What are your opinions on 19D (Cavalry Scout)?

So here is my opinion of Cav Scouts. I was an MP with the 16MP BN in Iraq in 2005. I got task with becoming an MP liaison with a field grade and a senior NCO to the 2nd Armored Calvary Regiment in Najaf. We were at Camp Duke in the middle of nowhere. I was not happy about being stuck with a bunch of Cav guys for the next 3 months.

Those guys were the most kick ass warriors I had ever seen. Every night was a firefight. Drones, Bradleys, Abrams, Specter Gun Ships. They took it to the enemy and they took it hard. I earned my Spurs with those guys. I am authorized to wear 5 combat patches. I only own one. The 2ACR. Cav Scouts were on the front lines of the 2ACR every night and they killed the enemy in bunches.

I love the little bastages. When I was rolling around in my Bradley as an 11M grunt, we would get comingled with the 19D's in their M3 Bradleys. The same equipment but with only one or two dismounts and twice the ammo load. To hear them called POG's was laughable. We got the CIB, they got the green weenie.

Like SFC Neal I was scout all my life. I spent 20yrs as a scout with different units like Divisional Cav. Squadron being the eyes and ear of the division. Or Battalion scouts went to war with the 3rd ACR when they were in Ft Bliss. All that time from E-1 - E-7 I grew in my abilities. From having to depend on other people to learning how fix and improvise myself. It helped greatly in my great work ethics I have now. Like other people I found other Mos's I didn't care for but in the end we were all part of the same team. When it came to push and shove I knew we all would do our jobs. So in short go be a Scout and enjoy it I used to say we were the jack of all trades and master of none.

Been in for close to three years and I love being a 19D. Going to the field can suck sometimes bc we are the eyes and ears of the battlefield. But I wouldn't want to do anything else other than what I'm doing right now as a Scout

Cavalry is more than an MOS, it is a state of mind. Cav units are the eyes & ears of the Commander. First out and typically last in. Never have all the equipment you want and always over worked. If you choose this MOS, you will become skilled in multiple specialties.

As a former 19D and 12C for 20+years I loved it, but I thrive in a challenging environment. This is a career path only for those who want constant challenges.

I was a 19D for 20 years of my life and it served me well in and out of the service. I've stewed on the other responses and can say. All career fields have dirt bags, so someone's unfavorable opinion about 19Ds based on an old event are probably that, which is an unfavorable opinion. Regarding skills and credentials for a scout in the civilian world? There are no direct ones, but a well seasoned scout makes for a find candidate in law enforcement. The skills you develop with observation, mounted and dismounted patrolling, reconnoitering different areas and people, interacting with locals, discipline, independence in action, and being a part of a values based organization; are those hard to describe attributes, but not less important to have.

I received the direct opportunity to grow and lead others early on in my career. Learning to motivate others, form the backbone of an organization, grow younger leaders, enforcing standards, leading by example, training, developing training, planning and execution of training and real world operations, managing a maintenance program, gunnery programs, record keeping and all that have a correlation to many civilian jobs. If nothing else your people skills aren't just a branch qualified minimum with some quotes out of a regulation or smarmy poster on a wall. You'll have soaked it in for a lot more time than other more technically (civilian like) career fields. I am certain I got a lot more troop leading time in than had I been a low density MOS.

Cav scouts are great. Not a lot of use for the direct skills outside of the military, but I wouldn't personally pass up the opportunity to hold a combat MOS. That said, as an infantryman gone tanker, this has me in fits.

Any time you ponder reclassification, ask yourself "what skills, credentials, or certifications is this job going to give me that are transferable to the civilian world". If the answer is little to none, it's a waste of your time...

Best god dam mos there is 1/509 gman all the way

Cavalry Scout is a great job. As others have said, not much for it on the civilian side, but you will get to play with the most weapons this side of being an 18B. Your military license will be packed full of all the vehicles you could want. The job has struggled a little in identity, given the nature of the past two wars and not defined line between friendly and enemy territory, but it is also the most stubborn branch ever. We hang on to our Stetsons and Spurs no matter what the Army throws at us. The Cav has so much pride its sickening, and the comradery is amazing. It is fun, chalenging, a little rewarding, and you get tons of training.
I can't let this go without also mentioning CA. If you can get SPC and BLC, you can try out for Civil Affairs, absolutely amazing job. 19D actually helped me a lot when I made the switch, both jobs do a lot of reconnaissance. Either way you'll be in a great MOS. Scouts Out!!!!