Advice for Disappointed LTs?

Hello all,

I am a freshly commissioned LT, Active duty 74A. I joined the Army because I love leading and caring for people, working with my hands, getting outside, pushing my body, and learning skills that you can't learn anywhere else. I'm posting because I'm disappointed with where my career is headed. TL;DR at the bottom if you like.

Chemical wasn't what I wanted, as you could guess. I wasn't picky, all I wanted was something that would get me in the field like IN, EN, FA, AR, or many others. In CM, almost nobody gets a platoon. We aren't leading soldiers, we aren't getting outside and working with our hands. Our job isn't physical. It's the antithesis of what I wanted to do as an officer. My peers in the other branches are learning armored maneuver, flying, fire support. I'm learning about USR and staff operations. I joined the Army because I felt that the time to do the exciting stuff is when you're young and strong. Now I'm wondering why I joined at all.

I know that as an officer, your time doing these things is brief. Talking to officers I've met though, it's the experiences as a young (Branch) PL getting out and doing the task with your platoon that motivate you to carry on through the harder bits later in your career. Those are experiences I'll never have. I'm trying to look forward to being able to VTIP, but I know that even if I do, it will be back to the staff shop. The time to do cool junior LT leadership and training tasks will be over, the time for staff time in all the other branches will have begun. I've come to terms with being a 74A, I'm not mad about getting messed over by the branching system or any other think like this. The thing eating me is being somewhere I know I won't be as useful.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not giving in. I intend to be the best dang Chemo the force has ever seen, because what else can I do; that's the only option. I know I've got talents and skills to contribute, and I don't intend to waste them. I'm just having a hard time getting excited about it.

I know I'm supposed to be proud and excited for my future like my peers, friends and family, but all I can feel is like I'm in the b leagues. Nobody I've talked to, 74As included, has been able to provide any motivation or light. Even my brigade commander as a cadet laughed and said "well, that'll suck". Its so draining.

Do any of you have any advice or encouragement? I'm sorry if this just comes off as a 'woe is me' lament, but I didn't know where to turn after lurking here so long. I know I'm not the only LT that feels this way, and there is very little in the way of advice and support online for Chemos besides "you gonna USR" and cool guy stuff put out by the schoolhouse to make us less sad.

Anyway, nothing on the menu looks good. I'll just pull out of line and make dry toast at home.

best,

your future AS3

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TL;DR: New Chemo is sad about weird branch, wondering how you all get over disappointing changes in career/life direction

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Update: You have all been very helpful and supportive. You've validated what I already believed about my next few years:

-CM has a lot of sad people and dead-heads, and if you are willing to work hard you can shine brightly

-there are plenty of opportunities to get into some very cool places as a 74A

-Even if it sucks, there is nothing to do but embrace it, excel, and get on to something else as soon as you can.

Thanks! good luck to you all.