The making of Redleg Pentathletes: transforming enlisted CMF 13.

While the Army continues to prosecute the Global War on Terrorism, now called the War on Terrorism (WOT), the Field Artillery simultaneously is laying the groundwork for Redlegs of the 21st century. Without question, Redlegs have demonstrated their flexibility and adaptability by executing a myriad of nonstandard missions, highlighting the versatility of our branch.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Future conflicts will be won by versatile and competent warriors, who the Chief of Staff of the Army calls, "Pentathletes." To that end, the FA is developing Soldiers and NCOs who can leverage capabilities for full-spectrum military operations--future Redlegs with multiple skills allowing them to make the most of advanced technologies and compatible platforms and systems to provide both lethal and nonlethal effects.

Many centuries ago, the Greeks created an all-around test--the pentathlon--for ancient Olympic Games. The competitors in this grueling event were called Pentathletes. The ancient pentathlon consisted of five events: long jump, discus throw, javelin throw, sprint and ended with a wrestling match. The winner of these events was proclaimed to be the best all-around athlete in the world.

The FA will create the best all-around Field Artillerymen by applying this multi-capable concept to developing the future force of enlisted Soldiers and NC[O.sub.8]. The NCO Pentathlete embodies five core competencies: critical and creative thinker, warrior leader, leader developer, ambassador and resource manager.

Our Soldiers and leaders must be able to plan, allocate and deliver FA fires; plan and coordinate joint fires; and still have the ability to transition to stability operations outside the US and civil-military support for homeland defense. This broad view of required skill sets calls for the transformation of our career management field (CMF) 13 to create and maintain multi-faceted FA Soldiers, leaders and statesmen.

The FA is launching initiatives across many fronts as it transforms and redesigns the enlisted CMF 13 to meet the Army's needs for the 21st century. These initiatives include consolidating military occupational specialties (MOS), revising instruction in CMF 13 schools and education, and leveraging new technologies and weaponry. This article discusses those general initiatives and their impact on CMF 13 Soldiers and NCOs.

Consolidating MOS. MOS consolidation is a core strategy to meet future needs. As our technology moves forward and systems become more prognostic than diagnostic, crew sizes will decrease. This, in part, is due to the smaller, more capable force needed to support transformation against the backdrop of technological advances.

While some MOS, such as 13M Multiple-Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Crewmember, 13P MLRS Fire Direction Specialist, 13S FA Surveyor and 13W FA Meteorological Crewmember, will lose force structure with these changes, others, such as 13B Cannon Crewmember, 13D FA Tactical Data Systems Specialist, 13F Fire Support Specialist and 13R FA Firefinder Radar Operator, are seeing rapid growth.

Overall, by 2011, there will be more FA Soldiers and NCOs in the Army than in FY04 (pre-transformational).

Although many different systems exist in the inventory today to accomplish similar tasks, future combat system (FCS) platforms will consist of compatible hard ware and software that allow us to merge some MOS. Core competencies will begin to change from technical to tactical tasks, allowing Soldiers to move seamlessly from system to system, reducing dependence on technical skills and creating NCOs with a focus on tactical applications.

In the FA campaign plan for the future, the FA MOS are separated into two career paths--Fire Support Coordination (13D, 13F, 13P, 13R, 13S and 13W) and FA Fires Delivery (13B, 13M). Separating the FA MOS into two career fields does not mean that the branch will have only two MOS in the future. However, consolidating some of the MOS provides flexibility to the branch and prepares it to meet the needs of tomorrow's Army.

With the creation of the modular brigade combat teams (BCTs), small numbers of low-density Artillery MOS within a BCT limit flexibility in assignments and, potentially, cause significant capability shortfalls. In addition, FCS platforms will be designed with software and hardware compatibility, reducing the required skill sets found within our current enlisted force.

