Forward observers in the U.S. military are
artillery observer
An artillery observer, artillery spotter or forward observer (FO) is responsible for directing artillery and mortar fire onto a target. It may be a ''forward air controller'' (FAC) for close air support (CAS) and spotter for naval gunfire su ...
s who carry the
Military Occupational Specialty
A United States military occupation code, or a military occupational specialty code (MOS code), is a nine-character code used in the United States Army and United States Marine Corps to identify a specific job. In the United States Air Force, a sy ...
designator of ''13F'' in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
and ''0861'' in the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
. They are officially called Joint Fire Support Specialists in the U.S. Army and Fire Support Marines in the
U.S. Marine Corps. They are colloquially known as FiSTers, regardless of whether they are members of a FiST (Fire Support Team). The Battalion Fire Support Officer (FSO) is the Officer in Charge of a Battalion Fire Support Element.
U.S. Army
Forward Observers in the U.S. Army hold the
Military Occupational Specialty
A United States military occupation code, or a military occupational specialty code (MOS code), is a nine-character code used in the United States Army and United States Marine Corps to identify a specific job. In the United States Air Force, a sy ...
of 13F for enlisted and 13A for officers designating them as members of the Field Artillery corps. After completion of Basic Combat Training enlisted soldiers attend a eleven-week course(AIT) on the fundamentals of Call-For-Fire techniques as well as general field craft and small unit tactics at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. From there those being assigned to Airborne units, most notably the
82nd Airborne Division
The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...
,
173rd Airborne Brigade
The 173rd Airborne Brigade ("Sky Soldiers") is an airborne infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States European Command's conventional airborne strategic response force for Eu ...
, and
75th Ranger Regiment
The 75th Ranger Regiment, also known as Army Rangers, is the U.S. Army's premier light infantry unit and special operations force within the United States Army Special Operations Command. The regiment is headquartered at Fort Benning, Georgi ...
will attend the
United States Army Airborne School
The United States Army Airborne School – widely known as Jump School – conducts the basic paratrooper (military parachutist) training for the United States Armed Forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry, Unit ...
after the completion of training at Ft. Sill. Additionally
Ranger School
The United States Army Ranger School is a 62-day small unit tactics and leadership course that develops functional skills directly related to units whose mission is to engage the enemy in close combat and direct fire battles.
Ranger training wa ...
is open to both enlisted and officers serving as Forward Observers. Members of Forward Observer teams are required to attain and maintain a Secret security clearance due to the requirement for Forward Observers to be aware of not only the mission of their own unit but of other U.S. and allied units in the same operating area. Officers are referred to as Fire Support Officers (FSO) while enlisted troops hold the title of Forward Observers.
![785px Arty Call for Fire 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/785px_Arty_Call_for_Fire_1.jpg)
Once training is complete members are assigned to a Forward Observer Platoon generally part of a Headquarters and Headquarters Company inside a larger Infantry, Cavalry, Armor, or Artillery Battalion. Observer teams are expected to be able to move, communicate, interact and carry out missions as members of these units with a high level of proficiency in addition to their responsibilities as Forward Observers. Observers must be able to work independently for long periods of time and, because the clandestine nature of their work and their frequent placement on or behind enemy lines, the ability to operate with minimal support is of great importance as some missions can often last for days or weeks. Currently three methods of directing artillery fire are taught in the U.S. Army. The first and most common is called a Grid Mission where artillery fire is directed based on the map grid coordinate of the target based on a standard map. The second is Shift From Known Point where artillery based on his direction and distance from a fixed, pre-established geographic or man made point. The third and least common is Polar where the observer gives their current grid location and provides distance and direction to the target. This is typically unpopular due to the FDC confusing the observer's location as the target.
Combat Observation Lasing Teams(COLTs) are a sub-specialization within the Army's 13F career field which train in the directing of long range fire such as rocket assisted artillery or GPS guided munitions like the 155mm EXCALIBUR series weaponry. They have a secondary spotting/
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
capability and are trained to operate with other unconventional forces such as sniper and scout teams for long periods of time with minimal support. These COLT teams are now uncommon and rarely used.
Since 2003 the U.S. Army has also used the
RQ-7B Shadow Unmanned Aircraft, flown by soldiers in the 15W MOS, in Iraq and Afghanistan for artillery correction, close air support and reconnaissance.
With the need for coordinated indirect-fire support control at higher levels, Fire Support Specialists are also assigned to the “Fire Support Element,” at the
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
level, and as the "Fires" section of the Operations Staff from
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
/
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
level through to the
corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
level.
Field Artillery Forward Observer 1189
Field Artillery Forward Observer 1189 was a
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
Army Officer position. Officer Classification, Commissioned and Warrant Military Classification and Coding.
