Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Matthew Bragg | Marines with Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, fire an M777 howitzer...... read more read more
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SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — Marines with Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment conducted a two-day dual-fire training exercise using M777 howitzers and M327 Towed-Rifled Mortar Systems at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Nov. 12 and Nov. 13, 2013.
Using four M777s and two M327s, Bravo Battery attempted training while firing both systems side-by-side. Unfortunately, due to issues at the range, the battery was unable to begin firing the M327s. However, the M777s fired in a simulated environment as if the M327s were firing alongside them.
“The purpose of this exercise is for us to provide better capabilities of support fire on the battlefield,” said Staff Sgt. Fernando Faria, guns platoon sergeant for Bravo Battery, 1st Bn., 12th Marines, and a 31-year-old native of Tampa, Fla. “One gun will fire and find the impact zone, and once the forward observers are satisfied with the area of impact, they’ll command the whole battery to rain lead upon the enemy.”
During the battery’s course of fire, one of the M777’s digital systems went offline, forcing the Marines in that section to zero in on their target using the gun’s iron sights. The senior officers took advantage of the downed system to offer Marines better training by turning off the digital systems on the rest of the guns.
“We’re out here preparing for the worst,” Faria explained. “Our M777s use digital computers, and we had one go offline, so we told the other three guns to shut theirs down as well. Presenting these kinds of challenges to the Marines helps them get accustomed to working in the worst situations while improving their knowledge and skills of the firing systems overall.”
While the M777s fired their 155 mm artillery shells, the M327s sat off to the side. Unable to actually conduct fire missions alongside the rest of the battery, Marines took advantage of the situation by completing safety checks and dry fire procedures.
“Firing M327s with the M777s eliminates short range threats and makes us more rounded as an artillery unit,” said Sgt. William Horton, section chief with Bravo Battery, 1st Bn., 12th Marines, and a 27-year-old native of Vassar, Mich. “The Marines are cross-trained on both systems, so being able to put a Marine on either one of the guns and trust them to shoot it accurately and efficiently makes us more versatile.”
Since the M777 howitzers are medium-range firing systems, it can be difficult for them to impact targets that breach their minimum shooting distance. However, the M327 Towed-Rifled Mortar Systems are short-range firing systems that solve that problem.
“With the howitzers, they stay out in the field for weeks at a time to provide combat support to the infantry. But sometimes we need that extra firing power to provide support at closer ranges,” explained Sgt. Ricardo Monge, a gunner with Bravo Battery, 1st Bn., 12th Marines, and 24-year-old Los Angeles native. “The M327s are perfect for those kinds of situations because they’re able to maneuver easily and require less manpower while sustaining fire support up to a distance of 7,900 meters.”
As Bravo Battery fired its final rounds, the Marines put their training to use as they conducted three back-to-back fire missions.
During two of the three, the command operations center gave the signal for the entire battery to fire at the same time, and the ground quaked as the M777s fired as a whole.
“It’s always good when we can come out here and get in some good training,” Faria said. “Even better is the small unit leadership that’s developing between the Marines. That’s where the real training is at.”
| Date Taken: | 11.13.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2013 14:22 |
| Story ID: | 116947 |
| Location: | SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HAWAII, US |
| Hometown: | LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | TAMPA, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | VASSAR, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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