What Rank in the Army Will You Reach?

Zoe Samuel

5 Min Quiz

Image: WikiCommons

About This Quiz

The ancient Greeks invented the boot camp. In ancient Sparta, young boys would spend day and night learning to survive hardship, torture, starvation, and of course, military discipline. This crucible turned children into fearless warriors capable of surviving ten to one odds. This system of training was resurrected by Niccolo Machiavelli when Florence faced French invaders, and it is still used today by militaries the world over to make soldiers of their people.

The United States military is designed to accept nearly anyone who wants to join it, however very few men or women ever reach the high ranks. The military is designed to test us, find our strengths, maximize our capabilities, and bring out the best in us.

If you have leadership qualities, the military will enlarge them. If you have technical proficiency, the military will teach you to master its systems. If you have a way with words or are a poet with a camera, the United States military will find a place for you to use those skills to the benefit of the system.

How do you think you would fare in a system designed to push you until you fail? Would you rise to the occasion and become an inspiration to your fellow men, or would you be content to work as a grunt; a tiny cog in the massive military machine? What rank would you achieve?

When I say jump, what do you say?

What should I jump onto, sir?

I just jump.
Sir yes sir!

How high?

What have you named your weapon?

Geraldine

Suzette
Dana

Sam

What is the purpose of soldiers?

To protect their country from all threats, foreign and domestic

To kill!
To fend off invaders

To unify our nation under a single banner

How educated are you, recruit?

I have more than one advanced degree.

I was an excellent student, through high school.
I barely graduated high school.

I got a GED.

How much PT does it take to get a complaint out of you, recruit?

I'll go until I pass out.

I'll say something before I pass out.
I'll say something before I injure myself.

I'll complain when I have a cramp.

Are you special, recruit?

There are many like me, but none who are me but me.

I work harder than everyone.
I have more willpower than the rest of my crew.

I am not special, sir!

If one of the men in your unit fails, what happens to your unit, recruit?

It picks him up and carries on with the mission.

It limps on.
It collects him to treat him and continues with the mission.

It fails.

If I pull the pin out of this grenade and throw it in your foxhole, what do you do, recruit?

Yell "grenade" as I climb out.

Throw myself on top of it
Scream and clamber out

Die?

Who do you work for, recruit?

The President of the United States

My men
My brothers

America

What can an officer do to a soldier for breaches of military discipline, recruit?

Under Article 15 of the Code (Subchapter III), a commander may reduce the rank of his subordinates, dock them pay, or other similar punishments without judicial review.

Lock him or her up.
Restrict their privileges.

Make life miserable.

Which protocol of the Geneva Conventions is the most important?

Protocol I

Protocol II
Protocol III

I don't know the protocols well enough to say.

What do you plan to do after you leave the service, recruit?

Work in finance

Work in my family business
Find a job in the private sector, any job

Live with mom and dad

How long do you plan on being a soldier?

40 years

30 years
20 years

5 years

Do you have any social skills, recruit?

Yes, plenty

I wasn't born yesterday.
I'm fun to be around.

No, I'm having trouble taking this test without being embarrassed.

How disciplined are you, recruit?

As disciplined as a monk

I make the Marines look lazy.
I can put my mind to anything.

I like to waste time. Look, I'm being honest, sir.

Why does the military have a civilian commander in chief?

Because we need a leader who does not think like us

Because we don't want a coup
Because the President answers to the American people

I have no idea.

When your enemy offers you something, what do you do, recruit?

Try to look like I'm taking it, but don't.

Don't take it. Hold back and see what trap is laid for me.
Take it, because everyone makes mistakes.

Ask someone for their thoughts

What is the most important preparation for war, recruit?

Intelligence gathering

Positioning your assets
Gathering your weapons

Training your army

Is it better to outfight or outlast your enemy, recruit?

Outlasting beats outfighting every time

Outfighting beats outlasting every time
Why not both?

I'd rather just shower the enemy with daisy cutters.

What does an army march on?

Its stomach

Its feet
Its back

The ground

What can an army not function without?

Food

Fuel
Communication

Transport

What is more valuable, territory taken, or intelligence on the enemy?

Intelligence, every time

Territory is something you can touch.
Intelligence is nice, but you have to make sure it's accurate.

I have no idea.

What must break to break the enemy, recruit?

The will of the enemy to fight

The supply lines
The leadership

Their heads

What weapon would you want if backed into a corner, recruit?

An AK-47

An M-60
An M40 rifle

An M-16

Could you handle being on a Red Team, recruit?

I relish the challenge.

I think it'd be fun.
I might be able to hack it, maybe.

No, I don't have the brains for that.

Do you need a rest, recruit?

Sir no sir! Bring it on, sir!

Sir, I am not tired yet, sir!
Sir, may I run to the kitchen for a second, sir!

Sir, may I please watch TV while I take this quiz, sir!

What culture produced the finest warriors, recruit?

The United States of America

Feudal Japan
Rome

The Greeks

Could the United States military win a war without guns?

We do all the time because they don't happen.

If we had to.
You mean just with knives?

We still have bombs and missiles, right?

What is the greatest asset of the United States military?

Its diversity

Its brains
Its discipline

Its numbers

What fancy school did you attend, recruit?

West Point, sir.

I didn't, sir.
I barely graduated, sir.

I'm not sure I should have been allowed to enlist, sir.

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