Call in the big guns: Army Soldiers learn about aerial support

Photo By 1st Sgt. Justin A. Naylor | Sgt. Matthew Spiller, a Kalispell, Mont., native and a forward observer with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, plots coordinates during a joint fires observer recertification course on Fort Hood, Texas, April 22. Spiller was initially JFO certified at Ft. Sill, Okla., after completing a two-week course, and is now required to attend recertification every six months.  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

04.23.2010

Story by Spc. Justin A. Naylor 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

FORT HOOD, Texas – Soldiers who operate independently, miles away from the closest field artillery support, can still bring down tons of explosive power from aircraft on enemies if necessary. But it takes a little training and a lot of confidence.

Being able to call in aerial fires isn't as easy as just picking up a two-way radio; which is why Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, participated in joint fires observer recertification on Fort Hood, Texas, April 22, refreshing their knowledge and their ability to call in close aerial support.

During the course, the two Soldiers, Sgt. Michael Monk, a Sacramento, Calif., native, and Sgt. Matthew Spiller, a Kalispell, Mont., native, both forward observers with Alpha Company, 1st Bn., 5th Cav. Regt., practiced calling in surface- to-surface missiles, air-to-surface support, naval gunfire and an AC-130 in night and day scenarios.

An important part of the class was practicing communication between Army JFOs and Air Force joint terminal attack controllers, who are responsible for calling in aerial support and acting as middlemen between Soldiers on the ground and pilots in the air.

"This is integrating the Army with the Air Force and teaching Soldiers how to call in aircraft," said Sgt. 1st Class Leo Davis, a Woodward, Okla., native and a fire support non-commissioned officer with 2nd BCT.

According to Tech. Sgt. Shawn Leonard, a JTAC working with the Soldiers, the JFOs are an important part of his job; they allow Soldiers on the ground to relay precise coordinates to pilots, who can provide cover and eliminate dangerous threats to Soldiers and civilians.

"Artillery is not always as accurate as having an aircraft over your head that sees what's going on and has precision weapons," he explained.

"[Forward observers] should know how to do this," said Monk. "You can't always call in artillery. Airplanes can get to the target more easily."

Both Spiller and Monk went through the initial two-week JFO certification course at Ft. Sill, Okla., and are required to attend recertification courses every six-months.

These Soldiers are two of only 12 JFOs in the entire 4,000 Soldier brigade.

According to Davis, it has been difficult to get Soldiers into the JFO course because it is booked so far in advance, but he is working to get a JFO mobile training team to Fort Hood to certify 20 more Soldiers in the brigade. The Army eventually hopes to have as much as 50 percent of forward observers JFO-certified.

While the security environments in Iraq and Afghanistan are different from one another, Monk thinks having assets like joint fires can only improve the confidence of any unit facing hostile fire. "It helps you feel a lot more confident being on the ground knowing that you can call in air support."

• Date Taken: 04.23.2010
• Date Posted: 04.29.2010 11:44
• Story ID: 48887
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US