Field Artillery

[ArtKnurenko]

Hello Marines. I've got a quick question for those of you in 08xx. I'm shipping out in July and so far my MOS is Field Artillery. I am having second doubts though because my initial choice was Infantry but my recruiter talked me into artillery, saying that I can still do infantry type stuff. I just want an honest opinion: do you artillery Marines like your jobs? If you could choose again, would you choose it again? I'll be honest here. I hate call of duty-type games, but I do want to see combat. Please help me out

[GunRock0811]

Just go grunt if thats what you want. Artillery mainly shoots big guns. I did some infantry type stuff, but that was when parts of Iraq were still bad and needed more boots on the ground. With Iraq over and A-stan winding down quickly, chances are pretty slim whatever unit you get sent to will be doing anything other than artillery. You never know though.

I would totally do it all over again as an 0811. What's not to like about shooting a modern day cannon?

[chulaivet1966]

I liked being an 0811 but I was in 4.2 mortars and we got to chop on Ops with the grunts.
I wouldn't have had it any other way.
But...my SE Asian experience as an 08 is probably very different than the way things are done in current conflicts.
Not to mention the fact that the 4.2 mortar may even be obsolete now.

Good luck....

[ggyoung]

I liked being an 0811 but I was in 4.2 mortars and we got to chop on Ops with the grunts.
I wouldn't have had it any other way.
But...my SE Asian experience as an 08 is probably very different than the way things are done in current conflicts.
Not to mention the fact that the 4.2 mortar may even be obsolete now.

Good luck....

Yes the 4-duce is no longer used. But to put a lot of rounds on the ground. A good gun crew can have 16 rounds in the air at one timenfrom one gun,

[chulaivet1966]

Yes the 4-duce is no longer used. But to put a lot of rounds on the ground. A good gun crew can have 16 rounds in the air at one time from one gun,

Yessir.....I recall the banter after fire missions about what we put in the air in a short time.
"Fire for effect" was music to our ears.

Carry on....

[SGT7477]

Go arty,we get the job done,Semper Fidelis.

[ArtKnurenko]

Thanks for those that answered. Also what do you even do? All I see right now is just pulling a string. There's gotta be more to it right?

[GunRock0811]

There are many moving parts to be an effective and efficient artillery gun. You're only going to be as fast as your slowest man. It is much more than just pulling a string. If you end up as arty, your gun chief will make you well aware of that very quickly. Where are you getting its just about pulling a string?

You need to know and understand quadrant, deflection, ranges, fuzes, charges, types of ammo, the list goes go on and on. Those things are just some very basic gunline knowledge. It can get much more indepth with things such as aiming circles, azimuths, and what not.

You'll also need to know how to operate, clean, empplace, assemble, and disassemble every crew served weapon that the Marine Corps currently uses. In many cases you will also be asked about max ranges, rates of fire, and different types of ammunition that can be used depending on the situation. You should learn all of this at MCT, but will probably forget some of it by the time you get to the fleet.

The above just sums up some very basic things. You'll be in the field for months at a time if you're not deployed....usually shooting for grunts or air. If you mess up, life will suck in a number of different ways that you don't understand right now. In short, you're either going to be freezing or hot as hell, sleep deprived, hungry, thirsty, filthy, and ****ed off the majority of the time.

But its fun!!!

[SGT7477]

Thanks for those that answered. Also what do you even do? All I see right now is just pulling a string. There's gotta be more to it right?

In my day you were lifting 200lb rounds but now that's the old Corps, far from just pulling a string,Semper Fidelis.

[SGT7477]

There are many moving parts to be an effective and efficient artillery gun. You're only going to be as fast as your slowest man. It is much more than just pulling a string. If you end up as arty, your gun chief will make you well aware of that very quickly. Where are you getting its just about pulling a string?

You need to know and understand quadrant, deflection, ranges, fuzes, charges, types of ammo, the list goes go on and on. Those things are just some very basic gunline knowledge. It can get much more indepth with things such as aiming circles, azimuths, and what not.

You'll also need to know how to operate, clean, empplace, assemble, and disassemble every crew served weapon that the Marine Corps currently uses. In many cases you will also be asked about max ranges, rates of fire, and different types of ammunition that can be used depending on the situation. You should learn all of this at MCT, but will probably forget some of it by the time you get to the fleet.

The above just sums up some very basic things. You'll be in the field for months at a time if you're not deployed....usually shooting for grunts or air. If you mess up, life will suck in a number of different ways that you don't understand right now. In short, you're either going to be freezing or hot as hell, sleep deprived, hungry, thirsty, filthy, and ****ed off the majority of the time.

But its fun!!!

Oh yes I remember those days very well, Semper Fidelis.

[ArtKnurenko]

There are many moving parts to be an effective and efficient artillery gun. You're only going to be as fast as your slowest man. It is much more than just pulling a string. If you end up as arty, your gun chief will make you well aware of that very quickly. Where are you getting its just about pulling a string?

You need to know and understand quadrant, deflection, ranges, fuzes, charges, types of ammo, the list goes go on and on. Those things are just some very basic gunline knowledge. It can get much more indepth with things such as aiming circles, azimuths, and what not.

You'll also need to know how to operate, clean, empplace, assemble, and disassemble every crew served weapon that the Marine Corps currently uses. In many cases you will also be asked about max ranges, rates of fire, and different types of ammunition that can be used depending on the situation. You should learn all of this at MCT, but will probably forget some of it by the time you get to the fleet.

The above just sums up some very basic things. You'll be in the field for months at a time if you're not deployed....usually shooting for grunts or air. If you mess up, life will suck in a number of different ways that you don't understand right now. In short, you're either going to be freezing or hot as hell, sleep deprived, hungry, thirsty, filthy, and ****ed off the majority of the time.

But its fun!!!

That's exactly what I was looking for. I know that it's not just pulling a string lol. That's just what I pictured in my mind.

[SGT7477]

That's exactly what I was looking for. I know that it's not just pulling a string lol. That's just what I pictured in my mind.

It's pulling a lanyerd, don't know if I spelled it right,Semper Fidelis.

[devildog45085]

when they want something blown up they call the best and that would be arty

[ggyoung]

Sgt7477 What 8inch was you with? The 8 inch howitzer was the most accurate arty ever made. It was not planed that way it just happened that way. That is why Recon and Force Recon loved it so much.

[ss383chevelle]

If your lucky you can get 0861 FO and spend some time with a grunt unit or try for ANGLICO and work with the Rangers.