Artillery Questions

[BigGunz90]

Ok, I am enlisting under the Combat Support Option and Arty Cannoneer is one them. So I had a few questions because it does interest me.

1. Does each cannoneer have his own job? [Like Chain puller, loader, laying out communication wire, etc.]

2. How is the cameraderie?

3. Do cannonneers hump? [Not that I'm afraid, just curious]

4. Do you have night operations? Do you sleep outside?

Btw, I did search the forum, but couldn't come up with anything.

Thanks!

[Pete0331]

Ok, I am enlisting under the Combat Support Option and Arty Cannoneer is one them. So I had a few questions because it does interest me.

1. Does each cannoneer have his own job? [Like Chain puller, loader, laying out communication wire, etc.]

2. How is the cameraderie?

3. Do cannonneers hump? [Not that I'm afraid, just curious]

4. Do you have night operations? Do you sleep outside?

Btw, I did search the forum, but couldn't come up with anything.

Thanks!

1. I'm not sure.
2. Typical for combat support MOS's in the Marines.
3. Everybody humps. Some units just do it more then others.
4. Yes. Yes.

[rvillac2]

Ok, I am enlisting under the Combat Support Option and Arty Cannoneer is one them. So I had a few questions because it does interest me.

1. Does each cannoneer have his own job? [Like Chain puller, loader, laying out communication wire, etc.]

2. How is the cameraderie?

3. Do cannonneers hump? [Not that I'm afraid, just curious]

4. Do you have night operations? Do you sleep outside?

Btw, I did search the forum, but couldn't come up with anything.

Thanks!

1. Yes, the gun section has positions much like a baseball defense. However, you are trained in every position and often rotate through them. The more senior positions (gunner/a-gunner) will rotate less often and the section chief and safety NCO do not rotate at all.

2. In the cameraderie sense, artillery is very similar to infantry. The gun section is a squad that stays together with their gun and truck. Other MOS's often operate in smaller sections mostly dependent on the vehicle they travel in. The section and gun platoon operate closely as a unit and the Marines get closer to a wider number of individuals.

3. Arty does not hump as a unit unless it's for motivation PT or part of some cross training. As an individual, you may have to hump ammo from the ammo truck to your gun. This is the strongest motivation to get promoted fast.

4. The entire Marine Corps operates at night. When you're in mission, you may end up sleeping at your position just waiting for the word to fire. Most of your tactical movement will occur at night. When you're in the field you will sleep outside or in the bed of the truck.

[BR34]

Damn...can you imagine humping with a 120mm??? Ouch!!!

[rvillac2]

I don't have to imagine it. We did it with 155mm. ; ) 99lbs chunk of steel.
We're not talking about humps, though. Just a leisurely 100-200 yards to the ammo truck over uneven terrain. ha ha.

[ggyoung]

rvillac3========In Vietnam we did hump. At times we were on a patrol out to maybe 1 click of our position. I was in a 4.2 inch mortar crew. When in a 8inch howitzer battery you would hump 8inch rounds from one gun to another 204 pounds.

[rvillac2]

rvillac3========In Vietnam we did hump. At times we were on a patrol out to maybe 1 click of our position. I was in a 4.2 inch mortar crew. When in a 8inch howitzer battery you would hump 8inch rounds from one gun to another 204 pounds.


heh heh...good times.

[sparkie]

Do I have to sleep outside?????? LMFAO.