The Fire Direction Officer...
For several months we went on missions that involved two or
three day stays and a couple of two or three week operations but nothing stands
out until we went on one joint operation that involved the US
199th Light Infantry Brigade, Elements of the Vietnamese Rangers,
and most of the Australian Task Force. It was the first Joint Operation I had
been on. This is the operation where I learned differences between US Commanders
and Allied Commanders. We were not allowed to build a burm around our position.
That was really scary. The one incident that really stands out was a situation
involving a US Battalion Commander
(Infantry). We were in the middle of a
contact fire mission involving a troop from A Squadron, 3rd Cavalry
(Aussie) supporting one of the Aussie Infantry Companies. Now contact fire
missions is what the Artillery is all about… supporting the maneuver units
that are in contact with the enemy. In this situation the FDO of the firing
battery is in effect a god. The only thing that halts a contact mission is the
ground commander in contact, a Med-Evac chopper, or air-support. Anyway, someone
came over our fire control channel yelling for a “Check Fire”. After
confirming none of the above situations we continued firing. The next thing I
know… I have an American, Lt. Col. Standing in my FDC trying to chew my butt
up. That’s the wrong thing to do to a “god”.
After several attempts to get the Col. to leave, I finally had him
escorted from the FDC at gunpoint. Turns out he was getting an air re-supply of
c-rations for his troops… hardly an emergency.
