Were Vietnam tunnel rats volunteers?

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Yes, tunnel rats in the Vietnam War were largely volunteers. While some belonged to specialized units with formal training, most were regular infantrymen who volunteered for the dangerous duty of exploring and clearing enemy tunnels.
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Were Vietnam Tunnel Rats Volunteers or Drafted?

Okay, lemme tell ya what I think 'bout Vietnam tunnel rats.

So, the U.S. Army had specific tunnel units. Sergeant Woods led one, right? They got trained up proper. Found that bit out from a documentary, can't recall the name exactly, but it stuck with me.

But here's the thing, most tunnel rats? Just regular grunts who volunteered. No special schoolin' or nothin'. Always felt like a crazy brave call to step up for that.

Now, were they drafted directly into tunnel work? I dunno, not really, seems more like guys already in the infantry saw a need and said, "I'll do it." My uncle, bless his heart, was infantry. Never a tunnel rat, but he talked 'bout guys steppin' up for the worst jobs. I get the feeling it was kinda like that. So, largely volunteer.