2/10 Golf Battery shoots mortars during Exercise Rolling Thunder

Photo By James Smith | Marines with Golf Battery, 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, fire 120 mm high explosive mortar rounds from an Expeditionary Fire Support System during Exercise Rolling Thunder 2-15 aboard Fort Bragg, N.C., March 9, 2015. The purpose of Exercise Rolling Thunder is to exercise, access and improve the regiment's ability to shoot, move and communicate in a field environment while demonstrating to supported commanders the capabilities and effects the regiment provides to the division and Marine Air Ground Task Force operations. Since the EFSS is a smaller weapon system compared to the M777 Howitzer Cannon, it requires fewer Marines and less gear to operate the weapon. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. James R. Smith/Released)  

FORT BRAGG, NC, UNITED STATES

03.09.2015

Story by Sgt. James Smith 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Marines with Golf Battery, 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, spent a day away from their normal routine of firing M777 Howitzers and shifted their focus toward shooting the Expeditionary Fire Support System aboard Fort Bragg, North Carolina, during Exercise Rolling Thunder 2-15, March 9, 2015.

The purpose of Exercise Rolling Thunder is to exercise, access and improve the regiment's ability to shoot, move and communicate in a field environment while demonstrating to supported commanders the capabilities and effects the regiment provides to the division and Marine Air Ground Task Force operations.

“Normally, we are out here to shoot our M777 Howitzer cannons, but we took a day to come out and fire the Expeditionary Fire Support System,” said Cpl. Christian Henry, a field artillery cannoneer section chief with Golf Battery, 2/10. “With this system, we can shoot smooth bore and rifled ammunition, increasing our firing capabilities.”

The ammunition the Marines expended were high explosive smooth bore rounds and rifled illumination rounds.

Practicing with the EFSS gives the field cannoneers a break from their monotonous routine of loading, firing and cleaning the M777 Howitzer Cannon.

“Marines can become complacent and bored after firing the M777 for so long, but the 120mm mortars help mix things up a bit,” said Henry. “These weapon systems are fairly new to us.”

Henry continued by saying that Marines are taught how to use the EFSS at their military occupation specialty school, but were given a brief class on the weapon system.

“Since this is a regimental exercise, it helps us integrate different levels of fire,” said Henry. “We can have one unit shooting the cannons at long range targets, our mortars can hit midrange targets and other units firing 81 millimeter mortars to hit closer targets.”

Not only can the EFSS help close the gap between artillery rounds and their designated targets, but can be better maneuvered and managed than an M777 Howitzer.

“The premise behind this weapon system is how easily it can be transported,” said 1st Lt. Mallory Stewart, a platoon commander with G Battery, 2/10. “They are all terrain, can be transported via M-22B Osprey and are able to hydraulically stabilize its pressure.”

“With the mortars, you can take fewer Marines and less gear, making it easier to manage field operations,” said Henry.

Even with their completion of firing the EFSS during Rolling Thunder, Marines with Golf Battery, 2/10, will still have an opportunity to fire these weapon systems upon return to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

• Date Taken: 03.09.2015
• Date Posted: 03.19.2015 17:14
• Story ID: 157549
• Location: FORT BRAGG, NC, US