Posted on Dec 17, 2019
Keenan Kostyk
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it seems like everyone and their mother is talking about how cav scouts are not "basically infantry". and since I'm joining the Nat'l Guard, i would like to know so i don't make the wrong MOS choice
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SSG Platoon Sergeant
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Infantrymen are alpha males and cav scouts are lesser men.

Jokes aside different jobs different concepts. Your best bet is to google the MOS for specifics. For infantry you can read tactics and specifics in ATP 3-21.8. You can read about cav scouts in a paw patrol coloring book.
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Keenan Kostyk
Keenan Kostyk
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I understand what some of the differences are, but then it seems like even some of those differences can also have overlapping exceptions
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CPL Douglas Chrysler
CPL Douglas Chrysler
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Aren't they out in front, sort of like forward observers? I always admired the FO's, subject to ambush etc.
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SSG Platoon Sergeant
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Any MOS in the army is going to briefly go over the basic combat skills and every battle drill. When you’re an infantryman you’re going to master those skills and battle drills and live your life off of them. As a cav scout your going to be looking at doing different things depending on where you are at. Being in a combined arms unit in say the 1st Cavalry Division you’ll be doing scouting and surveillance for the Bradley’s and Abrams. If you’re a cav scout in the 82nd airborne you won’t be doing anything really other than for your own unit. Infantryman in any unit anywhere whether it is a Stryker, mechanized or airborne/light unit your going to do the same thing no matter what. Small unit tactics and mastering the basics of being a soldier. Battle drills and shooting. Survival and common sense. Keenan Kostyk
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SSG Platoon Sergeant
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It depends man. I’ve seen FOs attached to the platoons I’ve been in on OPs with a fire team on the mountains. But I’ve never personally seen them in a FO and RTO team on a deployment. But I’ve never been in an artillery unit either. But from an infantry stand point I’ve seen them only stand next to the PL both in training and on deployments and never go anywhere else. CPL Douglas Chrysler
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SGT English/Language Arts Teacher
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I have a friend who was a Cav scout. When I first met him, he said he was a 19D. I said, "Oh, a wannabe infantryman!". Another friend, who was a Ranger and Special Forces veteran said, "Oh, man it's on!" We had a good laugh. Scouts are usually attached to armored units. As we all know, infantrymen can and will perform reconnaissance as do scouts. Nevertheless, we all have the common mission of destroying the enemy. That is what is the most important thing to remember

COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen F. SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen SPC Woody Bullard CPL Dave Hoover CW5 Jack Cardwell Lt Col Charlie Brown Col Carl Whicker SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SPC Margaret Higgins Maj Marty Hogan LTC Greg Henning Maj William W. 'Bill' Price SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT John " Mac " McConnell LTC Wayne Brandon PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Douglas Bolton PVT Mark Zehner
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SGM Bill Frazer
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1. Technically there are NO IN scouts- instead you are assigned to a Recon PLT in the HHC , at BN, BDE level. 2. CAV Scouts is it's own MOS, in the IN its an additional duty. 3. IN unless they are Mech, walk- CAV scouts ride or fly since they are assigned to Mech/AR/AV units.
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SSG Platoon Sergeant
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Well put sergeant major. Even though In every battalion I’ve been in other than Mechanized recon infantry platoons always went by scouts. And also our NCOERs will state Scout as well when in the position of Scout team leader or ATL.
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SGM Bill Frazer
SGM Bill Frazer
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SSG (Join to see) true, but only CAV scouts have their own MOS, many of the tasks are the same. But as a grunt scout, bridge classification sucked big timr
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What are the differences between infantry and cav scouts in the army?
SGT Philip Roncari
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How can I put this? Maybe in the words of my old platoon Sergeant”,You are Infantry ,you walk,those other peoples are Cav they ride”,that was his simple explanation ,I found it to be true.
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CW2 Electronic Warfare Technician
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In a light division the Cav dismounts as much as the Infantry, and the Infantry rides as much as the Cav. Welcome to modern warfare.
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SGT Philip Roncari
SGT Philip Roncari
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SFC Jeffrey Carroll - I did post it was my “old” platoon Sergeant we were talking about 1965 ,we of course had mechanized Infantry,and if we had gone to Germany instead of Vietnam parts of my Division (4th Ivy Division) Would probably have run around the Funda Gap in brand new spanking M114s,113s,we in fact had Cav units in Vietnam,and my unit in fact worked with tracks but that’s a whole different story better left for another time,again in my time it was stressed you were straight leg Infantry,of course we used choppers,and tracks,but most days it was one foot after another carrying Mr.Rucksack,be well Brother,Steadfast and Loyal Phil.
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
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That was the initial thought this AF guy had as well. I'm learning otherwise in this train though.
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CW2 Electronic Warfare Technician
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CW2 (Join to see) in a mechanized and Stryker unit...everyone rides.
