MOS Β· U.S. Army
Infantry Soldier
e·lev·en bra·vo / ΙΛlev(Ι)n ΛbrΓ€vΕ/
noun 1. military
A U.S. Army Infantry Soldier β a highly trained combat specialist on the front lines, responsible for engaging in direct combat, navigating challenging terrain, and executing tactical maneuvers with precision and tenacity. The backbone of every land campaign, from the first day of training to the last day on the ground.
noun 2. informal
A battle-hardened, no-nonsense soldier who goes where he's told and handles what's there when he arrives β on foot, with the men beside him. The guy who carries the weight, does the work, and keeps moving. The MOS that has no glamorous version. The term "11B" carries a legacy of quiet competence and the hard-won understanding that courage, combined with accountability to the people on your left and right, is what actually moves the line.
The badges
EIB
Expert Infantryman Badge
Awarded to infantry soldiers who pass a rigorous multi-day proficiency test covering land navigation, weapons, tactics, and physical endurance. No combat required β this is mastery of the craft. You either know your MOS cold, or you don't earn it.
Established 1943
CIB
Combat Infantryman Badge
Awarded to infantry and special forces soldiers who are personally present and under hostile fire during active ground combat. The enemy decides. There is no test, no checklist, no way to study for it. The CIB is the defining credential of the combat infantryman.
Established 1943
MCIB
Master Combat Infantryman Badge
Awarded to soldiers who have earned both a CIB and an EIB, ESB (Expert Soldier Badge), or EFMB (Expert Field Medical Badge) β combat-proven and technically proficient. The badge features a gold wreath encircling the CIB, representing the convergence of two distinct kinds of excellence. Retroactively recognized back to 1943.
Introduced 2025 Β· Retroactive to 1943
Infantry lineage
The U.S. Infantry is as old as the United States. When the Continental Congress authorized the Army on June 14, 1775 β the same day as Flag Day β it did so by authorizing ten companies of riflemen. The first soldiers America ever fielded were infantrymen. Two and a half centuries later, that lineage is unbroken.
The pipeline Β· OSUT
Phase 1 β Basic Combat Training Β· Weeks 1β10
Core soldiering fundamentals: M4 rifle qualification, hand grenades, land navigation, first aid, battle drills, physical fitness, and the Army values. Every soldier β infantry or not β covers this ground. For 11B, it's the floor, not the ceiling.
Phase 2 β Infantry AIT Β· Weeks 11β22
MOS-specific: crew-served weapons (M240B, M249 SAW, M2 .50 cal, MK19 grenade launcher), anti-armor systems (Javelin, AT4), squad and platoon tactics, patrol operations, room clearing, ambush and counter-ambush. Multiple field training exercises culminating in Operation Hammer.
At graduation, soldiers receive the Infantry Blue Cord β worn on the right shoulder, earned only by 11-series soldiers.
Option β Basic Airborne Course Β· 3 Weeks
Soldiers with an Airborne contract continue directly from OSUT. Five qualifying jumps β including one night jump β earns the Parachutist Badge and access to airborne-assigned units.
Also offered: Air Assault School (10 days, separate from Airborne track).
Where 11B leads
Infantry is a starting point as much as a destination β the most direct gateway into some of the most selective units in the U.S. military.
Adjacent MOS
Advanced paths
Why the infantry
“I love the infantry because they are the underdogs. They are the mud-rain-frost-and-wind boys. They have no comforts, and they even learn to live without the necessities; and in the end they are the guys that wars can’t be won without.”
— Ernie Pyle, WWII war correspondent
Wear the branch
11B Infantry Merch
Veteran-built apparel and gear for the infantry community. Purchases support the Charlie Company Cooperative's mission to help Veterans thrive.
VA claims
If you carried a rifle and came home carrying something else β you've earned your VA benefits. Don't let the process stop you. Every MOS, every era, every kind of service leaves marks that the VA is obligated to recognize.
For a step-by-step guide to filing your VA disability claim β common conditions, C&P exam tips, what to say and how to say it β visit zonk.vet.
Need someone in your corner? Charlie Company Cooperative walks alongside Veterans through the whole process, free of charge.
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