IRepoCans
Member
- Reaction score
- 129
- Points
- 580
I imagine the man has not been in an IFV doing a stab run with a driver and gunner who only graduated DP1/RQIP 3-5 months prior, and a crew commander who just finished PLQ and ISCC (and he himself only has been in battalion for 4-6 years at this point) before.There have been vehicles with significant ballistic weapons and guided missiles for 50 years that carry infantry.
It should not be a specialist skill for the infantry to use them.
The rifle section has already been an arms locker for the past 20-30 years as far as the doctrine and the experiences of the NCOs that have taught me view it: every private coming off of BIQ/DP1/RQIP (or whatever else we want to call it now) for the past two decades has been qualified on the following weapon systems: Pistol (HP or C22), C7 (to include the use of a LAD and NVG), C9 (to include the use of thermal and night sights), C6 LR (to include the use of thermal and night sights), M203, C13/C13A1, SRAAW-L, SRAAW-M, and C19 CDDW.I suggest that the arms locker has its place but it can't be the answer in a Large Scale army where the majority of troops are recently engaged civilians.
I believe that the basic 1920-1990 vintage infantry battalion proved to be a useful construct that flexed adequately to accommodate different technologies, transport and terrain.
That's not including all the remaining STANO and communications equipment they have to qualify with on course, along with patrolling, offensive, defensive and enabling operations modules (to include doing all of which in urban areas). Followed by field firing, rappelling and CQC-B.
And despite all of the above, having worked with the British and Australian training establishments, we have the most watered down base line infanteer qualification syllabus in the Commonwealth (not a feat to relish in) and for some stupid reason, despite the recommendations of the RQIP QSTP writing board and the Infantry School: the reservist inf bn command teams want the course to be even shorter even with the massive training delta the reservist infanteer already has.
The issue isn't the civilian joining the infantry corps, they handle the course content just fine on average so adding another 2-3 weapon systems is hardly a monumental feat for them. The issue (as it always has been) is passing off the buck to battalion to finish off the initial training of the soldier; where the soldier should show up to battalion with the ensemble of skills required to be further refined and given advanced skills (actual advanced skills, not qualifications on fundamental equipment and weapons that should've been on DP1 in the first place).
100%, and thankfully there is a project or two focusing on LF mobility - just would be cool if there were more airlift to move the battalion and that future capability around.I think that even LI needs to embrace some sort of vehicle mobility enablers at this point -- even if they are a "mule" type UGV - outside of very complex terrain - and even then there will need to be some sort of mobility assistance - be it cargo UAS, or Helicopter etc.