WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:02.750 (dramatic music) 00:26.547 --> 00:28.491 - [Narrator] Marine Corps Center of Detachment, 00:28.491 --> 00:31.874 Fort Sill, Oklahoma, develops the training continuum 00:31.874 --> 00:34.984 for artillery occupational field 0800, 00:34.984 --> 00:38.401 and military occupational specialty 2887. 00:38.952 --> 00:40.744 The detachment serves as the focus 00:40.744 --> 00:42.616 of artillery training issues, 00:42.616 --> 00:45.187 validates training and education requirements, 00:45.187 --> 00:47.104 assists in the drafting of doctrine, 00:47.104 --> 00:50.021 tactics, techniques and procedures, 00:50.063 --> 00:52.462 as well as programs of instruction. 00:52.462 --> 00:55.686 It also provides subject matter experts and instructors 00:55.686 --> 00:59.038 to conduct entry-level training, sustainment training, 00:59.038 --> 01:01.126 and mentorship to artillery Marines 01:01.126 --> 01:04.543 and the U.S. Army field artillery school. 01:05.342 --> 01:07.702 The detachment provides entry-level training 01:07.702 --> 01:10.663 ^in the military occupational specialties of 01:10.663 --> 01:13.080 ^0802 Field Artillery Officer, 01:14.326 --> 01:17.076 ^0803 Target Acquisitions Officer, 01:18.350 --> 01:20.933 ^0811 Field Artillery Cannoneer, 01:22.318 --> 01:25.318 ^0842 Field Artillery Radar Operator, 01:26.886 --> 01:30.053 ^0844 Field Artillery Fire Control Man, 01:31.486 --> 01:34.819 ^0847 Field Artillery Sensor Support Man, 01:35.958 --> 01:38.958 ^0848 Field Artillery Operations Man, 01:40.374 --> 01:42.207 ^0861 Fire Support Man, 01:44.230 --> 01:47.730 ^and 2887 Artillery Electronics Technician. 01:49.999 --> 01:52.898 The detachment also provides career-level training 01:52.898 --> 01:56.962 via the Marine artillery operations chiefs course, 01:56.962 --> 02:00.129 the fire support center chiefs course, 02:00.466 --> 02:03.716 and the cannon crewman advanced course. 02:05.378 --> 02:07.972 Marine Detachment Fort Sill also serves as 02:07.972 --> 02:11.385 regional area command for Marine Corps representative 02:11.385 --> 02:14.736 technical training center, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, 02:14.736 --> 02:16.538 provides entry-level instruction for 02:16.538 --> 02:18.703 ^the military occupational specialty 02:18.703 --> 02:20.870 ^0613 Construction Wireman. 02:22.215 --> 02:24.458 Additionally, it provides instructors 02:24.458 --> 02:25.791 for interservice training in the 02:25.791 --> 02:27.919 cable antenna splicer course 02:27.919 --> 02:30.586 and advanced switching networks. 02:30.760 --> 02:33.700 Marine representative defense nuclear weapons school 02:33.700 --> 02:36.223 Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, 02:36.223 --> 02:38.943 provides nuclear weapons core competencies 02:38.943 --> 02:41.727 and response training for weapons of mass destruction 02:41.727 --> 02:44.974 and chemical, biological, radiological, 02:44.974 --> 02:47.758 and nuclear incidents to Department of Defense, 02:47.758 --> 02:49.479 national laboratories personnel, 02:49.479 --> 02:53.146 and other federal, state and local agencies. 02:57.399 --> 02:59.695 - I'm the Staff Sergeant William Edward Horton IV. 02:59.695 --> 03:01.534 - I'm Staff Sergeant Michael Clarke. 03:01.534 --> 03:02.854 - I'm Staff Sergeant Calvin Torres. 03:02.854 --> 03:04.974 - Captain Michael Jeffrey Wish. 03:04.974 --> 03:06.230 - I am a platoon sergeant. 03:06.230 --> 03:08.322 - I am currently serving as an 03:08.322 --> 03:09.716 enlisted gunnery school instructor 03:09.716 --> 03:11.913 for the Marine artillery operations chiefs course. 03:11.913 --> 03:12.798 - The Marine artillery electronics 03:12.798 --> 03:14.418 maintenance course instructor. 03:14.418 --> 03:16.398 - And I'm a gunnery instructor at the 03:16.398 --> 03:19.529 ^Marine artillery detachment aboard Fort Sill, Oklahoma. 