The primary duties of the 1189 was "Direct the fire of an artillery unit from a forward position. Observes shell bursts and adjusts fire by forward observation or computation methods; consults with commanders of supported unit in determination of appropriate artillery targets, normal barrage, and zones of defense; trains personnel in procedures of artillery operation; organizes observation posts; sets up and maintains communication systems."
U.S. Marine Corps
The requirements for USMC observers are nearly identical to their Army counterparts. They attend training at Ft. Sill, are required to obtain a
secret security clearance, and are generally assigned as specialist members of larger combat units or specialized units like
Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company
Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) is an airborne fire support and liaison unit of the United States Marine Corps. The mission of ANGLICO is "To provide Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Commanders a liaison capability to plan, coord ...
. The main difference is USMC observers are required to show a higher level of proficiency in directing naval gunfire, a skill which their Army counterparts are only required to have a general familiarity with.
U.S. Navy
The U.S. Navy has a small corps of
Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer trained to provide observation and correction of naval gunfire in support of Army and Marine Corps ground units during amphibious and coastal operations. As early as 1921 the United States Marine Corps identified Naval Gunfire as one of the six key elements for amphibious operations.
The trajectory of high velocity naval artillery was significantly different from field artillery howitzers typically used for gunfire support. Infantry officers were surprised by the inability of flat trajectory naval guns to hit targets behind low hills; and the relatively wide distribution of fall of shot along the axis of fire sometimes endangered friendly troops behind or in front of the target. Shells intended to penetrate armored ships produced a relatively small damage radius against unfortified targets; and shipboard observation devices designed to observe shell splashes at sea were unable to determine whether their shells were striking intended shore targets. Although Marine Corps officers who have served aboard warships are more familiar with naval artillery, Army officers without such experience are often in positions requiring gunfire support during amphibious landings. Naval officers familiar with shipboard guns are able to advise infantry officers ashore concerning the capabilities of naval artillery to engage specific targets. The naval officer's familiarity with shipboard communications systems enables him to translate the infantry objectives and fall of shot observations to the appropriate shipboard personnel for effective engagement of targets. The tentative manual of 1934 became Fleet Training Publication 167 in 1938; and the Army issued a field manual with virtually identical text in 1941
The use of
Naval Gunfire Support
Naval gunfire support (NGFS) (also known as shore bombardment) is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by th ...
reached its peak during WWII with the numerous amphibious landings, to include a small number who completed the Army's elite
Airborne School
The United States Army Airborne School – widely known as Jump School – conducts the basic paratrooper (military parachutist) training for the United States Armed Forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry, Uni ...
and parachuted into Normandy to provide gun fire support for paratroopers during the D-Day landings.
In the modern age NGLOs are assigned to a
Marine Artillery Battalion or
Marine Artillery Regiment to assist in providing
naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support (NGFS) (also known as shore bombardment) is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by th ...
. When deploying as part of a
Marine Expeditionary Unit
A Marine expeditionary unit (MEU, pronounced as one syllable "" IPA: ) is the smallest air-ground task force (MAGTF) in the United States Fleet Marine Force.[artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...]
,
close air support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
, and
mortars
Mortar may refer to:
* Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon
* Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together
* Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind
* Mortar, Bihar, a villag ...
) in conjunction with the Fire Support Coordinator and Fire Support Team Leaders, and advise him on its employment. NGLOs can also be assigned to
Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Companies (ANGLICO), or the various
Marine Expeditionary Force or Division Headquarters staff.
Specific training consists of the Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer Course, a five-week resident course taught in
Coronado Coronado may refer to:
People
* Coronado (surname)
* Francisco Vázquez de Coronado (1510–1554), Spanish explorer often referred to simply as "Coronado"
* Coronado Chávez (1807–1881), President of Honduras from 1845 to 1847
Places United ...
, California. NGLOs assigned to ANGLICO units may receive further training as
Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) at the discretion of the assigned unit and are Jump qualified.
U.S. Air Force
Although the U.S. Air Force has no formal forward observer training of its own, members of the
Special Tactics community are generally required to have a basic familiarity with techniques of call for fire and artillery spotting in addition to their normal duties. The closest thing the Air Force has to a Forward Observer is a
JTAC, whom specializes in air support. They are also referred to as TACP.
[''Close Air Support''. United States Department of Defense, 2014]
Joint Fires Observer
The Joint Fires Observer (JFO) course is a two-week course which provides select personnel from all branches of the military with standardized training to engage targets with joint fires through the detailed integration with Terminal Attack Controllers (TACs) and Fire Support Teams (FSTs). Students who graduate this course will be able to request, control, and adjust mortar, field artillery, and naval gunfire support; provide targeting information for
A-10
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republi ...
