Question For U.S. Army Vets

[jimmyj]

Hi:
What is a "Fire Support Specialist"?
My Grandson has joined the Army and this is what He has been assigned as.
His Father (my #2 son) was an Army Military Police man. My Father was a Trooper in the 15th Cavalry "B" Troop (horse soldier).

 

[mdf9183]

MOS 13F Artillery

 

[NYlakesider]

MOS 13F Artillery

AKA a cannon cocker!---

 

[SFC Rick]

I was in FIST....13F

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[Old_Cop]

Gun bunny.

 

[vytoland]

Hi:
What is a "Fire Support Specialist"?
My Grandson has joined the Army and this is what He has been assigned as.
His Father (my #2 son) was an Army Military Police man. My Father was a Trooper in the 15th Cavalry "B" Troop (horse soldier).

this will explain it jimmy.....

Army Job Profile: 13F Fire Support Specialist

 

[Watchdog]

I was in FIST....13F

That's a really interesting looking 1911. What brand is it, and who did the work on it?

Really wouldn't mind seeing some more photos of it when you get time.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

I remember processing out of the Army and receiving my DD-214 (separation document). Primary MOS (military occupational specialty) was 11F4P (infantry, operations & intelligence specialist, skill level 4 on a scale of 1 to 5, parachute qualified). Next block on the form shows "Related civilian occupations", clearly marked "NONE".

Who would have thought that infantrymen, artillerymen, cavalrymen, paratroopers, etc, weren't in strong demand in the civilian world?

When my grandchildren express an interest in military service I always suggest that they seek training and assignments that will provide a lifetime of career opportunities.

I suspect that Jimmy's grandson will be getting a lot of training in computers, networking systems, communications, and other skills that are required for modern combat, but also have broad applicability in the civilian world.

Best of luck to the young man!

 

[H Richard]

While my AFSC (Air Force MOS), did have a civilian use, (Jet Engine Mechanic, 5 Level), It didn't do me much good. I haven't seen an engine, other than a plane I was flying in, since I got out in 1963.

 

[SFC Rick]

That's a really interesting looking 1911. What brand is it, and who did the work on it?

Really wouldn't mind seeing some more photos of it when you get time.

Squadron Special Edition WW2 1911, .45Cal., w/ U.S. Logo Grip - Kahr Firearms Group

 

[Donn]

I was 95B, (31B these days), Military Police, so yeah, my DD-214 suggested Policeman/Detective. My son's a career officer in the Army. His branch is Armored Cavalry. That said, he's got a Bachelor's, Master's, and is working on a PhD. I don't worry too much about his career after the Army.

 

[walnutred]

13B is/was cannon cocker. IIRC 13F is forward observer. I was a 83C20 back when we actually used steel tapes and theodolites.

 

[Sistema1927]

Way back in the dark ages a buddy of mine wanted to enlist, and was told that by the recruiter that enlisting as a 13F would have him operating an "artillery computer". He was quite disappointed to discover that this device was nothing more than a circular slide rule.

 

[Sistema1927]

I remember processing out of the Army and receiving my DD-214 (separation document). Primary MOS (military occupational specialty) was 11F4P (infantry, operations & intelligence specialist, skill level 4 on a scale of 1 to 5, parachute qualified). Next block on the form shows "Related civilian occupations", clearly marked "NONE".

Who would have thought that infantrymen, artillerymen, cavalrymen, paratroopers, etc, weren't in strong demand in the civilian world?

When my grandchildren express an interest in military service I always suggest that they seek training and assignments that will provide a lifetime of career opportunities.

I suspect that Jimmy's grandson will be getting a lot of training in computers, networking systems, communications, and other skills that are required for modern combat, but also have broad applicability in the civilian world.

Best of luck to the young man!

Even if "None" is listed in that field on the DD214, that doesn't mean that most civilian employers won't value the nature of a veteran's service. Even "Eleven Bushbeaters" have many of the skills that lead to a successful career.

 

[SFC Rick]

All honorably discharged servicemen/women have many skills that transition well into civilian sectors. Features that they bring to the table are worth much more than most know. But HR Managers are very keen on Initiative and Leadership skills most people don't have. You may not have guessed that my Master Recruiter skills earned over 7 years in the field are very strong....may the Force be with you.

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[IAMSWUTIAMS]

I was 11b, aka "Grunt".

Sent from my old rotary phone using Tapatalk [emoji3513]

 

[rustythread]

Who would have thought that infantrymen, artillerymen, cavalrymen, paratroopers, etc, weren't in strong demand in the civilian world?

I was a 13B on a 105, and cross-trained in the fire direction center. I remember when I was coming up toward ETS ( end of term of service) in Germany in late '66, there were some guys with interesting accents offering $1,000 per month on a 1-year contract as "civilian instructor" cannon-cockers in a location to be disclosed after the contract was signed. I passed it up. Glad I did--'67 was interesting iin the Middle East.

 

[lrrifleman]

Before being medically discharged, I was doing a correspondence course as a forward observer (back in the late '70s). When I was at Camp Atterbury this past summer, I was talking with some current GIs, and was told that forward observers were a thing of the past. Apparently, fire missions are now identified drone, so a fire support specialist could be a drone pilot!

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Conversely in WWII, Korea and Vietnam a lot of erstwhile rear echelon types found themselves serving as in infantrymen-without the benefit of the training. In the ETO in the Summer of 1944 it was found it was a lot easier to get infantry replacements by doing as the Germans did and "comb out the rear echelons." In Vietnam it was pretty much SOP that rear echelon types who were troublemakers, dopeheads, slackers and goof offs found them reassigned to infantry units.

 

[mbliss57]

I was a 13E Fire Direction Specialist in West Germany 1976-1980 on 155mm SP Howitzer. I see that MOS no longer exists. It looks like it is now combine with a 13F.
We just did all the math calculations and told the gun Bunnies where to point the gun and at what angle and how much charge to use..oh and usually when to Fire!