In the spirit of tomorrow being one of my favorite holidays, ask an Artilleryman in the US army anything.
ever play in the 1812 overture...(you know with the cannons n' shit)?
>>30492022
Is the M109 comfy?
How deep is your love?
I really need to know.
>>30492022
What's your favourite ice cream flavor?
What's officer life in the artillery like?
>>30492022
Is it comfortable inside the crew compartment?
Are SPGs like in your OP pic used more often than regular artillery (ie. Not self propelled)?
Would you recommend shooting for an artillery position for officers? I'd have to go through OCS, but I'm thinking about the Marines as well for some ground role
>>30492437
>>30492516
It's kind of cramped in there with a full crew and full ammo.
>>30492452
5 inches deep in your mom
>>30492465
Americone dream
>>30492486
They get to take a lot of naps. All they're really required to do in the field is verify that the target is within the safety box(which they calculate beforehand) on a grid map. This takes place at the Fire Direction Control track vehicle. Usually the commander and 1st sergeant hang out there too.
>>30492516
>Self Propelled Guns
Depends on the unit. Oklahoma uses towed heavy and light artillery. I'm in a unit in southern Minnesota and we use heavy artillery SPG
>>30492582
I wouldn't recommend anything that wasn't a combat MOS. POG jobs suck. But out of the combat jobs, artillery is the comfyest. see >>30492602
What would you say are the biggest benefits of serving in artillery?
What is the most fun piece to shoot/operate, in your personal experience?
Do you love me?
>>30492619
Would you recommend the army over the Marines? pros/cons? how are the people? NCOs? What's it like in peacetime? How shitty does it get? Would you recommend officer over enlisted?
>>30492628
VA Check for no hearing after you get out :^)
>>30492628
Blowing shit up. Knowing artillery is the king of battle.
>wut is king of battle
Think of it this way: Infantry can be stopped with just about anything. Tanks, aircraft, artillery, tons of stuff. Aircraft can be taken out with other aircraft, and anti-aircraft weapons. Tanks can be taken out with other tanks, aircraft, and IEDs. But what can take out artillery? You can't shoot a round out of the air. Anti-artillery is really difficult because right after a paladin shoots, it does a survivability move. This makes artillery the king of battle.
>>30492693
I'm actually an FDC operator, so I've only gotten to shoot the m109 a handful of times. But when I have shot it, it's pretty damn amazing. It's even more amazing being outside of it when it shoots and you feel the full force and power of the gun. Being an operator is pretty cool too. Most of the time we let the guns do a 'fire when ready' after wwe've sent them the target info digitally, but every now and then we get a 'at my command' mission which is pretty badass. At My Command missions means they lay the round in the tube but wait to fire until we tell them to over the radio. It's 'fun'.
>>30492887
But you can just into counter-artillrry
>>30492022
What's it like being so far up your own ass that you make a thread entirely about yourself on /k/ to garner attention your father clearly didn't give you?
>>30492719
you're ok, anon.
>>30492837
>army/marines
Army and Marines both train for artillery at Ft. Sill Oklahoma so I guess you could say its about the same.
>pros/cons
meh
>the people
its the army. either everyone is an asshole or your buddies, some become lifelong friends. mostly assholes though.
>NCOs?
is that a question?
>peacetime
we're currently marked as being in wartime so that's how we're training so I honestly don't know.
>shitty
some days of training are sitting around playing on my phone, some days are sweating my ass off in the desert with full body armor doing nothing but moving equipment. There are those golden days though, where we shoot 80+ artillery missions a day that make life worth living.
>officer over enlisted
not for artillery no. NCOs in artillery do everything. Officers are simply there as a safety measure.
>>30492917
Feels good. I love artillery and feel no shame talking about my job or my service to my country.
>>30492947
>my service to my country.
You're a fucking POG that won't ever see an actual fucking conflict.
Do you get issued ear pro? how bad is the hearing? how often do actual artillery teams get to fire their babies? Any interesting shells out there?
