Cavalry Scout


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The Cavalry Scout, is a job title in the United States Army. Cavalry Scouts work to obtain, distribute and share vital combat and battlefield information on the enemy and on combat circumstances and environmental conditions. The role originated with the United States Cavalry.

The job of a Cavalry Scout is to operate as one of the first personnel in an area, provide forward reconnaissance and spotting for the U.S. Army, and find and relay key information about the enemy to commanders and leaders in the field. Their duties include assisting with observation and listening posts, gathering reconnaissance information, performing and helping with navigation, and helping secure and transport ammunition. The Cavalry Scout leads, serves, or assists as a member of scout crew, squad, section, or platoon in reconnaissance, security, and other combat operations.

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Cavalry scouts in the US Army

In the U.S. Army, the the military occupational specialty for Cavalry Scouts is 19D. The job is classified by skill levels. As a soldier increases in rank, so does his skill level. More Army 19D Cavalry Scouts have been killed or wounded in the middle eastern theater than any other military occupational specialty in any of the four services.

Major Duties by Skill Level

Skill Level I (E1 Private - E4 Specialist)

  • Performs duties as crewmember, operates, and performs operator maintenance on scout vehicles: Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (M3 Bradley CFV), HMMWV (Humvee), M1127 Reconnaissance Vehicle Stryker, crew-served weapons, anti-armor weapons, and communications equipment.
  • Loads, clears, and fires individual and crew-served weapons.
  • Engages enemy armor with anti-armor weapons.
  • Operates and performs operator maintenance on wheeled vehicles.
  • Assists in the recovery of wheeled and tracked vehicles. Secures, prepares, and stows ammunition on scout vehicles.
  • Performs mounted and dismounted navigation.
  • Serves as member of observation and listening post.
  • Gathers and reports information on terrain features and enemy strength, disposition and equipment.
  • Applies principles of escape, and evasion.
  • Collects data for the classification of routes, fords, tunnels, and bridges.
  • Performs dismounted patrols.
  • Employs principles of cover and concealment and camouflage.
  • Assists with construction of light field fortifications, laying and removal of mines, and emplacing demolitions.
  • Requests and adjusts indirect fire.

Skill Level II (E4 Corporal - E5 Sergeant)

  • Supervises scout vehicle crew.
  • Supervises operator maintenance of tracked and wheeled scout vehicles and individual and crew-served weapons.
  • Selects, organizes, and supervises operation of observation and listening posts.
  • Supervises scout vehicle recovery operations.
  • Trains scout vehicle crew.
  • Supervises request, receipt, storage, and issue of ammunition.
  • Leads scout vehicle crew and assists in leading scout squad.
  • Serves as gunner, on CFV, HMMWV, and M1127 Stryker RV.
  • May also serve as an Operations Assistant at brigade or squadron level.

Skill Level III (E5 Sergeant - E6 Staff Sergeant)

  • Supervises scout sections and squads.
  • Directs tactical deployment of section and squads in combat.
  • Supervises maintenance of assigned vehicles and equipment.
  • Collects, reports and evaluates accuracy of intelligence information.
  • Directs reconnaissance of fording sites, tunnels, and bridges.
  • Directs route / area / zone reconnaissance at section level.
  • Coordinates action of vehicles with platoon and supporting elements.
  • Evaluates terrain, selected routes, assembly areas, firing positions, and positions for combat operations.
  • Identifies, selects targets, and issues fire commands.
  • Supervises construction of hasty fortifications.
  • Supervises section and squad resupply of class I, III, and V.
  • Trains scout section.
  • Coordinates requirements for organizational maintenance.
  • Conducts scout section drills.
  • Calls for, observes, and adjusts indirect fires.
  • May also serve as an Operations Assistant in the squadron/battalion or higher level staffs and as Operations NCO at troop level.

Skill Level IV (E6 Staff Sergeant - E7 Sergeant First Class)

  • Assists the commander or operations officer in planning, organizing, directing, supervising, training, coordinating, and reporting activities of the scout or armored cavalry platoon and staff sections.
  • Directs distribution of fire in combat.
  • Supervises platoon maintenance activities.
  • Collects, evaluates, and assists in interpretation and dissemination of combat information.
  • Directs platoon tactical movement, platoon security operations (screening), and platoon route/area/zonereconnaissance.
  • Supervises the employment of OPSEC measures.
  • Coordinates the evacuation of casualties.
  • Coordinates and conducts platoon resupply.
  • Requests and adjusts aerial fires.
  • May also serve as an Assistant Operations NCO at battalion or higher level.

