The army doesn't do a great job balancing work/home balances so expect to be in the field a lot, and when you're back from the field you're doing layouts, maintenance, or getting ready to go back into the field. Some amazing memories with hard working folks across all walks of life and relationships I maintain to this day.Ĭons- Work/home balance. Awesome seeing it fire and hit the target while commanding 3 other tanks, and very rewarding doing training with just my platoon in the Kuwaiti desert when we'd drive over a few old abandoned cars, stop, and play football once 'away from the flagpole' in the middle of the training area to relax a bit from all the maintenance we'd be doing. specifically I was always blown away at the internal computer calculating ballistic solution before a sabot was fired at a target 5K away. Gunnery, despite tedious and stressful can be a lot of fun and rewarding if you've got a good crew who practiced hard, share the work load, and are motivated when you qualify. Whatever you can fit on your tank your crew allows within reason. Pros compared to other branches are you aren't walking to get from point A to B so you can carry more, you can therefore pack a lot more clothing, food, niceties to have in the field, chairs, grills, etc. You see a whole lot of landscape more so than any other branch because you travel faster and farther than infantry generally, and you close with and engage the (training) enemy (since no armor is doing that these days, nor are any other branches for the most part). It's incredible when done right and with a well-oiled crew who work well together. Pros- cruising around on a multi-million dollar piece of equipment, firing a 120mm cannon that is so technologically advanced it accounts for wind speed and direction, altitude, target distance, type of round, and other variables before you take the shot. What do you see as the pros and cons of being a tanker over the other combat arms (I.E Infantry, 19D, Air Defense)? Armor was also recommended to me based on some of my character traits by my ROTC instructor at the time (confident, detail-oriented, hard working) Fondest memories are of driving down the desert at NTC as a rotation ended and just admiring the scenery from my tank as my gunner scanned the turret from side to side. I also thought driving around and commanding/shooting a tank sounded incredible (it was). Wanted to do combat arms followed by intel (to set me up for a career after the army if I didn't want to do 20), but something about being exposed to fire if in a combat environment as an infantryman (unless in a bradley) rubbed me the wrong way. What made you choose this particular MOS? Former 19A (Armor Officer) who was on tanks for 4 years before I switched to intel as a captain. I think it opens up a whole new aspect for them and for the Army,” says Crapse.īasic training will last 14 weeks in Georgia, after that Crapse will be learning where her first assignment will be.Hi there. “I think it’s amazing women do have the opportunity to do jobs they didn’t before. 'In high school I was the only girl in Woodshed Class and pushed the envelope there,' said Crapse.Ĭrapse tells FOX 17 she's prepared to serve in a combat zone and hopes other women choose to follow their dreams.

Army.Ĭrapse went to Thornapple Kellogg High School in Middleville, where she says she also did things differently. 1st Class Alex Gellman, a recruiter for the U.S. 'There shouldn't be any restrictions to career fields or job opportunities based on gender,' says Sgt. Recruiters say the Army is integrating women into combat jobs, saying they're welcome into those positions if that's what they choose. “My ultimate goal would be to be a tank commander.”

'My first assignment I will actually be driving the tank and I'm really looking forward to that,' says Crapse. She comes from a long line of family members in the service and is proud to carry on the tradition. I want to experience hardships,” says Private Megan Crapse. She just did her swearing in last week and will be going to basic training on January 2nd. Private Megan Crapse will be the first West Michigan woman to serve in the Army as an armored tank crew member.

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