>>30492602
You have no idea what FA officers actually do...
>>30492983
hey you never know anon with shit going down in the world Ukraine could heat up china could go down, you never know. After world war 1 every one thought there would never be another war in europe
>>30492935
>>30493042
what do they do? is there a lot of rucking heavy gear involved as well? Does hearing go to shit? Is FA a POG job?
How much deployment would one see in FA?
>>30492983
Bait; I've already been deployed.
>>30493011
Yeah we get ear pro, they usually have boxes of disposible ones for people that lost theirs too. My hearing has still gotten worse despite of this though. The most interesting 'shell' I can think of would be the w48, which is the nuclear round that was dicontinued before my time. Otherwise the excalibur round is pretty badass. It's an artillery round with a gps fuse on the nose that can change direction mid-lob.
>>30493042
They plot the safety box on the map, calculate trajectory and min QE for each round and charge being used, calculate interpolation, plan WARNOs OPORDs and SOPs if you're the commander. Granted I haven't been trained as an artillery officer, I have a pretty good idea of what they do, which is a lot more than you, anon.
Have you ever trained with foreign units using PzH 2000/AS-90/K-9, and felt that the M109 is inadequate?
>>30493229
>Bait; I've already been deployed.
Haha! To where? Kuwait?
Face it, kid. You've never fired arty at anything other than sand, and you never will.
>>30493175
most of this has been answered already.
I've been deployed once in 2011-2012 and I've been in for 6 years. One deployment per 6 years is pretty typical for artillery.
Yes hearing goes to shit, but so does every job in military.
>>30492022
WHAT?
YOU SEARCHED FOR ARNY ON BING?
>>30493239
Nope, I've never trained with a foreign unit. It would be a cool learning experience though. It's not really the type of artillery that wins the wars though, its the people. A good gun crew is invaluable. The US military spent billions making an auto-loading paladin gun called the crusader. It's completely superior to the paladin in every way but we don't use it because its not needed, so we use the manufactured crusaders as target practice in Camp Ripley, MN.
>>30493254
I mean, you're not wrong. But I'm switching my MOS so your post doesn't really bother me. Artillery is cool, but you're right I'd like to see more action on my next deployment. Heavy artillery is still a wonder to behold and I don't regret choosing it and seeing the amazing things I'd never see as a civilian.
>>30493331
heeey 13A reporting in. I report tot Ft. Sill for BOLC on 20JUL16
>>30493239
Also where the PzH 2000 has a faster maximum fire rate, it's disadvantage is that it doesn't have a dedicated resupply vehicle. The US army has a vehicle solely for resupplying ammunition that can attach to the back of the paladin and even tow it if necessary. It's called the CATVEE. Here is a good picture of it. Additionally the M109A7 has the auto-reload technology that was abandoned in the crusader models I mentioned earlier in this thread.
>>30493457
ROTC or OCS?
>>30493457
Nice! Hope you're good at math. Having a calculator watch for when you're in the field isn't a bad idea either. Officers tend to lose their calculators and are SOL in the field and have to calculate with a pen and paper. Do you know where you report to after BOLC?
>>30493493
oh boy... ROTC
My duty station will be Ft. Drum, NY. 10th Mountain.
>>30493507
I'm fine at math although I really really really hope I'm fire support side
>>30493507
Yo I'm actually from Minnesota too. Mankato area. Where do you drill out of?
>>30492895
Only for entrenched arty. SPG's shoot then scoot.
>>30492022
What's Your best rate of fire?
How often do you use air burst? Proxy fused or timed?
Do you think the Paladin would be better if it had an auto loader?
What do you think about 13F?
>>30493532
No you don't. Officers that are in headquarters and not in the field with the guys hate their lives. You get close to 2 hours of sleep each night and are constantly questioned and harassed by the brass. Pray for FDO.
>>30493571
bro....I'm in mankato right now. I drill in fairmont.
