GRAFENWOEHR, Germany - "Fire mission, Fire mission, Fire mission!"
A call known throughout the field artillery world that translates to, let's get down to business.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 84th Artillery Regiment, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, qualified on the M109A6 Paladin as part 170th IBCT's weapons qualification density here in early April.
According to Maj. Jason Joose, the 170th IBCT brigade executive officer, this marked the first time in 2 A,A1/2 years that Soldiers from 1/84 FA had been able to qualify on the Paladin during a training exercise in Germany.
The Paladin crews were not the only Artillerymen to qualify here. The fire mission starts with the forward observer, or FO, who is watching over the impact area.
The forward observer's main job is to direct fire support for the company or platoon he is attached to. The FO can call in artillery, mortars and different types of air support from the front lines with pinpoint accuracy, said Staff Sgt. Ryan J. Niziolek, a Cody, Wyo. native, now a fire support non-commissioned officer attached to 3rd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 170th IBCT.
Spc. Brian A. Thompson, a forward observer attached to 4th Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 170th IBCT, said that calling for fire support with real rounds coming in adds realism to the training that can't be matched in the classroom.
"In a classroom environment you are looking at a screen," said Thompson. "Out here you have to actually use your equipment and your experience. It's a lot more satisfying. You hear the noises and you see the rounds impact for real. Everyone out here is trying to put effects on target. It turns into a kind of competition."
There is a system of checks and balances used to verify rounds shot from the Paladin will land in a safe target area. During qualification, two FO teams are monitoring the team that is calling in the fire mission to ensure accuracy said Sgt. 1st Class Casey C. Ash, a fire support non-commissioned officer attached to 4/70th AR.
After the teams verify the location, the call is sent to the fire directions center, which is usually located near the firing line. That is where the fire direction officer approves the mission.
"I am the final person who will take responsibility for that round going down, and if it's off it's my fault," said 2nd Lt. Matthew M. Capoccia, a fire direction officer with 1/84 FA. "For me, this is the first time I've been the person in between that gun firing or not.
"Getting over that first round is a pretty big hurdle," said Capoccia, who arrived to his unit only thirty days before participating in the weapons qualification density. "After that, you gain some confidence in the equipment and the other people who are firing."
After the fire direction officer approves the fire mission, the target is called into the Paladin crewmembers who then load and fire the round.
"It's a powerful feeling," said Sgt. Brandon P. Mims, a gunner with 1/84 FA. "You feel like you are on top of the world, like you can't be messed with. You know the real reason why they call us the king of battle, the king of war."
Mims agrees with the forward observers that virtual trainers in the garrison environment are no comparison to a live fire exercise.
"This is real life, not a video game," Mims said in between missions. "The rounds are about the same, but you just get the whole action and enjoyment of hearing the 'Boom!'"
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