,
AC-130
The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance, attack aircraft, ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport, fixed-wing aircraft. It carries a wide array of ground-attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticate ...
, and other Close Air Support (CAS) aircraft, Terminal Guidance Operations, Initial Terminal Guidance operations, SOF gunship call for fire, Close Combat Attack and joint fire-support planning at the company level. Additionally a JFO is trained in controlling multiple ground and air based fire-support assets at the same time, ensuring the different assets are deconflicted by time, lateral or vertical space, or a combination of the two tactics.
JFOs in the Army and Marine Corps are typically officers or enlisted forward observers or special operations personnel who are awarded the L7 additional skill identifier. The first certifying JFO course was established at
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military ...
in 2004. It was then moved to
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost .
The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark ...
in 2006, and also Einsiedlerhof, Germany at the Warrior Preparation Center. The Marines have also established their own JFO course in
Quantico, Virginia
Quantico ( or ; formerly Potomac) is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 480 at the 2010 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, DC, bordered by the Potomac River to the east a ...
.
The JFO course consist of seven graded simulations with numerous fire missions and CAS missions. In these simulations the trainee will conduct mortar, artillery, naval, attack aviation and special operations call for fire missions, and CAS with JTAC or FAC(A), using
night-vision device
A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD), night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The devi ...
s,
laser guided bomb
A laser-guided bomb (LGB) is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser guidance to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. First developed by the United States during the Vietnam War, laser-guided bombs quickly p ...
s,
JDAM
The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather precision-guided munitions. JDAM-equipped bombs are guided by an integrated inertial guidance system coupled to a Global Pos ...
s,
Hellfire missiles
The AGM-114 Hellfire is an air-to-ground missile (AGM) first developed for anti-armor use, later developed for precision drone strikes against other target types, especially high-value targets. It was originally developed under the name '' Heli ...
,
rocket
A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...
s, with
laser designator
A laser designator is a laser light source which is used to designate a target. Laser designators provide targeting for laser-guided bombs, missiles, or precision artillery munitions, such as the Paveway series of bombs, AGM-114 Hellfire, or ...
s or just a map,
protractor
A protractor is a measuring instrument, typically made of transparent plastic or glass, for measuring angles.
Some protractors are simple half-discs or full circles. More advanced protractors, such as the bevel protractor, have one or two sw ...
and
compass
A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...
.
Notable U.S. military forward observers
George P. Hays,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient
*
John R. Fox
John Robert Fox (May 18, 1915 – December 26, 1944) was a United States Army first lieutenant who was killed in action after calling in artillery fire on the enemy during World War II. In 1997, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the ...
,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient (posthumous)
*
Forrest E. Peden,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient (posthumous)
*
James E. Robinson Jr.,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient (posthumous)
*
Ronald E. Rosser,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient
*
Lee R. Hartell,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient (posthumous)
*
Harold Bascom Durham Jr.,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient (posthumous)
*
Paul H. Foster,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient (posthumous)
*
Brian Miles Thacker,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient
*
Jared C. Monti
Jared Christopher Monti (September 20, 1975 – June 21, 2006) was a soldier in the United States Army who received the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the War in Afghanistan.
Monti w ...
,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient (posthumous)
*
Ryan M. Pitts, Medal of Honor recipient
*
Maynard James Keenan
Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan; April 17, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and winemaker. He is best known as the singer and primary lyricist of the rock bands Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Pusci ...
, lead singer of American rock band “Tool”
*
Craig Morgan
Craig Morgan Greer (born July 17, 1964) is an American country music artist. A veteran of the United States Army as a forward observer, Morgan began his musical career in 2000 on Atlantic Records, releasing his self-titled debut album for that ...
, country music singer
*
Luke Thomas, MMA journalist
*
Lombardo Boyar
Lombardo Boyar (born December 1, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring role as Chuy in ''The Bernie Mac Show'' and for voicing Lars Rodriguez in '' Rocket Power''.
Career
Lombardo is a veteran of the United States Army, ...
, film and television actor
Podcasts
Forward observersin Vietnam
See also
*
Field artillery team
In the US system for land-based field artillery, the field artillery team is organized to direct and control indirect artillery fire on the battlefield.
Since World War I, to conduct indirect artillery fire, three distinct components have evolve ...
*
Fire Support Team
*
Forward air control
Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC).
...
Notes
References
*U.S. Army FM 6-30
*U.S. Army FM 21-18 Procedures and Techniques of Foot Marches
*U.S. Army ATP 3-09.30
{{DEFAULTSORT:Artillery Observer
Artillery speciality
Combat occupations
United States military specialisms