What makes a good 11H? Do you dismount and still run battle drills?

2021-06-18T21:12:25-04:00

I am a recent OSUT grad and was assigned to a Delta Company (heavy weapons company). All I really know is normal line infantry content. What makes a good 11H. Do you dismount and still run battle drills? Generally looking for advice for a new specialist?

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Jun 19 at 2021 7:35 AM

2021-06-19T07:35:51-04:00

How heavy an Anti Armor? Bradley's with TOW's?Javelins?
Still. With either you will do a lot drills on anti armor ambush and what we called shot and scoot. I carried the old Dragon, which didn't have lot of range and had one large signal when it launched, and you still had to track the round. The new TOW has some serious standout distance and Javelin is fire and forget.

Response by SPC Erich Guenther made Jun 19 at 2021 8:06 AM

2021-06-19T08:06:31-04:00

The MOS has not changed that much since the mid-1980's, when I was in it. In fact I thought it was eliminated but I still saw TOWS in Afghanistan on the news and was able to speak to an Active Duty TOW Crew at the 101st in 2009 at week of Eagles presentation. Your going to probably be mounted on a JLTV (See video below) if your with the 101st or 82nd. If your with a Mech Company you might be Bradley or Stryker (not sure how it works with Mech....see the Armored Division at Fort Bliss). So if with the 101st you will learn to rig the vehicle for air assault missions and hookup to hovering helo. Don't want to post a sample of training schedule for security reasons as I have no clue how much of that is still the same. Roughly and at a high level 80% of FTX will be mounted learning TOW vehicle tactics. 20% dismounted and without the TOW learning 11B. You will never ever be dismounted with the TOW, it is too damn heavy. THe new ITAS Tow you will be using is Fire and Forget with FLIR sights and a lazer rangefinder so the old skills of tracking a missile to target and estimating range have probably been dispensed with. You will still have to memorize the firing limitations of the TOW though (there were 7 when I served). They sometimes but only vary rarely time you in mounting and dismounting the TOW from your vehicle (which is probably a JLTV see video below). If your at the 101st you can also count on repelling from helos without TOW, I believe that is fast roping now possibly twice a year. Air Assualt / rigging operations several times a year. OPFOR once or twice a year because they also view 11H as the tactical detail to train others, NG and 11B companies included. Fort Campbell had really cool OPFOR uniforms and insignia, not sure if they still do. You will also participate in EIB when it happens so again they will keep your 11B skills honed. Here is the JLTV video, keep in mind the TOW is also mounted on a Stryker and Bradley IFV (Mech Infantry). If in an airborne or air assault unit, I am pretty confident you will be on a JLTV. You should also be given a deck of flash cards showing both NATO and OPFOR vehicle profiles you will need to memorize as well as they are your future targets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70v9ojzqP4s

How the Humvee Compares to the New Oshkosh JLTV ( Joint Light Tactical Vehicle )

How the Humvee Compares to the New Oshkosh JLTV ( Joint Light Tactical Vehicle ) - Hello everyone you're watching the channel Military TV, the venerable Humv...

Response by SFC Ralph E Kelley made Jun 19 at 2021 8:26 AM

2021-06-19T08:26:45-04:00

Yes, Mounted and Dismounted Battle Drills using all your Anti-Armor Equipment, Section/Crew/Individual Drills as relates to your 11H PMOS. The Platform is simply the way to get the Anti-Armor Launcher(s) to the Decision Point.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 19 at 2021 8:30 AM

2021-06-19T08:30:20-04:00

Ideally, yes you still dismount and do your standard battle drills. When I was in a D Co, we were attached to a rifle company and were tasked with being their long range heavy weapons support. The biggest cancer in a D Co is thinking you don’t need to do regular rifle platoon training because “we have trucks”. Make sure you can do both proficiently

Response by SFC Randy Hellenbrand made Jun 19 at 2021 9:21 AM

2021-06-19T09:21:40-04:00

You should of done this with a jeep!!! Yes, I that damn old and I've done both of these jobs. While we are all infantry when it comes down to it, A`11H is not who you want playing 11B as an 11H is supposed to be way the hell back from the hand to hand action as your job is long range tank killing. Emphasis on LONG RANGE. You must make Putin fear you. So practice your local security drills and your windo-paneing and let your Bravos and Deltas do the rest. So, get that 11B out of your mindset.

Personally, while I liked my first generation Hummer, (yes, I got some of the very-very first of them as my AT BN was part of the RDF) a jeep was a much better combat platform for a TOW due it it's smaller size, nimbleness, and weight. Oh, a 3 man TOW crew could LIFT a hung up jeep off of a stump or a berm. Wanna try that with a HUMMER or something heavier? Whatever, a jeep isn't expensive enough for the military industrial complex to make money on.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 19 at 2021 9:22 AM

2021-06-19T09:22:46-04:00

11H was removed from the Army inventory over a decade ago. Now you are either an 11B or and 11C. As you gain experience in one section you will be moved into other squads and sections to gain proficiency in other weapons systems.

