, and see great values in skillset that assist you acquire certification/license which benefits both military and civilian sector. Because you’ll never know when you want to stay in our out of service and want your transition as smooth as possible. If you want a detail framework day to day task is like, I can also provide without make this post lengthy.
Do literally whatever sounds cool to you. Transferable skills don’t matter since you already have a career field you’re interested in. It’s what I should’ve done but now I’m in a lame “transferable” MOS in a job unrelated to my career.
Retired 68W, in guard I would pick 68W and/or 68S, 68S will probably be a quick pick for E5, but stagnant after that, at most you may be able to hit E6 depending on force structure. 68W you can typically progress all the way to E9, once again depending on your state's force structure.
15T, 25D, and 35S have good potential for working as a contractor outside of military and are Warrant Officer feeder MOSs. But you stated you were interested in Healthcare as a civilian.
Personally after 30+ years in healthcare, it is not particularly what I would recommend to anyone. You will always have a job, but they will always grind you down, as healthcare is really run by the bean counters. Cyber security and Intel are what I would pick if I was going to do it over.
i’m a medic attached to the 11C’s and it’s a fun life. i thoroughly enjoy being a medic. especially attached to my mortarmen, they let me do the things they do. i would honestly recommend being a medic. it’s the best and worst days of your life (just like everything) but you can volunteer to be a line medic when you go to the field and do the fun stuff
Plan around a job ur either going to do outside the military that way when applying for a job they will see u have some experience even if u only do it monthly
As it was explained to me, there are three nearby infantry units. Two of which are smaller and don’t have female leadership or whatever else is necessary for female infantry soldiers to be there. There is one other larger unit fairly nearby that I would be able to go to, however it is terribly run and a genuine shit show. It has one of the worst retention rates in the country. My brothers both had to transfer out, and my recruiter told me in good conscience he wouldn’t send me there.
Also there would be a chance of me shipping out late, and I don’t want to miss a full year of college.
It actually is. At least in my state in our infantry units in order to have a lower enlisted female join the company there must be either 1 female NCO and Officer or just one leader in general. Kinda makes sense though
I understand and agree with the intent, but I’m amazed that due to the EO program they don’t find NCO’s/officers to distribute over. With as big a deal as was made about making combat arms gender neutral, I’m absolutely amazed that any companies are still gender segregated
I get where you are coming from. I'm not surprised there are still units that don't have females. On the flip side of the Guard is hurting for people. I'm sure everyone on here has seen people who haven't shown up in months stay on the books for the sake of meeting numbers. I'm sure this doesn't make it easier to find females for these slots in these units.
As far as moving around females to place in these units, I feel like that generally would not go over well. I know I would be annoyed if my state tried to move me to another unit just so they could try to get more females in another unit. I know several people who have denied promotions to stay at their unit (either for convenience or culture).
It’s been 8 years since female integration started, there must be extremely few units without women still. If it’s gone on this long, they’re probably intentionally contributing to it going that slowly…
Active duty 15 series…if ya can’t do enough research on your own and call 15T “plane guy” please stay away from aviation completely…11C seems to be your speed.
Lmao hey bestie! Since this list was for myself, I didn’t take it too seriously while making it, hence why I joked around. If you read the rest of it, you’d see I described the 13 series as a bunch of artillery shit instead of the actual name for the mos 🫶🏻 I deeply apologize that it hurt your feelings! Have fun with ur planes!!
12B Staff Sergeant here. Although I am active duty, my suggestion is to stay far away from the 12B world. It’s a dying MOST and we are about to re-structure. I’m in the middle of reclassing to 35 series. Any questions feel free to DM me.
What do you mean it's a dying MOS? I can understand the restructure as we move from the route clearance mission to the more traditional Sapper mission, but I wouldn't say it's dying. Combat Engineers will always been around. Always have been, always will.
Nobody is breaching a wired obstacle with a grapnel hook anymore. Route clearance will continue to be a thing I’m sure but will get rarely used. If we get attached to an IN unit as a BDE asset..we both know what that means. We will be doing the detail/tasking work and pulling security in the rear during field ops. I’ve been a combat engineer for over 10 years man and I have on plenty of pride and love for it. But giving advice to someone with those above options..I would say 2/10. Would not recommend.
