Quote Originally Posted by SC6KFG68 View Post
LTG Hunzeker then asked "is manual gunnery still a requirement that we should keep are part of our field artillery curriculum?"
I went through FAOBC in 2004 and Manual Gunnery was the bane of our existence for several months. That said, a high standard was set and you had to meet it. 10% of the class usually did not pass. Artillery does not have room for errors and you need competent FA Officers leading competent FA Soldiers. I went straight to a Fire Direction Officer slot in an Airborne battery and manual was our primary means. We used the digital systems once out in the field (with our trucks), but charts and darts were the primary means on the DZ and during initial occupation. All FA Officers had to take and pass the Safety test because if your digital goes down, you can still shoot. You need to know what AFATDS is doing, otherwise you're putting all your faith in machines.

All FA Officers, even those going straight to Fire Support Officer slots, need to understand why and how FA works. Someday, they may command a Battery and have to confirm their FDO's safety data. I only spent 3 months of my almost 4 years in a FA BN shooting (thanks convoy security and staff), but I got to shoot 700+ rounds in that short window, and had a great time. The attention to detail I learned in Gunnery paid off later as a MI officer and taught me to look at the bigger picture and moving parts of a problem. FAOBC is not suppossed to train Infantrymen or Diplomats, it is supposed to train Field Artillerymen. King of Battle!