03:19.529 --> 03:21.896 ^- The mission of the Marines awaiting training platoon 03:21.896 --> 03:25.936 ^is to transition the Marines from MCT and boot camp 03:25.936 --> 03:27.906 and start to get them ready for the fleet. 03:27.906 --> 03:30.224 So before they can even pick up their MOS school, 03:30.224 --> 03:32.776 we're training them both physically and mentally 03:32.776 --> 03:35.947 to prepare them for the rigors of their school. 03:35.947 --> 03:39.690 As far as the 0811 course, it's a basic cannoneer school. 03:39.690 --> 03:42.677 It's a five-week program of instruction. 03:42.677 --> 03:46.844 It consists of just your entry-level basic cannoneering. 03:47.385 --> 03:49.746 They start to learn their shell-fuse combinations, 03:49.746 --> 03:51.538 start to learn their weapons, 03:51.538 --> 03:55.705 as well as being physically fit for that specific MOS, 03:56.417 --> 03:58.473 because they have to actually pass an MOS-specific 03:58.473 --> 04:00.281 physical standards assessment, 04:00.281 --> 04:04.364 which that is 115-pound cling and press overhead, 04:04.449 --> 04:06.949 a mark 19 lift press overhead, 04:07.689 --> 04:11.856 the 5x155 millimeter projectile loading procedures, 04:12.619 --> 04:15.119 the 5x155 ammunition resupply, 04:16.713 --> 04:18.796 and a 25-yard dummy drag. 04:20.977 --> 04:23.897 Our expectations with our Marines upon graduation, 04:23.897 --> 04:26.249 wherever it is that they're going to serve, 04:26.249 --> 04:28.209 we want to see them exceed. 04:28.209 --> 04:31.705 They can't just be a basic, mediocre Marine. 04:31.705 --> 04:33.305 They have to be that better person, 04:33.305 --> 04:36.244 they have to actually get out there to support the fight. 04:36.244 --> 04:38.049 Whether it be cannoneering, 04:38.049 --> 04:39.996 whether it be fire direction control, 04:39.996 --> 04:41.729 whether it be scout observing. 04:41.729 --> 04:44.432 The fleet needs some Marines here from the school house. 04:44.432 --> 04:47.873 They have to get out there and support that main effort, 04:47.873 --> 04:49.729 and our main effort is obviously to support 04:49.729 --> 04:53.370 all of our Marines down range and keep them safe. 04:53.370 --> 04:55.787 We're not only artillery men. 04:55.985 --> 04:58.474 When the mission changes, we get down there, 04:58.474 --> 04:59.745 we get in the front lines. 04:59.745 --> 05:02.113 We can do the provisional infantry missions. 05:02.113 --> 05:03.761 We can do the civil affairs missions. 05:03.761 --> 05:06.225 We can do the EOD route clearance missions. 05:06.225 --> 05:08.953 We're a jack of all trades, and that's what we strive to be. 05:08.953 --> 05:10.881 You can't just be one Marine. 05:10.881 --> 05:12.897 You have to have the whole Marine concept, 05:12.897 --> 05:16.314 whether that be in garrison or in combat. 05:18.225 --> 05:19.981 ^- Mission of the enlisted gunnery school 05:19.981 --> 05:23.690 ^is to train Marines both career-level and entry-level 05:23.690 --> 05:26.690 on everything that goes into cannon, 05:26.770 --> 05:29.020 mortars and rocket gunnery. 05:29.658 --> 05:32.594 So from here, the entry-level students leave as 0844's, 05:32.594 --> 05:35.730 which are field artillery fire direction control Marines. 05:35.730 --> 05:39.194 The advanced-level students we have leave as 0848's. 05:39.194 --> 05:41.924 That is a Marine artillery operations chief. 05:41.924 --> 05:44.507 The entry-level 0844's will be, 05:45.171 --> 05:47.818 they'll operate inside a fire direction center, 05:47.818 --> 05:51.068 either at the battery, battalion or regiment level. 05:51.068 --> 05:54.494 The 0848's are responsible for supervising those Marines, 05:54.494 --> 05:57.872 as well as other Marines within the artillery community 05:57.872 --> 06:00.122 as their operations chiefs. 