Cavalry scout

U. S. Army soldier who has received training as an Armored Reconnaissance Specialist

Cavalry Scout is the job title of someone who has achieved the military occupational specialty of 19D Armored Reconnaissance Specialist in the Combat Arms branch of the United States Army. As with all enlisted soldiers in the United States Cavalry, the person holding the Scout specialization will still be referred to as a "Trooper", the traditional colloquialism denoted in the cavalry's Order of the Spur. Cavalry Scouts use their special training to obtain, distribute, and share vital combat and battlefield intelligence on the enemy and on combat circumstances and environmental conditions. The Cavalry Scout is also known as the "eyes and ears" of the Army.

The job of a Cavalry Scout is to operate as one of the first personnel in an area. Cavalry Scouts gather information on the enemy by dismounted and/or mounted reconnaissance patrols. Cavalry Scouts engage the enemy with anti armor weapons and scout vehicles in the field, track and report enemy movement and activities, and will direct the employment of various weapon systems onto the enemy. Their specialized skills enable them to assist with observation and listening posts, perform and help with navigation, and help secure and transport ammunition. The Cavalry Scout leads, serves, or assists as a member of a scout crew, squad, section, platoon or troop in reconnaissance, security, and other combat operations.

Cavalry Scouts wear the ACU, or Army Combat Uniform. The standard camouflage pattern issued is the OCP (OEF) Camouflage Pattern, commonly referred to as Multicam. Two unique articles, the stetson hat as well as spurs, can be worn during special events or when directed by the chain of command. Cavalry Scouts are permitted to wear the Cavalry Stetson Hat with the Dress Uniforms during formal unit functions. The Stetson is traditionally accompanied by wearing the spurs which are earned when the unit conducts a "Spur Ride." Cavalry Spurs can 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/events 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. The spur ride was similar to the Infantry's Expert Infantryman Badge in that only a scout could earn them. That tradition has since changed from the mid to late 1990s and now anyone serving in a Cavalry unit, CA or CSS can earn them. 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. In short, it once was a "gut" check or a "smoke" session but it has changed with the times but some units still practice some of the older traditions when it comes to earning the spurs. 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 serves in combat is eligible for 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. A Cavalry Trooper that has earned both Silver spurs and Gold spurs are known as a Master Spur Holder in the Order of the Spur. 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 troopers only, a deserving soldier or foreign military member who has provided great service (often in combat) to the Cavalry Squadron may be awarded Spurs. The spurs and stetson are not authorized and are not official headgear or award. They are part of the esprit de corps that lives within the Cav.

All Cavalry Scouts attend OSUT (One Station Unit Training) or split ops training at Fort Moore in Georgia. The first phase, roughly 9 weeks, is basic military training. The second phase, roughly 7 weeks long, focuses on becoming a Scout for a total of 16 weeks. The U. S. Army is currently testing and considering extending training to a 22 week OSUT course. During these final weeks the future Cavalry Scouts are trained by Instructors as well as their Drill Sergeants. The OSUT training was moved from Fort Knox, Kentucky, to Fort Moore, Georgia, in 2011. Prior to current phase, OSUT was offered in the form of Cavalry Scout training with Ranger Assessment Selection combination to better prepare Soldiers for The Global War on Terror. This program ended in 2008 in favor of unit based Ranger School recommendation. Training is broken into color coded phases, during which recruits gain increasing freedom, based on the recommendations of their drill Sergeants. Training requires excellent physical and mental condition, and is mostly hands on, in the field. Due to rigorous training an incoming recruit group can see a drop by half or more prior to graduation.