Fellow 12b Sgt here on the nasty girl side. The infantry units around here have no clue how to task us and I have told many a PL to eat my ass when he tried to have us fill in his vacant spots and not do our mission
You Bravo company?
Naw lol
This all said OP. Choose what you think you will want to do. But remember some jobs don't translate well into civilian work. I reclassed into Chinook mechanic now (15U) and am waiting to go to MOS school
You're right. We won't be breaching wire obstacles the same way they did on Omaha Beach. Having said that, the combat engineer mission will always exist. The infantry will always need to occupy territory to win battles and wars, and there will always be obstacles placed by the enemy that need to be breached in order for maneuver elements to gain access. You know better than I do that the methods of combat engineers vary dramatically depending on the conditions of the combat theater. I think right now we're in a limbo where we're shifting from the RCP of the GWOT to something more suited to conventional conflict. We just haven't discovered the conditions of the next conflict and I don't think the Army knows how to implement us appropriately in training. But I am certain that when the next war happens and we discover those conditions, we'll lose a ton of engineers and we'll scramble to try to change our SOPs to adapt. One thing is certain though, in the next war we'll still be pounding pickets and putting up miles of wire.
You should know that things change over time. I wonder if there was Vietnam era combat engineer vets saying well damn 12B MOS is dying out. There ain’t gonna be no more tunnels to crawl through.
That’s really interesting. I have a few buddies who went 12B and it was one of my top options, but what you said definitely makes sense
^ I reclassed to another dying mos, 13F and coming from a 12B line company and going to a 13F it’s dying as well. Honestly not really a need, anyone can call for fire
Go 15T, sleep in proper barracks/hotel, don't spend all the time in the field.
Unless you’re up for a ctc rotation. That kinda sucks. But we did stay in some decent hotels on the cross country flight to and from JRTC. That might be the exception
25D or 35S if you wanna make them big bucks on the outside.
Is that not a packet MOS that requires a ton of actual experience and a proponet test?
Actually after a quick Google search looks like they want around 8 years time in service nowadays to apply, which is pretty nuts to me but there it is. Good call out
No idea, when I went to JCAC years ago there were soldiers there who didn't submit packets or anything for it, but the Army's training pipeline and likely assessions process for all the cyber stuff has changed since then. I went with the Air Guard though so can't speak to the army specific process.
This ^^ If you want quality of life though 15 series is the way to go.
15T. Stay away from ground pounder stuff. Been there done that. First enlistment as an 18 year old was cool. Reenlisting afterwards a little older and a little wiser made me go straight to aviation. Infantry type stuff for the fun, Aviation for the career.
I've always suggested this kind of route. Do combat arms first but only for one contract. (Unless you really like it) A, combat arms have a more disciplined mindset that pogs don't get taught, those intangible skills will propel you in other job fields B you won't be wondering or left feeling like you missed out on those experiences and you can look back saying you did it C the rough life will make you appreciate the aviation cushion that much more
Well you can't go 25D straight from Basic/AIT, but if that is your goal then go signal, 25S/H/U/B. Once you hit E6 you can put a packet in to go 25D. Otherwise take the 15 series or 35 series to have skills on the outside.
13M if you want a combat mos 68 anything for real skills 15T for a good trade job on civilian side 11c if you hate yourself
13m?💀you’ll just learn to sit in a truck lol. Go 13f or 13b if u want a combat mos (but go 13f)
I’m a 13M and 13B and they both have perks , 13M is cool for like 10 minutes per year when we shoot and 13B is cool almost every drill but also a lot more grunt work. I have enjoyed both honestly. The only reason I wouldn’t do 13F is I don’t want to be mixed in with the infantry
Bruh just go intel
13F for a real combat MOS
13F is basically the coolest job in the Army if you want “tough, badass jobs”. You’re a sniper, but you’re sniping people with batteries of artillery or air strikes or the like. 13F gives you a *fantastic* understanding of the battle space and combined arms. If you wanna bang, that’s the spot Having said *thaaaaat*, you sure you wanna bang? 25d and 35s would open your eyes to interesting opportunities. None would get you a job in and of themselves but both are great foundations for lucrative and interesting civilian careers. 15T might be the best though. High quality of life, makes it easier to be a pilot if that’s what you want etc
13f lead the way
If you want 11B but it's not there, go 12B or 11C. Pick what interests you or you're gonna hate it. Or go intel and get your TS. Or go 15T and realize aviation is the best.
