Highly Specialized, Highly Lethal: Why the Army Should Replace its One-Size-Fits-All Infantry Model
Steven Head | June 21, 2019
Beginning in 2000, the US Army infantry branch began a broadening initiative for its soldiers. For officers, this was known as the “light-heavy imperative,†where company-grade officers were expected to lead in both mechanized and light formations. For enlisted soldiers, it meant consolidating the 11-series military occupational specialties (MOS) into 11B, with the exception of 11C. The intent was to create infantry soldiers who were capable of sharing a common skillset and culture, along with leaders who could lead different formation types. Unfortunately, this has not proven to be the case. The push to broaden soldiers’ professional experiences and create a “one size fits all†infantryman has resulted in soldiers that are constantly shifted across various weapons systems and vehicle platforms, and leaders who find themselves in front of formation types they have little experience with. It’s time for the Army to acknowledge the experiment’s poor outcomes, remove all forms of the broadening initiative, and work to create a population of infantrymen who receive specialized training and experience in a specific field. Doing so will greatly increase professional expertise and, thus, enhance the lethality of our infantry forces.
https://mwi.usma.edu/highly-specialized-highly-lethal-army-replace-one-size-fits-infantry-model/
