ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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Coordinating Fire Support 1 March 2016 ATP 3-09.42 5-9 FIRE SUPPORT COORDINATOR 5-37. The BCT’s cannon field artillery battalion commander is the brigade’s FSCOORD. As such, the field artillery battalion commander is the BCT commander’s primary fire support advisor and brings a professional assessment of the current and near-term capabilities of the field artillery unit and of other fire support assets supporting the force. The FSCOORD is specifically responsible for all fire support planning, coordination, and fire support integration in the execution of assigned tasks for the BCT. The FSCOORD’s job is to take the commander’s visualization and articulation of what fire support is to do as part of the concept of operations and make it happen. The FSCOORD needs to position himself so the supported commander can best use fire support during the fight. 5-38. All field artillery personnel in the BCT are assigned to its cannon field artillery battalion. As the field artillery battalion’s commander, the FSCOORD’s inherent duties include consolidated and focused fire support specific training, equipment issue, certification, standardization, readiness, and personnel management oversight (assignment, and professional development of all 13-series career management field Soldiers) for all field artillery personnel and equipment within the BCT. Any additional responsibilities and authority given to the FSCOORD should be fully delineated by the BCT commander. This will ensure full cooperation and compliance by the commanders of subordinate units (such as those of the brigade special troops battalion, maneuver battalions, and cavalry squadron) that are assigned, attached, or placed under the operational control (OPCON) of the BCT. The BCT FSCOORD is responsible to: Facilitate establishing standard operating procedures for fire support across the brigade (to save time and ensure a single standard). Ensure the five requirements of accurate fire are met including: Accurate target location and size (FISTs and forward observers, the target acquisition platoon, scouts and other observers). Accurate firing unit location (firing unit and fire direction centers). Accurate weapons and munitions information (firing units, fire direction centers, cannon field artillery battalion S-4, and brigade support battalion [BSB]). Accurate meteorological information (target acquisition platoon and fire direction centers). Accurate computational procedures (fire direction centers and fires cells). Ensure efficiently resourced training packages (limit requirements for unit tasking(s) and reduce coordination requirements among units) Note: Predicted fire is the delivery technique of applying accurately computed corrections (not determined by firing) to standard firing data for all nonstandard conditions (such as weather, weapon, ammunition, rotation of the earth) to deliver accurate surprise fire on any known target in any direction from any weapon limited only by the characteristics of the weapon and ammunition used. 5-39. The brigade FSO and the other BCT fire support personnel assist the FSCOORD in these duties. The BCT commander may direct the FSCOORD to conduct the training and certification or to assist in the training and certification of unit mortars. See ADRP 3-09 and FM 3-09 for further discussion of the authority that may be given to the FSCOORD. BRIGADE FIRE SUPPORT OFFICER 5-40. The brigade FSO, in the absence of the FSCOORD, personally represents the FSCOORD to the brigade commander. More than any other officer, the FSO must understand the FSCOORD’s intent in supporting the maneuver plan. In addition, the FSCOORD must ensure that the brigade FSO is equally conversant on the FSCOORD’s assessment of fire support assets supporting the maneuver force. The brigade FSO assists the FSCOORD to plan and coordinate the fires warfighting function for BCT operations. The brigade FSO’s duties and responsibilities are similar to those of the chief of fires (deputy FSCOORD) at corps and division echelons as identified in ADRP 3-09. The brigade FSO leads the BCT main command post fires cell and works closely with the FSCOORD and members of the BCT staff to