MLRS Live-Fire Qualification Through Multi-Echelon Training.

At Fort Sill, Oklahoma, multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) battalion commanders found themselves in a dilemma about how to optimize personnel, time and training areas and still meet live-fire qualification standards. As personnel shortages worsened, the Raiders of 1st Battalion, 12th Field Artillery, 17th Field Artillery Brigade, IIId Armored Corps Artillery, turned this challenge into an opportunity. The answer came in the form of multi-echelon training.

The Training Challenge. Current III Corps Artillery MLRS Artillery Tables require battalions meet the gates of crew, platoon and battery live fires before firing as a battalion, using progressive, sequential training (see Figure 1). Before live firing in the first qualification in III Corps Artillery Tables (Table 8), units must meet training and certification standards.

Table 8 requires the launcher crew to complete three types of missions to time and accuracy standards: "When Ready" (WR), "Time-on-Target" (TOT) and "At My Command" (AMC). Artillery Table 12 requires the platoon operations center (POC) and tiring platoons qualify live tire by completing the three missions. Further, Artillery Table 15 requires the battery operations center (BOC) and firing battery qualify live fire using the same three missions. Finally, Table 18 directs the battalion fire direction center (FDC), three BOCs and the six firing platoons qualify with the same missions.

Amino Constraints. The battalion live fire qualifies within the constraints of "DA PAM 350-38 Standards in Weapons Corps Artillery Tables," commonly known as "STRAC." The III Corps Artillery Tables don't match the recommendations for ammunition requirements within STRAC. However, STRAC allows the commander to choose which fire missions to include in the unit's mission-essential task list (METL)--such as the three missions previously mentioned.

III Corps MLRS units only receive nine reduced-range practice rockets (RRPR) per launcher per year. Thus, our 3x6 MLRS battalion's annual STRAC allocation is 162 rockets, allowing each battery a total of 54 rockets per year to fire the three missions.

The current STRAC doesn't allow us to conduct the four separate gates (Artillery Tables 8,12,15 and 18) with our two-man launcher crews (due to personnel shortages) that must quality three times a year (due to personnel turnover). This ammunition constraint does not allow the battalion commander to mass the fires of the entire battalion. Therefore, the Raider Battalion conducts three live-fire exercises, using multi-echelon training and 54 rockets each exercise, to ensure the crews are live-fire qualified by III Corps Artillery standards.

Personnel Shortages. The unit status report (USR) directs that to qualify a launcher section, the section chief, gunner and driver must be present. Due to the shortage of 13M launcher crewmen, the Raider Battalion configures each launcher section to have a two-man crew: the section chief and a driver. The driver also functions as the gunner. The other l3Ms are used in ammunition sections. The current firing battery modified table of organization (MTOE) has 12 ammunition sections. The intent is to fill the ammunition sections until all are manned with two soldiers and then begin filling the launcher sections with the third soldier. The personnel shortage has not allowed us to fill all 12 ammunition sections, and the launcher crews have remained two-manned sections. Consequently we cannot qualify a launcher section under the USR rules.

Eighty percent of all launcher crews in III Corps Artillery are two-man sections. Thus, we certify our launcher sections using the current STRAC and personnel available. By conducting multi-echelon training, we live-fire certify the section, platoon, battery and battalion within the constraints of STRAC.

Time Constraints. The competing demands of personnel shortages and time management have put a strain on the MLRS battalion. Through historical data, the Raiders determined that it takes three to four days to accomplish each artillery table. The 12 artillery table's for the section, platoon, battery and battalion, coupled with the maintenance and services of 44 vehicles in each firing battery and the personnel shortage, have created a time management challenge for the commanders.

All nine MLRS units in III Corps Artillery do not have enough 13P Fire Direction Specialists to conduct 24-hour operations. Therefore, III Corps Artillery adopted a non-doctrinal method whereby the two POCs are now combined into one alternate battery operations center (ABOC). This gives the firing battery a BOC/ABOC combination, which allows the battery to conduct 24-hour operations. The 13P soldiers are integrated in the BOC/ABOC and simultaneously conduct fire mission training, certification and qualification with the launcher sections.

