19D Cavalry Scout: Is There Room for Reconnaissance?

The focus of this thesis is to analyze whether or not current scout doctrine, coupled with the OSUT One Station Unit Training and unit available training time, permits us the time to adequately train 19D Cavalry Scouts to perform reconnaissance. Furthermore, do we give scouts prioritized tasks, conditions, and standards, or provide them with the appropriate resources Finally, will all this allow scouts to conduct reconnaissance up to the level of performance required to provide a tactical commander with the information he requires to conduct successful combat operations This thesis examines the linkage between the individual tasks required to perform reconnaissance and the dependency of collective tasks at the scout platoon level on successful execution of the individual tasks. This thesis suggests that we do not train our scouts based on a prioritization of the most critical tasks. Furthermore, we do not structure them for success on the battlefield by limiting resources needed for mission accomplishment. This makes it improbable that they will be successful at performing those critical collective tasks at the platoon level. This thesis concludes that we have the information, ability, resources and systems required to field trained scout platoons. 19D Cavalry Scout, SATS, Training, Reconnaissance, AMTP, Individual tasks. Scout platoon, Stealth,