The system works! I branched infantry. Of course, the same system would have rewarded me equally for being at exactly the 50th percentile or for offering an extra four years of my life to the Army, but I can be proud knowing I got there "legitimately," by being at the 92nd percentile. Not that it means anything after today - I can't tell you how many generals I've heard brag about what terrible students and cadets they were (OK, I can. Maybe like two).
The next exciting game of craps the Army will play with my future is selecting my BOLC (Basic Officer Leaders Course) date and posting. My choice is due tomorrow. My preference list looks like this:
1. Italy (Vicenza) - 173rd Airborne, elite paratroopers, Restrepo, apparently the Italians don't like us there (shocking) but did I mention it's ITALY?
2. Germany (Grafenwoehr, no idea how to pronounce) - 172nd Infantry, it's heavy infantry, not light like I like, but big girls need lovin' too, and apparently (and mystifyingly) the Germans DO like us there (seriously, what?) and, not to beat a dead horse, but it's in GERMANY (not my favorite European country by far, but still Europe).
3. Ft. Bragg, NC - 82nd Airborne, elite airborne unit #2. Hopefully makes up for what an awful place Bragg would be to live.
4. Ft. Campbell, KY - 101st Airborne, kind of elite technically airborne unit #3, though actually air assault. Still badass, not too far from Nashville, though I already ate at all three of Clarksville's worthwhile restaurants while I was at Pathfinder.
5. Ft. Drum, NY - 10th Mountain Division, tough light infantry, though it gets pretty cold up there.
6. Hawaii (Schofield Barracks) - 25th Infantry Division, also light infantry but their insignia looks kind of like a turd (a strawberry at best). Hawaii would be nice, but I've
never really surfed successfully.
7. Alaska (Ft. Richardson... I hope) -25th ID again, but have a new airborne unit. I really don't want to live in Alaska.
8-10 - No idea. I'll be pretty pissed if I don't get one of my top four ... if it gets down to these last three I'll skip town and join up with the IDF/Foreign Legion/get into Canadian politics.
Note: That's the US Army Infantry song up there, not just some shitty poem I came up with.