Originally Posted by captiva303

I haven't missed yet

Yet.....

Originally Posted by fireoverwater

Aussie Arty has strict RATEL to ensure that the correct fire mission co-ordinates are sent through, there's no b******t transmitted across the radio nets and we don't kill our own troops.

Having worked with US Arty on many occassiions, I'm amazed that they get any rounds on target at all

Got an ax to grind?

Real easy to not have a friendly fire incident when there is less than 2000 of a countries soldiers deployed to one place at one time...Much harder when there is between 100,000 to 200,000 deployed to an area. I suppose you've never experienced the fog of war at any point in your life...

We don't transmit BS across the radio, these are actual callsigns that are used by our units...again, "bravo 3-1" may work with a battalion sized element, but when you're dealing with a brigade or task force sized element, there sure is a helluva lot of bravo 3-1s all of a sudden. How is a callsign gonna mess up a fire mission co-ordinate anyways?

Tell me, exactly how many US soldiers have been killed by their own artillery cannons since the GWOT began? ZERO...Almost all blue on blue has been a result of aviators whether is be fast movers or attack helos. If you have a problem with the US military just come on out with it. I'd love to hear what you have to say. I'm not a big fan of blanket statements dipped in arrogance and bigotry. I am a fan of debate and actual discussion because I would like to try to correct or improve any percieved weaknesses in my country's forces. So, back up you're argument please...

Also hard to hit your own troops (not that we are trying hehe)when there is no guns deployed to hit them. Or any air for that matter.....I know you are in no way trying to belittle our commitment.
Naturally smaller countries make smaller contributions.
You're just making a point .

Callsigns are really not a problem we have ways around the issue you raised. Some of the old guard in aussie artillery think it is cool to be boring. When you belong to an largely unused organisation little things like callsigns begin to mean alot to the crusty old ones. Thankfully I joined a good part of arty one that is used.


Wouldn't worry about ol'mate he is probably nobody. And would be shockedto know that australian SO ARTY currently has an US Army Major being the IG as their primary instructor at the TET for all JFT courses.

Quite the contrary, I have had fantastic experiences with the aussies down range and on joint assignments here in the states. I would never belittle any countries contribution. The point I was trying to make is that Australia deploys in homogenous units at the battalion level. They all work together so it is much easier to get a picture of things when you have good command and control...

Now imagine the predicament of the US military...where there are several brigades from different divisions working in the stan or previously in iraq...Unless one knows every single unit in the country...there's gonna be confusion. Friendly fire incidents happen when there are large numbers of troops operating anywhere. It sucks, and in a perfect world it's probably preventable. Shitty thing is that in combat easy things are hard and hard things are impossible.

The main point I was trying to make was that it was abundantly clear that this guy does not like the US military. Which is fine, everyone is entitled to their own opinion...I wanted to make sure it just wasn't some koolaid drinking that he was basing it off of because I know a lot of people look down their nose at us. If he has legitimate gripes then throw them out there...if it's to have a superiority complex then put it out there as well...inform me, the incompetent imbecile he seems to think we all are.

On a side note, how does a guy in my Army get that assignment to be working in Oz with the Australian Army?! That'd be awsome! I'm gonna have to check into that. It may also be interesting to know that this detail I was just on at one of our major training centers to work as an observer controller...my task force commander was...an Aussie! Great guy, really competent, really smart, and funny as hell. lol

Originally Posted by brinktk

Quite the contrary, I have had fantastic experiences with the aussies down range and on joint assignments here in the states. I would never belittle any countries contribution. The point I was trying to make is that Australia deploys in homogenous units at the battalion level. They all work together so it is much easier to get a picture of things when you have good command and control...

Now imagine the predicament of the US military...where there are several brigades from different divisions working in the stan or previously in iraq...Unless one knows every single unit in the country...there's gonna be confusion. Friendly fire incidents happen when there are large numbers of troops operating anywhere. It sucks, and in a perfect world it's probably preventable. Shitty thing is that in combat easy things are hard and hard things are impossible.

The main point I was trying to make was that it was abundantly clear that this guy does not like the US military. Which is fine, everyone is entitled to their own opinion...I wanted to make sure it just wasn't some koolaid drinking that he was basing it off of because I know a lot of people look down their nose at us. If he has legitimate gripes then throw them out there...if it's to have a superiority complex then put it out there as well...inform me, the incompetent imbecile he seems to think we all are.

On a side note, how does a guy in my Army get that assignment to be working in Oz with the Australian Army?! That'd be awsome! I'm gonna have to check into that. It may also be interesting to know that this detail I was just on at one of our major training centers to work as an observer controller...my task force commander was...an Aussie! Great guy, really competent, really smart, and funny as hell. lol

We had guys on six month exchange with 2RAR at one point usually officers and SNCO's occasionally a NCO, that was in the 80's and 90's.

Australia has many active exchange programs with countries like the US NZ Canada malaysia the UK india singapore and I am sure there are more of don't know about. For both training and experience positions. Being a small army has its advantages a very high proportion SNCOs and up have been on exchanges. Especially if you are at a training institution exchanges are very common. On my course had US australian british and malay instructors . Each with a reciprocal australians on exhange. Being a much larger army overseas exchanges must be alot more competitive.

In short I don't know how you would do it from your end. But whenever you have seen am aussie there is a yank doing his job back home. So the opportunity is out there .


Makes sense 2 RAR is the marine capability for the australian army. My OP battery is going to be rerolled as an amphib battery exciting times for the army down here in aus... not to keen on being stuck in a ship for the months at a time. But that will only be once our LHDs arrive.

The RAF and USAF frequently exchange pilots and other aircrew.

It appears most of the billets are for either senior Captain/Major. Which is fine, I'd love to do my instructor time overseas as opposed to the schoolhouse here/ROTC. Someday perhaps, time will tell. You are absolutely right though, they are extremely competitive. We will see.

i like the polar fire mission way.

only used it once when i was in fort hood on a exchange for a week

seemed to be the most accurate way, then puling a grid off a map

HI.
I was in Ack Ack Artillery for my National Service. 46(m)HAA Regt. Stationed at Bulford in Wiltshire. I did two Practice Camps, one at Bude in Cornwall and one at Towyn in Wales. The two main operators were the bearing and elevation men, they had a dial in front of them with two pointers, red (Radar) and black elevation or bearing. The pointers are kept lined up with the black slightly in front of the red. The 3.7 shell (three foot long) is loaded into the tray, the tray swings over, the shell is rammed, the so called pigs ear is hit and the shell is fired. Hopefully on target! A good crew can get off a round every 4 seconds How about that then!!

Ken