Any questions?

[ScreaminChief]

If anyone has any questions about artillery, I'll try to answer them. I'm a forward observer, (FISTER) with 2nd Infantry in Korea. It may take a little while to get back to answer you, but I will.

Yea,
But the question is, "Are you a double fister?"


But seriously,
I'm a 13B and if ScreaminChief can't answer it, I may.
Artillery, the "King of Battle"

oh yah?
I think you need to do so to prepare for the war,the North Korea Army is intending to open hostilies...and this is a question..the most effective way to use an AA artillery to fire at enemy tanks

[ANGRecruit]

What is artillery like (13B) in the National Guard cause i really want to join in the next 3 months and I'm pretty sure artillery is the best way to go. Like do you practice artillery once a month in the guard when you drill?

[Grimmy]

Info on the destructiveness of the ol' 8 inch would be nice. I got to sit in a bunker and watch the forward observers do their stuff directing full battery barrages on 8" guns back in the day at that Army base north of Camp Legune...cant recall the name :P

oh ya, forgot to add...AMAZING!! watching 6bys tumbling thru the air ...and the FLASH of the explosion lighting up the inside of the bunker, followed by the grUUUUMMBbbbllling of the ground followed by the THUWABAK!! of the explosion and last to come what sounded like a freight train over head.

The only thing I ever saw cooler was 16" barrages at the training grounds in the P.I. But we were way farther away and those seemed more like an "impression" than an event.

[ScreaminChief]

Originally Posted by ANGRecruit

What is artillery like (13B) in the National Guard cause i really want to join in the next 3 months and I'm pretty sure artillery is the best way to go. Like do you practice artillery once a month in the guard when you drill?

That I'm not sure. When I was in the Reserves I was a medic. DIVARTY would know. He's been active and National Guard as a gun bunny. (nothin but love for ya bro!)
It's gonna depend on whether your unit is SP (self propelled) or towed also. The SP's are Paladins. If your playing with them there's always maintanence to do on the vehicles. The towed guns are more for light units. From what I've seen most of the time is spent on keeping up your equipment. I imagine they go to a range for the two week AT to actually shoot. Then for classes, there's always shell/fuze combinations to brush up on.

Hope that helps a little.

[ScreaminChief]

Originally Posted by Grimmy

Info on the destructiveness of the ol' 8 inch would be nice. I got to sit in a bunker and watch the forward observers do their stuff directing full battery barrages on 8" guns back in the day at that Army base north of Camp Legune...cant recall the name :P

It looks like the 8" guns were pretty much phased out. There may be units still using them, but I'm not aware of any. Primarily what is used now for Army FA is the 105mm Howitzer and the 155mm Howitzer. However, I found a page just for you Grimmy! It's by someone from the 15th FA regiment, which happens to be the same one I'm assigned to.

Big Guns

Most of your year in a national guard battery will be common task classes (patrolling first aid ext) and some small arms, .50 MG and Mk. 19 training. The problem with getting gun time in the guard is that you need a range (possibly far from your armory), a observer teem (traditionally held in a headquarters battery that doesn’t drill with the guns), and rounds (which are normally moved by a separate service battery). Needless to say the plaints must be aligned for you to get a chance to blow something up. The two weeks at AT is a different story; you will have more rounds than you know what to do with. Last bit of advise, you will not get any gun time after you leave Ft. Sill if you get assigned to a service or headquarters.

OK,
Here's how it works in the FL National Guard.
First I'd like to say high, I'm back. I've been through 4 fricken storms now that have sent me all over FL. I can say that if I never do state active duty again I will not be disappointed.
Next. As of Oct. 1st, I'm now longer 13b, I've transferred to D Co. 1/124th INF. So now I'm 11b. But I can still answer any artillery questions as I will always be a red leg at heart.
Back to the question.
The NG artillery works like this. It is true that you will not always have live fire FTX's, but that doesn't mean you don't go to the field. You will get plenty of time on the gun. But it's in the form of "table training". You will get timed on various tasks about the gun. FDC has there tables, Ammo has there tables BOC has there and so on. Yes you will get some CTT training, but the main focus in on the gun. Now you need to keep in mind this, the military is restructuring it's NG units. They may be reclassing the artillery units to other support, like MP. And if you don't qualify for that MOS, expect to do INF or some other thing like that. But for now, nothing has come directly down saying it WILL happen. Just rumors.
SP is different that towed, I can't say what SP will involve as I've always been towed. I also have no knowledge of the 119, I've only been on the 102. Both are 105mm, light artillery. I call then the 38 special of artillery.
Get use to PMCS of the vehicles, you will do it every drill. Weapons qual is once a year. APFT is once a year, usually in Dec for us. Weigh in is biannual, summer then Dec drill. This sucks as you have to watch your self during Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. STEPA Packets around the beginning of the year, these are for E-4 and up as this is what determines how you get promoted to NCO.
Hopefully you will be based by a bombing range, like us with Avon Park, FL. Or a National Guard Camp, again like us with Camp Blannding, FL.
I hope this helps.
DIVARTY out.
(I will still use this name being infantry since I still miss the 82nd ABN DIVARTY.)

It sounds like your unit might have a healthier training program than mine, divarty. In any event I’ve got a question: In the back of FM 6-30 there is a section on the “14.5-mm Field Artillery Trainer M31.” From the description it sounds like a great thing for NG artillery units but I’ve never so much as seen one. Moreover no one in my platoon has seen one. Where are these things? Do they exist?

I have no knowledge of the trainer you speek of. I have read the 6-50 but not the 6-30. What state are you in?

I drill in Ohio (1/134 FA). The 6-30 is good reading if you ever want to go up on the hill with the FOs. The reference is only a single page in appendix C.

[ScreaminChief]

Yeah, the 6-30 is our "bible". It's surprisingly hard to get ahold of here unless you are resourceful, and I am.

[crazy bay]

I have a question. Does the 82nd (I think its the 319 RGT.) use towed or are they self propelled?

I haven’t been there but I would certainly think that the 82nd would use towed peaces. You can’t jump a paladin.