The Field Artillery (FA) Branch is a great branch for junior officers to develop personally and professionally. The FA branch offers assignment diversity from the typical staff job or platoon leader position, as compared to other branches. It also offers lieutenants the ability to serve in positions that have effects at echelons above their peers. The FA branch is only growing as the U.S. Army focuses more on the importance of fires on the battlefield.
There’s Only One King
Being a lieutenant (LT) in any branch is an exciting time to learn and develop the fundamentals. You are afforded the opportunity to learn your trade in a trial-and-error state to see how your branch fits into the larger Army. Being a lieutenant is a crucial time to learn the tactical trades of your branch. As an officer progresses through their military career, they tend to spend less time operating with the equipment itself, but rather planning, resourcing, or executing training from higher echelons. As a Lieutenant, you lead men and women directly, more than you will ever again.
There are sixteen basic branches in the Army, each offering different challenges to junior officers. The branches are unique specialties within the warfighting functions, covering the wide range of jobs the Army has to offer. These include operations, sustainment, support, and medical functions for the Army. Whether your commissioning source was West Point, ROTC or OCS you will find yourself in one of the many branches of the Army upon commissioning.
Field Artillery Key Development
Although Key Development positions are not mandated by HRC for lieutenants to promote to captain, the Artillery Branch offers several KD assignments for LTs to grow as leaders. Most branches focus on developing their lieutenants as PLs or assistant primary staff sections (AS2, AS4, etc.). It’s not only possible in the FA branch, but it is usually standard for an FA LT to serve as a Fire Support Officer (FSO), Fire Direction Officer (FDO), and Platoon Leader. All three positions encompass the art and science of the Artillery branch. The three unique jobs all offer their own sets of challenges to junior leaders.
Fire Support Officer
The FSO is the art of the artillery. Understanding the battlefield and shaping it to your maneuver commander’s desire is critical for an FSO. The ability to understand and work with your maneuver commander will help the success of your fire support team.
Fire Direction Officer
As an FDO, you learn the science behind the fires process. Taking in the raw data from the fires cell and computing it to firing data for the gun line is no small task. The smallest computation error could lead to rounds impacting in the wrong place.
Platoon Leader
A platoon leader is perhaps the most rewarding of the three positions. Understanding the larger mission you support, and the importance for you to be in position and ready to fire to support your maneuver counterparts, is crucial. The PL is responsible for the tactical emplacement of their howitzers, to including a good location and accurately laying the howitzers on the correct azimuth of fire to ensure accurate first-round fire for effect.
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These three positions expose junior officers to different aspects of the war-fighting functions across tactical-level operations. Each one of the three jobs for an FA LT as mentioned above, offer a different understanding of the battlefield.
The future of the Artillery branch is only growing. Shaping the deep fight in a Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) environment is becoming more important. One of the Army’s solutions is to do this by using Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF). The overall development for junior officers encompasses the science and art of artillery.
So, why should you join the Field Artillery Branch as a Lieutenant?
The opportunities for lieutenants are limitless. As stated above, the FA branch offers three unique jobs that all give you assignment diversity. They will allow you to see the fires war-fighting function through the eyes of those you will support, and those that support you!
If you are considering it, or have already been branched into the Artillery, you are in for a great professional and personal experience!
Captain Jacob Halisky was a branch detailed Field Artillery officer, currently stationed at the Intelligence Center of Excellence for the career course. He was a fire direction officer, fire support officer, platoon leader, and executive office in an Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
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