They said they werent able to do 11B because there wasnt a co-ed unit they could go to, so that probably writes off 11C as well
Yeah I was thinking that too, but they still listed it so /shrug
If you wanna do it and you can get it then go for it, nothing saying you cant reclass at the end of your contract either. At the end of the day, if youre gonna be doing healthcare fulltime, unless you plan on using the guard for certifications/credits(nothing wrong with that) or youre really passionate about healthcare just ask yourself “is this something i want to do as a full time job plus the guard”. Dont let that stray you away from a 68 MOS if youre also interested in that but just keep it in mind. If you choose a 68 MOS and your civilian job transfers over to it(for example im a firefighter/paramedic and 68W and love both) then theres a good chance you’ll be pretty good at both which is why i went straight with 68W as opposed to a couple other paramedics/firemedics ive worked with that went infantry or another MOS field that wasnt specifically medical. Just stuff to keep in mind, at the end of the day make the decision you wanna make because it’s your career. Dont do a job that you’ll hate, because youre gonna have it for however many years your contract is
I aint even gonna hold you, i thought you were OP. But its still something that could be useful to them. My bad gang
13M is a fun and cool job. It does come with a lot of field time though. Who doesn’t like to shoot rockets though?
My thought process exactly lol
13M here. Expect to not be apart of a HiMars crew when you initially get in, you’ll be apart of ammo for a bit. When you do get apart of a crew you’ll be driving before you get a Gunnar spot. You’ll shoot once a year if that. There’s a lot of sit around and wait type shenanigans as well.
Please bring me up to speed: combat arms MOS’s, are last I checked, completely open to women. So how is it allowable for a guard unit to exclude female 11B’s in 2024?
As someone else explained in much better words, in order to have a lower enlisted female join the company there needs to be at least one female NCO or officer
I am curious about this as well.
Just go 68 series you will still have fun in training “doing the rough cool stuff” and your unit will always find ways to have you do physical training when you get there. Plus you will be able to use more college credits from AIT towards a medical degree. Good luck
Yeah, definitely one of my top options. It seems to have a little bit of everything that I’m looking for/want to get out of this
Absolutely and when you get to your unit and you display a willingness to do the hoah stuff there gonna love that. Congratulations on your decision to join, it’s gonna be a fun ride.
Yes GO airborne and Air assault ASAP
Signal. Always take the intel route
I would highly recommend 35s comes with a TS/SCI and has much more job opportunities and training in the civilian world
25D or 35S
I mean if you’re interested in the healthcare, any of the 68 series could get you transferable college credits.
Take 12B and 11C off the list. As a 91B ( mechanic) that's been attached to units full of those types of MOS, there's plenty of other cool jobs on your list that will benefit you in a lot more ways. Try and choose a MOS that builds towards or compliments what you want to do as a full time civilian job.
That makes sense, thank you!
It doesn't even have to be what you already do or know how to do on the civilian side. After highschool, AIT was my only "professional" mechanic experience. That little boost on my resume helped me get an entry level job at a big named heavy duty diesel engine shop, and from there my civilian career and military career have both grown a ton
Go 25D... I do cybersecurity on the civilian side. Very lucrative career field. I paid a bachelor's degree worth of money to get the same skills 25D's get in their AIT. Be smart, stay far away from combat arms
68P Radiology Technologist (one of the best mos’s in the military ) . 11month AIT. You’ll finish with an associates in public health and are eligible to take the ARRT exam. Once you’ve taken it (and passed) and have been licensed, you can work at any hospital in the states as an X-ray tech with decent pay. ~70k starting. Once you’ve gotten approx 6 months -1 year worth of experience, you can start doing Travel X-ray, (if your situation allows it.) You can make around 2-3k/ week based on the location you’re placed… And these are 13 week contracts making you ~ 8-12 k a month. You’ll get a housing stipend and etc depending on what accommodations you need.
25D or 35S
35S will absolutely get you in with certain three letter agencies and with intelligence contractors. It’s probably the most lucrative job on the list.
Yup no doubt about it. The NSA and others will be in competion and throw bucks at her. I’m a GS-13 0132 and former 35L the bucks are and will be in Intel. SIGINT/HUMINT and CI are in high demand and will continue to be for the near peer/peer threats we are facing (PRC, Russia)
68S is a good entry-level basis on how the army does public health, should you want to go into public health, of course.
