[Astronomy]

It's unlikely that anyone is going to pay to send you for (or award) an 11 secondary. However, there's the Army way of doing things and there's the Army Guard way of accomplishing certain voodoo. Never say never.

Wander over to your SOT-B/SOT-A folks and talk with them (starting with NCO leadership). There might be a way to reclass to 98 series (or ride their training coat tails) to an OJT 11B secondary or even a future Ranger School slot. If they support it, your current shop leadership supports it, and the S2 supports it...the CSM & 1SG likely will. From there, the Bn OPS SGM & Schools NCO may be able to offer some opportunity to attend supporting training or exercise. If you're current NCOIC isn't on board (or at least informed)... you'd better get him that way before you go stirring things up. In other words, don't hold discussions behind your boss's back.

As a new SF guy, I picked up an 11B Secondary, as did many others in my battalion. OJT with the documentation to justify it. Spread out over time & deployments. Of course, that was during a pre-18MOS era... and I was already an 11C before coming to Group. But plenty of non- prior Infantry types were also awarded that Secondary MOS. Then again, it was a Cold War OPTEMPO... and we had the training time available.

It's a changed world from the old days. I'm all for training Support folks to the max allowable / achievable level. They wind up on the ground more than their MTOE or MOS would seem to indicate.

I had someone tell me I couldn't teach Bn Support troops to do advanced marksmanship, live fire vehicle drills, and certain live fire movement drills while we were downrange. Despite the fact that those kids were trolling for fire everyday on convoy ops with damn few SF or Infantry qualified guys in the mix. Too much like SFAUC. Ft Bragg might not approve. Not appropriate because it wasn't in their little chunk of 350-1. A bit more than SFBCC-S allowed for.

Bullshit.

I had them shooting and moving, firing from turrets, firing over hoods, firing from under vehicles, doing transition drills, casualty drags, vehicle dismounts while firing. Every damn one of them... from cherry Private to Support Staff Officer. They were perfectly capable of assimilating the training, they applied it to good purpose across their tour, and they were grateful to be treated as adults in a combat zone. Grateful for realistic training.

Their TICs, IEDs, EFPs, and casualties were the same as anyone else's. I'd say their risk factor for such was arguably higher than the average ODA's, because they had to drive repetitiously predictable routes. Pattern of Life.

I'd like to see every swingin' Support troop put through an Infantry SUT. Females included. It might serve as something of a de facto "Selection" for those wishing assignment to Group. The Army wastes an incredible amount of time and money on all kinds of mandatory PC training crap and other expenditure programs. We've actually got the scratch to pay for someone to voluntarily pick up Infantry skills/Secondary MOS. It just takes Commanders willing to demand it and not take no for an answer.

OP: Good luck with your quest.