For MOS 13W, the development and use of new technologies that currently allow personnel to obtain meteorological (Met) data via satellite- or Internet-based platforms continue to reduce the need for traditional methods of Met data collection and, subsequently, will reduce the 13W force structure. FCS platforms will be embedded with similar Met capabilities.

In the field of survey, embedded equipment on platforms, such as Paladin, and the addition of the gun-laying and positioning system (GLPS) already have replaced conventional survey requirements. These technological advances have allowed 13S Soldiers to perform additional, nonstandard tasks on the battlefield. The reduced reliance on the survey skill sets brought to the fight by personnel within this field also will result in a reduction of force structure.

One initiative under consideration is the consolidation of MOS 13W, 13S and 13R into one MOS. If approved, the consolidation will parallel the fielding of new equipment that reduces the force structure of 13S and 13W. Based on these reductions, the FA School is evaluating programs of instruction (POIs) to ensure the critical skills would be trained in the new specialty. Critical tasks from each of the MOS would be incorporated into the revised POI. We anticipate the MOS reductions to start in the FY08-FY09 time frame.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

In the field of fire direction, the consolidation of MOS 13D and 13P into one MOS is gaining traction as the FA becomes more streamlined in fire support coordination and delivery systems. The case for consolidating our two fire direction MOS revolves around two distinct specialties performing similar functions on a common device. These specialties use the advanced FA tactical data system (AFATDS) to compute technical data for two different delivery systems; however, they share the same "box" and perform similar functions. The fact that MOS 13D must know manual gunnery theory for cannon fire direction versus the 13P who uses safety box computation for rocket fire direction is a hurdle for consolidation.

With the modular restructuring of the Army, the number of MLRS battalions will decrease, reducing the number of authorizations for 13M and 13P by more than one-third by 2011.

In the FA fires delivery career field, technological changes are creating commonality among weapons systems. The 13B Soldier's crew duties and tactics for the new non-line-of-sight cannon (NLOS-C) more closely will resemble those of a 13M. Also, the new NLOS launcher system (NLOS-LS) will be added to the inventory. Future duties, responsibilities and functions within the delivery field will be assessed to determine the merit of consolidating the two MOS.

In the end, technology and commonality of platforms and functions will be a driving force for consolidation as the branch moves through modular restructuring and FCS transformation.

Growth within the field of radar will be seen as legacy systems and platforms are replaced, giving way to new and improved systems that will provide a robust acquisition architecture for combat forces. Additionally, warrant officers will no longer be assigned as radar section leaders as this position will be filled by a radar NCO. This is a two-fold initiative as it places the NCO in a leadership position responsible for being tactically and technically proficient in radar employment and provides the Army a warrant officer who is a targeting expert in planning and executing lethal and nonlethal fires and effects.

Revising CMF 13 Schools and Education. The consolidation of multiple MOS requires a complete restructuring and retooling of the enlisted educational system (EES), which is all education beyond basic training. Additionally, it will require a change to the officer education system (OES) as many tasks conducted by officers will be embedded in the EES. (OES includes officer and warrant officer training and education.)

Current POIs are undergoing rapid redesign reflecting the urgency and swiftness of change. These efforts are two-fold as they address future needs based on restructuring efforts and also reflect the need to stay relevant with regards to the introduction and refinement of tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) pertinent to the 21st century and WOT.

The restructuring of the EES will begin at the lowest level of advanced individual training (AIT) through the NCO education system (NCOES) courses. For MOS 13R, some warrant officer tasks will be migrated into the respective NCOES courses. Currently, plans are underway for a total redesign of the 13R course content.

The FA has submitted a proposal to formalize the position of master gunner. The table of organization and equipment (TOE) or modified TOE (MTOE) positions of assistant operations sergeants will have an additional skill identifier (ASI) designating them as master gunners. Selected senior NCOs in MOS 13B, 13D, 13M and 13P will become FA master gunners. Personnel trained at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in the Master Gunner Course will receive the project development skill identifier (PDSI) of E2B for tracking purposes until the ASI is approved.