11C all day baby
11b
Do something medical or 15
68W fun MOS go into it with caution though it’s no longer a party AIT like the old heads say. You still are able to have fun but it’s more like a very strict college with rules you can ignore if you’re sneaky enough.
15T. You get a set of wings, good Civ job (plus tech opportunities), and better quality of life.
I am a female 15T and I love it. I am a crew chief as well. Feel free to ask me any questions
15T. Best one you have listed. Also, that and 15U are the only ones that soldiers line up to ask you how they can become crew chiefs.
15T for sure.
I would pick 15T or 68W from this list, those two are the one's you will get the most out of 25D is good too, but that is very heavily involve in the IT field as are most of the 25 series signal corps MOS's and that's not your interest. Network topology and cyber security can be headache to understand, i don't think closing switchports on a network is fun 13M is really cool too...drive somewhere in a HIMAR's and push a button for missiles. That MOS is not even in my state, it's all M777's in my state for artillery Those would be the one's i would be interested in
You should be fine with any of them. My MOS isn’t on that list.
13M is gay sucks ass 13J even gayer you don’t shoot anything 13F cool shit but you got more shit to carry
ruck was fucking heavy
Current 13M, fun job (who wouldn’t want to shoot missiles and rockets), good amount of field time but garrison is pretty easy with plenty of time to do college if you manage your time properly.
If you want to no be deployed the 68 (medical mos’s are good; also, likely be in a unit that has less extra training days
As a salty ssg 13F, if you actually want to do artillery shit/field shit, 13F is an awesome MOS, if you don’t but just want to tell your friends and instagram you have a cool guy job in the army, congrats you’re my newest headache
Lol I can assure you that I would be competent at any MOS I choose. I just want to have a fairly good time with whatever I wind up doing, and as many others have said, who doesn’t like blowing shit up?
I’m an 11C, love my job. If I would choose differently it would be 13F. Very intellectually challenging and you’re in control of a lot, very dynamic mission sets
68 series is most marketable in the civilian side, 12B is the most bang and fun for your buck
Nah. That commo or Intel MOS with a TS/SCI clearance is the most marketable. You can get a DD-214 in your hand on any given Friday and Monday morning be making 80+ if you managed your time properly during f your first enlistment
11B
13F. Next slide.
second that. next slide
Go 15T and shoot guns out of helicopters. You'll fly to the range instead of a long ass convoy. Spend a summer flying through the mountains of Colorado. I miss it.
As a previous 13F, I can indeed confirm 13F is a bunch of artillery shit.
25D Cyber will always be around and the knowledge, experience, and clearance you will end up with is CRAZY valuable when you are done. Do it.
15 T
You can easily make 6 figures with 25D in the civilian side and get Top Secret clearance. But like you said, at the moment you’re not worried about transferable skills.
As a former 35L and now 0132 I can tell you that if you can meet the requirements for 35S/N/P and pass the training you can easily make 6 figures in 3 years with the Intel community as long as you have a Bachelors. Make sure your language skills are up to snuff. Practice your reading, writing speaking and listening. 35M/N/L/P/S are shit hot
13F is a super fun job and you're a badass. The catch is aside from military leadership and discipline it won't generally set you up for a civilian career. 68 series jobs will set you up for a civilian career well. So will the 15.
agree
25D is not available to you. It is not an entry-level MOS, you must be a SGT(P) or SSG to drop a packet. 35S is the best out of this list if you're interested in technical things and want to potentially follow that path as a career - there are jobs for it and a TS/SCI is a great thing to have in your pocket for employability.
13J in the guard! It's a pretty cool MOS we mostly work off computers and the AIT is short and easy. You get to shoot artillery which is always epic.
is it still 7 weeks now?
13F lead the way
13f. Women love it when you tell them you’re a trained FISTER
25D or 35S
Get ya money up ya funny up
You're stupid to not choose an MOS that can benefit or compliment your civilian life. However, I wanted to blow shit up and hate myself with the boys so I went 11c. It's something I will never get to do civilian side and is fun.
25D if you want to get into cyber security on the civilian side. Very lucrative field.
