Training Soldiers for Field Artillery Operations and Challenges

Soldiers at Fort Sill master howitzer operations, facing physical and mental challenges while ensuring safety and precision in artillery training.

### Inside the US Army's Field Artillery School: Training Soldiers to Fire Howitzers
* 🏫  Fort Sill, Oklahoma, is a more-than-93,000-acre installation where field artillery soldiers have trained for over a century, with about **10,000 soldiers graduating from Fort Sill every year**.
* 🔫  Soldiers in the field artillery, known as 13 Bravos, face the challenge of carrying and firing **100-pound rounds**, often firing at a rate of **two rounds per minute**.
* 🧠  The firing blast puts soldiers at risk of traumatic brain injury, with research showing evidence of **brain scarring that could lead to neurological disorders**.
* 👁️  The fire support specialists, known as forward observers, act as the **eyes of field artillery**, collecting intelligence and providing **targeting data** to artillery units.
* 👩‍🚀  The Army still lags behind other branches in gender integration, with only about **15% of active-duty soldiers being female**, but the percentage has **increased slightly since 2005**.
* 🎯  Known as 13 Juliets, fire control specialists are responsible for **generating targets and directing artillery fire**, and are considered the **"brains of the field artillery."**
* 💰  The Army offers enlistment bonuses of **up to $50,000**, with fire control specialists eligible for a job-signing bonus of **up to $25,000**.
* 🎖️  Graduating soldiers are celebrated for completing their training, with one trainee saying, "**After doing this, completing everything, like, this is where I'm supposed to be**."

How Army Artillery Soldiers Train To Fire $4.3 Million Howitzers — The "King Of Battle" | Boot Camp

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The Role of Howitzers in Military Training

Howitzers, weighing around 100 pounds each, are the most common field artillery weapon and have been critical to Ukraine's army in its battle against Russian forces.

The Army's Field Artillery School in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, trains about 10,000 soldiers annually, with cannon crew members, known as 13 Bravos, facing the dual challenge of carrying and firing the heavy rounds.

7 million, has been supplied to the Ukrainian military by the US Army since Russia's invasion in 2022.

Artillery crews play a crucial role in providing timely and accurate fire support for infantry in trouble.

Each crew member has specific responsibilities, from the section chiefs overseeing missions to cannoneers operating the howitzers.

The sudden blast overpressure from heavy artillery can lead to serious neurological disorders, highlighting the need for better protective measures, such as helmets designed to combat blast exposure.

The Role of Fire Support Specialists in the Army

Fire support specialists provide targeting data to artillery, ensuring accurate and timely engagement with live rounds.

The platoon includes one female soldier, aiming to inspire young women to join the military in combat roles.

Despite the Army's slow progress in gender integration, female representation has increased to over 15% by 2022.

The Role of Fire Control Specialists in the Army

Fire control specialists, known as 13 Juliets, are responsible for generating targets and directing artillery fire.

They use artillery math to calculate firing data from forward observers and work closely with firefinder radar operators, 13 Romeos, to gather information on enemy artillery locations.

The Army is incentivizing recruitment with bonuses, and they are nearing 100% recruitment this year with over 24,000 new service members.

MLRS operators, also known as 13 Mikes, are responsible for providing long-range fire support with rockets and missiles.

They begin their training on the M270A2, a $7 million vehicle, and focus on preventive maintenance checks to ensure everything is in optimal condition.

The training includes hands-on exercises and culminates in a live-fire event to demonstrate their ability to operate the howitzer.

The Challenges and Growth of Military Trainees

Military trainees face the challenge of moving heavy weights and shooting numerous rounds in a short period.

The physical and mental stress of training drives them to improve and mature as individuals.

The military is working to reduce service members' exposure to harmful blast overpressure from firing weapons by establishing and enforcing firing limits.