Artillery observer
Encyclopedia : A : AR : ART : Artillery observer
An artillery observer is a soldier responsible for directing artillery fire and aircraft onto enemy positions. Because artillery is an indirect-fire weapon system, the guns are typically not in line-of-sight of their target. The observer serves as the eyes of the artillery battery, calling target locations and adjustments to a Fire Direction Center, which translates the observer's spottings into firing solutions for the battery's guns. Artillery observers are deployed with maneuver combat arms units, typically infantry companies or armoured squadrons.
In the U.S. Army, an artillery observer is known as a Forward Observer (FO). An FO team usually comprises an officer, a technician, a driver/radio operator, plus any extra personnel required.
In the British and Canadian armies, an artillery observer is known as a Forward Observation Officer (FOO, pronounced /fuː/), or Fire Effects Detachment (FED).
In the Royal Australian Artillery an artillery observer team is called a Joint Offensive Support Team (JOST) and is made up of the Forward Observer Officer (usually a Captain), his assistant (usually a Bombardier—2 stripes) and two Artillery Signallers (Gunners—no stripes). They are trained in calling in field artillery fire missions as well as naval gunfire and close air support (CAS) missions from the Air Force.
Forward Observers in the US Army
Often called FISTERS, or members of a FIST (Fire Support Team). Their missions are always critical as mental errors under stress can bring the massive firepower and ordinance they control down on friendly forces as well as enemy. FIST team members are especially self-reliant and independent. Their mission requires quick thinking under pressure, effectively integrating with many types of units and command structures as well as the ability to operate independently.
In the United States Army, the military occupation specialty (MOS) for Forward Observers is 13F, therefore all enlisted personal schooled in this duty will carry this designation. Officially, FO’s are actually designated “Fire Support Specialists”. While they are commonly referred to as Forward Observers or FO’s, this is more precisely the designation of a Fire Support Specialist in a particular position.
That particular position is when the Fire Support Specialist is being used to augment the infantry. However, this is not the only position that a Fire Support Specialist can undertake. Here are more examples and explanations:
In the mechanized infantry, the Fire Support Team (consisting of a driver, a commander, a Fire Support Non-Commissioned Officer, and a Fire Support Specialist in the rank of E-4 Specialist) work as one within a Bradley Fighting Vehicle specially designed for the task of coordinating indirect fire. This vehicle is called a B-FIST, combining the names of “Bradley” and “Fire Support Team.”
In the light infantry, however, Fire Support Specialists augment platoons. It is in this case that the FISTer officially performs the duty that allows him to be designated an “FO” Each infantry platoon is assigned a Forward Observer in the rank of E-5 Sergeant, along with his Radio/Telephone Operator (RTO). These FO's fall under the auspices of the Fire Support Officer and Fire Support Non-Commissioned Officer who work at company-level.
Another variation of duty for the Fire Support Specialist is the assignment to a Combat Observation Lasing Team (COLT). The COLT is a high-technology observer team designed to maximize the use of smart munitions. A COLT can be used with any munition that requires reflected laser energy for final ballistic guidance delivered by Air Force and Army aircraft. COLTs can also be used as independent observers to weight key or vulnerable areas. In theory, this is a desired position, as well as a competitive one.
A COLT team consists of an E-5 Sergeant team leader, an E-4 Specialist (who performs the actual duties of directing fires under the team leader’s supervision) and a lower ranking driver. The teams are assigned a humvee but also all needed equipment to perform their duties via on-foot movement. The teams are controlled by E-6 Staff Sergeant squad leaders, an E-7 Sergeant First Class platoon sergeant and a platoon leader that can hold any rank from O-1 2nd Lieutenant to O-3 Captain, depending on situation. COLT teams are historically seen as a brigade asset and therefore, fall under direct command of the brigade’s Fire Support Officer, which is a Major. The teams are occasionally augmented to Brigade Reconnaissance Teams, forming a Troop along side platoons of Cavalry Scouts.
Fire Support Specialists are also vital for their skill in enemy vehicle recognition. Because of this, along with the need for coordinated indirect fire support control at higher levels, Fire Support Specialists are also assigned to augment “Fire Support Elements” that travel with headquarters from Brigade level to Corps.
