Infantry the "queen of battle" etc...

[Auzzzie]

What exactly is this assault troop?

[trunk_munkey28]

Originally Posted by Auzzzie

What exactly is this assault troop?

Basically, it was a troop of Armoured Soldiers who were employed much the same way as Pioneers are in the infantry. The did a lot of Cbt Eng style tasks, and quite a bit of infantry stuff as well; patrolling, defile drills, etc.
Byt he time i made it to Assault troop the demo portion had been taken out, so we did an assload of dismounted ops to support our Sabre Squadron.

[commanding]

Originally Posted by Auzzzie

I don't think there is any debate that those who specialise in something are the ones who are best at it. That's why I get pissed off when pogues brag about how "every soldier is Infantry". My arse, I don't go around saying I can drive a forklift or stack boxes as well as you can. Dickheads.

I grant you every soldier is not as good with infantry weapons as those whose MOS is infantry. But...there are a lot of good examples of non Infantry folks who end up in combat and have a pretty good showing for their efforts.
Ref: 507th Maintenance Company, Invasion of Iraq, 2003, the An Nasiriyah incident.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/507th_M...riyah_Incident

and:
http://www.army.mil/features/507thMa...7MaintCmpy.pdf



In particular this fellow Patrick Miller:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Miller_(soldier)

not bad for a truck driver in the army.

Prior to his capture, Miller had stood his ground firing at the Iraqis with a malfunctioning weapon, feeding bullets into it by hand to protect two wounded comrades. A U.S. Army press release said Miller jumped from his vehicle and began firing on a mortar position that he believed was about to open fire on his convoy.

[Linedoggie]

Originally Posted by Minardiau

Every member of an armed forces is trained as a riflemen irrespective of what their MOS is.

Just saying

Actually being able to defend yourself with a weapon and being able to do Infantry Tasks are different things.

I've watched as Non-Infantry units (QM, AVN, FIN, FWD SPT, & Various HQ units) attempted to run our basic "Fight" Lanes at Drum, Dix, Smith, Indiantown Gap, etc. and it wasnt pretty.

The Lanes used 40 Common Tasks at individual level right out of the SMCT 21-1 with concurrent battle drills at the squad/platoon level from WBD (ARTEP 7-1-Drill). None of it was Infantry specific, it was all tasking s that Every Soldier is expected to be able to accomplish.

Basic things like a Female(And some of the Males as well) being able to throw a Practice Fragmentation Grenade 25M, or Enter/Clear Room. How to Evaluate a Casualty 081-831-1001 (Tactical Casualty Combat Care).

I watched a Female NCO pass out crawling under Barbed Wire entanglements as she was wearing to much crap in the rain and became exhausted, the obstacle was less than 10M long. the males with her were equally overdressed for such manuevers.

Or watching a SFC Cook put into the role of Squad Leader for a Dismounted lane totally lose control when caught under fire in a open field. Thank god he had some 11B & 11C E4/5's in the iteration and took the fight to the OPFOR. When I came up on him and asked what his intentions were he had the classic Deer in the Headlights look. My Assistant Lane Walker was a SPC. whom I served in Iraq with. Charlie "D" was amazed that they wouldnt manuever like we would have as Infantry.


I watched at Drum's Range 41 as some finance dude attempted to load and fire his M9.

First he jammed the magazine backwards, then dropped it, finally getting it in correctly he kept trying to shoot. He would thrust the roscoe towards the target over and over....

He then realized the slide was still locked back. Before anyone could stop him he looked down the Muzzle and hit the slide release chambering a round into the barrel he was looking down. Me and My Partner jumped from the bleachers where we were advising the unit commander of his Company training status and started running towards him when the range AI got to him first.

point is many who arent Infantry assume since they went to Basic that they are the same, sadly they aint.

[Ngati Tumatauenga]

Originally Posted by Linedoggie

Actually being able to defend yourself with a weapon and being able to do Infantry Tasks are different things.

I've watched as Non-Infantry units (QM, AVN, FIN, FWD SPT, & Various HQ units) attempted to run our basic "Fight" Lanes at Drum, Dix, Smith, Indiantown Gap, etc. and it wasnt pretty.

The Lanes used 40 Common Tasks at individual level right out of the SMCT 21-1 with concurrent battle drills at the squad/platoon level from WBD (ARTEP 7-1-Drill). None of it was Infantry specific, it was all tasking s that Every Soldier is expected to be able to accomplish.

Basic things like a Female(And some of the Males as well) being able to throw a Practice Fragmentation Grenade 25M, or Enter/Clear Room. How to Evaluate a Casualty 081-831-1001 (Tactical Casualty Combat Care).

I watched a Female NCO pass out crawling under Barbed Wire entanglements as she was wearing to much crap in the rain and became exhausted, the obstacle was less than 10M long. the males with her were equally overdressed for such manuevers.

Or watching a SFC Cook put into the role of Squad Leader for a Dismounted lane totally lose control when caught under fire in a open field. Thank god he had some 11B & 11C E4/5's in the iteration and took the fight to the OPFOR. When I came up on him and asked what his intentions were he had the classic Deer in the Headlights look. My Assistant Lane Walker was a SPC. whom I served in Iraq with. Charlie "D" was amazed that they wouldnt manuever like we would have as Infantry.


I watched at Drum's Range 41 as some finance dude attempted to load and fire his M9.

First he jammed the magazine backwards, then dropped it, finally getting it in correctly he kept trying to shoot. He would thrust the roscoe towards the target over and over....

He then realized the slide was still locked back. Before anyone could stop him he looked down the Muzzle and hit the slide release chambering a round into the barrel he was looking down. Me and My Partner jumped from the bleachers where we were advising the unit commander of his Company training status and started running towards him when the range AI got to him first.

point is many who arent Infantry assume since they went to Basic that they are the same, sadly they aint.

Funny how arrogant they are about being able to handle 'mere' infantry tasks. Until they get put under the spotlight in stressful conditions.

[grenadier07]

I don't know about anyone else but I can't think of too many other moments in my life that gave me a feeling of as much accomplishment and pride as when I got my crossed rifles and blue chord put on me by my old man. Lord knows I did plenty of bitching while a grunt, what sham shield wearing E-4 hasn't? At the end of the day though I wouldn't want to be in any other army MOS.