06:00.191 --> 06:04.164 We also do practical exercises to allow the Marines, 06:04.164 --> 06:08.331 before they leave here, to actually perform their MOS 06:08.500 --> 06:10.478 in a less stressful environment, 06:10.478 --> 06:12.476 so they can work up to be able to do that 06:12.476 --> 06:15.260 in the fleet while firing live rounds. 06:15.260 --> 06:17.580 So for an operations chiefs course, 06:17.580 --> 06:19.676 it's about five and a half months long. 06:19.676 --> 06:22.324 They do it in two separate schools. 06:22.324 --> 06:26.491 They learn target acquisition to include artillery survey, 06:26.653 --> 06:28.570 neurological and radar, 06:29.708 --> 06:30.752 and then they come over to us 06:30.752 --> 06:31.994 at the enlisted gunnery school, 06:31.994 --> 06:35.504 and we teach them both manual and automated gunnery, 06:35.504 --> 06:38.440 so that they can be that technical expert 06:38.440 --> 06:39.847 within that fire directions center 06:39.847 --> 06:41.915 to put rounds down range. 06:41.915 --> 06:43.744 It's important to train these Marines 06:43.744 --> 06:45.827 on all aspects of gunnery 06:46.344 --> 06:48.200 so then they can go out to the fleet, 06:48.200 --> 06:51.577 and able to use those skills learned here 06:51.577 --> 06:54.600 to effectively provide timely and accurate 06:54.600 --> 06:57.017 fire support to the maneuver. 06:58.595 --> 07:00.457 ^- The mission of our school is to basically train 07:00.457 --> 07:03.769 ^Marine artillery electronics maintenance technicians 07:03.769 --> 07:05.269 with the MOS 2887. 07:05.771 --> 07:07.074 So our course is a follow on course from 07:07.074 --> 07:09.857 the basic electronics course in Twentynine Palms. 07:09.857 --> 07:11.299 When the Marines arrive, they're going to be 07:11.299 --> 07:13.882 basically trained 2800's, and we are going to 07:13.882 --> 07:16.805 train them to be artillery electronics technicians. 07:16.805 --> 07:18.853 Marines can expect to be challenged, 07:18.853 --> 07:21.532 but it's nothing that they are not capable of handling. 07:21.532 --> 07:23.316 So the Marines need to be able to think on their feet, 07:23.316 --> 07:24.460 understand how the system works, 07:24.460 --> 07:26.381 and apply those critical thinking skills 07:26.381 --> 07:30.548 to get the radar or whatever system back in the fight. 07:33.973 --> 07:36.789 Our Marines I would say are crucial to the nagtap, 07:36.789 --> 07:40.397 especially the ground side, and artillery, obviously. 07:40.397 --> 07:43.176 Any time a system goes down, they look to our Marines 07:43.176 --> 07:47.094 to help troubleshoot, get that system back in the fight. 07:47.094 --> 07:50.192 Without these basically trained 2887's, 07:50.192 --> 07:52.929 who is going to keep the radar in the fight? 07:52.929 --> 07:55.397 When we're out there in Syria, 07:55.397 --> 07:58.609 and we need to return fire, if the radar's down, 07:58.609 --> 08:01.213 then we have no means of getting proper location 08:01.213 --> 08:04.163 on that target, unless we have a forward observer out. 08:04.163 --> 08:06.445 These Marines are primarily tasked with 08:06.445 --> 08:09.542 repairing those systems, and the school house 08:09.542 --> 08:13.625 provides them with that basic knowledge to do so. 08:14.222 --> 08:15.746 ^- The mission of our school here 08:15.746 --> 08:18.673 ^is to train well-rounded artillery officers, 08:18.673 --> 08:21.821 and with that comes three different aspects of that mission, 08:21.821 --> 08:24.637 which is to create fire direction officers, 08:24.637 --> 08:27.089 so they can run a fire direction center, 08:27.089 --> 08:29.614 fire support officers, so that they can brief 08:29.614 --> 08:31.477 fire support plans to maneuver, 08:31.477 --> 08:33.877 and then also as platoon commanders, 08:33.877 --> 08:37.960 so that they can run a gun line out in the fleet. 