About This Career

Infantry officers lead attacks, defensive operations, and other tactical missions. They are responsible for the discipline, morale, and welfare of their unit's personnel. To fulfill these responsibilities, they evaluate the operational situation and lead their troops in executing offensive and defensive maneuvers.

This career is part of the Government and Public Administration cluster National Security pathway.

A person in this career:

• Evaluates intelligence
• Formulates plans for reconnaissance
• Directs fire support and energy warfare
• Leads preparations for combat
• Inspects weapons and optics of an infantry battalion
• Conducts training in a combat environment
• Makes tactical decisions
• Leads a unit in a nuclear, biological, and chemical environment
• Plans nuclear, biological, and chemical defense
• Communicates in an electronic warfare environment

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Exposed to hazardous situations involving possible injury such as cuts, bites, stings, and minor burns more than once a month
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves kneeling, crouching, stooping, and/or crawling more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of special protective items such as a breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suit, or radiation protection
• Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Maintaining a body position that prevents falling when in an unstable position
• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Moving the arms, legs and torso together when the whole body is in motion
• Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
• Using muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring
• Short periods of running, jumping, or throwing
• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Seeing clearly in low light conditions
• Seeing objects or movement to one's side when looking forward
• Being able to tell the direction from which a sound is coming
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Exerting oneself physically over long periods of time without getting out of breath

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Overnight travel