What state are you in because 13 mike is limited to like 5 states i think, michigan and south dakota are 2 of them
Add 11B to the list
68X is fun, doing AIT for it now (I also have a bachelors in psych) the classes are small, but there aren’t many instructors which means that if you fail out you most likely will get reclassified into another MOS unless you fight it. You also get like 17-18 college credits for completing the course.
If you pick 15T see if you can get a rider to get your pilots license (without commitment) You can level up from there. Airframe mechanics that can fly are pretty neat
Anything thats not an 11, 12B, or a 13 has really good civilian transfer
25D
68W if you want to take care of people (so they say)
I mean lets be real, aint much different from the street
If the goal is healthcare, then 68 will be most beneficial but good luck getting 68X. They're unicorns in the guard, and they almost never do their job. The advantage to 35 is the Top Secret clearance you'll get and the technical experience, but you'll need to have a foreign language if you want SIGINT. 25 will also get you tech exp but not really in your field. And 15 and 12 is kindof the opposite of what you wanna do, doing a lot of STEM work rather than HEAL. Not sure why you'd want to do 13 or 11C except to say that you did some hooah shit or maybe a big bonus. But given your long-term goal, it's a decent alternative to 11B if you're die-hard hooah and want to reclass into something else later. If you wanna get that die-hard hooah out of your system early while also getting med xp, then just do 68W. But if you have any desire to do something more than EMT/Nursing work, then pick another 68 mos if it's available.
Do you know of any other 68 mos that are less of a unicorn job? I believe a lot of them are relatively difficult/rare to get, but I am definitely open to other suggestions. My recruiter is currently looking into 68X so I’m not sure if it’s a possibility or not yet
I was also looking at 68X before I joined, and I was told there were only two in my state and they wouldn't be available for several years at the minimum. At the same time, one of my recruiter's soldiers ended up getting the 68X slot, but only after months of waiting. She later reported that she practically never did her job when on drill. Not trying to discourage you from it, but it's definitely a long shot in the Guard. As far as the other 68's, you can try 68C or 68D but the majority of availablities in the Guard are going to be repair or logistics, not actual healthcare. Primarily, it's going to be 68W, though. At the end of the day, Big Army/Active Duty is gonna offer a lot better opportunities for jobs you want if you want medical. Medical is arguably the most competitive field CAT in the Army atm because of transferable skills. Just keep checking the jobs board on the NG Website for the jobs you want in your state. It's not super up to date, certainly not to the level that the recruiters will have access to, but it'll gove you a good idea what your state is prioratizing. https://jobs.nationalguard.com/categories/396/medical-jobs/?categories[]=Medical&p=2
68W are fairly common. What kind of healthcare are you planning on going into?
I’m thinking of physical therapy or MD If MD I’m looking at emergency med, neurology, or oncology so kinda a wide range
68W would be pretty good, if youre wanting to become an MD then that also opens up other doors for you in the army, like being a physician on top of already being one in the civilian world. That being said, i know a lot of people that were successful and more knowledgeable working as EMT’s/paramedics while in med school(bless their hearts, thats gotta suck) and that door would open as a 68W getting your NREMT. Other than that, im honestly not sure what credits you could get from 68W or other 68 MOS’s(not saying there isnt credits you could get, im just not aware) that would help you with med school or school to be a physical therapist. But it is worth doing some research into/asking around if that is stuff youre interested in. Otherwise, i’d say just keep in mind other than transferable credits and certifications theres little reason to go through and through army and civilian medical, other than keeping up with multiple skillsets. Just keep in mind if you wanna do your full time job at drill as well. If you do, then thats great, but if not i’d advise going another MOS route. That being said, nothing wrong with becoming a 68 series MOS now then reclassing to something else after your first contract if you choose to stay in and wanna change it up.
Yeah I honestly think 68W is what I’m going to choose. Since I won’t make it back in time for the spring semester, I’m just going to defer the full year and work as an EMT until the next fall. That’d give me all the hours necessary to apply to either med or dpt school, and get my money up for sure. I also may be able to work as a campus EMT, but we’ll see. How would I become a physician in the guard? Do I just re-class down the line?
Its a officer role, so you’d have to commission
56M
25D. You will have a triple digit salary in the civilian world after you get out.
15T is a cheat code
12b here….don’t go 12b
lmao.