>>30492895
>>30493578
This. Paladins are required per our SOP to do a survivability move after shooting or after being in the same spot for too long.
can the M109 float?
>>30493639
I'm the 13A and I just graduated from Kato. How's the weather up there? I'm at Ft. Knox right now... damn it would have been cool to get a beer
FSOs never get to go out in the field is what you're saying?
>>30493639
Are you going to stick around for next gen Paladin?
>>30493617
>rate of fire
3 rounds a minute is typical if the crew is good. I've heard of crews doing 4 rounds a minute but I've never been around for it.
>air burst
We train with everything so we know how to use it. We use HE rounds the most commonly though if thats what you're asking.
>auto-loader
The M109A7 has an auto loader, but we don't use those models yet as they were just made last year. Yes, they are superior but they could be better like the PzH 2000 or the K9 Thunder
>>30493624
Forward observing is pretty cool. My good friend is a fister (thats what we call them). If you're looking for an MOS in artillery then that's a good one.
I've always had this dream of being part of a sustained artillery seige the likes of WW1 or Sevastopol in WW2. Loading shells and firing night and day to the tune of something appropriate playing on the propaganda radio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMrSPOWrYGA
Then I wake up and remember that fire missions are (I assume) usually just a few rounds at a specific target before doing that survivability move, and probably a lot less continuous siege like and a lot more not firing in between. Plus I can imagine they would discourage listening to music in favor of hearing clear orders.
Btw in case anyone hasn't been here... Ft. knox a shit
>>30493714
>>30493773
What was the most amount of shells you've ever had to fire in a single fire mission? Or a single day?
>>30493229
Seeing as I'm an artillery officer, I'm guessing that I know more about what they do than you do. Do you know what an FSO is?
>>30493175
It all depends on what you're job is. Your most likely job as a brand new FA LT will be as an FDO or an FSO. The FDO is in charge of the FDC, which calculates a firing solution to send down to the guns. In training environments, you will calculate a safety box and determine if the firing data is safe (safety boxes and safety t's don't exist down range but you need to make sure you're clearing the FLOT and not putting rounds on your guys). You are also in charge of chosing the type of shell/Fuze combination and number of rounds to engage with based on the call for fire you recieve. You get to determine if a mission fires or not.
As an FSO, you get to do more cool guy shit. You're attached to an infantry or armor company, and you basically are attached to the company commanders hip. You are in charge of the FISTers, and also for creating the fire support plan for an operation. You ensure all calls for fire are accurate, complete, and safe, and are responsible for coordinating available assets. You don't only deal with artillery, but also CAS and CCA/AWT. As an FSO, not only did I receive my JFO cert, but also my JTAC cert allowing me to conduct terminal guidance for CAS rather than just coordinating with the TACP. As an FSO, in a light infantry company, you will ruck a lot. You're pack is going to be heavier than most of the infantry guys because in addition to your shit, you're going to be carrying two radios and all the BII and replacement shit for them if you're doing your job right. You're not really a shooter, but you have a complete picture of the battlefield because you're attached to the CO at the hip and you've been with him every step of the planning process. If for some reason he gets take out and you aren't, you're the de facto 2IC because you know the plan better than anyone.
>>30492022
ever do a battery 10 round?
>>30493782
>beef patty
>no adblocker
>game of shit
>>30493671
Probs not. But I know there is a vehicle in the military used for making bridges to get around stuff like that. Here is a picture of it.
>>30493679
Weather is nice compared to NTC which is where I just came from. This isn't one of the Jacobson brothers is it? And yeah, they get to the field but they stay put in a HQ tent and get yelled at. Believe me, it's not fun, I shadowed under one for a while.
>>30493701
I'd love to poke my head in one to check it out, but more than likely I'll have re-classed by the time the MN units get them.
>>30493853
You are retarded. That is a BN FSO that is in the TOC. Company FSOs are moving with the infantry.
>>30493867
Oh, I'm sorry. Let me try again.