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SFC Team Ncoic
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So there's a lot of misconceptions about "CAV" Scouts and "INF" Scouts or Infantry as a whole. So the Infantry is the main effort, their job is to close with and kill the enemy. INF Scouts conduct Reconnaissance push based off the commanders guidance/intent. CAV Scouts are the reconnaissance assets for their higher HQs and conduct both recon pull and push but are mostly used for their information gathering. Our mission is based of the METT-TC and the commanders intent. If utilized properly a Scout will leave days prior to the main body effort inorder to gather information on various things, terrain, mobility, site selection, enemy disposition, infrastructure, and possible course of action. We'll send our recommendations/information up to the commander so he can then build his plan of execution utilizing the infantry or armor assets. We help paint the picture so the Infantry can go in and cause mass destruction with minimal casualties. Scouts and Infantry are different MOS's with two different mission sets. Sometimes those missions intertwine but we are not the same.
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SFC Michael Hasbun
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Now that they've repealed "Don't ask, Dont tell", the Cav Scouts have found much more public acceptance in the Army at large... They're even wearing their stetsons in public now!
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SSG Cavalry Scout
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It’s easy. One eats crayons and the other is a scout
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CPT S1 Adjunct
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National Guard has retention and recruiting NCOs who can answer and provide a POC in both MOS for you to direct specific questions to if they cannot answer themselves. First, there is no “wrong MOS” to choose, it depends on your interests and goals among other things. You can always choose one and later reclass, but you’d need to discuss with retention. Google the term “infantrymen” and “infantrymen vs cav scout” you’ll find plenty to read.
Below are two hits to my search: “Cav Scouts see combat equally as any other combat MOS that leaves the wire. ... In an Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the cavalry squadron's role is to be the primary reconnaissance force for the brigade. In that, there are two mounted and one dismounted troops. The dismounted (C Troop) is all Infantrymen.”
And the second is: “The difference is that scouts generally are told not to fight the enemy and observe more than the infantry. Other than the fact that Cav Scouts fall under armor, they are infantry, but they also fill the forward observer role. ... They only accept 11B mos for the combat elements of the regiment.”
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SPC Erich Guenther
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Neither choice is the "wrong" choice. It's based on what you want to do Infantry tactics are attack and hold. Cavalry Scout tactics are recon and avoid contact if possible. Cav scouts are far fewer in number and emphasize radio and communications. Infantry is more numerous and emphasize tactics. Cav Scouts actually used to be Infantry Scouts but some General back in the day saw declining Cavalry unit manning numbers and got nostalgic and moved the MOS over to Calvary. I still think that was a stupid move but what can you do with too many Generals in the Army, some get bored and cause MOS issues like this one.
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
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Don't know, but they both call for CAS when in trouble. :-)
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CPL Gary Pifer
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19D and 11B were both OJT on the job training MOS'... in the Guard... go learn a valuable job skill.
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SSG Platoon Sergeant
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There are plenty of valuable job skills in the infantry if you apply yourself and establish good skills and seek out opportunities. Just because you’re not a 25U doesn’t mean you can’t be in charge of the IT guy at Walmart.
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There is virtually no OJT in the Guard anymore
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SSG (Join to see) if you put a 25U in charge of your IT department your HR folks should be fired lol
SSG Platoon Sergeant
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Honestly Sergeant I still don’t know what they do. SFC Thomas Foreman
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SPC Alexander Bendyna III
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The mentality between the two disciplines are polar opposites. Infantrymen need to violently aggressive to do thier jobs. Often times that aggression is what allows them to accomplish thier objectives and minimize casualties. Scouts, on the other hand, rely on stealth and patience to survive. If the 2 or 3 scouts on an OP are caught, they're likely dead. Scouts will fight to break contact and run. We're too far ahead of the main elements and won't reliable recieve any support of caught. We'd probably get some artillery support. Rule #1of being a scout: Don't get caught. The similarities between Scout and infantry is that we both do a lot of walking and carry a rifle and radio, the similarities end about there. As a scout, I trained on infantry battle drills just like infantry train on setting up OPs. Doesn't make us good at the others' job. during my stint at Ft. Irwin, most OPs I walked into a destroyed were set up by infantry guys who were talking so loudly that I heard them from my OP on the other side of the ridge from them.
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SPC Rifleman
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I’m 11B in the NG. The main difference on paper is the cav scouts would be a “Recon” unit, and Infantry would be the fighting force.. On the modern battlefield, since the enemy is not uniformed, a lot of the time cav scouts will end up in contact and needing to do similar jobs. The infantry is trained more specifically for combat.. On paper, it’s basically Recon (19D) VS Infantry (11B/C).. If you are scared to fight, neither option is a great idea for you. If your more into the recon aspect, Cav Scout. If you want to be part of a bigger brotherhood that is build on the pride of being the best at everything they do, Infantry
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PVT Mark Zehner
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Everything
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