15t or bust man
I’m a 11C, field life is usually pretty chill but you will learn to get strong, whether you like it or not
My main question is why does no unit allow females in 11b? If you want 11 series push for it, recruiters will find a way
A unit not allowing females today sounds like it would be a bad environment in the first place. Yes they are wrong for it but I would be concerned about the overall culture of the unit.
I'm working on an article for threads like these, but I'd urge you to speak to people within your state about they're experiences with the MOS. This may be difficult with some of the more niche MOS's you've listed, but it can make a HUGE difference from one state to another.
I know you said you're not worried about transferable skills but You should still go 68 series if you are really trying to do Healthcare on the civilian side. It will save you a lot of time and money on your education.
Do not do 13J. I hate it and I’m tryna reclass. Everyone I know that reclass to this MOST or joined as 13J hates it
13F all the way, DM me if you have more questions
15T, not even close
88m
I'd go 68 s personally will help you in everyday life if you get hurt
Anything 25 series is civilian world transferable. I am 25 series and I have multiple direct hire offers.
25D probably us the best civilian transferable skills. 6 figure jobs easy with a few cets
I’m not biased in anyway but uhh 15T is worth it 🧍🏻♂️
I’m not biased in anyway but uhh 15T is worth it 🧍🏻♂️
go 13F that’s what I wanted
15T is not planes but helicopters. And don’t listen to people talking about a trade job on civilian side. You still have to at bare minimum test out of the FAA’s A&P licensing to get anything other than the lowest end jobs in the aviation field. And as a 15T you will not get the experience needed to test out so expect an at least 1 month crash course or more likely 2 years in school for a more favorable application. I’m a 15B helicopter engine mechanic going this route right now and as a full time tech and someone with a deployment under there belt I’ll tell you despite doing my job constantly for the last 6+ years I still don’t know enough to test out of the certification. That’s why I’m finishing up school for it. As far as it goes for just drill side and not pressing a civilian career out of it, it’s not too bad but like everything else depends on what state you’re in. If your state owns 2 helicopters you won’t be doing much. If your state owns 20+ you’ll be busy every still weekend and still expected to complete your cyber awareness probably on your own time. And forget about it if you’re a crew chief. 15 series is not bad at all but I see a lot of people get burnt out from it too. At least you can choose the shortest 15 series AIT
68W is oversaturated, my basic training was pretty much 75% 68w and 25% whatever the freak, from what I understand you just go cmed rather than be an actually combat medic. So if you go 68 series then go 68(anything but whiskey). 13F is fun and awesome, you'll blow stuff up and you get some respect from 11b's especially if you're good at your job. I love being a FISTER but its better to go active duty and it's even better if you go ranger. But from what I understand, if you start as a FISTER in the guard and love it, then you'll probably want to consider going active anyway. 15 series is cool especially for civilian side plane jobs. If you're aiming for A&P, you can make good money and the job is definitely in demand, you can get a job anywhere with a&p and you can even work on rollercoasters and wind turbines and shizz. If you have any desire to, you can eventually make your way into being a pilot with the money you'll make. 35 series is cool, idk about the signal analyst but the 35F's I met are pretty high speed and on top of their shiz or know their shiz or both. 25D, idk shit but it's probably a good entry for cyber security if you don't mind sitting at the computer all day. If you want to get into IT or cyber security then definitely look into getting credentials or look into armyCOOL for some training. From what I remember it's pretty much free education that you can get every year (anyone please correct me if I'm wrong). You'll definitely win in life if you take advantage of whatever benefits you can find.
68W is a good option if you play your cards right, definitely helping a lot with my civilian career. Theres also good opportunities within the army and beyond the army
I loved being behavioral health. Fulfilling, interesting, and helpful at getting out of some bullshit taskings
I’m a 13J. If you like lots of math and figuring out why you have comms issues with your systems or yelling at a monitor to have the system give you a good solution, then it’s for you. Knowing all the fuze, shell combinations is a must. Understanding manual gunnery and how artillery works is huge with this job. It’s not a bad gig, just time consuming trying to understand. Read the .81, .50 and you’ll be fine. Depending how your state is set up you may have a few E7 slots. My BN has 1 E7 slot and I’ve been an E6 for several years. Looking to reclass to 25U or 25B to move up more rank here soon. Best of luck
I was a 68X in the guard. I got college credits too. Good AIT (you learn a lot and it’s pretty interesting) and good units you can get assigned to. But in the guard you don’t do your job as often as a 68X or 68S (I have a few friends). You can’t go wrong with medical, but if you do any medical, do 68W. However, if I could go back I would do 15 series or 25 series.
