I will be submitting my voluntary reclassify packet this week. Which path is best, 12B Combat Engineer or 19D Cavalry scout?

SSG (Join to see), depends what you want to do. Those are two totally different MOS's you are talking about there. There are a lot of different kinds of engineer units too, which provide a lot of different jobs for SGT's. If you are a 12B, you could be anything from a light sapper team leader or section leader, pounding pickets, laying wire, digging fighting positions, blowing stuff up or you could be a heavy engineer...doing the same thing with heavy equipment. You could also end up swinging a hammer in a construction unit or power and light. Depends where you go. As a 19D, you have one job...reconnaissance. You'd end up as a team leader or vehicle commander in a light, Stryker or armored cavalry squadron. Same job, different platforms. Engineers are supposed to fight as infantry when they aren't doing engineer tasks, but that's about 2% of their time. If engineers aren't being used in their primary job, something has gone wrong. Scouts are focused on reconnaissance. All the time. They aren't supposed to engage the enemy directly unless the mission calls for it...usually in the heavy units. I'd become a scout, but I'm biased.

Well, as a former 12B I'm a little biased. You'll do a lot of things similar to infantry. Nearly every post has engineer units so you can go anywhere. There are also engineer battalions in the middle of nowhere. My last year on active duty was at WSMR, NM. Training is hard and if you deploy to Afghanistan you'll be doing route clearance. Downside for NCOs in engineer units is that you will be dealing with a lot of arrests. Engineer battalions tend to top the blotter. Also, it a small MOS for combat arms, so points for promotion can be really high. I left active as a SGT, because I was waiting on points to drop from 798 for over a year. The positive side, you will eventually know a guy nearly everywhere you get sent. When I left Lewis for Korea, half of the squad I was given I served with in the 14th at one time or another. Same at WSMR, he'll even in the CANG I worked with soldiers I served with on active duty. So there will be a lot of continuity. Also, you're likely to be a squadleader immediately, because engineer units regularly have soldiers in positions above their pay grade.

I enjoyed 12B a lot.
I'm sure both have their benifits

Awesome thread. I’m also looking into doing 11b or 12b. Coming from the Marine Corps Motor T, starting to lean a lot more toward 12b. Good luck to you and which ever route you go man.

I recommend 12B......but them I'm being biased as I once was a 12B

Thank you to everyone who has given me input and advice for this reclass. All of your comments were very informative. I have submitted my packet for 19D. Let's hope HRC gives me the go-ahead. I will keep you all updated! Thanks again, everyone.

12B all day

SGT, so look. The fact is, like the Col said, 11B is 11B. Anyone who’s ays we’re basically Infantry is kidding themselves. That being said I’m a 12B and can offer a little insight. As a 12B you’ll be aligned with an infantry unit. A squad supports a company. Whatever that maneuver Commander needs you to do you’ll do. As a light Sapper unit you’ll do a fair share of breaching obstacles and urban breaching. Rarely in a light or airborne unit will that company commander ask you to set in a defense, although it could happen. If you’re mechanized you’ll do the same but will be fighting from a Bradley, ABV ect. Down range our job tends to be route clearance and counter IED, so get comfortable with seeking out bombs. Over the last few years we’ve gotten back to the old school Engineer tasks that were set aside due to the counter insurgency fight we’ve had on our hands. Bottom line, we’re not Infantry, but we’re a Combat multiplier. We assist in enabling the maneuver guys to complete their mission. And yes, a lot of blowing stuff up.

12B. You get to do some infantry training, especially if you are supporting an infantry unit. Plus you get to play with C4 which is pretty fun.
You won't likely be doing any hammer swinging or carpentry, or any of the other construction type work since it's not your MOS. You might help a construction unit, but it won't be your primary job.

19Ds... well um... yeah. Not actual cavalry, they aren't tankers who are in the fight. They are supposed to be recon type units, mostly for armor units. Infantry does it's own scouting in their scout platoons.

They are supposed to not actually engage the enemy. If they do, it's because one of two things happened. They are being misused, usually to give them something to do in a non-conventional war... as in doing patrols or convoy security. Or things went very, very, very wrong and they were discovered by the enemy.

I am biased however. I started in the regular army as an 11B. Went in the Guard as an 11B, then moved to WA where the nearest infantry unit was a couple hours away. A combat engineer unit was in the city I moved to and knew that I liked blowing things up, so why not. Spent about 6 years there, then went back to an infantry unit for my last few years.

If you look at which will benefit you once you retire and want abother career, 12B would benefit greatly.

I am biased though and vote for 19D. Having been in both heavy armor units and in Cav, there is nothing like the armor brotherhood.