Speed and Power Soldiers Call for Fire

Photo By Pfc. James Dutkavich | U.S. Army Sgt. Samuel Santiago, a native of Brooklyn, NY, a Fire Support Specialist attached to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, plots grid coordinates for targets with an allied Soldier during Exercise Flaming Thunder at Pabrade, Lithuania August 4, 2016. Flaming Thunder is a two-week long multinational fire coordination exercise and combined arms live fire to enhance interoperability among NATO fire support units, and to train and conduct joint fire support with the integration of maneuver elements, close air support, and close combat attack. The Soldiers of 3rd Battalion are training with their Baltic allies in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a U.S. led effort being conducted in Eastern Europe to demonstrate U.S. commitment to the collective security of NATO and dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region.  

PABRADE, LITHUANIA

08.04.2016

Story by Pfc. James Dutkavich 

24th Theater Public Affairs Support Element

(PABRADE, LITHUANIA) – Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, called for fire support during Exercise Flaming Thunder, August 4, 2016, at Pabrade, Lithuania.

Flaming Thunder is a two-week long multinational fire coordination exercise and combined arms live fire to enhance interoperability among NATO fire support units, and to train and conduct joint fire support with the integration of maneuver elements, close air support and close combat attack.

“This type of training helps to enable the Atlantic Resolve operational environment by increasing interoperable communications,” said Maj. Chad Fitgerland, the Fires Chief for the 4th Infantry Division’s Mission Control Element in Baumholdier, Germany, “With several Atlantic Resolve allies seeking to modernize their artillery systems, these types of exercises serve as excellent opportunities to increase fires connectivity across the U.S. Army European area of operations.”

Some of the goals for this year’s exercise include the training of artillery battery operations that focus on the gun line, fire direction center, and forward observers.

Soldiers from C Co., 3rd Bn., 69th Arm. Rgmt., provided fire support officers and specialists to help achieve these goals. Fire support specialists, commonly referred to as FiSTers, are artillerymen who provide grid coordinates for targets and help guide shells to their objective.

The U.S., Lithuanian and German FiSTers and FSOs took turns calling for fire support. They would observe rounds’ impact locations and provide corrections until the target was destroyed.

“It is good to build allies with the nations of NATO,” said U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Joseph Hurst, a fire support officer, assigned to C Co., “We can also see how they conduct similar training that we do to see if we are all on the same page, and to train together and better our friendship.”

The Soldiers from 3rd Bn., 69th Arm. Rgmt., involved in the exercise, are training with their Baltic allies in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a U.S. lead effort being conducted in Eastern Europe to demonstrate U.S. commitment to the collective security of NATO and dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region.

• Date Taken: 08.04.2016
• Date Posted: 08.07.2016 04:41
• Story ID: 206287
• Location: PABRADE, LT
• Hometown: SARASOTA, FL, US