Regardless of the specific duty to be assigned to a Fire Support Specialist, all 13-series soldiers attend training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The training for 13F’s has recently been revamped to become One-Station Unit Training, meaning that recruits complete both Basic Combat Training and their job training at not only the same facility with the same cadre but in one long training period- there is no longer a separation between “Boot” camp and job training for Fire Support Specialists.
All Fire Support Specialists have limited training with controlling of Close-Air Support (CAS)- military-speak for airplane support. However, they also work hand in hand with the Air Force’s Tactical Air Controllers who are assigned specifically this duty.
The oft-overlooked position is considered one of the most dangerous positions on the battlefield. FOs are highly skilled and usually exceptionally intelligent, with the average FO scoring much higher on his Army entrance tests than normal recruits. He is also able to work silently for long periods of time, as some missions may range from hours to several days, even weeks, long. He can operate with minimal support located both on or behind the enemy lines, at a tactical and professional level, and also can serve in mission planning, strategy, and advisory positions with his command elements.
Forward Observers, due to their intelligence, adaptability, and broad range of combat skills are often superb candidates for many special operations units and training. FIST and COLT teams will often take on mission profiles normally shunned by most regular units. Occasionally, FOs will be trained for additional mission profile expansions, such as training for long-range reconnaisance, specific climate/locale (i.e. jungle, arctic, mountain, or urban environments), and training in other specializations, such as Ranger, Airborne, Pathfinder, and Air Assault are rather common among FOs. 13F is the only artillery MOS for enlisted soldiers which, due to the missions they may encounter, are authorized to attend Ranger School. FOs are often very highly sought-after by high-profile combat units like the 101st Infantry, 10th Mountain Division, and the 75th Ranger Regiment.
Joint Fires Observer
A Joint Fires Observer is trained as a universal observer. The JFO is forward deployed and can call in artillery fire, just like a Fire Support Specialist (MOS 13F). In addition, JFOs are trained a less extensive version of the JTAC course so they can call air support.
As the Army is transitioning its large division-based structure to more mobile brigades, it plans to reduce heavy artillery and depend more on air support. Because of this the Army wants 4000 JTACs assigned to ground units. The US Air Force believes such difficult to produce specialists (currently only 700) should not be organic (permanently assigned) but instead liquid, assigned only when needed. The JFO comes in as a compromise between the Army and the Air Force.
Forward Observers in the US Marines
All US Marine Corps foward observer officers USMC MOS 0802, are trained by the US Army at Fort Sill, Oklahoma at the Army's U.S. Army Field Artillery School.Just as in the field of armor, the United States Army provides all training and develops doctrine for the artillery field for both the Army, itself as well as the US Marine Corps. Thus, Marine Corps embeds its junior student FOs in classes in common with Army's officers. The Marine Corps also provides a quota of instructors and other staff to the School. As such, the Marine Corps no longer independenly trains its artillery officers. Likewise Marines who work in the Fire Direction Center (FDC) are also Fort Sill school-trained. Consequently, the Marine Corps does not develop artillery doctrine. Instead, it participates with its interservice artillery officers supplied to the Artillery School and to the Training and Doctrine Command, (TRADOC). Marine Corps junior enlisted FOs, however, are taught within the US Marine Corps Schools sytem.
The Marine Corps does not use the Army's FIST team concept, but instead, embeds a junior artillery officer as an FO in each Marine Corps rifle company. Also, unlike the Army, the Marine Corps does not provide specialized vehicles for its FOs. As one artillery battery is detached to provide direct artillery support to one infantry battalion, that artillery battery provides an FO to each line company in the supported battalion. Thus, for a junior officer reporting to an artillery battalion, after some initial time in an artillery battery, this same junior Marine artillery officer willl be detached from his parent artillery battery to the infantry company that he will support. Each Marine infantry company will thus have has an artillery officer FO, usually a second lieutenant, directly attached to the company headquarters and reporting to the infantry company's commanding officer when the company is deployed either in training, unit deployments or combat, itself. When in contact with the enemy, the FO will adjust supporting artillery fires for the Company. At the discretion of the company's commanding officer, the FO can also continue to refine the artillery fire support knowledge of the platoon commanders in that company. He also is often utilized to provide such training to enlisted members of the company.
See also
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.