What are the most intelligent/mentally challenging trades in

IT maybe.

fields that take only brass
>core of engineers
>medical corps
>public health service

A friend of a friend of mine was a technician or whatever it's called on a nuclear submarine (not an engineer with an engineering degree.) Basically he was the guy who was in charge of making sure the reactor didn't blow up.

>>8417456
>joining the US military

enjoy serving the literal devil

>>8417534
Yep, Navy nukes. Hardest schooling of any job in any branch, cognitively speaking. Followed by that, probably an Intel/cyber job in the Navy or air force. Look at the Navy CTN rating, and some jobs in the AF also require a good ASVAB score.

Just be warned, you will probably need a TS clearance if you go Intel. Do not sign up for an Intel job if you don't think you can pass the investigation

>>8417565
What kind of things would prevent me from passing?
What happens if you can't pass?

I was thinking about trying to become a CBRN officer after finishing up undergrad because I'm autistic about safety/PPE, have good instincts and quick reactions.
Does that buff up or hurt your CV if you want a research career later? I've had profs who spent time in the army, but a lot of neutral areas of life are being heavily politicized right now.

>>8417605
Nobody in the hard sciences will get butthurt that you were in the military. It can't hurt and will actually help in some fields.

>>8417610
How about synthesis and computational chemistry?
I had a professor who worked on catalysts for selective solvolysis of organophosphothionates but I don't recall if he had any kind of defense grant

>>8417580
I have heard the only thing that can really stop you from getting a top secret clearance is marrying a foreign native from a "questionable" country, such as Thailand or China.

I guess lying too much about your involvement with illegal drugs would stop you from a TS clearance too. Just be consistent about this though. If you say 10 times the first time, say 10 times EVERY TIME AFTER. Other wise you're fucked.

If you can't pass, I don't know famalam. Good luck bro.

t. I considered the military before someone convinced me going back to school for CS was a good idea.

Also t. i'm not sure if he was right.

>>8417627
The only thing questionable about a Thai wife is whether you first met her as a working girl.
>>8417456
According to my best friend (major in american army) the most intellectually demanding part of being in the military is dealing with all the lazy cunts around you.

Even as an officer, the ranks above and below you are filled with useless assholes. They do the bare minimum to complete their jobs and pass the buck at any available opportunity. So if you are a responsible human who likes to get jobs done the right way, you're gonna be eating shit sandwiches every day for the 6-10 years is takes to complete your service commitment.

So even at the highest levels you've still got to deal with stupid and lazy people. People above mentioned some jobs that do require some skill and intelligence, but what you're forgetting is that the purpose of all military training is to ACTIVELY SUPPRESS INDEPENDENT THOUGHT. You are not supposed to think independently or question your orders or job function until you reach a very high rank. And by that point you'd have to be a goddamn superman to not have been totally ruined by years of training to the contrary. For example, I believe enlisted folks do get picked to be language officers. So you get to go to language school for 2 years to learn fluent Urdu. However by the time you finish, your job ends up being to sit in a room transcribing and translating mundane tapped phone calls all day. Day after day. Sound intellectually stimulating to you?

If you do join up then I highly suggest you do an ROTC program for college and graduate as an officer. They pay for your schooling and your service commitment is 6-8 years I think. The most interesting fields require you to be an officer or warrant officer. And once you finish you get more years of schooling paid for by the GI bill (assuming you're an American).

>>8417924
>once you finish you get more years of schooling paid for by the GI bill
That includes gradschool expenses?

>>8417933
Yeah. Being in ROTC during undergrad is kind of like having a part-time job in the reserves while you study. You drill and train a couple times a week in addition to regular classes. When you graduate you're commissioned as an officer. Completing your service commitment later on qualifies you for the benefits in the GI bill, so you can use your GI Bill money to pay for any kind of schooling. And from what I understand, the GI Bill education money will pay 3 years of any kind of schooling you want--including med school.

making weapons like airplanes

>>8417954
Those are contracted out to engineering firms.
At best you'd be designing the required specs and judging proposals but I'd imagine that to be a shitty job too.

I'm in avionics right now, and have opportunity to be a flight engineer or a non-destructive technician. Which one will make me less of a brainlet?

Be a radio operator pussy

>>8417456
Intel and Electronic Warfare. The latter requires capacity for independent thought also in low ranking positions. Consequently EW has a cowboy style reputation.

Both required brains, alertness, some smartness but little muscle. Stamina is good though.

You should think your career through a bit more
- do you aim to become a General/Admiral?
- or do you want to safe and have a civilian career fallback?
- do you want to be on the operative side?
- or do you want to risk becoming an administrator?

As an example, Blackbird pilots were a special breed (closely related to EW in work and style) but it was not good for career progression.

>>8417618
>organophosphothionates
That smells like serious chemical warfare, anon.

>>8417456
>What are the most intelligent/mentally challenging trades in the military?
oh, I dunno, maybe INTELLIGENCE?

Is there any place for a physicist in the military?

I really have no idea what I want to do once I graduate anymore.

>>8417456
Naval Academy Annapolis, USAF Boulder Colorado. You have to be exceptional. No dumb bubba fuck can get into Annapolis or be a cool headed Fighter Pilot.
Or if you want a job and aren't claustrophobic, you could work as a Nuke engineer on a Nimitz/Gerald Ford class Aircraft Carrier or any Submarine.
But if you really want to work in the field, Radio opeator or Combat Doc (field hospital). Those field docs are Macgyers when it comes to mending soldiers.

>>8417456
just do infantry pussy.

>>8418051
FE on herc or p3 or some other shit? Tbh the job is dead in the water, need to be quick thinking more than intelligent but its still a mentally challenging role. NDT is more procedure based shit just like youd get in any other servicing bay desu. When we had ndts come through our hangar earlier this year they couldnt figure out how to convert a 3phase plug to 1 phase