Do You Know The Army’s Most Dangerous Jobs?

Students considering a career in the U.S. Army may be concerned that they will be assigned to dangerous Army jobs.

But a large number of potential recruits relish the idea of hazardous work. They may have been influenced by something they?ve seen on movies or television or something they heard from combat stories. It?s all part of the Army’s allure.

Almost all Army jobs have potential for danger, if only because of the job?s location. The Army serves in trouble spots all over the world, and any soldier can be posted in a dangerous location.

To make dangerous Army jobs safer, the Army has eliminated certain dangerous jobs, and some dangerous jobs, such as reconnaissance, are now performed by drones or robots.

And of course, there are some jobs that stare at us with stardom & excitement like Army Green Berets, Apache helicopter pilots and Army Rangers. But how about a few that don’t get much attention. But there are plenty of dangerous job choices left for Army recruits who want to test themselves. Here are a few that you may not hear much about:

Artillery Observer
One of the most dangerous Army jobs throughout history has been the artillery observer (also called ?forward observer? or ?spotter?). Artillery observers work close to enemy lines, staying hidden while observing enemy troop movement. They call in artillery fire and suggest movement for friendly infantry units.

In combat situations, artillery observers have the lowest life expectancy of any troops.

EODs ? Bomb Disposal Experts
Ask members of the US military which job (besides their own) they consider most dangerous, and you?re likely to hear, ?Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialist.?

EODs destroy military ?ordnance,? including weapons, ammunition, explosives and supplies. The Army waxes poetic in its description of EODs: ?They are warriors who are properly trained, equipped and integrated to attack, defeat and exploit . . . ordnance . . . explosive devices and weapons of mass destruction.?

Although they?re usually clearing land mines, EODs are also trained to destroy nuclear and chemical weapons.

To become an EOD, it helps to have an interest in science and advanced math, and you should be able to work calmly under stress.

The danger is real and constant for EODs. In November 2013, four seasoned, decorated EODs were killed while clearing a range of unexploded ordnance at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Combat Medics
That’s right, combat medic is not a job for the weak at heart! Anyone who?s seen a movie featuring an Army combat unit is familiar with this job ? and they know why it?s so dangerous. Medics must place themselves in harm?s way to save wounded comrades.