Forward observers guide artillery fire on target during African Lion 2011

Photo By Sgt. Zaid Dannsa | An artillery round strikes its target here May 25. Forward observers from Battery I, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, directed artillery fire to sharpen their skills during exercise African Lion 2011. African Lion is an annually scheduled, bilateral exercise between the Kingdom of Morocco and the U.S. that involves more than 2,000 U.S. service members and approximately 900 members of the Royal Moroccan armed forces.  

CAP DRAA, MOROCCO

05.25.2011

Story by Lance Cpl. Zaid Dannsa 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa     

CAP DRAA, Morocco – Forward observers from Battery I, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, directed artillery fire during training missions here May 25 as part of the field training exercise portion of exercise African Lion 2011.

Forward observers, experts in directing indirect long range fire, are routinely attached to forward operating units. When their craft is called upon, they can guide for fire from mortars, artillery, rockets, naval guns and aircraft.

“If grunts [infantrymen] need artillery, we’ll be with them to call for whatever fire they need,” said 1st Lt. Jefferey Mekelburg, an artillery officer with Btry. I.

The observers established an observation point on high ground approximately seven kilometers in front of the artillery Howitzers and two kilometers away from the impact area’s four targets. With the proper direction from the observers, the 155 mm artillery shells would be guided onto their targets.

“The enemy can pretty much cancel their plans,” boasted 1st Sgt. Kevin Watson, Btry. I’s first sergeant, about the effect of accurate artillery fire when forward observers and artillerymen work together.

The observers practiced calling for fire both traditionally through radios and digitally through their StrikeLink computers. The computers are hooked into laser range finders, which provides an azimuth and ten-digit grid coordinates.

Once the observers acquired the location of the targets, they sent fire missions to the Marines at the firing position, who then started raining fire onto targets from approximately nine km away.

“Booom, booom, booom,” thundered throughout more than 10 km of the desert when the whistling artillery rounds landed in the impact zone.

The observers used binoculars to spot where the shots were impacting and relayed the information back to the gun line.

They practiced calling numerous types of missions, including firing on preplanned targets, adjusting fire, suppressing targets and calling for smoke.

“We’re doing a lot of stuff we haven’t done in a long time,” said Sgt. Cameron Gross, an assistant section chief with Btry. I’s forward observers. “This time in the field makes us very proficient at our jobs.”

Battery I forward observers spent the day practicing the different tactics they could employ when calling for fire. Directing more than 300 artillery rounds throughout the day allowed the Marines the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the tools and techniques of their job.

African Lion is an annually scheduled, bilateral exercise between the Kingdom of Morocco and the U.S. that involves more than 2,000 U.S. service members and approximately 900 members of the Royal Moroccan armed forces.

• Date Taken: 05.25.2011
• Date Posted: 05.29.2011 15:10
• Story ID: 71289
• Location: CAP DRAA, MA