Are snipers and recon still valid in infantry battalions?

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Why is that? Is it because the sniper and recon roles are poorly described? I believe/know (as I am sure do you) that 99% are not actually stupid. Poor educated maybe, and this should not apply to officers.

It's not that at all. Besides Uboat509's comments about straight infantry hating the roles, perfectly intelligent (and perfectly useful) infantry guys just aren't suited for the role, and will deliver suboptimal results. On the other hand, those whose personality is suited to recon or sniping just don't seem to ever pull their thumb out and conduct that attack on that hill when necessary.

I've edited this to add that sometimes, suboptimal is good enough, and there is a very good argument for multi-tasking regular infantry. In fact, the more I think on it, the more I like Wilf's argument for more talented and broadly trained infantry. But I think there will always be a need for specialized roles and training among sniping/recon.

Now, I think there is an error in selection: Those with a talent for sniping/recon need to be selected because of aptitude, proven during operations, and not as a result of assignment.