What were an average soldier's duties in the Vietnam War?

Answer 1

Every branch of service has their own Military Occupational Specialties (MOS's). Only a very few examples follow, for the Vietnam War:

US Army: Armor (tank) Crewman, his duties might be pumping grease into the hubs of his tanks road wheels, and there were six sets per side, of his M-48 Patton tank. An Armored Cavalryman might be adjusting the track suspension on his M-551 Sheridan tank, or the Mechanized Infantryman might be cleaning his track mounted .50 caliber machingun, and then adjusting the "head space and timing of it." The grunt will be airing his feet off by taking off his boots, and cleaning his M-14 rifle in the early days, or his M-16 rifle later in the war. The helicopter crewmen will be performing similar duties to their choppers.

US Air Force airmen will be cleaning, repairing, re-fuelling, and re-arming their F-100 Supersaber jet fighter planes, F-101 Voodoo jets, F-102 Delta Dagger jets, F-104 Starfighters, F-105 Thunderchiefs, B-57 Canberra and B-52 Stratofortress bombers for their next missions.

US Navy sailors of the "Brown Water Navy" will be cleaning their over and under combination mortar/.50 caliber machingun located aft (the rear deck) on their Swift Boat (Patrol Craft Fast-PCR), or working on guns of their PBR (Patrol Boat River), Alpha Boat (Assault Support Patrol Boat), or Monitor (River Battleship).

In between those duties all of them will just live to eat and sleep. Until their tour is over.

Answer 2

The average (drafted) American male was 19 to 26 years of age. There were men who where 18 and well over the age of 26, but the conscripts (draftees) consisted of the former group. Most of that former group had NEVER been out of the US before, so being in a foreign country was an experience by itself. Approximately 25,000 men out of the 500,000 men in Vietnam were living in the field. The 475,000 men were predominently living in both large and small base camps. All experienced the horrible heat (temperature) of South East Asia. It was NOT a dry heat of a desert, but a humid heat, one sweated just standing there. It took a week or more for the US male to climatize to the country. Most men LOST weight and heavy set GI's weren't all that common, except for in the big combat bases. Living in the field created the animal instinct of "survival" in each man. Life consisted of only eating, sleeping and fighting. Living in the large combat bases was equivalent to living in America's "Wild West" of the 1870's. When it rained, the dirt roads turned to mud. Side walks were built of wood and raised above the mud, as they were in "Dodge City" and "Deadwood" in the 1800's. EM clubs, NCO clubs, and O' clubs (Enlisted Men's club, Non-Commissioned Officer's club, and Officer's clubs) took the place of the "old west" saloons. The ladies of the old wild west saloons, were also present in the clubs. In many of the combat bases, GI's were armed, .45's and knives. Bartenders kept M-16 rifles under the bar. MP's were called often. There were no flush toilets or modern bathroom facilities (except at some of the modern Air Force or Navy bases) OUT HOUSES were used. This is part of the reason GI's referred to the United States as the "world". When a GI returned to the "world" it was indeed a different WORLD. During WWII, America was referred to, by the GI's, as the "STATES'.

Answer 3

The US Military has as many types of jobs as their are in the civilian world. There are several different branches of militaries in the US: US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, US Marine Corps, and the US Coast Guard, all of whom fought in the Vietnam War. The day to day activity can be anything; cooks, clerks, medical personnel, administrative personnel, wheeled vehicle mechanics, track mechanics (for tanks), radio operators, radar operators, aircraft (fixed wing) mechanics, aircraft (rotor wing-helicopters) mechanics, engineers, truck drivers, etc. All were in Vietnam. For the US Army/US Marine: a tank crewman might be using a grease gun to pump grease into the road wheels of his M-48 Patton tank. A cavalryman might be cleaning the 152mm gun (cannon) on his M-551 Sheridan tank; a mechanized infantryman might be cleaning the .50 caliber (machingun) mounted atop his M-113 Armored Personnel Carrier/Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle (APC/ACAV). The grunt (foot soldier/infantryman) might be taking a bath in a nearby creek. For the US Airman: he might be re-arming the 20mm guns of "his" pilots F-100 Supersabre jet fighter/bomber. Another ground crewman might be refuelling an F-104 Starfighter jet. For the US Sailor: he might be cleaning the engine(s) of his Swift Boat (PCF-Patrol Craft Fast), another sailor in another area might be cleaning or test firing the .50 caliber machinguns on his PBR (Patrol Boat River). In between these "routines", all of them will be looking forward to some good "chow" (food to eat); some sleep, some music, read a book, write a letter home, etc.