Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Samuel Northrup | Soldiers from fire support teams with 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry (Mechanized), train...... read more read more
CAMP HOVEY, South Korea – Under the weight of their gear, five Soldiers climbed a steep, unforgiving hill. The soil shifted under their feet as they traveled through the early-morning darkness. Beads of sweat covered their faces as they made their way to their objective.
The fire support noncommissioned officer, Sgt. Ramon Vasquez, setup his lightweight laser designator rangefinder. The Air Force joint terminal attack controllers were nearby, ready to feed the pilots information.
There was a heavy fog in the valley. Red sunrays began shining past the mountains peaks in the distance.
Vasquez, who is with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry (Mechanized), 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, searched the area for targets with his LLDR. Off in the distance the fog began to clear and he spotted enemy armored vehicles. He gathered the appropriate data and gave the information to the JTACs.
The JTACS called up F-16 pilots who were patrolling the area and told them the location of the targets. Within moments, an F-16 Fighting Falcons flew in and dropped their payloads. The F-16s circled back around with a roar and fired their M61A1 Vulcan Cannons to destroy what remained of the enemy convoy.
This training scenario, which took place March 13 at Rodriguez Live fire Complex, is common among the cavalry scouts and fire support teams.
“It is both physically and mentally challenging,” said Vasquez. “You have to be able to hump a hundred pound ruck and be able to do trigonometry in order to engage moving targets.”
The math has to be right, said Vasquez. That is the mental part of this job. If the math is not right it a round may hit the wrong place or air craft may come at the wrong time.
“If a maneuver element wants to engage a target we would identify the target and suppress it with whatever assets we have available,” Vasquez said. “This enables the maneuver element to go through and keep a constant approach while we provide cover fire. We pick up the slack for anything they are not able to hit.”
These teams are the eyes on the ground and paint the picture of the battlefield for the commanders, said Staff Sgt. Dylan Miner, a section leader with Scout Platoon, HHC, 2-9th Infantry. It is important to be out at the sites early to watch the named area of interest. The scouts then send all the information to the commander to let him know exactly what is going on at the battlefield before he gets there.
“We are the first ones on site and the enemy is out there,” said Miner. “If the enemy sees us first before the unit we are supporting shows up, then it could be bad for us. If compromised, we have to break contact. If the enemy has tanks, they can possibly shoot up on the hillside if they see us.”
Despites the inherent dangers of the job, Vasquez said he loves the interaction and camaraderie he has with his fellow Soldiers. For him, it doesn’t matter what military occupational specialty a Soldier has because everyone has a position to fill within the Army
“As a fire support NCO, I have worked alongside some great Soldiers,” Vasquez said. “I have met a lot of challenges along the way, but I find it doesn’t matter who a person or what job they had, we all have to work together to accomplish the mission.”
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.02.2015 02:49 |
| Story ID: | 158895 |
| Location: | CAMP HOVEY, KR |
| Web Views: | 131 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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