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I was in the artillery...

Author: NedoftheHill (3184 Posts - Joined: Jun 29, 2011)

Posted at 8:37 pm on Mar 21, 2012

You would be surprised how much math and technology goes into making the necessary calculations to ensure that shells fired up in the air at gun locations A, B, C and D come down in very particular spots around target point E which is over the horizon from the guns, said point E having been described via radio by a forward observer at point F...not to mention accounting for multiple wind currents at different levels of atmosphere (depending on how high the shells were calculated to go)...while also making sure we fired over or under any "boxes" in the air which defined friendly flight zones.

And all of that was before GPS.

Not only that, we had to have guys running backup calculations on HP calculators in case the battery computers went down...and backup-backup calculations on slide rules in case an EMP from a nuclear blast knocked out both our battery computers and our HP calculators.

I'm sure things are more technical now...and yet easier, I suspect.

This message has been edited 1 time(s).

Ask not what your country can do for you -- Ask what you can do for your country.

Replies to: "I was in the artillery..."

Maureen Dowd gets it right in "Heart of Darkness". [LINK] - jimbasil - 9:01am 3/21/12 (39) [View All]
- Something I posted in 2010. - Tom Hynes - 11:21am 3/21/12
- Good read. I've always maintained that we need a mandatory draft, when the nation goes to war,..... - conorlarkin - 9:14am 3/21/12
  - Conor has a point. - jakers - 1:38pm 3/21/12
    - One factoid relative this issue. It came up when John Kerry told a - LTNDFAN - 1:49pm 3/21/12
      - "Average education" is skewed a bit. - jakers - 1:52pm 3/21/12
        
        Skewed the other way. Academy grads are a small minority in the military. - NedoftheHill - 2:04pm 3/21/12
        
        The point is that they bring up the average. - jakers - 2:07pm 3/21/12
        
        Compare apples to apples. - NedoftheHill - 2:19pm 3/21/12
        
        I don't think we're actually disagreeing on anything. - jakers - 2:26pm 3/21/12
        
        It was more fun when I thought we were fighting. [NT] - NedoftheHill - 4:54pm 3/21/12
  - And in these days of equal rights, the women should be required to register - LTNDFAN - 11:29am 3/21/12
    - Agreed. Combat troops can never have enough camp followers. [NT] - conorlarkin - 11:30am 3/21/12
      - Who is going to pay for the mandated prescriptions of Valtrex? [NT] - ShowMeIrish - 11:51am 3/21/12
  - The military does not exist to keep it real. It exists to defeat our enemies. - NedoftheHill - 10:24am 3/21/12
    - You're making a great run at charicature for UHND Jeopardy [NT] - Charlie Jrs Headset - 4:41pm 3/21/12
    - Is this based on your military experience? - Tom Hynes - 11:34am 3/21/12
      - I served in an all volunteer force. - NedoftheHill - 12:45pm 3/21/12
        
        I recognize that today's military is far more sophisticated than what we had back in the day. - Tom Hynes - 1:06pm 3/21/12
        I was in the artillery... - NedoftheHill - 8:37pm 3/21/12
        
        Have called in hundreds of fire missions. - Tom Hynes - 2:34pm 3/22/12
        
        I don't think the Cub Scouts should count in this discussion. [NT] - AlbanyIRISH - 12:55pm 3/21/12
        
        My service in the Cub Scouts was not voluntary. [NT] - NedoftheHill - 2:08pm 3/21/12
    - The military is not a hired mercenary outfit, designed to have soldiers serve 4-5 tours while you .. - conorlarkin - 11:29am 3/21/12
      - A draft should be instituted to improve our fighting ability, not as a social experiment. - NedoftheHill - 12:40pm 3/21/12
    - Good choice.... - jimbasil - 10:28am 3/21/12
      - ShowMe made me put it back up. You guys are fast today. [NT] - NedoftheHill - 10:30am 3/21/12
    - You would be wrong. - ShowMeIrish - 10:25am 3/21/12
      - I just think that society should solve its problems without degrading our fighting ability. - NedoftheHill - 10:40am 3/21/12
        
        I was saying you were wrong about Conors service record. He is a Marine and a wounded vet - ShowMeIrish - 10:46am 3/21/12
        
        Ah. Yes, I decided to withdraw that statement as merely being inflammatory. - NedoftheHill - 10:48am 3/21/12
        
        I hate you fucking Liberal's. [NT] - jimbasil - 10:41am 3/21/12
  - I despise war and all that goes with it. However, I despise the "Cuckoo-Clock" mentality - jimbasil - 9:26am 3/21/12
    - Swiss watches are pretty damn nice. [NT] - ND_in_ATL - 10:19am 3/21/12
      - Their army knives are kinda cool too. [NT] - jimbasil - 10:26am 3/21/12
        
        Decent cheese as well [NT] - ShowMeIrish - 10:26am 3/21/12
        
        Too many holes... not enough cheese. [NT] - jimbasil - 10:27am 3/21/12
    - America's greatest advantage is its ability to reinvent itself. - TontoGoldstein - 9:37am 3/21/12
    - Hmmmm. Is that the only difference between Switzerland and Italy? - Iggle - 9:33am 3/21/12
      - I'm sure food might be in there as well. - jimbasil - 10:01am 3/21/12