2 U.S. Army Soldiers Told Us All The Unexpectedly Cool Details Of Their Jobs

When people think of joining the U.S. Army, they might assume life looks the same for all Soldiers, but if you do a little research, you’ll find that there are actually so many different career paths — over 200, to be exact — for people interested in every kind of industry.

Among these diverse careers are positions that keep Soldiers fed and safe, like culinary specialists and parachute riggers. Within those fields, there are highly trained operatives who are selected to handle the most high-stakes tasks. Take Staff Sgt. Chanidapa Suksiripornrit, for example. Even though she had no professional culinary expertise before joining the Army, she’s now an extreme cooking expert who makes in-flight meals on aircraft where the kitchens and available ingredients may be meager, but the clientele is major. (We’re talking ‘U.S. Army Chief of Staff’ — the highest ranking officer in the Army — kind of major.) “Before I applied to this assignment, I didn't even know that it existed,” Suksiripornrit, who was born in Bangkok and moved to Virginia when she was 11, tells Elite Daily.

Or look at Specialist Briahna Washington, a logistics and support professional who works as a parachute rigger, packing parachutes for her fellow paratroopers who put their lives — quite literally — in her hands. When Washington started out, she didn’t know that a role like her current one was even possible. With no prior experience, it used to take her over an hour to pack one parachute, but now her record time is exactly eight minutes, all while still moving through several critical checks to be sure each parachute is packed safely. Washington shares: “Coming to the Army and seeing what they do, it’s easy to think, ‘This is impossible.’ But when you put in the work and don't give up on yourself, everything just gets easier.”

We spoke with these two Soldiers about what they’ve learned from the not-so-predictable paths their careers have taken and got some solid advice for potential recruits in the process. Here are their takeaways.

1. Previous Experience Isn’t a Must — You Just Have to Take the First Step

Even though she helped her grandmother sell homemade Thai curry to hungry customers when she was growing up, Suksiripornrit hadn’t worked in the culinary arts before joining the Army. She knew she appreciated the experience of cooking, and that’s why she chose to become a culinary specialist. “I really loved that rewarding feeling that you get when people taste your food and enjoy it,” Suksiripornrit recalls. “And food can make a big difference, especially when you're able to provide sustenance for your fellow Soldiers and make them feel good.”

Similarly, Washington didn’t know anything about packing parachutes before selecting her specialty — on the contrary, she was drawn to it precisely because it was so foreign to her. “When I heard ‘parachute rigging,’ I thought, ‘Maybe I should challenge myself and do something that I never thought I would do,’” she tells Elite Daily. “It took me probably two months to actually feel like, ‘Okay, I got this. I know what I'm doing.”

2. Embrace the Excitement of the Unexpected — That’s Where the Growth Happens

One thing that shocked Suksiripornrit about her job is that she often finds herself interacting with extremely high-ranking passengers on aircraft. “It’s amazing to have the opportunity to talk to people like the Secretary of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff — connecting with officials that you never thought you would have the chance to interact with in such a confined space is a truly next-level experience.”

Even with a role as regimented and routine-based as parachute rigging, Washington notes that no two workdays are the same. “Every morning, it's like walking into the unexpected. Anything could pop up,” whether that’s mentoring fellow riggers out of a plane or jumping out of a helicopter herself.

3. You Don’t Have to Plan Your Future Alone

Suksiripornrit may not have known that her current position was a possibility when she joined the U.S. Army, but with mentorship, connection to her fellow Soldiers, and lots of research, she was able to find the path that works for her. There are countless resources available to new recruits and current Soldiers alike, such as the Army Career Match, a personalized quiz that matches your interests, skills, and goals with applicable Army careers, and the Army Career Tracker: “It basically lets you create a career map,” shares Suksiripornrit. With this tool and the many other avenues of assistance provided to Soldiers, “you’re able to look at other opportunities outside of the normal scope of your job.”

Though she’s not sure where her U.S. Army career will take her, Washington credits joining the organization as the ultimate first step to a limitless future. Her advice to young people considering a similar trajectory? “Even if you don't end up staying in the Army for your entire life, starting your career there will allow you to go to school, figure it out, and build a plan for yourself — whatever that may look like.”

Learn how a career in the U.S. Army can help you Be All You Can Be.