The New Call for Fire Procedure for the Army of One<br><br>Picture troops under fire, desperately needing artillery support, making a cell-phone call and hearing the following: <br><br>Thank you for calling the 25th Infantry Division's automated artillery support request line. Please be assured that we will attempt to assist you with all available resources in the shortest time possible. <br><br>For air support, please call the U.S. Air Force at 1-800-BOMBNOW. <br>For naval gun fire, please call 1-888-SEASICK. <br>If you are attacking a fixed enemy position, please press 1. <br>If you are engaged in mobile defense, please press 2. <br>If you are defending a fixed position, please press 3. <br>If you are setting up a hasty defense or are about to be overrun, please press 4. <br>If you wish to cancel a prior fire mission request, please press 5. Press the star key at any time to return to the main menu. <br>If you are using a TA-312, remain on the line and one of our customer support counselors will be with you shortly. <br><br>Please select the type of fire mission you would like. <br>If you would like 81 mm or 4.2 inch mortars, please press 1. <br>If you would like 155 mm howitzers, please press 2. <br>If you would like advanced munitions, such as fuel-oil explosives or scattering mines, please press 3 to speak with one of our soldier advocates to complete our brief Advanced Firepower Usage Survey. <br>If you would like to request chemical or nuclear weapons, please press 4 and hold the line. The Secretary of Defense will speak with you as soon as possible. <br><br>Enter the map coordinates of the target you would like to strike, followed by the pound sign. <br>If you need to enter map grid designations, please use the star for a &quot;q&quot; and the pound sign for an &quot;i.&quot; <br><br>Please remember to verify your coordinates and that your request may take several minute to process. <br><br>[Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep] <br>You have entered co-ordinates 32364519. <br>If this is correct, please press 1. <br>If this is incorrect, please press 2 and re-enter the coordinates. Thank you. <br>Please enter your battalion, company and platoon pass-codes, each followed by the pound sign. As soon as we verify your pass-codes, we will begin processing your request. <br>If you have forgotten your pass-code, please contact 1-800-IFORGOT for a temporary pass-code. <br><br>Please enter your pass-code now. <br>[Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-#, beep-beep-beep-beep-#, beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-#] <br><br>Thank you. [Pause] Your pass-codes have been verified and your request will be processed. <br><br>We strongly suggest that you and your comrades take cover as soon as possible. <br><br>Thank you for using the 25th Infantry Division's artillery request support line and have a nice day. <br>

 

 

TA312! Love it!

 

For some reason I don't have a very hard time picturing this!

 

 

Top... if you only knew how close you are. When you watch the footage on t.v., look for the A.P.C. with a hammer head (tow launcher), external fuel tanks in the back, and a bunch of antennas. That's what I drove in the first G.W. with 1st A.D. Inside that hammer head is a compass, nightsight, laser rangefinder/designater. When the Forward Observer lases a target, he is given an 8 digit grid coordinate. This is sent to a digital message device connected to a radio. The radio operator pushes buttons selecting target descriptions, and method requested for engagement. This is sent secure across digital radio to the Fire Direction Center who converts tha data for the guns to fire. I think on the new Paladin Howitzer's, there is an on board computer that tells the gun to load and fire. This makes for an extremely fast fire mission. Also with accurate electronics, you can Fire For Effect on the first volley and take advantage of surprise. I think the Paladin can fire a three round burst as well, but not certain. It was being tested when I left. And yes, when used correctly, I have found benchmarks during land nav. training on this vehicle.<br><br>Just F.Y.I. Don

 

Alright, Alright, what the h-e-hockeysticks is a TA-312?<br><br>~Dialling1-800-BOMBNOW<br><br>Sorry, you are not connecting.<br><br>~Dave

 

TA-312

 

Oh, ok. We had some of those puppies. <br><br>~Dave

 

Pull the line wire and stick it betwwen your buddies tows while he sleeps. Go to the phone on the other end and start winding the ringer real fast. 8) <br>

 

I here that they are also good for calling up catfish. ;D

 

[quote author=bigfoot link=board=10;threadid=13130;start=0#123997 date=1049422420]<br>I here that they are also good for calling up catfish. ;D<br>[/quote]<br><br>Ah yes the telephone &quot;calls&quot; up the catfish very well. ;D<br>Geesh I had forgotten about all that stuff bigfoot. <br><br>My buddy and a former Top was an artillery guy for 20 years and his stories of the fun he had in Nam keep me on the edge of my seat.<br>The RAP rounds were just begining to take hold in '79 when he retired from the ARMY. I guess the best stories are about the Killer Juniors and Bee-Hive rounds <br><br>As the entire war mess has unfolded I have come to the conclusion that I will never be a complete person until I get my chance to &quot;go to battle&quot; as a soldier. While I have worked in shall we say, security rolls, I have never been in a real combat situation. I guess since Dad did Nam and Grandad did the WW11 thing, I have feel left out or not full or complete. If I spend the day with Top and listen to the stories of how scared he was at times he could not light a cigarette or how Charlie would be drugged up and keep running toward his position even with half their arms and legs blown off, I get the sense I screwed up in not joining up <br><br>I wont ever be able to tell my boys how I went to war, made a bunch of friends and kicked a bunch of tail. <br><br>Don~<br>

 

Just my two cents but don’t you think it would make your grandfather and father proud to know that because they went to war that you did not have to.<br><br>Be happy that you do not have to wake up at night and think about all of the things that you did to other people in order to survive.( it don’t mater that they would have did the same thing to you ) I myself did not have to go and so did not, Graduated 1976.I do have the greatest respect for those that did. But am very grateful that I did not have to grow up that fast.. God bless our men and women that have volunteered to go to hell so that my grandson doesn’t have to( he is only 5 and I pray that he will never know what war is like ). Ok I’ll place the soapbox back under the table thanks for the loan of it. Sorry to have rattled on so. <br>

 

Bigfoot, you've put your finger on the exact thing of why and what we hope for the outcome of each &quot;war&quot;, &quot;action&quot; or whatever the current cute word is. I went to war in the hopes that my son or daughter wouldn't have to.<br>Don M. Let me ask you, if called to duty, would you go? If the answer is yes, without a doubt, let me at them, then you have nothing to be concerned with. You didn't screw up. It just wasn't your time. What is important is that you honor those who have and will. Being a Vietnam vet, I can tell you what it was like coming home. It wasn't a pretty picture.<br><br>~Dave

 

Just for the record, I was drafted for Nam after both my older brothers were drafted and went; oldest brother a grunt Marine (infantry soldier for those of you who don't know what grunt is), and older brother in field communications. Both were there during the heigth of fighting. I was sent to the DMZ in Korea during this time as a sentry dog handler to keep my installation secure from infiltrators and terrorists (they weren't called that back then). I thank all of you here who served back then as my family did. My father was a U.S. Marine dive bomber pilot, shot down 3 times during the first Korean conflict. I can tell you those who went to combat lived with the unpleasant memories for the rest of their life, and reconciling that with one's upbringing of &quot;thou shalt not kill&quot; is not an easy thing to do. To those who have not gone, have no shame for not being sent or not being in &quot;the right place at the right time&quot;: history has always given tribulation to some generations, and peace to others. Enjoy the peace that has been purchased for you at such a high price, and appreciate the gift of liberty and those who purchased it for you. God Bless our troops and may He give His guidance and counsel to our leaders.