Uniform

All qualified Cavalry Scouts are permitted to wear the Cavalry Stetson Hat with the Dress Uniforms.

Cavalry Spurs must be earned by all Cavalry Scouts. Spurs may be worn on bloused combat boots with the dress uniforms and the duty uniform. The generally-accepted Cavalry Spurs are the simplified Prince of Wales spurs (spurs without the rowel, or star-shaped 'wheel' on the back).

A Scout is authorized to wear silver spurs if he has completed a Spur Ride, a rigorous series of physical and mental tasks designed to test the scout's military skills, military bearing, physical endurance, mental fortitude, teamwork, ability to act under pressure and exhaustion, and ability to think and improvise quickly. In legends, the Spur Ride is a several-week long process that is perhaps more difficult and just as prestigious as Infantry's Expert Infantry Badge qualification. In reality, the Spur Ride rarely lasts more than three days (sometimes as little as one very long day and night), primarily due to U.S. Army regulations against hazing traditions. The exact details of a Spur Ride varies according to the traditions of the particular Cavalry Squadron.

A Scout who has previously earned his silver spurs and then successfully completes a combat tour of duty is eligible for award of brass or gold combat spurs. Scouts who have directly been involved in combat are often awarded combat spurs in lieu of the normally-prerequisite silver spurs.

The Certificate awarded to Order of the Spur inductees, while honored by Cavalrymen everywhere, is not a document that is authorized for inclusion in a soldier's permanent official military file. Regardless, induction into the Order of the Spur is for life, and once awarded is recognized no matter which duty station the Cavalry Scout is assigned to.

Although awarding of the Cavalry Spurs is often reserved for Cavalry Scouts only, a deserving soldier or foreign military member who has provided great service (often in combat) to the Cavalry Squadron may be awarded Spurs.

Qualifications

Physical demands rating and qualifications for initial award of MOS; the job is not available to female personnel. Cavalry scouts must possess the following qualifications:

  • Physical Demands Rating = Very heavy
  • Physical profile (The PULHES Factor) = 111121 or better
  • Correctable vision of 20/20 in one eye and 20/100 in other eye
  • Normal color vision
  • A minimum score, of 90 in aptitude area CO (ASVAB/GT score)
  • Formal training (completion of MOS I 19D course conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Army Armor School) mandatory
  • Highest rank an individual may be reclassified into MOS 19D is rank SGT

Additional skill identifiers

  • D3 - Bradley Fighting Vehicle System (BFVS).
  • E9 - M901 (ITV) Gunner/Crew Training.
  • F7 - Pathfinder
  • J3 - Bradley Fighting Vehicle Master Gunner.
  • P5 - Master Fitness Trainer.
  • 2C - JAVELIN Gunnery.
  • 2S - Battle Staff Operations (skill level 3 and above).
  • 4A - Reclassification Training.
  • 5W - Jumpmaster
  • 2B - Air Assault
  • B4 - Sniper(Can attend training but will not be awarded ASI of B4)
  • R4 - STRYKER ARMORED VEHICLE OPERATOR

Skill qualification identifiers

  • P - Parachutist
  • Q - Equal Opportunity Adviser
  • 8 - Instructor
  • X - Drill Instructor
  • V - Airborne Ranger
  • G - Ranger
  • 4 - Recruiter

Training/School Information

All Cavalry Scouts attend their basic training and Cavalry Scout Advanced Individual Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. This allows all recruits to spend 16 weeks with Drill Sergeants. The first 9 weeks are basic military training combined with basic scout techniques and tactics. However, after week 9, these same Drill Sergeants, who are all Cavalry Scouts, become teachers of more advanced individual scout skills. During these final weeks the future cavalry men are trained by Cavalry Instructors (CIs). The CIs have a rank of SGT and teach the soldier all of the fundamental cavalry scout skills. The CIs rely on their experience (typically one or two Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom deployments) and knowledge to instill everything necessary for them to perform their job and survive on the battlefield.

Citations and notes

References

External links







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