Response by SSG Roger Ayscue made Jun 19 at 2021 10:12 PM

2021-06-19T22:12:33-04:00

Learn EVERYTHING That you can about the Anti-Armor weapon system that you can.
Learn EVERYTHING that you can about THREAT VEHICLE Identification and weaknesses
Learn EVERYTHING you can about Friendly Vehicle Identification, both sides use Armor from the other.
Anti-Armor and Vehicle Identification is actually a lot of fun. Vehicle Identification is a challenge.
Good Luck

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 19 at 2021 11:07 PM

2021-06-19T23:07:57-04:00

I think 11H went the way of 11D and other similar infantry type MOS', and now we only have 11B and 11C and of course 11A with no warrant feeder for the infantry unlike the Marine Corps.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jun 20 at 2021 1:53 PM

2021-06-20T13:53:12-04:00

I will make a stab at this.

- If you are dismounted you will need to know how to make fighting positions. You will need to know infantry tactics as a dismounted soldier. I.e. maneuver, cover and concealment, understanding terrain, using the terrain to conceal you as you look for targets but minimize your exposure.
- Know fire commands.
- Understand sector sketches.
- Understand the fire plan and priority targets.
- Know your weapons.
- Know what friendly and enemy targets look like.
- Know how you fit in the overall fire plan. This is for the efficacy of shooting at targets in the engagement area in the sense the whole engagement area is covered, and it eliminates double tapping a target by your element.
- Know the maintenance requirements.
- Become good at using your weapon.
- Contact drills like red air, artillery, CBRNE threats.

I am done now. I can't think of anything else to say.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 23 at 2021 8:08 AM

2021-06-23T08:08:56-04:00

Absolutely not. I’m assuming since you’re in a Delta Co that you’re in an airborne unit. Your primary Focus should be on employing your missile systems. If you find yourself in a situation where you have to go toe to toe in a small arms fight, someone fucked up. I’m an instructor at the Heavy Weapons Leader Course at Ft. Benning. I can talk for days about tactics.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 24 at 2021 5:44 PM

2021-06-24T17:44:42-04:00

Make sure you can attend the ITAS Crew Course and when you can attend Heavy Weapons Leader's Course (HWLC)

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 30 at 2021 7:06 AM

2021-06-30T07:06:02-04:00

As the SFC stated H’s we’re pretty much removed, you still train on the TOW system? I was originally 11H ‘95’ but deployed as a 11B in ‘04’ and again after that. Yes ground mount needs trained but it’s mostly mounted for use if we’re talking TOW system.

Response by SGT Scott Carter made Jul 13 at 2021 1:42 AM

2021-07-13T01:42:17-04:00

To me ANY dismounted TOW is what we called a “DIP” mission, DIP stands for “DIE IN PLACE” as the only time you would do that. The relatively low speed of the missile plus tank rounds traveling at about a mile per second = advantage to APC/IFV/MBT. Even with signature simulators, hasty minefields, etc… to channal them into kill zones a dismounted TOW position is likely gonna die in 30 sec to a minute. And as much as the wire guided missile is a pain in the ass it is one guidance method that can’t be jammed and the M966

BTW I was an 11H in a light infantry
division (7TH ID). We had the M220E4 and the M966 HMMWV AND the Mk19 AGL for times when the TOW was not needed. Loved me some Mk19!

Response by CPL Marcellus Jordan made Jul 17 at 2021 11:16 PM

2021-07-17T23:16:08-04:00

I don't know what vehicles the TOW is mounted to now. When I was in we had ITV2's some units had Hummers and some were carried on foot. Just pay careful attention to the firing over water calculations and every chance you get at the range volunteer to fire. It's truly the only way to become proficient at it. Don't worry you will run across those with excellent manual hand eye dexterity that are naturals at it . I was one lucky enough to be blessed in this manner. But you will undoubtedly do well! I'm surprised because I was in 1988-1993 and therefore was in during the transition of many things to include 45mm to 9mm, ANPVS4's to 5's, LAW to AT4's as well as My MOS 11H being phased out and us having to train the 11M on the operation of the TOW on Bradley Fighting vehicles. The Military changes slowly and I was just fortunate to be in during a time where many changes took place. God Speed!

Response by CPL Marcellus Jordan made Jul 17 at 2021 11:40 PM

2021-07-17T23:40:19-04:00

I would like to add that I also was AD as we transitioned from the M16A1 to the M16A2 as well. Yes, you do still engage in flanking drills, leap frog techniques, MOUNT training, grenade ranges, Claymore Armament, hand to hand drills, water crossing and all of the training that the 11B's who we were often attached to were going through. Back then they would attach us to 11B units (Sometimes) It all depends on your unit. My old CO was a Ranger so he believed in PT twice daily and our base commander had us in Red Cycle, Green Cycle year round. The way we were taught was once we were out of missiles? We were 11B so we still did a lot of training On the grenade ranges, M203 Ranges, NBC training etc. Your primary focus is anti tank and anti aircraft so we were constantly drilled on aircraft and vehicle identification as well. So in essence yes you are still an 11B but just have an advanced skill set. This is why you are still issued and assigned an M16, side arm if you are a gunner, bayonet etc. I don't know if it's the same now but back then ANY 11Series was a combat soldier and trained as such.