Training Area Limitations. Training areas large enough to accommodate an MLRS battalion live-fire qualification are limited at Fort Sill. Both III Corps Artillery units and Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) training units compete for the limited training areas.

Currently, Fort Sill has only five training areas open for MLRS live fires. Unfortunately, only one training area and firing point is large enough to have hide areas, firing positions and reload points within a two-kilometer-by-two-kilometer area. The other training areas are small and require between five and 10 road guards to block roads during the live-fire windows.

Multi-Echelon Training. A way to meet the III Corps Artillery Table live-fire requirements is to combine the four artillery table qualification gates into one live-fire-exercise. The scenario of a basic fire mission is the same for each exercise. An observer initiates a fire mission that is sent to the battalion FDC, which in turn sends it to the BOC. The BOC then sends the mission to the launchers for movement to the firing point, technical fire direction calculation and, eventually, rocket launch.

The multi-echelon-training concept is unique in that the battalion sends the fire mission to all three BOCs at the same time. Each BOC sends the mission to one of its launchers. The result is the battalion FDC, three BOCs and three launchers from different batteries qualify and live-fire simultaneously. (See Figure 2.)

All 18 of the battalion's launchers are rotated through the firing point to participate in these "battalion mass missions" as they conduct their three required section certification fire missions. The firing of actual ammunition greatly adds to the intensity and realism of the training event for all fire direction personnel.

An assumption used in this live-fire training technique is that if a BOC can command and control one launcher and send a digital fire mission to that launcher, it should be able to do so for six launchers. (This assumption is necessary due to restrictions on the number of firing points available, the number of launchers that can safely fire simultaneously from each point and because our unit was not willing to accept the risk of mixing live-firing and dry firing sections).

We do not assume away communications and maintenance problems. These are complications inherent in an MLRS battalion, and they occur during multiechelon training. We work through these problems for the three launchers on the firing point much like we would if all 18 launchers were firing. Thus, the battery replicates command and control and delivery of fires of six launchers using one launcher, and the battalion replicates the same METL tasks for 18 launchers using only three BOCs and three launchers.

Although most battalion FDC personnel have controlled battalion-level TOT and AMC missions during simulations and dry-fire training, few have conducted these missions with live rockets on the launchers. Altogether, the advantage at these "mass" missions is the battalion FDC and battery BOGs receive more training for the same rockets fired.

Instead of conducting four sequential live-fire artillery tables, the battalion conducts a live-fire field exercise three times a year and gains valuable echeloned fire direction and command and control training. This reduces the time needed for live-fire qualification from 16 to four days. The battalion uses one-third of its STRAC rockets during each III Corps Artillery training cycle to train new crews and live-fire certify them.

Using multi-echelon training, the MLRS battalion meets the standard of live-fire qualification and frees up more time to conduct other training or complete vehicle maintenance. Furthermore, collocating the battery BOCs and launchers in one training area minimizes the training areas required and allows more units to train.

A potential safety issue involved in this training is on the firing point because the battalion is combining three launchers from three separate batteries on to one restricted piece of land. On Fort Sill, all launchers must be within 150 meters of the firing point or use operations area (OPAREA) safety. Due to launcher firing hazard areas, serious injury or death can occur to exposed personnel (especially launcher chiefs riding in open hatches) should a nearby launcher fire.

Our solution to this problem was to designate a firing point commander-inchief (CINC), usually the battalion Master Gunner, to monitor all activity on the firing point. He places himself in an observation point and maintains radio communications on the battalion fire direction net with the battalion FDC and all BOCs. Also, he can "Check Fire" missions should a potentially dangerous situation develop or call out a launcher that is likely to miss its TOT window. Finally, the Master Gunner, fire direction chiefs, launcher section chiefs, platoon leaders and battery commanders verify the safety "Ts" before live firing begins. They ensure there are no questions or confusion on any safety computations.

Conclusion. Combining the four artillery tables live-fire qualification exercises into one live-fire event may appear to some that we are getting around meeting the requirements of the gates. In reality, we're optimizing time, personnel, ammunition and land to ensure we can meet the critical gates of training and certification.

