In the summer of 2008, I was waiting on the bleachers at LDAC (now Advanced Camp) in Fort Lewis, Washington for an event called “U.S. Weapons Day”. At that point, I still wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do in the Army. I had some ideas, but no clear first choice. The announcer began describing the systems in front of us, and then an M198 Howitzer fired a 98 lbs projectile, 2 km downrange with a thunderous detonation that reached all the way back to the bleachers. It was absolutely a marketing ploy on the Army’s part, and it absolutely worked on me.
Despite the admittedly shallow beginning, my appreciation for the Field Artillery has grown with my time in the Army. It is a branch of contrasts; at once highly technical and intensely physical, requiring exacting scientific precision, yet executed as an art form in the midst of chaos. Being able to master these contrasts creates some of the most mentally agile and competent Soldiers and Leaders I have had the pleasure of working with. It is a branch that uniquely rewards the Soldier-Scholar. All branches desire these traits, so what does it look like in the Field Artillery?
The Soldier
A towed artillery Battery occupying a position is a physical event, as highly orchestrated as a football play. The enemy is the stopwatch, which represents how long our supported Infantry must wait for us to be IPRTF (In Position Ready To Fire). Our Soldiers know that each minute spent emplacing is a minute the infantry spend receiving fire, and they throw themselves at the task. The 10,000 lbs howitzer must be unhooked from the truck, oriented in the correct direction, and dug in with pickaxes and shovels. Perimeter defenses must be set while ammunition is readied for firing and aiming references placed with precision. All the while, gun sections compete with each other to be the first dug in, the first to be ready to fire, and the first one to complete a multi-round fire mission.
Leadership in this environment means being out of the truck with the Soldiers, working alongside them and pushing them to excel. Artillerymen must be expert riflemen too. Though our mission is different from the infantry, it does not make us immune to attack. Artillerymen must know the capabilities of their crew-served weapons to form a perimeter defense, and the standard for digging fighting positions for these systems. We need to be able to read the terrain and place our sections accordingly. All of this must be done in the worst of conditions, and that shared misery gives units a true sense of cohesion.
The Scholar
The responsibility for where a 98 lbs explosive projectile lands falls squarely on the shoulders of an FA Lieutenant. The Fire Direction Center they control must take into account target location, gun location, the weight of the ammunition, at what velocity it leaves the gun, wind direction and speed, and even the drift imposed on the shell by the rifling twist of the howitzer barrel. Failure to adhere to computational and safety procedures can mean the difference between effects on the target, or on friendly forces.
Forward observers must be able to calculate distance to their observed target, compute “trigger math” on moving targets, and calculate attack headings for supporting aviation that keep them clear of indirect fire. They must also be able to advise supported infantry and armor commanders on the effects of all the fires they are able to bring to the table.
Artillery leaders take responsibility for a rigid set of standards and watertight technical mastery. Precision is critical in Field Artillery. One round gone astray has potentially catastrophic consequences. Artillery leaders are precise and methodical. It also requires leaders who hold themselves to the same standards as the newest Soldier. In the words of Walter M. Miller, “What I impose, I must accept”.
Expectations
To sum up the concepts above, I’d like to frame it with two of the questions posed by Col. Lopez:
What do you expect from your Junior Leaders? From your superiors?
Every branch is different. What do you expect from Artillery Lieutenants?
First, I expect my Junior Leaders and Lieutenants to be technically and tactically proficient. However, this is only the baseline. The best Junior Leaders pursue growth in the art of artillery. Like any art form, it requires creativity, passion, and constant practice. I also expect that you are intellectually curious, not satisfied with knowing only what you knew yesterday. Most importantly, I expect my Junior Leaders and Lieutenants to be with their Soldiers. They belong in the mud on the gunline and climbing the steepest hills with their observers. Leaders put the needs of their Soldiers above their own.
The best Artillery leaders I have worked for have mastered the balance of the Soldier and the Scholar. They have held me to tough technical standards, but have demonstrated that they can achieve them. They’ve battled the freezing rain to coach me on the firing line. Most importantly, they simultaneously gave me exact and precise mission requirements, while giving me the freedom to reach that outcome.
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If Artillery is something that you are interested in or selected for already, you’re in for a great experience. Nothing compares to planning and executing a live fire with Mortars, Artillery, attack aviation and fixed wing aircraft. It’s a tightly choreographed symphony, and artillery officers are the conductors.
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