MCB HAWAII -- There are three main parts to an artillery unit, the eyes, the brain and the brawn. First Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment exercised these three parts in the field at Pohakuloa Training Area Oct. 4 through Oct. 22.
These three parts are all crucial in 1/12’s mission of supporting units with artillery fire. Each plays a role, putting in their piece of the puzzle to safely, accurately and expediently get rounds down range.
The first part of this puzzle is the eyes or the forward observers. They are the forward most arm of an artillery unit, usually embedded with an infantry unit or the units whom 1/12 would be supporting.
“Our job is being able to locate a target anywhere we may be,” said Gunnery Sgt. Edy Alcantara, battalion liaison chief, 1/12.
Upon receiving a call for fire, the forward observer will send an estimated grid to the gun batteries.
After the rounds hit, the FOs will resend corrected grids for more accurate fire support.
While this is happening, a liaison at a forward position is double-checking all the grids are clear and safe for fire.
“The biggest part about the liaison is coordinating the call for fires and being able to support units with safe and accurate fire,” said Sgt. Lueis Orlando, liaison chief, Charlie Battery, 1/12.
When the FOs sends grids to the gun batteries they first arrive at the Fire Direction Center. This is the second main part of artillery and also known as the brains of the operation.
Here, the call for fire is received and computed into deflection (left, right) and quadrants (up, down) for the gun line.
The FDC uses the Advanced Field Artillery Target Direction System, which incorporates the weather, rotation of the Earth and firing position to aim the guns. The deflection and quadrants, which come from the AFATDS, are then compared to ones plotted on a map for accuracy and sent to the gun line.
“Other units, like infantry, are depending on our timely and accurate fire support to suppress or kill enemy units,” said Sgt. Nick Kaminski, operations chief, Bravo Battery, 1/12.
The Fire Direction Officer controls which guns fire, what kind of rounds and how many will be fired.
Essentially all the thinking, math and science, is done at the FDC.
The third part of artillery is the gun line, or the brawn of artillery. This is where the physical firing is done.
The deflection and quadrant can be sent digitally or by radio to the gun line. When the gun line receives the fire mission, they aim the gun to deflection and quadrant, load the specific round and charge, and wait for the FDC to say the command of fire.
After the command for fire is given, the round is fired. When executed correctly, it soars through the air to the target. It then hits the target blowing up, supporting the unit who called for fire.
“No piece is more important than the other,” Kaminski said. “From the forward observers to the gun line, each part is just as important in our overall mission to provide fire support.”