Tomahawks bring the heat in the Iraqi desert

Photo By Sgt. Adrian Muehe | Pvt. 1st Class Anothony Hannum, of San Bernardino, Calif., and an assistant gunner for...... read more read more

Photo By Sgt. Adrian Muehe | Pvt. 1st Class Anothony Hannum, of San Bernardino, Calif., and an assistant gunner for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, drops a 80mm mortar down the tube that will fire it down range as part of a fire coordination exercise in the desert near Forward Operating Base Grizzly, Iraq, on March 21. This exercise was a chance for forward observers and mortarmen to train together with live ammunition on how to effectivly call for fire.  see less | View Image Page

DIYALA PROVINCE, IRAQ

03.27.2010

Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe 

1-2 SBCT, 7th Infantry Division

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DIYALA, Iraq — "Hang it," repeated Spc. Nicholas Keim, of Olympia, Wash., and an assistant gunner for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, while holding a 120mm mortar round steady over the massive gun pointed out of the back of a Stryker vehicle. While waiting for the call to release, he maintained this position as sweat dripped off his brow in the Iraqi desert.

"Fire," said Spc. Stephan Forbes of Denver, a gunner for HHC, 1/23 Inf. After this call, Keim repeated his order. He dropped the mortar into the tube and immediately braced himself for the recoil. A few seconds later the round fired. The back of the Stryker vehicle sunk down from the force of the shot, sending the dry dirt resting under the vehicle into the air causing a massive cloud of dust. Flames erupted from the end of the mortar tube as it fired the 120mm shell down range. All eyes immediately went to the target, which was engulfed in a cloud of smoke as the round impacted.

This action was a small part of a fire coordination exercise conducted by 1/23 Inf. It lasted three days and coordinated their assets of forward observers, mortarmen, close air support and field artillery in the desert just outside of Forward Operating Base Grizzly, March 21-23.

"This training happened so that we can clearly and accurately indentify targets so we can use our assets to the best of our ability," said Sgt. Victor Ramos, of Hollis, N.Y., and a fire support noncommissioned officer for Blackhawk Company, 1/23 Inf. "We bring in close air support. We bring in rotary wing support. We bring in mortars, and we bring in GLMRS [Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems]."

This training exercise started with the forward observers, who were running this spectacular show. Their role was to confirm and identify targets before they were cleared to call for fire with their available assets.

"We usually don't get to do this in country," said Spc. Kerry McDonaugh, of San Antonio, and a forward observer with 1st Platoon, Apache Company, 1/23 Inf. "I've spent most of this deployment acting as an infantryman, out there with them in case something happens and air support needs to be called in."

After the forward observers identified the targets and their locations, they had to decide what assets to use to minimize the threat. The preferred way to do this is to call in air support, but if the enemies have anti-air capabilities, they would have to be eliminated before pilots can fly over. This is when mortar fire comes into the situation.

The Tomahawk mortarmen wield three different kinds of artillery. On the ground they fire 60mm and 80mm rounds. Out of the back of Strykers they have 120mm rounds. The size of the target and how far away the objective is located determines what size round is used. Firing these mortars serves two purposes. The first is to destroy targets such as anti-air guns to clear the way for air support. The second is too fire for effect. The purpose of this option is to put a large number of rounds in the same vicinity to scare the enemy as opposed to destroy them.

After the mortars and rockets were fired, the anti-air threat was neutralized. After the forward observers confirmed this they talked to the pilots of two Kiowa helicopters who were at hand. The Kiowas went in and dropped ordnance on the targets to annihilate the simulated combatant stronghold.

"My Soldiers see how important this job is," said Ramos. "They know we still have rust on the chains and now we know how to break that rust off."

After this refresher training, these Soldiers are confident that, if the situation ever arrived, they can effectively call in the support they need to save Soldiers' lives, said Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Brooks, a native of Johnsonburg, Pa., and the battalion fire support NCO for 1/23 Inf.

"We identified issues we can fix to make our fire support teams better, and found new training objectives," said Brooks.

At the beginning of April, the Tomahawks will take what they have learned and perfected from this exercise and teach Iraqi army soldiers how to effectively use these techniques with their assets.