Originally Posted by AussieNick

Maybe a current US serviceman can answer this for me. Is it unusual for US soldiers to be trained in calling in artillery and air support?

Because it is a core competency in Australia, everyone needs to know the all corps call for fire process.

Interesting question, Anyone stepping up to answer?

As for what I have experienced the use of FAC,s (Forward Air Controllers) are the norm but I may be off?

In smaller units the standard is that there is ONE expert (read FAC or similar) but everyone have the basics.

It wasn't one of the tasks I learned back in the late 80's early 90's. I do know how to call in a medevac and land the bird.

Originally Posted by bulldogg

It wasn't one of the tasks I learned back in the late 80's early 90's. I do know how to call in a medevac and land the bird.

Thanks mate

no, i havent looked at the vietnam trivia thread, will do when i get a chance
as for the AACFF (All Arms Call For Fire), every person in the Australian Army should have been taught this
When i was a Radio Op, this was one of our more practiced drills

Yeah mate, all arms call for fire is still a mandatory part of training.... although it could be covered in a bit more detail. It's a lot easier now with the IFOT system, which is basically WTSS for arty.

WTSS? is this the same as WETS?
IFOT?
i suppose as technology progresses, so must the lingo

WTSS, yeah pronounced wets. The weapons training simulation system. And the IFOT stands for Individual forward observer training.... I think.

As a e-4 grunt I do know how to call it in and find the coords on a map. Now it being there is an entirely different matter. We are supposed to be getting laser designators so that will make it that much easier. I will go out on a limb here and say that pretty much everyone in combat arms should know this skill.

Originally Posted by Doppleganger

Some of them at least. The 3 original SS divisions, Leibstandarte SS 'Adolf Hitler', Das Reich and Totenkopf were excellent formations. The later SS divisions formed in 1944 and 1945 were not nearly of the same quality. The best German formation of WW2 however, if going by kill efficiency, is not a Waffen SS formation but a Heer formation. 13. Kompanie, Großdeutschland, had the highest kill ratio of any Tiger battallion of WW2, namely 16.67:1. This compares to the best SS formation kill ratio of 12.82:1. In reality though, the 3 aforementioned Waffen SS Divisions, along with Großdeutschland, had the best German successes at Kursk, and were probably the best fighting formations of any nation in WW2.

When people think of the Waffen SS they think of the great formations not the crappy ones. The classic divisions are something I would class as elite formations but the ones that came out later on where average at best.

The Mamelukes.