FORT HOOD, Texas -- Troopers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, sharpened their call for indirect fire skills on simulators here, Feb. 2.
The training, done via computer simulation, allowed the Soldiers to practice calling for indirect fire from field artillery or mortar units using various methods without having to use live munitions.
The training prepares the Soldiers for combat engagements such as providing suppressive fire to support troops in contact with enemy forces or calling for counterfire using mortars to repel an enemy attack against a friendly unit or location, said Spc. David Service, a native of Brea, Calif., assigned as a Fire Support Specialist with HHC 2-12 Cav.
Spc. Benjamin Streetman, a native of Virginia Beach, Va., also serving as a Fire Support Specialist with HHC 2-12 Cav., said, "There's a nickname that's been affixed to us as a military occupational specialty and that's 'The most dangerous man on the battlefield." Some might disagree, he said, but he and his fellow battle buddies believe it.
"Quite simply, we make the phone calls to get fire support on to a specific target in support of the fight, and that can take out a sizable enemy in an instant. So we have quick, lethal, effective fires that can be delivered virtually anywhere on the battlefield," Streetman said.
Training on the simulators is a big help to the Soldiers. "It helps us become more proficient and not get nervous when we're downrange," said Service.
Pvt. 1st Class Patrick Money, originally from Greenville, Texas, and now serving as a Fire Support Specialist with 2-12 Cav., agreed, saying that the training helps them by enabling them to get accurate grids and call up accurate target locations faster.
The simulators are also important when considering the cost of ammunition. Each high explosive round not only weights approximately 100 pounds, but can also cost over $1,000 each.
Hands on training such as this has a key role in keeping a unit battle-ready. By leveraging computer-simulated training, the Soldiers develop their core competencies and avoid surprises when putting the theory into practice, thereby showing the truth behind the moniker, 'The most dangerous man on the battlefield.'
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