The FA Proponency Office (FAPO) at Fort Sill has submitted a proposal for the master gunner ASI of A7. This will formally recognize the position in TOEs and provide the battalion commander and staff with a certified expert on FA training, maintenance and the certification of crews.

MOS 13F has become one of the FA's premier specialties. As a model Pentathlete, personnel within MOS 13F will be trained to leverage the full spectrum of military operations, including requesting, adjusting and controlling surface-to-surface munitions, joint fires for joint interdependency, and information operations (IO) and other nonlethal effects.

One of the many initiatives underway complementing the FA's strategy of building a more capable force for the 21st century is the creation of the joint fires observer (JFO). The drive for a JFO is grounded on meeting the maneuver commander's needs for a trained service member who can request, adjust and control various surface-to-surface munitions; provide targeting information for the joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) in support of Types 2 and 3 close air support (CAS) when the JTAC cannot see the target or the aircraft at the weapons release point; and perform autonomous terminal guidance operations (TGOs).

JFOs are trained in the employment of fires and effects delivered by all services. Soldiers in MOS 13F are among the first service members to be trained as JFOs. The end state is that every maneuver platoon will have a JFO. Although the concept of the JFO is not new, the services now recognize JFOs in the modular Army as force multipliers.

The JFO Course at Fort Sill provides the initial training required for personnel selected for duty as a forward observer (FO) or combat observation lasing team (COLT) chief. The TOE or MTOE positions of FO and COLT chiefs trained as JFOs will be identified with the ASI of L7. Personnel graduating from the JFO course will receive the PDSI of D7B until the position is coded with an L7 ASI. Currently, a proposal is being staffed at Headquarters, Department of the Army, to assign the ASI to FO and COLT chief positions.

To prepare for the ever-changing operational environments and conditions in the future, FA Soldiers will transform into Pentathletes with a broad array of capabilities. To this end, the FA is the Army's lead for tactical IO. The FA conducts a three-week Tactical IO Course to provide a working foundation of IO for the battalion through the division levels of operations and teaches Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen to integrate and operate in a joint informational environment. The course teaches the application of tactical IO, IO core and supporting elements, IO integration into the military decision-making process (MDMP), the targeting process, analysis of the informational environment, and IO execution and assessment.

Officers and warrant officers positioned as targeting officers and 13F staff sergeants and sergeants first class positioned as targeting NCOs make up the bulk of Army positions that will require this training. These personnel will be trained to function within an IO cell that integrates, coordinates and synchronizes IO at echelons above battalion.

Graduates will receive a PDSI of D8B for tracking purposes until an ASI is approved. FAPO has submitted a proposal for coding positions requiring this training with an ASI of P4.

Leveraging Technologies and Weaponry. The Army has set its course for the future with a vision to transform into, among other capabilities, a fighting force more lethal, precise, agile and deployable than any ground combat element in the world. To do this, systems must be multifunctional, adaptable and capable of supporting full-spectrum combat operations.

With the development of the NLOS-C, Artillerymen will remain effective and lethal, regardless of the task at hand. The NLOS-C will provide the commander unprecedented responsiveness and lethality. It will be networked, have extended-range targeting and be able to conduct precision attacks on point and area targets with a suite of munitions that includes special-purpose capabilities. The NLOS-C will provide sustained fires for close support and destructive fires for tactical standoff engagements 24/7 in all weather conditions.

NLOS-C will enable a four-person crew to achieve what currently takes eight Soldiers to accomplish due, in part, to technology shifts that automate many features previously handled by Soldiers (loading, ammunition resupply, etc.). Moreover, NLOS-C's automated systems will reduce the physical demands and stresses placed on the Soldier and provide substantially increased firepower faster and more accurately than ever before. In addition, it will include built-in active protection systems for optimum crew protection.

Six prototype howitzers will be fielded to the evaluation BCT (EBCT) each in FY10, FY11 and FY 12. The EBCT will be at Fort Bliss, Texas.

