Ok, here's a Roseta Stone for some of what we talked about:
MOS = Military Occupational Specialty (bet you know that one. They break down in this discussion as follows:
11B = Infantryman - Core infantry MOS
this is followed by a number for enlisted folks as follows:
• 1 = Private / Specialist / Corporal (E1–E4)
• 2 = Sergeant (E5)
• 3 = Staff Sergeant (E6)
• 4 = Sergeant First Class (E7)
• 5 = Master Sergeant / First Sergeant (E8–E9)
Then we add a P for parachute qualified, the Army calls that Special Qualification Identifier.
Therefore, for example a 11B2P would be an Infantryman that's a Sergeant and is parachute qualified.
An 11F4P is an F instead of a B. That's a a role that the Army no longer uses. It's an Infantry Operations & Intelligence Specialist. Specialty infantryman trained in reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, target acquisition, and patrol leadership.
In 1969 there was a transition from LRRP (Long Range Recon and Patrol) teams that were just units within each Division (101st, 1st Cav, American, etc.) into Ranger Companies. Mostly C/75 and L/75 (C and L company of 75th Ranger). LRRPs fell under divisional S2/G2 (Intelligence). At that point, a lot of us were transitioned from 11F3P to 11F3V.
What Ranger Companies (C/75, L/75, etc.) actually did:
They continued the same missions as the LRRP teams:
- Deep reconnaissance
- Target location for artillery/airstrikes
- Ambush operations
- POW snatches
- BDA (bomb damage assessment)
- NVA trail interdiction
- Hunter/Killer reaction missions
But now they carried:
- Ranger unit designations
- Ranger lineage
- Ranger tab wasn’t earned in Vietnam units (that was separate), but they were still Ranger companies by title and lineage.
A typical Ranger team (formerly LRRP) under the 75th:
6-man team
• Team Leader (E6, often
11F3P)
• Assistant TL (E5, 11B2P or 11F2P)
• Radio Operator (E4/E5, 11B1P/11F1P)
• Senior Scout (E4, 11B1P)
• Scout Observer (E3/E4, 11B1P)
• Alternate RTO or Grenadier (E3/E4)
A couple of things to note:
- 11B's are what're often refered to as "grunts". It's both a term of endearment, and an insult. 😎
- The Army eliminated 11F after Vietnam (early 1980s).
Modern structure absorbed its duties into:
- 11B (Infantry)
- 35-series (Military Intelligence)
- Reconnaissance specialties inside Infantry units
- 75th Ranger Regiment recon roles (Regimental Reconnaissance Company)
- Cavalry Scout (19D) for mounted/dismounted recon
So in the modern Army, there are no soldiers with MOS 11F.
OK< this is getting kinda long, and WAY off the Bronco topic. Anyone interested in the history of the LRRP Teams and the Ranger Units and all of the unique jargon involved, we can take this private.