>beef patty
>no adblocker
>game of shit
>unkempt nails
>cheap, disgusting beer
>red thing, which I assume is one of those vape machines
>>30493835
Thanks for the good info man. I geek out so hard over this shit. How many FSOs get their tab?
>>30493910
nice try asshole it's an external battery hahaha..... sigh
>>30493835
that's pretty cool, I'm guessing the Marines have the same setup? What happens after your first tour? You gotta do some B billet or something? I don't know how many FA positions they might give at OCS for either branch. Being an FSO would be pretty neat but it seems I don't have much say in which I'd get. I wonder how much deployment I'd see in 2016/2017 though
>>30493919
If you want it you can get it. There is a pre Ranger course in BOLC or you can wait and do PRC at your unit. 10th mountain will send you if you want to go, just say you want a slot. I'm at the 82nd and Id say about 30% of FA officers in my BN have their tab. It's not a make or break thing like it is in the infantry though, so if you don't get it don't worry about it. FSO and FDO are equally fun, but in different ways.
>>30493910
Jealous yet?
>>30493773
They move after the mission, so some of it can be gruelingly long missions and some gun chiefs play music over their CVC headsets but probably not the music you want to hear and they're not really supposed to do that but they do it anyway.
>>30493782
I recognise that scar... Johnson?
>>30493819
Most for a mission, 12 round battery, smoke. That's 6 guns, each firing 12 smoke rounds. Most in a day? I'm actually not sure but its in the low hundreds.
>>30493835
>Seeing as I'm an artillery officer
Well how was I supposed to know that. But yeah being an attached FSO is pretty cool. From what I hear being an FSO in an artillery unit is pretty sucky.
>>30493848
yes.
>>30493851
>implying beef patty isn't the best MRE
>>30493987
Outstanding. When did you graduate?
>>30493964
If you get FSO first you will either go FDO, PL, or XO. Arty LTs are lucky because there are so many jobs available to them so the likelihood of being in the 3 shop is pretty low aside from your first few months in a unit while they find a spot for you.
>>30494017
Jake??
>>30494017
it's Alden isn't it???
>>30494021
June of last year
>>30494047
:D
hey bud
>>30494033
Damn I'm really liking this, I might have to tell the nuke dudes to fuck off. I gotta max the PFT though and decide whether to go army or marines.
So army doesn't have to do B billet? The marines dude told me after a tour they get a choice of a few different places like instructor or embassy
like william peter?
>>30494149
You have broadening assignments which come into play when you're a captain and above. Those can be things like Rotc instructor or working with a civilian or government agency. DA PAM 600-3 will show you all of the career progression things for each branch of the army, so you can get a feel for what your career can be like at each rank
>>30494047
>>30494068
Now go and make out
>>30494423
It's like a fucking checklist to become CEO
jesus fucking christ. Just do these things and you won't get kicked out before 20
Fucking morbid man
>>30492452
Cos we're living in a world of fools
Breaking us down.
>>30495013
Honestly speaking, having broader perspective is a very crucial thing. It makes you think of things in ways you would never have before, if you had just stayed in your chosen career path. Like it or not, as you go higher in the chain of command, you are put in charge of an ever widening sorts of jobs and people, and have to interact with different parts, including civilian leadership as well as stuff like the Pentagon. I'd argue that, General Abrams (they named the tank after him) would not have succeeded in his goal to make the Army great again following the Vietnam War had he not had to directly control the military response to a great many civil rights protests, acting directly as the intermediary with the highest levels of civilian leadership, as well as his leadership in the Army Reserve in the Pentagon. In fact, part of the Army's expansion required the use of these reserve components. It would have otherwise been imposible. Because he had those different perspectives, he grew as a leader and was able to achieve things someone without those perspectives would be hard pressed to do.
Further still, those positions ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE FILLED. People don't necessarily want to do them, but they must be done nonetheless. It's a win-win situation, in my opinion. Sure, it might not be what people WANT to do, but tough luck.