NLOS-LS will support the modular BCTs and the FCS BCTs (FBCTs) and will be networked to rapidly provide extended-range precision attack of stationary and moving high-payoff targets (HPTs). The container/launch unit (CLU) will have 15 precision attack missiles (PAMs) and be positioned in selected locations on the battlefield to provide precision-guided discriminating effects out to 40 kilometers from the CLU.

NLOS-LS will be organic to the fires battalions in the BCTs, requiring few resources to position or fire. It is platform-independent and can be fired while uploaded or from the ground.

Because of the 13B Soldiers' location in the BCTs, they will be trained to operate both the NLOS-C and NLOS-LS. The need to increase the number of 13Bs with security clearances to operate these classified systems will be a challenge.

In addition, our 13F FOs, JFOs and COLTs will train to employ PAM in its various engagement modes: grid attack, semi-active laser (laser designation) and uncooled imaging infrared. 13Ds will control NLOS-LS missions remotely using AFATDS.

13Ms will continue to man MLRS and the high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) in the fires brigades.

The NLOS-LS will be tested by the EBCT in the First Quarter of FY08; the first heavy (HBCT) is projected to receive systems at the end of FY 10. Eventually, NLOS-LS will be fielded to all modular BCTs.

Quantitative changes will be recorded in the radar field that will increase the demand for 13Rs or the Soldiers in their consolidated successor MOS. Systems, such as the new Q-48 lightweight countermortar radar (LCMR), Increments I and II, currently provide force protection in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF). The LCMR underwent rapid fielding and can provide 6400-mil coverage out to a range of five kilometers. Increment III is under development, increasing the radar's range and accuracy. The 13R force structure increase for the LCMR alone is more than 300 positions.

To be fielded in FY 10, the enhanced Q-36 Firefinder radar, the EQ-36, will offer 6400-mil coverage along with extended-range and increased accuracy. It will bring the ground commander a more robust warfighting capability.

With improved technology, the future multi-mission radar (MMR) will increase sensor capabilities across multiple missions using a single system. This new radar will leverage the combined capabilities of the Firefinder radars, Air Defense Artillery's Q-64 Sentinel radar, and Aviation's air traffic navigation, integration and coordination system (ATNAVICS) radar.

MOS 13R authorizations will see significant increases throughout transformation.

CMF 13 Personnel Impacts by MOS. Emerging technologies, future combat systems and FA transformation will impact personnel across the CMF 13. Some enlisted MOS will experience growth in size and structure while others will experience a decrease, effectively altering the landscape for promotion potential. The graphs for each MOS on Pages 8 and 9 reflect FA authorizations before transformation through FY 11.

Females will continue to serve in the FA. In fact, the FA has its first female Sergeant Major, Sergeant Major Jenny Clements, who is attending the Sergeant Major's Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas.

As we transform, our first priority must be to stay focused on WOT. The FA's future success will hinge upon our ability to forward deploy Field Artillerymen and equipment with the right structure and size to provide flexibility, agility and lethality. Fort Sill's enlisted training base will continue to focus on the Army's core competencies to train and equip Soldiers, grow leaders and provide a relevant and ready land power capability to combatant commanders. Transformation will retain the best of our current capabilities and attributes while continuing to develop flexible and adaptable Soldiers to respond to future operating environments throughout the world.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Master Sergeant William F. Johnson is the Senior Career Manager as the Career Manager of Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 13F Fire Support Specialist in the Field Artillery Proponency Office (FAPO), Office of the Chief of Staff, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. His various assignments include serving as First Sergeant of C Battery, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery (C/3-82 FA), 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) II, and as the Operations Sergeant at 3-82 FA. He also served as an Observer/Controller (O/C) for Fire Support Training at the Combat Training Maneuver Center (CMTC) at Hohenfels, Germany, and as a Drill Sergeant in 1-22 FA at the Field Artillery Training Center (FATC), Fort Sill.

