A Fire Support Specialist is a member of the Army’s field artillery team. Artillery are weapons that fire large ammunition, rockets or missiles to support infantry and tank units in combat. The Fire Support Specialist is primarily responsible for leading, supervising or serving in intelligence activities such as target processing for artillery units and maneuver brigades.
Some of your duties as a Fire Support Specialist may include:
Establish, maintain and operate communications systems
Encode and decode messages
Assist in preparing and disseminating fire support plans, coordinate documents and target lists
Assist in the operation of laser range finders, target designation and night observation devices
Determine target location using computers or manual calculations
Assist in the set up and operation of advanced computer systems used to plan and execute fire
missions
Requirements
Fire Support Specialists must have the physical stamina to perform strenuous activities for long periods without rest. They’re also required to have normal color vision.
Training
Job training for a Fire Support Specialist requires nine weeks of Basic Training, where you’ll learn basic Soldiering skills, and six weeks of Advanced Individual Training and on-the-job instruction. Part of this time is spent in a classroom and part in the field under simulated combat. Some of the skills you’ll learn are:
Methods of computing target locations
Ammunition techniques
Gun, missile and rocket system operations
Artillery tactics, techniques and procedures
Advanced Responsibilities
Advanced level Fire Support Specialists provides guidance, supervises and trains other Soldiers within the same discipline. As an advanced Fire Support Specialist, you may be involved in:
Assist the Fire Support Sergeant in the training of subordinates in fire support tactics, techniques, and procedures
Prepare observer target lists
Initiate suppressive and screening fire
Select and occupy observation posts
Related Civilian Jobs
There’s not a civilian organization in existence today that doesn’t rely on computer and information technology to conduct business and operate more efficiently. As a Fire Support Specialist, you’ll learn skills that will help you pursue a career in computer consulting, information technology support or data processing, to name a few.
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