Forgive the stupidity. I've read the description a couple times for both and it seems like they kinda have the same mission. Can a scout/former scout please shed light on this subject? Thanks.
Infantry walks/runs everywhere, and carries EVERYTHING (50-80lbs) they own on their back - -
Scouts use Armored Vehicles to get around and carry their stuff. They occasionally dismount to "peek" over/around/through areas to identify enemy positions. Their main weapon in a RADIO, which they use to call in Aircraft/Artillery/Tanks to do the heavy work. If they end up using their own weapons, they have decided to give up being Scouts and are then just light Armor. For Scouts, that is NOT a good choice - since muzzle flashes usually draw much BIGGER muzzle flashes!!!
I had a game knee from sports when I came outta high school, so Infantry was out when I enlisted. I also loved mechanicing anything with a motor. I thought I was enlisting for tanks, but the recruiter slipped in 11D (19D today I believe), which is Armor Crewman, Recon. It may have been an innocent mistake, but a whole lot of 11Ds were getting killed in Viet Nam at the time.
The training was a lot of fun, every armored vehicle available. I was assigned Armor Recon for two years, but finally wangled my way onto an M-60A1 tank for the last year. It was all a fantastic experience, especially the firing of all the large caliber and MM weapons. I was brought up on guns, so that part was Paradise!!
actually on the walking part it depends. if you are heavy scout you get to play with Bradleys. light scouts use hmmvees and walk. But at basic which I have to go back to tomorrow, I have to do a twelve kilometer march, infantry only go up to a 15k march so it can't really be determined who walks more. Cav scouts get to use every weapon the army has to offer and there is alot better training than infantry.
Ouch! I wouldn't go that far. Tankers feel pretty secure when rolling through a nice wide open desert, but you get a bunch of tanks in a dense forest or in narrow streets and high buildings, suddenly its nice to have a company or two of GIs around clearing the flanks - -
I'll share my beer with a ground-pounder any time, and if he needed a ride, I got plenty a room anywhere he and his buddies can hang on - -
Scouts are far more highly trained than Infantrymen. As an old tanker getting older everyday I do remember the name of the first tank I ever named way back in the day in 5/32 AR "Beats Walkin"> The sad thing about it all was I was soon sent to Korea up in the western Corridor and was the only 19K in the entire BDE.
Sweat and dirty clothes is the mark of "can do" type...and that never sucks, 88.
Old trick: put athletic tape on heels etc. where blisters may form before hand. Rub inside of boot heels with vasaline to soften them and reduce friction.
Memorize everything...ya got the rest of your life to waste time, if ya make it alive through this portion. Armor crewman is teamwork, so always support the people around you. Inspire them to succeed - NEVER leave them behind. If it's a competition, finish first, then go back an encourage everyone else to finish. God knows (and God forbid!), someday you may need one of them to carry you out of the field of fire some day - -
Originally posted by sabrestrike6: I had a secondary MOS of 11B,I along with many of my friend never agreed with the term Grunt as most Tankers dont like dumb a** Tankner DAT
My Father was a Grunt. I was a Grunt. My Son was a Grunt. I'm proud to say I was a Grunt. Ask anyone on the Infantry forum, they will say the same thing.
Considering that you haven't even finished your training yet and you sure as hell haven't gone to Infantry training you're in NO position to be spouting off about which is better trained.
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left." ~ Anonymous
The picture posted and labeled Armor Recon/Scout is not an M3 CFV. Nor is it an M2 IFV. It is an M6 Linebacker which is the ADA variant with Stinger missiles. I served as an Infantry Scout (11D in 2ID & 11B in 101st) and as a Cavalry Scout (19D in 3ACR). There was little difference. Remember 19D used to be 11D. Scout platoons in mechanized Infantry battalions were almost always manned by 11B and non-mechanized Infantry battalions had only 11B slots for their Scouts. Keep in mind I retired in '91 with a PMOS of 11M4H and SMOS of 11H4H, both of which have been rolled into 11B so my experience is somewhat dated.
For the two years I was Recon with a tank Battalion, 11D unfortunately often simply meant "Eleven Details" platoon. Often Battalion, HHC, and Company COs were not well versed in what to do with us, and our officers were more often trained as infantry than armor, but never as Recon, so at best we were often just sent "out there" and forgotten.
At worst, during Tank Gunner, we were parceled out to do target and ammo details to support the shooting. If we got lucky, we got divided up amongst the tank crews to fill in all the vacancies. I ended up a gunner and tank commander my last year, because of a keen shootin' eye with anything they handed me.
Truth is, no matter what your MOS is, you get put were the holes are. My driver was a mechanic, and my loader was the company clerk - - They both OJT'd into a great team and did a great job!!
I join the OHANG as a 19D-to be train as a ITV gunner since the closet ADA unit(my firstduty job.) was a 5hr drive from my home.
I enjoy the traing duing my 6 month train up, had more fun then unit training.. Then got ship to the NBC room since I was the only quillified one to do the job.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Migbuster,
Ive been in every Cavalry position from Scout to First Sergeant. I have been in four infantry battalions, one tank battalion, and three cav squadrons. The way things are now and with the way operations are conducted in Iraq at least (I havn't been to Afghanastan) there is no ultimatly no difference between the 11B's that were in my troop and the 19D's that were in my troop. Now traditionally there is a small difference but mostly in employment not in ability.
Originally posted by sabrestrike6: Scouts are far more highly trained than Infantrymen. As an old tanker getting older everyday I do remember the name of the first tank I ever named way back in the day in 5/32 AR "Beats Walkin"> The sad thing about it all was I was soon sent to Korea up in the western Corridor and was the only 19K in the entire BDE.
LOL, OMG, that was funny, highly trained and scout in the same sentence lord...
Well, I didn't start off to cause an argument. I would certainly expect a pro infantry answer if I were on the Infantry board. The facts are simple, Scouts are trained in more tasks than are Infantrymen. While we all share our burdens in combat, the dismounted guys definetly have a hard job. I am a Tanker,Armor is my calling. Having a secondary MOS of 11B I grew to appreciate the motto of "Death Before Dismount". Our 19Ds are among the finest the Army has to offer. That is not meant as an affront to any other MOS. We are pro Armor, that is who and what we are. If you don't agree, just don't. Otherwise go back to where you came. We are the home of firepower, shock effect and maneuver. The Combat Arm of Decision!
The recent changes to a lot of armor units mean there's a much greater chance that Scouts will be riding in M1114s (up-armored humvees) as opposed to M3s or Stryker recon variants. It should also be mentioned that there are Scouts in light units who have no armor whatsoever. Whoever it was that said that Scouts are recon infantry was right on the money.
Scouts also get some pretty cool toys for watching stuff happen from a safe(r) distance.