Lieutenant Colonel David J. Brost is the Director of the FAPO at Fort Sill. He commanded 1-12 FA, 17th FA Brigade, formerly of III Corps Artillery, at Fort Sill, deploying the battalion in a nonstandard mission in support of OIF II. Among other assignments, he was the Senior Assessments Officer in the Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection Division of the J3, Joint Staff, at the Pentagon and the 17th FA Brigade's S3 and Executive Officer at Fort Sill.

By Master Sergeant William F. Johnson and Lieutenant Colonel David J. Brost

RELATED ARTICLE: 13 Series FY04-FY11 Authorizations

Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 13B through 13P

13B Cannon Crewmember. The 13B authorizations from FY04 (pre-transformational) through FY 11 show an increase of 250 Soldiers. This increase incorporates the crew reduction on the Paladin 155-mm self-propelled howitzer (from a crew of nine to eight) and the reduction of the number of firing batteries in fires battalions under modular restructuring; however, those reductions are more than offset by the overall increased number of cannon battalions in the Army inventory.

[GRAPHIC OMITTED]

MOS 13D FA Tactical Data Systems Specialist. 13D authorizations are increasing due to the creation of additional fires battalions in the Army. Additionally, some positions previously filled by fire support Soldiers have been recoded to leverage the 13D skills set.

[GRAPHIC OMITTED]

MOS 13F Fire Support Specialist. 13F authorizations continue to grow under transformation due to the increase in the number of fires battalions in the Army and the creation of additional 13F positions in fire support cells (FSCs) at the brigade and higher levels.

[GRAPHIC OMITTED]

MOS 13M Multiple-Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Crewmember. 13M authorizations will decrease as the numbers of MLRS battalions are reduced to support transformation.

[GRAPHIC OMITTED]

MOS 13P MLRS Operations/Fire Direction Specialist. 13P authorizations will follow the 13M model as transformation restructures the force.

[GRAPHIC OMITTED]

MOS 13R through 13Z

MOS 13R Firefinder Radar Specialist. 13R authorizations will increase under transformation as the number of radar systems in the inventory continue to grow. Note: The authorizations number of 593 for FY11 does not reflect the 300-plus authorizations for the Q-48 lightweight countermortar radar (LCMR); due to the fielding of the Q-48, the 13R authorizations begin increasing in FY09 and increase beyond FY11.

[GRAPHIC OMITTED]

MOS 13S FA Survey Specialist. 13S authorizations show a dramatic decrease as survey capabilities are embedded in systems, replacing the need for manual survey. The current position and azimuth determining system (PADS) crew size of three will be reduced to two across the Army. With the fielding of the M777 lightweight 155-mm howitzer, all FA systems will have embedded survey with the exception of the M119A2 howitzer.

[GRAPHIC OMITTED]

MOS 13W Meteorological Crewmember. 13W authorizations are similar to 13S authorizations and will decrease in the future. While not depicted on this chart, Profiler II and III will have a reduced crew size (from six to four personnel). Additionally, the ability to access Met data from the Internet, such as from the Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA), reduces the FA's dependency on conventional methods to gather Met data.

[GRAPHIC OMITTED]

MOS 13Z Career Management Field (CMF) 13 Senior Sergeant

[GRAPHIC OMITTED]

Data for these graphs came from the 0607 Unit Update Authorization Document (UAD) provided by the Department of the Army's G1 at the Pentagon.

RELATED ARTICLE: Real Joint Interdependence.

USAF Lieutenant Colonel G. Todd ("Joker") Lang, F-16 pilot, loads a round into an M119 howitzer before pulling the lanyard at Fort Sill in July. He is the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Oklahoma Air National Guard Detachment, which is part of the Air Force Detachment in the Joint and Combined Integration Directorate (JACI). Several Air Force pilots from JACI fired M119s that belong to B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Field Artillery (B/2-2 FA), 30th FA Regiment, to give them experience in providing surface-to-surface, all-weather, 27/7 fires.