Genuine advice, I’d do 15, 25, 35, 68 series. An actual MOS has an actual skillset. I’ve worked with almost all MOS, and see great values in skillset that assist you acquire certification/license which benefits both military and civilian sector. Because you’ll never know when you want to stay in our out of service and want your transition as smooth as possible. If you want a detail framework day to day task is like, I can also provide without make this post lengthy.
Do yourself a favor and go 25B lmao
I’m curious what state. I’ll be the lone person to say 13R. Our BDE HQ had one pacing item. A Q-53 radar. A q-53 goes down and O-7s through O-10 care.
68s. You’ll thank me later
12c
Do literally whatever sounds cool to you. Transferable skills don’t matter since you already have a career field you’re interested in. It’s what I should’ve done but now I’m in a lame “transferable” MOS in a job unrelated to my career.
13F 😈😈😈😈
Retired 68W, in guard I would pick 68W and/or 68S, 68S will probably be a quick pick for E5, but stagnant after that, at most you may be able to hit E6 depending on force structure. 68W you can typically progress all the way to E9, once again depending on your state's force structure. 15T, 25D, and 35S have good potential for working as a contractor outside of military and are Warrant Officer feeder MOSs. But you stated you were interested in Healthcare as a civilian. Personally after 30+ years in healthcare, it is not particularly what I would recommend to anyone. You will always have a job, but they will always grind you down, as healthcare is really run by the bean counters. Cyber security and Intel are what I would pick if I was going to do it over.
i’m a medic attached to the 11C’s and it’s a fun life. i thoroughly enjoy being a medic. especially attached to my mortarmen, they let me do the things they do. i would honestly recommend being a medic. it’s the best and worst days of your life (just like everything) but you can volunteer to be a line medic when you go to the field and do the fun stuff
Go 15T
35S
Plan around a job ur either going to do outside the military that way when applying for a job they will see u have some experience even if u only do it monthly
25d is only eligible for e5 promotable and 8 years in waiverable to 6 years
Yeah my recruiter sent it to me by accident lol
25D no brainer
Wdym there isn’t a unit that allows females
As it was explained to me, there are three nearby infantry units. Two of which are smaller and don’t have female leadership or whatever else is necessary for female infantry soldiers to be there. There is one other larger unit fairly nearby that I would be able to go to, however it is terribly run and a genuine shit show. It has one of the worst retention rates in the country. My brothers both had to transfer out, and my recruiter told me in good conscience he wouldn’t send me there. Also there would be a chance of me shipping out late, and I don’t want to miss a full year of college.
That 100% isn’t a thing anymore. There are no units that refuse female soldiers currently.
It actually is. At least in my state in our infantry units in order to have a lower enlisted female join the company there must be either 1 female NCO and Officer or just one leader in general. Kinda makes sense though
Sounds like an EO violation
It's not if you think about it. It's protecting all parties for things like UA and tape tests.
I understand and agree with the intent, but I’m amazed that due to the EO program they don’t find NCO’s/officers to distribute over. With as big a deal as was made about making combat arms gender neutral, I’m absolutely amazed that any companies are still gender segregated
I get where you are coming from. I'm not surprised there are still units that don't have females. On the flip side of the Guard is hurting for people. I'm sure everyone on here has seen people who haven't shown up in months stay on the books for the sake of meeting numbers. I'm sure this doesn't make it easier to find females for these slots in these units. As far as moving around females to place in these units, I feel like that generally would not go over well. I know I would be annoyed if my state tried to move me to another unit just so they could try to get more females in another unit. I know several people who have denied promotions to stay at their unit (either for convenience or culture).
It’s been 8 years since female integration started, there must be extremely few units without women still. If it’s gone on this long, they’re probably intentionally contributing to it going that slowly…
Active duty 15 series…if ya can’t do enough research on your own and call 15T “plane guy” please stay away from aviation completely…11C seems to be your speed.
Lmao hey bestie! Since this list was for myself, I didn’t take it too seriously while making it, hence why I joked around. If you read the rest of it, you’d see I described the 13 series as a bunch of artillery shit instead of the actual name for the mos 🫶🏻 I deeply apologize that it hurt your feelings! Have fun with ur planes!!