What is the worst job in the military?

Duty Honor Country

Active member
I would like to hear opinions from different branches from militaries around the world.

I feel that a recruiter is the worst job the US Army has to offer. In the last 2 months, I have worked with the recruiters and I have to say their job is pure hell. They are under pressure all the time. Even when they make their quota, they are still treated like dirt. Their job consumes large amounts of time that could be spent with their families. Getting off work after 8pm on a regular basis does not help the family life much. Also, recruiters have to come in to work while they are on leave. I am sorry, but when I am on leave I am not going to be around unless there is a war. I told one recruiter that if he was back at his old unit and was deployed for 1 year during a 3 year period, he'd still see his family more than he does as recruiter working 3 years state side. He agreed with me 100%. I pray that I do not get orders tobe a recruiter.
 
I would say those who have to work with the Reserves/National Guard. This handful of professionals has to try and cram a month's worth of training into a weekend, and then spend 2 weeks at Annual Training trying to make the weekend warriors into professionals. Note, I have nothing against the Reserves/Guard people, they have a tough job, balancing civilian and military life, and are increasingly more important in operational planning. I have known many who serve in both the Guard and Reserves, as well as those full time military personnel who are assigned to work with them.

The full timers have to shoulder a large part of the burden, while making sure the Reserves/Guard troops are ready when called up. There is alot of pressure to make sure nothing negative gets reported up the chain of command, because it reflects badly on the full timers, who work long hours and with little support to do a difficult if not impossible job and still manage to keep things together.
 
The blokes that set up the field showers for the Grunts to use and then you only see them very rarely. Now that has to be the worst job.
 
Delta210 said:
I would say those who have to work with the Reserves/National Guard. This handful of professionals has to try and cram a month's worth of training into a weekend, and then spend 2 weeks at Annual Training trying to make the weekend warriors into professionals. Note, I have nothing against the Reserves/Guard people, they have a tough job, balancing civilian and military life, and are increasingly more important in operational planning. I have known many who serve in both the Guard and Reserves, as well as those full time military personnel who are assigned to work with them.

The full timers have to shoulder a large part of the burden, while making sure the Reserves/Guard troops are ready when called up. There is alot of pressure to make sure nothing negative gets reported up the chain of command, because it reflects badly on the full timers, who work long hours and with little support to do a difficult if not impossible job and still manage to keep things together.

As someone that spent a majority of my time as a Marine reservist and guardsman, I would have to agree with you on the poor permenant soldiers and Marines attached to those units. It is not bad if you have a large quantity of former active duty, but if you are stuck with alot of newbies, beware, they will drive you nuts. All of our former actives would help alot, we would make some of the training rosters and schedules on our own time. I don't know how the other reserve and guard units worked but that is what my old inf unit helped out.
 
Cooks

They have the worst hours, they heve to work on wekends, they got to wake up earlier that most everybody and get off later than everybody, and they have a never ending duty of endless cleaning and cleaning.
Worst of all for them, is everybody complained about the food they cooked no matter how good it was, this is what made them really feel bad.
 
re: worst job

The guys in the OPS centre on field operations. Although there are some quiet minutes on operations the show must go on.....
 
Re: re: worst job

sunblock said:
The guys in the OPS centre on field operations. Although there are some quiet minutes on operations the show must go on.....

I have spent sometime at the Battalion and Brigade TOC's (Tactical Operations Center) and I hated every minute of it. Countless hours of radio watch and battle tracking is not what I envisoned as a Forward Observer. Also, I do not like to spend time with the brass in the field. There is a level of no nonsense I have grown to like being down on the line. My time at the TOCs was the low point of my 4 years at the 101st Airborne Division.

But there are some people who love being at the TOC. More power to them. Let me be down on the line.
 
Re:

Some like the TOC/OPS others dont. Some are naturally born to do it.

I enjoyed the service until I was sincerely fed up with the service after a 48 hours watch; during that operation 98% of the messages was encrypted. The Norwegian army has this peice of equipment which sounds like a modem being used; imagine going to sleep in your sleepingbag and all you can hear is the "beeeep-wheeeee-beeeep-beeep" sound in your head...

Awe :cen:
 
As far as the US Air Force is concerned: Let me say this up front-there are no worst or bad jobs in the US Air Force..however there are intense professions that can turn your head white very quickly...

Please understand the difference between its just a job...or a profession. If all you are there for is a salary..and you arent interested in what it is you do...then you have a job. But if you are engaged in a profession..then its a lifes work with rules, responsibilities...and the satisfaction is internal despite what comes.

In the US Military, we are all grouped under the profession of arms...even the Air Force members do get rifle and field training to allow them to fit in with the rest of the more agressive services. We dont get as intense of training..but we do learn which end of the barrel to point down the range..and how to load it.

Within the profession of arms..we have our potential profession of interests. Medical, logistical, administrative, support...and yes of course flying operations are all our professions of interests we engage in.

Now..if i had to pick the least liked profession in the US Air Force...in my opinion it has to be administrative. I would even rather be a cook/food service manager than an admin technician, due to fact i hate paperwork. But even administrative services has its place in the profession of arms. It takes a tough person to hang in there in the world of the pen and paper..and I do salute them.

to the Admin troops.... :cheers:
 
Bureaucrat.
It's the worst kind of human culture in the world, military or non military. Plus everyone hates you. lol
 
From a Marine stand point. Cooks and Bakers. Worst hours. Inspector Instructor with the reserves. No control.

Active duty 2ND Lt no one respects you.
 
03USMC said:
From a Marine stand point. Cooks and Bakers. Worst hours. Inspector Instructor with the reserves. No control.

Active duty 2ND Lt no one respects you.

What about 'baby sitting' an active duty 2nd Lt? Now - that can be dodgy!
 
03USMC said:
Active duty 2ND Lt no one respects you.

My friend from my squadron went to RMC. He's an officer cadet (Canadian forces suboordinate officer), and he says that there's Sgts there that don't even care or respect officer cadets.
 
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