Each section, platoon, battery and the battalion must conduct the training and certification gates before qualification. The training artillery tables prepare each echelon for certification. The emphasis is on leader training and performing the tasks safely to standard without using ammunition to prepare each echelon for live-fire qualification. Each echelon prepares for its live fire by conducting dry-fire missions, also in multi-echelon training.

Through multi-echelon training, the battalion executes its METL tasks, batteries and BOCs train in their battle tasks and the control and delivery of fires, and launchersections live-fire and meet the artillery table standards for MLRS qualification. Multi-echelon training optimizes time, training areas, ammunition and personnel to live-fire qualify an MLRS battalion.

Lieutentant Colonal Gary A. Agron commands the 1st Battalion, 12th Field Artillery (Multiple-Launch RocketSystem, or MLRS), 17th Field Artillery Brigade, IIId Armored CorpsArtillery, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He also commanded a firing battery in the 1st Battalion, 36th Field Artillery (8-inch) and Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, both in the 17th Field Artillery Brigade, VII Corps Artillery, Germany. He served as Executive Officer of 2d Battalion, 18th Field Artillery (MLRS), 212th Field Artillery Brigade, Ill Corps Artillery. He holds a Master of Science in Joint Systems Technology from the Naval PostGraduate School at Monterey, California. Lieutenant Colonel Agron gives up command on 24 July and will become the Deputy Fire Support Coordinator for Ill Corps at Fort Hood, Texas.

Major Steven Bratina is the S3 of the 19th Area Support Command in Korea. He served as a G3 Planner for III corps Artillery and S3 of the 1st Battalion, 12th Field Artillery, 17th Field Artillery Brigade, at Fort Sill. He commanded Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Battery of the 6th Battalion, 37th Field Artillery (MLRS) in the 2d Infantry Division Artillery in Korea. He also served as an Armor Battalion Fire Support Officer with the 4th Battalion, 5th Field Artillery of the 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) Artillery at Fort Riley, Kansas. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Figure: 1: III Corps Artillery Tables
for Live-Fire Qualification. 1-12 FA
(MLRS) qualifies by completing "When
Ready," Time-on-Target" and "At My
Command" missions. (These tables start
at number 6 to bring the tables in
numerical synchronization with maneuver
tables. For the same reason, there is no
Table 9.)
Table  Description              Remarks
  6    Crew/Section Training    Dry Fire
  7    Crew/Section             Dry Fire
       Certification
  8    Crew/Section             Live fire
       Qualification
 10    Platoon Training         Dry Fire
 11    Platoon Certification    Dry Fire
 12    Platoon Qualification    Live Fire
 13    Battery Training         Dry Fire
 14    Battery Certification    Dry Fire
 15    Battery Qualification    Live Fire
 16    Battalion Training       Dry Fire
 17    Battalion Certification  Dry Fire
 18    Battalion Qualification  Live Fire

Snow Hall Auditorium Named for GEN Dutch Kerwin

On 26 April, the Field Artillery School auditorium in Snow Hall, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, was named after General (Retired) Walter T. (Dutch) Kerwin, Jr., former 15th Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, combat veteran of two wars and distinguished Field Artilleryman. The dedication ceremony was held during the Senior Fire Support Conference with many of the Army's most senior leaders present to honor General Kerwin, who responded with a brief speech.

The bronze plaque outside Kerwin Auditorium outlines some of General Kerwin's many accomplishments: "...He saw combat during WW II in Africa, Sicily, Italy and France. While assigned to the 3d Infantry Division, he massed the fires of 28 Field Artillery battalions on Anzio Beachhead, Italy. ...he commanded the 56th Field Artillery Group of the XVIII Airborne Corps, 3d Armored Division Artillery, 3d Armored Division, II Field Force in Vietnam, and United States Forces Command. In 1974, he was sworn in as Vice Chief of Staff of the Army and remained until his retirement in 1978. General Kerwin became the President of the reestablished US Field Artillery in 1980, serving for 18 years. Redlegs around the world salute General Kerwin for his selfless service and dedicated leadership of the Field Artillery, the United States Army, and America."