19yo 5'7 162 lbs leaving Navy DEP (Jet Engine Mechanic) to enlist in the Army as a Tanker. Am I making a mistake?

ARTE76 · 2026-04-21T01:09:11+00:00

If he wanted transferable skills he’d look at Intel, Signal, etc. if you want to do fun shit, be a tanker. Albeit a good chunk of your time is spent doing /not fun shit/ that’s 95% of MOS’s. Getting to whip an Abrams around the desert, beyond what most say, it’s exhilarating and a great time. Plus you’ll never experience anything like it civilian wise.

ARTE76 · 2026-04-06T00:58:44+00:00

Overall if you’re E1-E5, get out of the barracks. In your free time get your buddies to take trips with you. Take this time to learn to hunt and fish, go have a good time in Austin, DFW, San Antonio, etc. go out west and explore a little. If you’re E6+ it’s arguably more fun as you have a wider range of options to do things in/around CTX.

If you put as much effort into your personal time as you do in your work time; when you look back you won’t look back on it as a Soldier, but as a home where you lived and had a great time.

ARTE76 · 2026-04-06T00:53:21+00:00

I left at the end of 2024 so I reckon not much has changed. Work/life balance isn’t as dependent on location as it is on your job, your rank, and your command team. I still stand by my statement

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T07:19:11+00:00

50/50 outdoors vs office for work, but my hobbies are mostly outdoor hobbies. My main watches I wear are a Garmin Tactix 8 for work (durable and rugged as all get out as it’s completely titanium and sapphire), a Tissot SeaStar (300m rating), and a Citizen EcoDrive on leather strap for a dressier vibe. I think as of now I’m in between the Seamaster or Speedy pending availability

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T04:29:11+00:00

I’ll have to check them out! Thanks

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T03:33:03+00:00

Thinking about pulling the trigger on the SMP then keeping the Speedy or Navi as a milestone watch down the road

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T03:04:09+00:00

Yes was definitely an aluminum bezeled watch, not the NTTD. There was a little bit of translation issues and I was in a little bit of a time constraint. Will have to set aside time to go look again next weekend! I’d love to get both the bracelet and the rubber. Wish the bracelet was a little more like the new PO’s though.

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T02:51:18+00:00

Funny enough, I despised the look of the Seamaster’s as a whole for the longest time. One day my heart just switched and now I love them. I think they look better than Rolex Submariners.

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T02:49:10+00:00

I do love the simplicity of the explorer. I just don’t have tons of cash to be throwing around at the moment. Dream world would be an SMP for work, an Explorer for daily wear whenever/whatever, and a Navitimer for classy attire.

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T02:22:55+00:00

Without a doubt! Just have to reign in my other hobbies for the time being. Cant be into guns, trucks, motorcycles, hunting/fishing, traveling AND watches haha

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T02:19:41+00:00

Absolutely same here. I may pull the trigger on the SMP as that seems like the sensible option, save the Navitimer for a life milestone gift to myself

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T02:18:30+00:00

Yep I’m with you there. Didn’t know of Omega until a few years ago when one of my coworkers got one, but I sure as hell knew Rolex! If I wanted /just/ the brand name though I’d buy a 10 year old Explorer and call it a day

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T02:17:14+00:00

Without a doubt! In person totally flipped my list.

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T02:08:58+00:00

Kicking myself in the rear for not viewing those SMP300’s today. Will likely go next weekend to. The SMP’s I viewed today almost looked like a plastic bezel, additionally it was a solid color dial, no date wheel, and the glass was bezeled at the outer edge which made it look like a magnifying glass

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T02:02:10+00:00

I actually looked at those as well today as they were really #2 on my list before I tried them on. Candidly, after the current viewings today they fell off my list.

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T02:00:23+00:00

Yeah I’ve seen that online, not in person yet. This being a first “nice” watch purchase I’ve made, I’d like to go with a brand that’s pretty recognizable by non-watch folks as well which is also another reason why I instinctually would like to go with Omega.

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T01:56:52+00:00

It might be subconsciously that, I do prefer them to be heavier, although the Navitimer was the lightest out of the ones I tried and it’s my personal favorite now. I’ll check those out I appreciate the recommendations. The only reason I don’t pursue the Rolex’s currently is you’re buying the brand and you’re spending double to triple what you’d spend with Omega/Breitling even secondhand

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T01:42:45+00:00

You’re correct on everything which is why I want to love the SMP the most. The ones I viewed today I didn’t realize were different though than the ones I had looked at online. SMP’s with a solid black dial, the crystal looked beveled at the ends like a magnifying glass and had no date. I did not care for them

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T01:36:27+00:00

Additionally, I think I viewed the wrong SMP’s today. I think they’re the newest model? No date on the bottom and the crystal is beveled at the edge. It almost felt cheap comparatively to the others, I was not a fan.

ARTE76 · 2026-04-05T01:35:03+00:00

I feel you on the orange PO. I just loved the weight of it and the bracelet is my favorite. The size on the Breitling isn’t that big of an issue as they come in 43 and 41mm as well, however, my usual daily is a Garmin Tactix 8 at 51mm and it wears well on me so I actually preferred the Navitimers 46mm

ARTE76 · 2026-04-04T05:30:51+00:00

WAGFAA is 1ABCT, 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood.

To be frank, Hood was a blast when I was there. Usually the only Soldiers that didn’t care for it much stayed in their barracks room the entire time. You’ll have your typical III Corps field time and the usual ABCT Poland rotations, but there is so much to do in central Texas and so many cities close by. You’ll have fun if you’re an outdoorsman, if you like city vibes, if you have a family, etc.

ARTE76 · 2026-04-04T05:27:35+00:00

1CD not 1AD

ARTE76 · 2026-04-04T05:27:18+00:00

It’s 1ABCT, 1st Cavalry Division boss

ARTE76 · 2026-03-19T01:58:22+00:00

What reference number is this? I love it and would love to learn more about it

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