Posted on Aug 18, 2017
Should US Army do away with 19D MOS, reclass current 19Ds to 11Bs and create Additional Skill Identifier of Reconnaissance Specialist?
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11B Infantry seem to be MOS that have a lot of similarities with 19D counterparts. While 19Ds perform recon for mainly armored units, they still at times go on foot and perform similar tasks such as route clearance and raids. However modern warfare seems to be changing and new technology seem to be slowly pushing boots on the ground out as essential need in favor of drones and other recon devices.
Posted in these groups: 
Cavalry Scout OSUT (19D)
Infantry OSUT (11B)
Infantry Reclass Course (11B)
Cavalry Scout (19D)
11B: Infantryman
Cavalry Scout OSUT (19D) Infantry OSUT (11B) Infantry Reclass Course (11B) Cavalry Scout (19D) 11B: Infantryman
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 32
What you suggest brings to mind the saying "Jack of all trades, master of none"
Like combining 11M and 11B, we took a career field where a dedicated demographic could become experts in their equipment, training, tactics, and knowledge of deployment needs and watered it down by lumping them in with 11B..operating as a 11B is completely different than operating as an armored fighting vehicle crewmen..The vehicle dismounts can be cross trained easily the Crew and your 11B sqd leader not so much.
The same holds true for a 19D...yes, like an 88M, 92G, 31V, a 19D may occasionally be used as a dismount, a mounted wheeled vehicle patrol, defensive position member... the expertise needed to be a 19D at the highest level of training for all duty positions is not something you can master in a few weeks when you PCS to a new unit and suddenly go from 11B SQD LDR to mounted or dismounted previously coded 19D position.
Likewise, the SSG who was a 19D yesterday, is woefully unprepared to be a 11B the day he shoes up at his new duty station..
Both can succeed in the new job tasks, but neither will be an expert in the field, they may become competent (most do), but is that what we want in our leaders? If that's all we want, "good enough"
buy more body bags, future generations of military folks are going to need them.
Like combining 11M and 11B, we took a career field where a dedicated demographic could become experts in their equipment, training, tactics, and knowledge of deployment needs and watered it down by lumping them in with 11B..operating as a 11B is completely different than operating as an armored fighting vehicle crewmen..The vehicle dismounts can be cross trained easily the Crew and your 11B sqd leader not so much.
The same holds true for a 19D...yes, like an 88M, 92G, 31V, a 19D may occasionally be used as a dismount, a mounted wheeled vehicle patrol, defensive position member... the expertise needed to be a 19D at the highest level of training for all duty positions is not something you can master in a few weeks when you PCS to a new unit and suddenly go from 11B SQD LDR to mounted or dismounted previously coded 19D position.
Likewise, the SSG who was a 19D yesterday, is woefully unprepared to be a 11B the day he shoes up at his new duty station..
Both can succeed in the new job tasks, but neither will be an expert in the field, they may become competent (most do), but is that what we want in our leaders? If that's all we want, "good enough"
buy more body bags, future generations of military folks are going to need them.
In my opinion, I have not figured out if it is the Army or other services but someone in the Pentagon does not think 11B's are smart enough for tasks they can easily handle. I would not stop at 19D I would also include the Stinger Anti-Aircraft missile which was designed for Infantry to use vs a seperate MOS. Little to no extra skills to learn how to fire a Stinger but someone on one of the Ivory thrones in the Pentagon wants to keep that weapon system out of the hands of 11 Series. Don't ask me why, I was never at that level to figure out what is going through their heads.............I think a seperate MOS for the Stinger, which even the Muhadeen can handle in Afghanistan.........is also very shortsighted.
SFC (Join to see)
To fire a stinger you have to know about the weapon system, which requires a security clearance. It is not an easy weapon system to use and is complicated enough that to be proficient enough in it, it has to be your primary job like a 11C specializes in mortars. It makes no sense that a guy who specializes in air defense should be in an 11 series MOS. Their mission planning and special operational considerations would make them poorly suited to be Infantry 11Zs because their specialty is too far out of scope with infantry skills.
SPC Erich Guenther
SFC (Join to see) - Interesting, I did not need a security clearence to be taught how to fire it in 1985 as well as sit through the indoor target qualification test. Unless they greatly complicated the weapon system since then........took maybe 10 min to learn how to arm and fire. Probably another hour and a half to practice and qualify with it on a indoor range.
SFC (Join to see)
SPC Erich Guenther - The same could be said about any weapon system. Here is your 10 minute class, now run immediately over to the trainer and qualify...good job you are now a super star on X weapon system. Except you really aren't and it is a perishable skill. You are telling me that the one time you got a 10 minute class on the Stinger you were proficient enough to go through the procedure to consistently employ the weapon system at an expert level? If memory serves me right, a lot of guys who don't regularly use the Stinger screw up one particular aspect of it. Then there is the whole issue of planning an Air Defense plan and a host of other skills. By the way, I am also a former 11B who learned to use the Stinger.
My first unit in Germany had a Scout platoon manned with 19Ds. At some point they did away with the 19Ds and manned the platoon with 11Bs. Every unit after that had a Bn Scout Platoon manned with 11Bs. We didn't need no stinking 19Ds!!
COL (Join to see)
Late 80s, BN Scout platoon, all 11B. 82nd. LRS troop might have had 19D but did have 11B.
SPC Andrew Lyons
I was in the 82nd in 93-96. The scout platoons in the infantry battalions/brigades were 11Bs. I'm a 19D - we were in the 82nd's 3/73 Armor (I was in the HMMWV mounted scout platoon in HHC; but the four tank companies (m-551 Sheridan) were also crewed by 19Ds) and one troop of 1/17 Cav (also a gun hummer platoon).
SFC Casey O'Mally
When I was INF, we had a Scout PLT in our BN, which was manned by 11Bs. This PLT was manned by Soldiers who had to try out for the honor - it was essentially the beat and most motivated 11Bs in the BN.
This PLT was a resource for the BN only, and did not really feed into the bigger intel picture. The BDE and DIV still needed trained scouts - 19Ds - to actually build out the Intel picture.
This PLT was a resource for the BN only, and did not really feed into the bigger intel picture. The BDE and DIV still needed trained scouts - 19Ds - to actually build out the Intel picture.
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