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Who Does More Infantry Work? Artillery or Armoured

Well said, George. I was going to mention the Canadian Cavalry Brigade in the trenches.

More recently, I am aware of at least one FOO party doing a building clearing prior to establishing an OP, and another FOO party joined with the supported company command group to carry out a "section" attack. Both events took place in the current war.

No body can say for sure they will never have to use their personnel weapon.
 
Funny thing, my grandad (RIP :salute: - he died in 1966) was a WO2 in WWI with the 5th Bn, commonly known as the Western Cavalry. He fought as Infantry.

I don't know if he could even ride a horse.....Regardless, I was nine when he died and I remember him as my grandad who always had a cat in the house, smoked a pipe and adored his grandkids. He's passed on that trait to me. Damn dust..... :'(
 
While there are, as mentioned, exceptions, especially during wartime, I believe that the OP is trying to determine which trade (with Infantry closed or nearly so) will give him the best chance of doing "infantry type stuff" in today's Canadian Army.  While both artillery and armour will give him the chance to drive vehicles, clean weapons and dig holes, neither are going to guarantee him a chance to go on patrols, clear trenches or assault enemy positions with rifle and bayonet (if he's not carrying an M203 or C9) in hand. The skillset overlap is not in those activities which probably make the infantry appealing to him as a primary trade choice, nor will those desires likely be fulfiulled in any of the other combat arms. Rather than focussing on the exceptiosn to the rule - how about identifying to what degree his normal round of duties as a soldier in either armour or artillery will compare to those of his peers in the infantry.
 
I guess I could add an old dude I knew who was a Major with the 8CH in Italy - they spent most of their time on horses or boots, especially the Recce Sqn.  My  :2c:.

MM
 
In line with M O'L's suggestion, which I had been framing in my mind, here goes.

Employment in the artillery can vary greatly, but don't expect to do a lot of classic close with and destroy infantry work, unless you are in a FOO or BC Party, and these people are in the minority.

On the gun position, the boundaries of your horizon will probably only be the crest or wood line a few hundred metres to your front. Your work, especially as a member of a gun detachment, will be repetitive, tiring and labour intensive. Be prepared to handle several tons of ammunition and dig big holes. You will also work long days, including sentry shifts and be expected to do it all error free. The enemt seen by many troops who serve on the gun position, and its echelon, are either bodies or prisoners. All this can, however, change quickly and you could come under ground, air or indirect fire attack.

As noted, the FOO - for Forward Observation Officer - Party and the BC - or Battery Commander - Party live and travel with the supported arm, including during helicopter or arborne assaults, assault crossings of obstacles, dismounted operations and the rest.

There are other, less  well known areas such as being a member of a radar or sound ranging detachment in a forward friendly position to detect and locate enemy indirect fire weapons. There also may be small unmanned aerial vehicle detachments in situ. All these gunners must be prepared to be integrated into the company commander's plan for the defence of his position and will be expected to fight as infantry as required. It, of course, is a 24/7 operation and the consequences of failing to find an enemy mortar, for example, could cost Canadian soldiers their lives.

The same could be said for certain air defence weapons systems which are located in forward areas, while others could be sited to defend vital assets to the rear of the immediate battle area. Again, this work is tiring and demanding with long hours the norm.

Last, and this is important to lock in at the start, the artillery is a supporting arm and the gunner's job is to always give that extra bit of effort to aid your comrades being shot at. It may mean, as a result, that you are often out of sight, out of mind, but your job is vital and the expected standard is to excel. This also may mean that you don't get to do the really neat stuff on exercises, but that is not an excuse for slackening off.

In summary, most of the employment is not really that close to classic infantry stuff, but there are exceptions. If you become a gunner you may well experience long periods of excrutiating boredom and hard labour that most people believe went out with the end of the galley slave era. However, you can also console yourself by remembering there are two types of people: gunners; and targets.
 
ComplexR3TRO said:
Yes.  ;D Which of the two are most in common with the Infantry.

Armoured reconnaissance has some similarity to Infantry. You won't generally be assaulting trenches, but dismounted patrolling and observation posts are certainly part of your field duties. You'll be expected to be able to handle a variety of small arms and be proficient at fieldcraft. You are expected to be in contact with the enemy (although not necessarily shooting at him depending on the situation/theatre).
 
ComplexR3TRO said:
Specifically, dealing with personal weapons, tactics, survival training, all those Infantry things.

You will do all of those things in either the Arty our Armd.  Not to the level or extent of the Infantry but, very close if you are Armd recce or in an Arty FOO party.  You will get survival training as you would in any cbt arms unit.

Speaking from being in the Arty in regards to weapons.  The Arty has mostly the same weapons as the Infantry plus a few bigger ones also.  As well, when you are at the Jnr NCO level it is in your best interest to specialize in certain weapons.  Every Arty unit will have a handful of guys at the Jnr level that are very good with MGs, antitank wpns and also navigation (likely having the recce patrolman course).  Further, airborne and air mobile Arty is coming back as well.

In closing,  I have known lots of guys who have practiced much more Infantry stuff than Arty stuff all the while being in the Arty.  Myself included, although several years ago.

P.S.
Old Sweat said:
However, you can also console yourself by remembering there are two types of people: gunners; and targets.

Nice 1 OS. 
 
ComplexR3TRO said:
Which of the two are most in common with the Infantry.
Have you thought about any other occupations?  You will find Sigs & Medics out on foot with the infantry quite often, and combat engineers are the only group with a doctrinally stated secondary role to act as infantry. 
 
I'm only a lonely 12RBC guy but I am sure it's "RCD" and not RCDs...

Dragoonss.. ? The apostrophe doesn't belong there (as seen on page 1) and neither does the s.

As for the original question, I can confirm that on my last exercise we foot patrolled (albeit in a much smaller capacity), we dug and occupied an OP trench, and we practiced mounted tactics.  In Afghanistan we did dismounted foot patrols (albeit smaller sized ones), we occupied built up OPs and did overwatch, and we practiced mounted tactics.

To sum things up on the armoured recce side of the house, there are some infantry similar things.  I will not even pretend to know what field artillery does.

Bzz
 
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