•The infantry should not ride with anything more than their battle gear. Personal gear should be transported elsewhere.

PART TWO

Soldier Combat Skills

10

Call for and Adjust Fire

A call for fire is a concise message prepared by an observer (a person needing indirect-fire support). A soldier or a forward observer (FO) can prepare and request a call for fire but must plan targets and follow proper call-for-fire procedures (see coordination checklists, pages 24 and 28–29) in order to receive immediate fire support. Send a call for fire quickly but clearly enough that it can be understood, recorded, and read back to the observer without error.

PRINCIPLES: FORWARD OBSERVER EXERCISE

FOs must continually select or prearrange targets in support of the commander’s intent.

•Consider what the commander wants to do.

•Plan early and continuously.

•Exploit all available targeting assets.

•Use all available lethal and non-lethal fire support means.

•Use the lowest echelon able to furnish effective support.

•Observe all fires.

•Use the most effective fire support available.

•Provide adequate fire support.

•Avoid unnecessary duplication.

•Provide for safety, friendly forces, and installations.

•Provide for flexibility.

•Furnish the type of fire support requested.

•Consider the airspace.

•Provide rapid and effective coordination.

•Keep all fire support informed.

FIRE SUPPORT TASKS FOR ALL OPERATIONS

The unit providing fire support should be able to accomplish the following tasks:

•Locate targets.

•Integrate all available assets.

•Destroy, neutralize, or suppress all enemy fire systems (direct or indirect).

•Provide illumination and smoke.

•Prepare for future operations.

•Provide positive clearance of fires.

OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS

Offensive operations are additional tasks the fire support units must complete during offense.

•Support the movement to contact or chance contact.

•Soften enemy defenses with short, violent preparations.

•Provide support during attack by attacking high-payoff targets.

•Plan for deep and flanking fires.

•Plan for fires during consolidation.

•Provide counter fires.

TARGET OVERLAY

A complete fire support overlay must include the following:

Unit and official capacity of person making overlay

Date the overlay was prepared

Map sheet/number

Effective period of overlay (from when to when)

Priority targets

ORP grid/location

Call signs and frequencies (primary and alternate)

Routes (primary and alternate)

Phase lines and checkpoints used by the patrol

Index marks to position the overlay on the map (grid reference marks)

Objective

Target symbols (description and grid)

A sterile overlay is a security measure in case of enemy capture and must include target symbols and index marks to position the overlay on the map.

TARGET OVERLAY SYMBOLS

Target Type

Symbol

Notes

Point target

Less than 200 meters in length and width

Linear target

More than 200 meters but less than 600 meters long

Circular target

Undisclosed area and desired radius

DANGER CLOSE

Danger close refers to the minimum safe distance from the blast radius:

Mortars = 600 meters

Artillery = 600 meters

Naval guns:

5 inches or smaller = 750 meters

Over 5 inches = 1,000 meters

16 inches = 2,000 meters

AIRCRAFT CHART—MINIMUM SAFE DISTANCE TO EXPLODING ORDNANCE (BOMBS)

Weapon/Munition

Protected Troops

Unprotected Troops

Bomb—1,000 lb.

240 meters

1,000 meters

Bomb—750 lb. low drag

195 meters

750 meters

Bomb—750 lb. high drag

150 meters

750 meters

Bomb—500 lb. low drag

220 meters

500 meters

Bomb—500 lb. high drag

145 meters

500 meters

Bomb—500 lb.

145 meters

500 meters

CBU (clamshell only)

1,000 meters

1,000 meters

Rockets

220 meters

220 meters

Napalm

115 meters

115 meters

ELEMENTS AND SEQUENCE OF CALL FOR FIRE

Observer’s Identification/Call Sign

Warning Order

Adjust fire

Fire for effect

Suppress

Immediate fire suppression

Size of element to fire for effect (when the observer does not specify what size, the battalion fire direction center will decide)

Method of Target Location

Polar plot

Shift from a known point (give TRP)

Grid

Location of Target

Grid coordinate: six-digit for large area, eight-digit for smaller, ten-digit for point

Shift from a known point:

Send observer target (OT) direction:

Mils (nearest 10); Degrees; Cardinal direction; Send lateral shift (right/left, nearest 10 meters); Send range shift (add/drop, nearest 100 meters); Send vertical shift (up/down)—use only if over 35 meters (nearest 5)

Polar Plot:

Send direction (nearest 10 mils); Send distance (nearest 100 meters); Send vertical shift (nearest 5 meters)

Description of The Target

Type

Activity

Number

Degree of protection

Size and shape (length, width, or radius)

Method of Engagement

Type of adjustment (when the observer does not request a specific type, area fire is issued):

Area fire (moving target); Precision fire (point target)

Danger Close

When friendly troops are within:

600 meters for mortars; 600 meters for artillery; 750 meters for naval guns; 1,000 meters for naval guns greater than 5 inches; 2,000 meters for 16-inch naval guns (ICM or controlled variable time)

Mark

Used to orient observer or to indicate targets

Trajectory

Low-angle (standard)

High-angle (mortars or if requested)

Ammunition

HE quick will be used unless specified by the observer:

Projectile (HE, illum, ICM, smoke, etc.); Fuse (quick, time, etc.); Volume of fire (observer can request specific number of rounds)

Distribution

100-meter sheaf (standard)

Converged sheaf (small, hard targets)

Special sheaf (any length, width, or altitude)

Open sheaf (separate bursts)

Parallel sheaf (linear targets)

Method of Fire Control

Method of fire—specific guns and a specific interval between rounds. Normal adjust fire is one gun used with a five-second interval between rounds

Method of control:

“At my command, fire” remains in effect until observer announces, “Cancel at my command”

“Cannot observe”—observer can’t see the target

“Time on target”—observer tells FDC when rounds should impact

“Continuous illumination”—calculated by FDC unless observer indicates interval between rounds in seconds

“Coordinated illumination”—observer may order the interval between illum and HE shells

“Cease loading”—indicates suspension of loading rounds

“Check firing”—immediate halt in firing

“Continuous fire”—load and fire as fast as possible

“Repeat”—fire another round with or without adjustments

Authentication

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