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    Change to leadership course brings officers closer to impact zone

    LAWTON, OK, UNITED STATES

    01.24.2019

    Story by Daniel Malta    

    Fort Sill Public Affairs

    FORT SILL, Okla. -- The Field Artillery Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC) implemented a new change to its capstone exercise, Red Leg War, giving students a more realistic experience before entering their respective units.

    This change now allows students to approach the impact zone while calling in fires during the Fires Support Coordination Exercise.

    "We want them to have the experience of fires impacting much closer than they have in the past," said Lt. Col. Terry Hilt, 1st Battalion, 30th Field Artillery commander. "They will now be able to potentially walk through the craters as they move from objective to objective."

    During this exercise, students learn how to attack an objective as an infantry company. In the past, after planning, briefing and rehearsing, students went to an observation point where they would call in fires on designated targets. Now, students get to fully realize the effects of that planning by getting as close as 750 meters from impacting rounds, while simultaneously calling in fire from mobile positions.

    If a round doesn't explode and it's in the path of the Soldiers, then the lane is stopped and the EOD team takes care of the unexploded ordnance.

    "We have a safety on Dailey Hill counting rounds as the lane [of Soldiers] advances," Hilt said. "We also have an EOD [Explosive Ordnance Disposal] team out there. Altogether this training allows students to more realistically adapt their fire commands while moving to contact, and exposes them to the devastating effects of those artillery rounds."

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 01.24.2019
    Date Posted: 01.29.2019 15:39
    Story ID: 308662
    Location: LAWTON, OK, US
    Hometown: LAWTON, OK, US

    Web Views: 56
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN