Artillery Observers in OOTW
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well i have served in artillery of the Finnish army. While i was mainly trained as aimer in the actual fire-position, my brother was serving at the same time in my regiment's command battery and did recieve some observatory/fire direction training. I could ask him about this.... But I dont understand the term OOTW...does it mean like counter-rebelion/insurgent operations...like how fire directors manouvre along whit special operation forces or internal security units??
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Aussie Digger
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I know Australia sent forward observer personnel to East Timor in 99, even though no artillery was deployed. This I guess is what you mean by OOTW?
They were there to co-ordinate in-direct fires if necessary (we had 81mm mortars deployed in-country and NGS from RAN/RNZN frigates could have been called in by them if needed) and also to act as military/citizen liaisons, which is also an RRAA corps role on operations.
I believe the Kiwi's also deployed FO personnel to Timor, just like Australia. I'm not sure if they performed any other roles, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did. A lot of patrolling was conducted there by "non" infantry/special forces personnel due to the paucity of forces deployed there.
They were there to co-ordinate in-direct fires if necessary (we had 81mm mortars deployed in-country and NGS from RAN/RNZN frigates could have been called in by them if needed) and also to act as military/citizen liaisons, which is also an RRAA corps role on operations.
I believe the Kiwi's also deployed FO personnel to Timor, just like Australia. I'm not sure if they performed any other roles, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did. A lot of patrolling was conducted there by "non" infantry/special forces personnel due to the paucity of forces deployed there.
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Hello Gollevainen
OOTW = operations other than war.
Military operations other than war (MOOTW) is a concept in United States military doctrine that refers to the use of military capabilities across a range of operations that fall short of outright war. Military operations other than war focus on deterring war, resolving conflict, promoting peace, and supporting civil authorities in response to domestic crises. MOOTW may involve elements of both combat and non-combat operations in peacetime, conflict, and war situations. MOOTW involving combat, such as peace enforcement, may have many of the same characteristics of war, including active combat operations and employment of most combat capabilities.
Because of political considerations, MOOTW operations normally have more restrictive rules of engagement (ROE) than in war.
MOOTW purposes may include to deter potential aggressors, protect national interests, support the United Nations (UN), or provide humanitarian assistance.
quoted from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OOTW
OOTW = operations other than war.
Military operations other than war (MOOTW) is a concept in United States military doctrine that refers to the use of military capabilities across a range of operations that fall short of outright war. Military operations other than war focus on deterring war, resolving conflict, promoting peace, and supporting civil authorities in response to domestic crises. MOOTW may involve elements of both combat and non-combat operations in peacetime, conflict, and war situations. MOOTW involving combat, such as peace enforcement, may have many of the same characteristics of war, including active combat operations and employment of most combat capabilities.
Because of political considerations, MOOTW operations normally have more restrictive rules of engagement (ROE) than in war.
MOOTW purposes may include to deter potential aggressors, protect national interests, support the United Nations (UN), or provide humanitarian assistance.
quoted from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OOTW
A friend of mine was in an FO team in the NZ army, he was a radio operator, but was deployes as a Platoon RO, as they were using artillery as infantry by the thrid rotation.
well usage of artillery observation is pretty much directly relevant to the usage of artillery. And In my limited ground warfare knowlidge, artillery (in this case counting in all mortarguys of infantry units - which we 'real' artillerymens otherwise tend to consider something more off...:girl
)
anyway what I was saying?....yes the indirect fire support comes hany in all sort of 'real' combat situations and even fighting off whit gurrelias or other irregulars...in cases like that, use of indirect fire may come the most important factor to turn the tide in your benefit...
But if indirect fire isent used, using artillerymens in place of infantry is pretty dump, couse artillerymens by tradition are undiciplined and unmotivated to do anyhting other than their own work...and mourn about it endesly. But if the Artillery observers are part of the infantry units, unlike in Finland, where they belong to the artillery battalions...they migth come handy as they know how to use radios and build simple communication lines, they also have meassures of counting directions and ranges so they migth be used as some sort of seccond range reccon troops.
)anyway what I was saying?....yes the indirect fire support comes hany in all sort of 'real' combat situations and even fighting off whit gurrelias or other irregulars...in cases like that, use of indirect fire may come the most important factor to turn the tide in your benefit...
But if indirect fire isent used, using artillerymens in place of infantry is pretty dump, couse artillerymens by tradition are undiciplined and unmotivated to do anyhting other than their own work...and mourn about it endesly. But if the Artillery observers are part of the infantry units, unlike in Finland, where they belong to the artillery battalions...they migth come handy as they know how to use radios and build simple communication lines, they also have meassures of counting directions and ranges so they migth be used as some sort of seccond range reccon troops.
well like i said, I have only second hand info of what the basics of artillery Observators tasks are so I'm afraid I cannot help you any longer...Only adding the intresting note than when I was in the army in same time whit my brother as i mentioned earlyer, my brother served his introduction period in the regiments NCO school. As he decided not to become a NCO, he and rest of the wiser guys from the school were transferred to other three batteryes, all of them having dedicated training taks. My brother went to the 1st battery as a range survey man and also recieved some basic observatory training. He also told me that all the 'smart' kids from the NCO school went down to the 1st battery which had the HQ training, all 'normal' dudes came to my 2nd Battery to join the fire position, and all 'torbedos' and other simpledons went to the 3rd battery along whit all B-category service mens. In 3rd battery they trained the infantry grenade launcher mens and artillery fire observators....so quess that takes some floor out of the assumption that artillery observators should be compared to SOW units