Photo By Staff Sgt. Matt Leary | Sgt. David W. Kolk (right) and his team of mortarmen, members of Company B, 2nd...... read more read more
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By Spc. Matthew Leary,
Task Force Fury PAO
FORWARD OPERATING BASE BERMEL, Afghanistan - On the field of battle, artillery is known as the king, but when it comes to indirect fire support, you can't overlook the importance of mortarmen on the ground.
"Artillery is awesome, it's on target and it saves lives," said Staff Sgt. Brandon M. Alavarez, "but it's not as fast as a mortar."
As the mortar section leader for Company B, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Alvarez knows the importance of a team of mortarmen when troops are in combat.
"We provide immediate indirect fire for the company commander and the platoon leaders," he said.
While artillery has a greater range of fire and ammunition, the distance between the Soldiers firing the artillery rounds and the troops in contact necessitates an extended process of coordination between the two groups, Alvarez said. The mortar men, on the ground and in close contact with the commanders, are able to provide support without the communication lag.
"We are the quickest means for providing the company with indirect fire," said Sgt. Paul E. Ferguson, a mortarman with Co. B.
Outside of the quicker response time mortars provide, they also are capable of firing into areas large artillery cannot provide support. Fixed artillery has a low angle of fire while mortars shoot at a high angle, Alvarez explained.
"Mortars were specifically designed to shoot from defilade to defilade," he said.
That means when enemy forces are strategically located behind a large hill or embankment, artillery fire may not be able to fire on target and simultaneously ensure the safety of friendly troops, but high angled mortar fire can, Alvarez said.
In the mountainous terrain here in Afghanistan, this ability to shoot at a high angle is crucial.
As it may sound, the process of shooting mortars effectively involves a lot math and set up, again, to ensure the safety of friendly forces, Alvarez said.
"As a mortarman you can't make a mistake," said Sgt. David K. Kolk, a team leader with Co. B. "If you make a mistake, you've just [killed friendly forces].
For this reason, the squads conduct numerous training exercises to improve their efficiency with the equipment, Kolk said.
"Our guys are extremely proficient," he said. "We have to be comfortable shooting up close."
That's because when the training is done and the troops are in the field, they may be called on to shoot as close as 50 to 100 hundred meters from their fellow Soldiers.
"It's pretty stressful," Alvarez said, but due to the training the section has conducted, he is confident in what they do.
Other troops have seen first hand the support a team of mortarmen can bring to the table.
"Coming over they may not have had the appreciation they have of us now," Kolk said.
Their ability to quickly and accurately suppress the enemy's movement has not only been noticed by their own Soldiers.
"We were on the [Afghanistan-Pakistan] border and we were engaged by 15-20 Taliban," Alvarez remembered. "Afterwards, we were told that there was tracer fire going directly for the mortar team, it was aimed at us."
The enemy had learned that mortar fire was an element of fire they wanted to quickly suppress, he said.
"That lets us know we are doing a good job," Alvarez said. "The company goes on a lot of dangerous missions, and they deserve the best support they can get."
| Date Taken: | 04.18.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 04.19.2007 14:54 |
| Story ID: | 10021 |
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| Web Views: | 547 |
| Downloads: | 447 |
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