We all know how hard it can be in the different branches of a military, but there is one type of service that never gets the attention it deserves, and that is the medical corps, and I would go so far to say that a Medic's training is much harder than a standard soldiers by far.
How is a Medic viewed in your Military?

In the Canadian Forces the medic is everybody's friend.  (Most likely because the medic is typically the only position which actually has a hot army chic! )  And I would agree the theoritical knowledge is very deep; a friend a did boot camp with said he would not have passed the medic course had he not been doing biochemistry at university at the same time.

As for toughest job, if the military is fighting a war then I would say a chaplin's job rivals that medic's in terms of difficulty.  The chaplin has to help convince everybody that what they are doing is right, often reconciling the teachings of many different religions.  He also has to convince everybody that it is OK to die, that they will be taken care of.  And he must deal with the depression of everybody, troops and officers.

""As for toughest job, if the military is fighting a war then I would say a chaplin's job rivals that medic's in terms of difficulty. The chaplin has to help convince everybody that what they are doing is right, often reconciling the teachings of many different religions. He also has to convince everybody that it is OK to die, that they will be taken care of. And he must deal with the depression of everybody, troops and officers.""


Good point!

the british have the toughest job in the military because we have to carry the americans everywhere LOL.

medics in the british forces are just seen as a bunch of pretty boy intellectuals. nobody really give a sh*t about them unless we are ill. the men with the toughest job are you infanteers by a long shot



On the 8th day God created Ben-Britain and he took over!


"when I get home people'll ask me,'hey Hoot, why do ya do it man? Why? Just some war junkie?' Ya know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand it's about the man next to you, and that's it. That's all it is."
SGT 1st Class Norman Hooten

LOL@ Ben,hey didn't we suck the same dust in GW1? Thats no way to talk about a fellow coalition member..

Having been in an infantry regiment I understand Ben's point.  But nevertheless, what about a Royal Marine chaplin or a USMC chaplin, the ones that march with the troops?  If the chaplin doesn't counsel the infanteers and help convince them of their righteousness, then the infantry cannot be 100% effective IMHO.

Thats a good point.

Not to put myself upfront, but I think NCOs no matter which unit have a tough job.

'Having been in an infantry regiment I understand Ben's point. But nevertheless, what about a Royal Marine chaplin or a USMC chaplin, the ones that march with the troops? '

Dont know about the USMC but im quite sure that all Royal Marine chaplins are Commando trained(completed 32 weeks training).The two chaplins that i saw at CTCRM said they did RM training so that they were in a perfect position to understand what the recruits(trained ranks aswell) were going through.

'If the chaplin doesn't counsel the infanteers and help convince them of their righteousness, then the infantry cannot be 100% effective IMHO.'

know it sounds arragant but i dont think the RM need the chaplins to convince them of their 'righteousness' ,think they'd be 100% effective anyway.I think officers have the hardest job,any officer upto captain(no higher tho).Harder training,a lot of responsibilty and in just as much danger as the trained ranks/JNCOs.

"LOL@ Ben,hey didn't we suck the same dust in GW1?"

ahhh back in the day when iraqis were actually scared of us

"Thats no way to talk about a fellow coalition member.."

never said a word about the french



On the 8th day God created Ben-Britain and he took over!


"when I get home people'll ask me,'hey Hoot, why do ya do it man? Why? Just some war junkie?' Ya know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand it's about the man next to you, and that's it. That's all it is."
SGT 1st Class Norman Hooten

toughest job is combat support, or the poor sucker who didnt go to the field, while we were in teh field he labored for the staff duty and then we came outta the field he cleaned the motorpool.

For the ROKs, frontline infantrymen. All-night DMZ patrols at -20 with snow coming up to your waist. Combat support's pretty $hitty too, my tutor was in an engineer battalion, and all he remembers doing for 2 years was digging, digging, and some more digging







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Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC) The Few, the Proud, the Best.
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Casualty Assistance Officers

I'd rather face bullets than to tell wives and mothers that their loved one was killed.

The American Marine Division has the highest combat effectiveness in the American armed forces. It seems not enough for our four divisions to surround and annihilate its two regiments.

---Mao Tse Sung to General Song, prior to Chosin Reservoir

I'd rather face bullets than to tell wives and mothers that their loved one was killed.
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Well, I can tell you exactly what that's like, it's part of my job.
With the warm weather coming around, I will be doing it more often than I care to, and yes, it's no fun.

I've only been in the Navy and attached to my command for a short time, but MM's(Machinist Mates) and GSM's(Gas Turbine Systems Technicians) get some props IMO. The Arleigh Burke class of DDG's are for the most part rather solid as far as conditions, with central air and good regulation of the temps to a comfortable degree once inside the hull, but the main machinery spaces are still a tough enviorment for anybody to work in during a 12 hour work trek while in port..........not to mention underway.

I believe the Infantry by far has the hardest job, in the Australian Army there is no one who gets worked harder, ****ed around more or trains longer than us Rifleman. And inside the Infantry i have been apart of different support roles and rifle companies and think that Pioneer Platoon carries the hardest position.

Pioneer Platoon is expected to act as a normal rifleman section as well as perform Field Engineering, watermanship, demolitions and the construction of booby traps and mines. A Pioneer is the all round jack of all trades in the Infantry battalion picking up the duties of other corps and units as to make the Battalion independent and non reliant on others. Digging, explosives, boating, building, clearing and security is the pioneers bread and butter on top of the standard infantry roll, and when everything turns to **** they are the ones called on to defend BHQ using there experience and versatility to overcome anything that stands in front of the CO's directives.

All respect to other corps but your there to support the infantry, that is all.

Steve

Did you serve in a Pioneer platoon by any chance.

Diunei, what regiment are you with? I'm in the CF as well.

But to address the question, I have to agree that the Infantry have the hardest job physically. I would say Combat Engineers have it hard mentally. Prodding and disarming mines while under fire takes nerves of steel.

Diunei served in the reserves out west for 2 years IIRC.

He is no longer with the forum. There were several threads where he explained his time in the military when the North & South America forum was still around.

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"deeds, not words"

Holy crap.. this topic is from Junt 2004... I thought it said June 2009....

Forward Observer has hardest combat job. They have to know both the artillery and infantry worlds. They hump massive amounts of weight when dismounted. There job is mentally demanding. If they call in the wrong coordinates then they could kill friendlies. They have to know the characteristics of different types of shells, eg. smoke, illumination, HE, WP, etc in a variety of different delivery systems.

F.O needs to know what is best type of shell and fuze setting for mud, concrete, snow, trees, trench etc.

F.O needs to know what aircraft carry particular bombs. They need to know the effects of naval gunfire.

F.O needs to be a land navigation guru.

F.O must know various communications equipment hump it everywhere.

F.O carries radio with antennae making him the most desired target on battle field due to the destructive power he has ability to wield.

Topping it all off the F.O must be familiar with infantry capabilities and tactics as the F.O will be assigned to an infantry platoon. He must be able to work and move with the infantry.

ME!!!



"You wouldn't have been able to squeeze an anerican express card between the cheeks of my arse at this stage"

Trade wise the light, dismounted and airborne (not that air assult bull**** the real jumpers) infantry are certainly the hardest trades. But thats in a combat environment.

It's a totally diffrent story back in garrison when the combat troops relax and the service support
troops work their asses off.