Photo By Staff Sgt. Jose O. Nava | Marines fire an M777A2 lightweight 155 mm howitzer at night June 10 during Artillery...... read more read more
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OJOJIHARA MANEUVER AREA, MIYAGI, Japan – The smell of sulfur fills the air as smoke escapes the barrel of an M777A2 lightweight 155 mm howitzer, and slowly drifts down the firing line. Concussion waves rattle the bones of the artillery Marines as the neighboring gun unleashes its fury. The gun chief yells for the next round to be loaded and a Marine runs with projectile in hand.
This very scene repeated multiple times for Marines with Battery C June 4-11 during Artillery Relocation Training Program 14-1 at the Ojojihara Maneuver Area, Japan. The battery falls under 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, currently assigned to 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, under the unit deployment program.
The ARTP has taken place since 1997, and it affords Marines an opportunity to execute artillery live-fire training at five different locations on mainland Japan.
“Ojojihara (Maneuver Area) offered a great amount of maneuverability,” said 1st Lt. Kevin J. Bishop, the executive officer with the battery. “It was good training here, and there are nuances wherever you go. Adapting to those nuances is the benefit of training in different areas.”
During the exercise, the Marines trained in the relocation of artillery positions, artillery live-fire, small-arms weapons tactics, and other various sustainment events.
“It was great training for us to come out here, especially being a newer chief and gaining these new experiences,” said Cpl. Thomas J. Beach, an artillery gun chief with the battery.
Before firing could begin, the battery sent an advance party to find a suitable area for the artillery to set-up. The advance party completed the process by conducting reconnaissance selection of each position. Once the positions were selected, 7-ton trucks towed the howitzers into position. The battery moved multiple times during all weather conditions.
“It was something different,” said Bishop, a Weymouth, Massachusetts, native. “Sometimes you get stuck in your ways back in the states, and it is good to get away from the monotony and engage the mind.”
Each artillery piece had a team of Marines operating the weapon once a fire mission was sent down to the emplacements. Each team was led by a noncommissioned officer acting as the artillery gun chief.
“My job is to supervise everyone on the gun and make sure everyone is being safe and follows procedures,” said Beach, a native of London, Ohio. “The chief is ultimately responsible for what happens with the gun.”
There are six numerically assigned positions on the howitzer. The one man fires the howitzer and the two man loads powder after the three man hands it to him. The four man loads the rounds onto the round tray while the five man determines the proper fuse for each round. Throughout the process, the ammunition tech chief keeps control of all the rounds while informing the team of any special commands, according to Beach.
After the howitzers were set, forward observers radioed-in fire missions against simulated enemies in the impact area. These missions were sent to the fire direction center, where the data was compiled for the howitzers. Using radios, the data was sent to the howitzers at the firing line after it was verified to be correct.
At the firing line, Marines were moving quickly and efficiently back and forth to retrieve and load the 105-pound projectiles into the howitzers. The gun chief would ensure that the proper round would be fired by checking the projectile and powder being loaded. He would order the weapon’s breach closed and have the one man stand-by to fire, and finally order him to fire.
As the smoked cleared, Marines with tired faces and aching muscles felt they gained more knowledge of their military occupational specialty by training in a unique environment hosted by their Japanese counterparts.
“It was good training and I enjoyed adapting to another environment and culture,” said Lance Cpl. Dontavius R. Bell, an Americus, Georgia, native and field artillery cannoneer. “I felt very comfortable and very welcomed by the Japanese.”
| Date Taken: | 06.04.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2014 03:00 |
| Story ID: | 133455 |
| Location: | OJOJIHARA MANEUVER AREA, MIYAGI, JP |
| Hometown: | AMERICUS, GA, US |
| Hometown: | FRANKFORT, IL, US |
| Hometown: | KEARNY, NJ, US |
| Hometown: | LONDON, OH, US |
| Hometown: | PALM BAY, FL, US |
| Hometown: | WEYMOUTH, MA, US |
| Web Views: | 204 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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