MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Twenty-five field artillery cannoneers with 10th Marine Regiment
made the transformation into assistant gunners and gunners ready to operate a
M777A2 Howitzer by taking part in the Artillery Assistant Gunners and Gunners
Course in November at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.
According to MCWP 3-16.1 Artillery
Operations, "the mission of artillery is to furnish close and continuous fire
support by neutralizing, destroying or suppressing targets that threaten the
success of the supported unit by providing timely, close, accurate, and
continuous fire support. In order to ensure this mission is accomplished the
duty of the gunner and a-gunner are crucial to the section."
The purpose
of this month-long training is to transition cannoneers into confident and
proficient gunners and a-gunners capable of conducting fire
missions.
“The a-gunner helps elevate and suppress the tube to allow
accurate fires, while the gunner is the one who has to be aware of everything
that is going on with the gun,” said Sgt. James Norman, a course instructor with
the unit.
Throughout the course the Marines complete 80 hours of
classroom instruction and 120 hours of practical application however many hours
of off-duty studying and practice are required to fully understand the lessons
and retain the knowledge.
“I usually study for about an hour every night
to help myself retain what I learned throughout the day,” said Lance Cpl. Dalton
Mundy, a student with the course.
This course expanded the Marines knowledge
in their military occupational specialty far beyond what they knew when first
entering the course.
“I have learned all the different working parts of
the howitzer and their purpose, as well as the fire control system," said Mundy, who has been a cannoneer for more than a year. "Basically we
are learning the parts of the system that you aren’t really taught about before
joining this course."
The training created a new trust between the Marines of the
regiment, as now they are more prepared and capable of performing any mission
they may face in the future.
“Throughout this course they are performing
really well
Twenty-five field artillery cannoneers with 10th Marine Regiment
made the transformation into assistant gunners and gunners ready to operate a
M777A2 Howitzer by taking part in the Artillery Assistant Gunners and Gunners
Course in November at Camp Lejeune.
According to ‘MCWP 3-16.1 Artillery
Operations’, the mission of artillery is to furnish close and continuous fire
support by neutralizing, destroying or suppressing targets that threaten the
success of the supported unit by providing timely, close, accurate, and
continuous fire support. In order to ensure this mission is accomplished the
duty of the gunner and a-gunner are crucial to the section.
The purpose
of this month-long training is to transition cannoneers into confident and
proficient gunners and a-gunners capable of conducting fire
missions.
“The a-gunner helps elevate and suppress the tube to allow
accurate fires, while the gunner is the one who has to be aware of everything
that is going on with the gun,” said Sgt. James Norman, a course instructor with
the unit.
Throughout the course the Marines complete 80 hours of
classroom instruction and 120 hours of practical application however many hours
of off-duty studying and practice are required to fully understand the lessons
and retain the knowledge.
“I usually study for about an hour every night
to help myself retain what I learned throughout the day,” said Lance Cpl. Dalton
Mundy, a student with the course.
This course expanded the Marines knowledge
in their military occupational specialty far beyond what they knew when first
entering the course.
“I have learned all the different working parts of
the howitzer and their purpose, as well as the fire control system. Basically we
are learning the parts of the system that you aren’t really taught about before
joining this course,” said Mundy, who has been a cannoneer for more than a
year.
The training created a new trust between the Marines of the
regiment, as now they are more prepared and capable of performing any mission
they may face in the future.
“Throughout this course they are performing
really well," said Norman, an artillery veteran with seven years of experience. "They [the students] are gaining and maintaining all the knowledge through the
tests and practical application. As far as I’m concerned this class will be fine
when they return to their guns."
Upon completion of the course the Marines will
graduate and go back to their gun sections where they can display and teach
their new skills to their fellow Marines.
“My confidence has grown 100
percent throughout this course. I feel like this class has enabled me to be able
to teach the newer Marines with the confidence to know I’m teaching them
correctly,” said Mundy. “My goals after this course are to go back and pass on
the knowledge I have learned here to the younger Marines, so when it is their
time to come here they will be more prepared.”
“This course is pretty
important. It is developing young Marines to become better Marines in artillery
and to become future section chiefs because without someone replacing the older
chiefs we will have nothing,” added Norman.
"They are gaining and maintaining all the knowledge through the
tests and practical application. As far as I’m concerned this class will be fine
when they return to their guns,” said Norman, an artillery veteran with seven
years of experience.
Upon completion of the course the Marines will
graduate and go back to their gun sections where they can display and teach
their new skills to their fellow Marines.
“My confidence has grown 100
percent throughout this course. I feel like this class has enabled me to be able
to teach the newer Marines with the confidence to know I’m teaching them
correctly,” said Mundy. “My goals after this course are to go back and pass on
the knowledge I have learned here to the younger Marines, so when it is their
time to come here they will be more prepared.”
“This course is pretty
important. It is developing young Marines to become better Marines in artillery
and to become future section chiefs because without someone replacing the older
chiefs we will have nothing,” added Norman.