How often do you perform your MOS?

SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 04:02:05 -0400

To all my fellow 91E soldiers, and this can apply to those of whatever other metal working MOS's of other branches I'm missing.

How often do you actually get to weld? To actually perform your MOS? I've been a 91E since it was a 44B and I can count on one hand the amount of times I've actually performed my MOS. Being in a forward support company with one the largest FMS shops in the state I thought I'd be pretty busy but I guess being National Guard the full timers just take care of it themselves if they can and if not send it off to another post across the state, which kinda leaves me and the other soldiers of my team quite out of practice.

Generally my team is instead tasked with general maintenance, A and an services usually. We're in recovery so we get to play around with the wreckers and M88 a little bit too and a few times I've had the opportunity to do a few recovery missions in support of other units, so essentially I've had considerable more experience as a H8 operator and wheeled vehicle mechanic than a welder.

Not that I'm displeased really, on the contrary it's so far been a lot of awesome experiences and good on the job experience in operating and maintaining equipment. I just figured you know signing on to be a welder I'd be welding.

Response by PV2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 2 at 2015 5:24 AM

PV2 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 05:24:03 -0400

I just got here to fort Stewart and I've been welding a lot. I work in a Brigade Support Battalion and my section is a Service and Recovery section so we also do a lot with the wreckers and such but we also fabricate a lot of things. We worked on a huge company grill just recently. But we do things like make picket pounders , weld things that the 91b bring to us that they broke lol. So it might just be where you are but I use my job every day. Hope the info helped man.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 2 at 2015 11:05 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 11:05:47 -0400

In my seven years in (also was at one time 44B) I welded twice. This was for very trivial things too, like welding a basketball hoop back together. Other than that I was right with the mechanics.

Response by SGT Russel Harper made Jul 12 at 2015 4:06 AM

SGT Russel Harper — Sun, 12 Jul 2015 04:06:19 -0400

I was in 7 years. Got out in '12. Made some grills, guide on stands, ect. Mostly maintenance and did some covoys deployed. Very little welding.

Response by LCpl Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2015 8:17 PM

LCpl Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 20:17:35 -0400

In the marines the mos is 1316 and we are being phases out.
im lucky to open the weld shop let alone weld.
i recommend you look into another mos dude

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2015 11:35 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 23:35:12 -0400

It really depends on your leadership if they know your capabilities and utilize you the right way as PV2 Scott said you can repair a lot of things for the 91B. Personally I have worked for BSB's and FSC's and performed my MOS 95% of the time. When I was at your level I made sure my leadership knew what I was capable of. Also as a 91E you should be able to machine, but as coming in at the 44B days you might not have that skill yet. So long story short most CoC's do not know how to utilize metal workers much less heard of that MOS so like I said you need to inform your leadership of your capabilities. If you ever need advice feel free to reach out to me and will help you out as best as possible.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 21 at 2015 1:26 PM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 13:26:03 -0400

In California i machined and welded quite a bit, since coming to hawaii i have not done my job really in 3 yrs. 91E's actually belong to service and recovery, that's normal. As a Staff Sergeant you most likely will hold the recovery section supervisor slot. Thats why our MOS is authorized to attend H8. I'm stewart bound here in the next 2 months so here's to hoping i can land in a shop. Butbyes, since 91E's are being phased out of FSC's, if you are in one, your likely to be converted to a recovery/mechanic soldier. It truly depends on your installation. Light Infantry doesn't have much use for us though unfortunately.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 10 at 2015 9:21 AM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 09:21:43 -0400

I too joined as a 44b. As a reservist it's hard to try and get metal stock or consumables one weekend a month. It seems like the welders in units before me were also like this and the welding trailer seems to be obsolete. The FRS is where all our welding lies now, and hopefully whatever maintenance section you are in utilizes it enough to where the generator still works.

The months before deployment and during deployment were my busiest times. I was the only welder to a bridging company of around 180. I fabricated all the time. Lots of repairs. And the previous units' welders passed along a binder that had NSN's for any electrode, metal stock, and consumable you can think of. I so wish I'd made copies of that book (if someone has it let me know)

Back stateside for 4 years now and I've tried to get a few things together for FTX and AT's. We got a couple new welders in and tried to keep our MOS and duties separate from the mechanics. As far as the unit mission, I think welders will always be paired with a 91b for the wrecker team. Anytime we went outside the wire during my deployment we were cutting stuck parts off old bridges.

I got to a new unit a couple months ago and the first thing I did was get taken to the weld trailer. It was run down and empty just like any other one I've seen. The FRS was brand new but has some sort of fuel issue I think from lack of use. Hopefully we can get parts in to start utilizing it.

I think as 91E's we need to have the initiative to make ourselves known and be proactive in finding work. In most units we are the technical specialist in our job. During our deployment I was in a platoon of around 30 mechanics and equipment operators, but as far as my MOS duties reported to our maintenance cw2.

And I have yet to see any machining equipment in the army. Luckily I've learned some things at my civilian job. But again it comes down to doing things for ourselves.

Response by SSgt Chuck “Gunz” Gundlach USMC Ret., MBA made Nov 2 at 2016 7:08 PM

SSgt Chuck “Gunz” Gundlach USMC Ret., MBA — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 19:08:57 -0400

This is an interesting question. I was a welder/metalworker in the Marine Corps. I felt like I would never get to weld or perform my job within my MOS (Military Occupational Specialty). I managed a parts and toolroom, managed supply and parts procurement, managed training, safety, etc. At one point I said we were spray-can Privates, as we worked in embarkation and painted the embarkation boxes for deployment and field operations. I got my first real chance to weld when I was in Okinawa and deployed to Mount Fuji, Japan. But then, sure as shit, I broke my collar bone and had my arm in a sling and wrapped so I couldn't move it after they put three pins in it; I managed the armory after that. But then, after I transferred back to the states and near the end of my first tour, I ended up in a heavy equipment shop. There I welded, fabricated and became licensed on all the equipment…life was great and I reenlisted. The remainder of my career before I retired with twenty years, I managed operations, maintenance, or administration areas, and became very versatile and knowledgable in the whole maintenance and operations arena. What didn't seem that great at first, turned out pretty decent in the end.

Response by SPC Dave Simmons made Apr 15 at 2018 11:44 AM

SPC Dave Simmons — Sun, 15 Apr 2018 11:44:18 -0400

I was with the 82nd airborne, 782 hmsc , 84 - 87 and I welded just about every day. I enlisted on the apprentice program and I logged in over 4000 hrs of welding and you could only log 6 hrs a day otherwise it would have been a lot more .