Why are so many MOS' dying?

[119Wrestler]

I know certain MOS' are dying, like LAAD Gunner, 0351 and others. My question is why? I know our enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan doesn't have helicopters, tanks and what not. But shouldn't we still keep those MOS just in case we go to war with a country that has tanks and helicopters?

[PaidinBlood]

You KNOW 0351 is dying? Or have you just heard it around? Maybe you'd care to tell me why an AIT school just stood up last summer? Stay in your lane, pal. Good luck to you.

[119Wrestler]

Good point lol. I HEARD they're dying.

[JoeInVille]

0351 is an important MOS but right now not really...we arent fighting tanks. We still need them trained as 0351 but I hear most just are assigned 0311. I could be wrong and its a case by case.

[dhenderson88]

I know LAAD is dying because my uncle is one and he can't get promoted to Gunnery Sergeant because of the closing of his MOS.

[119Wrestler]

Yeah my friend is a LAAD gunner also, and he tells me stuff like that too.

[PaidinBlood]

0351 is an important MOS but right now not really...we arent fighting tanks. We still need them trained as 0351 but I hear most just are assigned 0311. I could be wrong and its a case by case.

Good point Joe but 0351 is about much more thank tank killing. Note the recent shift in emphasis towards urban breaching. We trace our roots back at least as far as the flamethrower and demo teams of WWII and there is no telling what 51's will be doing in 20 years, but they will be carrying the fight!

[119Wrestler]

Alright cool, I was just wondering. Does anyone know if Artillery is a dying MOS also?

[PaidinBlood]

Not my field so don't quote me but I hear they are working overtime in Afghanistan. Be advised: 100% scuttlebutt.

[PaidinBlood]

You guys all like to run with the phrase "dying MOS"... What exactly do you think you mean by that? Do you really think the Corps is going to liquidate all of its cannons overnight? I'm not beating you up, just challenging you to engage the ol' brain housing group here and there...

[119Wrestler]

Well lol, I dont know. I guess by dying MOS I mean an MOS that is being slowly getting smaller and smaller.

[PaidinBlood]

No I hear you, man. No negativity intended-unless I've missed it you've always had a positive attitude. Just trying to help ya find certain answers on your own. We might reclass Marines and change specific responsibilities but in the end we will keep all our essential capabilities.

[commdog7]

In the Civil War, the Cavalry was an important unit which relied on horses to do battle. The horses were an strong weapon in battling the enemy. In World War One, the use of the Cavalry was extremely limited. The trench warfare and the German machine guns severely reduced the effect of the horses, as it was suicide to charge across No Man's Land. Since that war, the Cavalry diminished as the military focused on mechanized forms of transportation to battle the enemy (i.e. tanks).

The reason why I wrote this was help you understand that the military is constantly changing tactics to win wars. What may have been a valuable asset a decade ago might not be as valuable now. New weapons systems are replacing the old. We are adapting to the changing battle conditions, and to do so, we need to adjust the mos's. Some close while others open, it is a simple concept.

As far as manpower, some mos's are still needed, but do not need to be staffed by military personnel. For instance, military police are needed, but much of this job can be done by contractors. To cut corners, the government is trying to shift military personnel where they are needed and utilize civilians to perform the non-essential tasks.

[Petz]

LAAD is going away 'cause we aren't gonna use that system anymore... we have some new thing replacing it or something.... this has been a decade in the making by the way.

MOSs don't just die... they get widdled away.... Seamsters was an MOS... they repaired canvas material... they got ride of it my second year in... they were still bringing recruits into the MOS while I was in... they just had to lat-move to re-enlist.....

[0231Marine]

I really doubt Arty is going anywhere. There will always be a need to blow sh!t up from a distance and sometimes, weather makes air support a no go!