08:38.821 --> 08:39.829 I think the most innovative method 08:39.829 --> 08:41.412 that we use is our simulations. 08:41.412 --> 08:42.877 So predominantly the school starts 08:42.877 --> 08:44.719 with classroom instruction, 08:44.719 --> 08:46.741 where really the Marines show up 08:46.741 --> 08:47.757 and they just need to learn some of the 08:47.757 --> 08:48.974 language about artillery, 08:48.974 --> 08:51.502 some of the definitions, some of the terms. 08:51.502 --> 08:53.574 Once we actually get into some of 08:53.574 --> 08:55.895 the more deeper instruction, then we really implement 08:55.895 --> 08:58.101 a lot of practical exercises, 08:58.101 --> 09:01.237 both in the class and outside of the classroom. 09:01.237 --> 09:03.469 So on the fire support aspect of it, 09:03.469 --> 09:06.512 they'll be out on lanes, calling for fire, 09:06.512 --> 09:08.749 and then on the fire directions center side, 09:08.749 --> 09:10.789 then they'll be receiving missions from students 09:10.789 --> 09:12.372 once they swap out. 09:12.568 --> 09:14.565 They'll be receiving real calls for fire, 09:14.565 --> 09:16.118 and they'll be processing missions, 09:16.118 --> 09:17.474 and then they'll also have the opportunity 09:17.474 --> 09:19.494 to be on the gun line and actually 09:19.494 --> 09:21.534 fire those systems themselves, 09:21.534 --> 09:24.016 and again, it's all students in all three 09:24.016 --> 09:26.183 of those functional areas. 09:28.326 --> 09:29.934 It's incredibly important for the staff NCO's 09:29.934 --> 09:31.054 to work with the lieutenants, 09:31.054 --> 09:32.926 because they're the subject matter experts. 09:32.926 --> 09:34.365 So the lieutenants, while they're here, 09:34.365 --> 09:35.671 they get a broad view of everything, 09:35.671 --> 09:38.501 of fire support, of FDC operations, and on the gun line. 09:38.501 --> 09:40.469 But at the end of the day, the staff NCO's, 09:40.469 --> 09:42.711 they're the ones that have the expertise, 09:42.711 --> 09:44.446 so when a lieutenant checks into the fleet, 09:44.446 --> 09:45.390 you know, he's going to be assigned to 09:45.390 --> 09:47.173 work with a chief in a fire direction center, 09:47.173 --> 09:48.613 and that chief's been in that primary MOS 09:48.613 --> 09:50.493 for 12 or 13 years, and so 09:50.493 --> 09:52.806 when they're here at the school house, 09:52.806 --> 09:54.417 for them to be able to actually have the opportunity 09:54.417 --> 09:56.350 to work with real chiefs who are here 09:56.350 --> 09:58.872 for the advanced course, and kind of be able to mentor them 09:58.872 --> 10:00.159 before they get out there, 10:00.159 --> 10:01.541 then they have a realistic expectation 10:01.541 --> 10:03.870 of what's going to be required of them as officers 10:03.870 --> 10:06.233 when they actually check into their units. 10:06.233 --> 10:07.958 I think the Marines are excited to get out to the fleet, 10:07.958 --> 10:10.317 and we expect them to have a bias for action, 10:10.317 --> 10:12.984 we expect them to be a little bit humble, 10:12.984 --> 10:14.769 that when they get there, that they are going to be 10:14.769 --> 10:16.801 partnered up with a staff NCO who knows more than them 10:16.801 --> 10:18.200 and that is more experienced, 10:18.200 --> 10:21.473 but that they dive into that job right away 10:21.473 --> 10:22.773 and they make it their entire life, 10:22.773 --> 10:25.185 and they live and breathe artillery and they 10:25.185 --> 10:27.829 eventually become subject matter experts themselves. 10:27.829 --> 10:29.753 So, we expect them to come out of the school house, 10:29.753 --> 10:31.961 we've given them the baseline knowledge that they need, 10:31.961 --> 10:33.196 and then they're obviously expected 10:33.196 --> 10:35.520 to get out there and fill the gaps, 10:35.520 --> 10:37.635 and really just start to make this a profession, 10:37.635 --> 10:39.968 and not just a job for them.