Photo By Sgt. Jeff Drew | Los Angeles native Sgt. Albert Camacho, a section chief with Charlie Battery, 1st...... read more read more
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FIRE BASE FIDDLERS GREEN, Afghanistan – When the sound of gunfire pierces the early morning mist, he knows intuitively he will be needed. When Marines are pinned down under fire, they know they can call on him. He acts as the artillery muscle supporting the Marines and sailors throughout his battle space. He is an artillery section chief, and he is always on call.
Infantry Marines count on the supporting fires of an artillery battery when they are suppressed by the enemy, and every second counts when lives are on the line. The team of Marines manning the gun must remain composed and work without hesitation in order to send rounds downrange with deadly precision. When it comes to being in charge of an M777 Howitzer, there is no room for error. A section chief must be aware of all actions the members of his gun crew make; he must know how they will react in any situation. He knows this because he has perfected each job on the gun himself.
“Basic artillery school in Fort Sill, Okla., is where you learn the basics of becoming an artilleryman,” said Los Angeles native Sgt. Albert Camacho, a artillery section chief with Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment. “After that, most of the experience comes in time. You have to become a gunner, and you have to understand the (weapon) sights. Knowing each job and billet is important because when something isn’t going right, you have to know how to fix it.”
An artillery section chief is like a quarterback, according to Cleveland native, Staff Sgt. Dawud Hakim, a platoon sergeant with the company and former section chief. He explained a section chief must be able to stand back and observe everything that is happening and what everyone is doing; he makes sure everything runs smoothly; he is the base for all the moving parts on the gun.
It takes an average of two years for an artilleryman to attain the job of section chief, but it all depends on the individual, Hakim explained. It depends on how fast he can learn and how much he is willing to put into his work.
“Not everyone can be a section chief; not everyone has the desire to be a section chief,” said Hakim. “The chief knows everything that is involved with his responsibilities, and it is the passion of, ‘I’m getting ready to send this round downrange,’ that drives him. It can be training for live fire, but he knows every round that’s going into the tube, and he takes pride in it.”
When a non-commissioned officer becomes a section chief, he is always on call. It is one of the most important aspects of the job. At any time the call for support may come from infantry Marines who are in the fight, and a section chief needs to be able to guide his artillery Marines to accurately send rounds downrange to help them out. Whether he is eating food, taking a shower, or at the gym, the section chief must drop everything in order to facilitate the call for fire support. Junior artillerymen work diligently to earn the coveted position when an opening becomes available, despite the dedication required and the great responsibility placed on a section chief.
“It’s a goal to be a section chief because it’s a leadership billet, and I see it as a big step in your career as an artilleryman,” said the 27-year-old Camacho. “It helps you to build a lot of experience, which you need to be able to train your Marines. That’s what made me want to be a section chief, because I can teach, and being able to teach my young Marines how to become a section chief is what I’ve always wanted to do.”
A chief is directly responsible for more than two million dollars worth of equipment and must ensure it is maintained properly. He must verify all incoming fire mission data used to confirm target information and guarantee the correct ammunition is being loaded into the weapon. Camacho has proven himself as a section chief, and his leadership can see his passion for the job with every round his crew sends downrange.
“He’s awesome; he’s very precise, detailed, and he is always big on teaching his Marines the right way to do things,” said Hakim. “He’s a good chief in my book.”
“The feeling you get when shooting rounds downrange, (whether) in combat or not, doing everything you can to make sure the rounds land safely, or providing indirect fire support for infantry units is a great feeling, and you know you accomplished that mission,” said Camacho.
The 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, is currently assigned to 2nd Marine Division (Forward), which heads Task Force Leatherneck. The task force serves as the ground combat element of Regional Command (Southwest) and works in partnership with the Afghan National Security Force and the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces, and enabling ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its area of operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.
| Date Taken: | 10.12.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 10.12.2011 12:16 |
| Story ID: | 78382 |
| Location: | FIRE BASE FIDDLERS GREEN, AF |
| Web Views: | 1,146 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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