TC-3-09-8 Fire Support and Field Artillery Certification Download
Page 7 of 34
30 March 2020 TC 3-09.8 iii Preface The role of the Field Artillery (FA) is to destroy, defeat, or disrupt the enemy with integrated fires to enable maneuver commanders to dominate in unified land operations (ADP 3-19). To do this, the FA must remain a ready, worldwide deployable force able to dominate any operating environment through the integration, synchronization, and employment of organic, joint, and multinational fires. FA organizations must certify and qualify their technical tasks and skills to ensure commanders dominate their operational environment across large-scale ground combat operations. FA and Fire Support Certification and Qualification is organized to train the FA System. Supported maneuver commanders follow the Integrated Weapons Training Strategy (IWTS) described in Training Circular (TC) 3-20.0. The IWTS live fire gates are organized into 6 tables by echelon. FA tables are identified from Table 1 through Table 18 and enable training across the delivery, sensor, and computational systems. FA Commanders and Fire Supporters at echelon must stress the importance of maneuver commanders and staff participating in FA tables at echelon. This serves to build the Commander/Fire Supporter relationship, increases maneuver understanding of how to provide sound guidance to Fire Supporters, and increases understanding of capabilities and limitations of the FA System. TC 3-09.8 supports the mission of the Field Artillery by providing the means to certify and qualify Field Artillery Individuals, Teams, Crews, Sections, Platoons, Batteries and Battalions. The Field Artillery tables are intended to parallel and support Maneuver Tables 1–6 from the maneuver Platoon to Brigade Combat Team and are designed for artillery leaders at Battalion and below to assess the proficiency of their units to perform their mission and to sustain Field Artillery Core Competencies. The programs outlined in this manual follow the concepts and guidance provided in FM 7-0, Train to Win in a Complex World and the Field Artillery Training Strategy. Commanders must reference TC 3-09.8 to plan, prepare, execute and assess Fire Support and Field Artillery Certification and Qualification training events as per guidelines within the Department of the Army (DA) requirements for their unit’s readiness assessment. Ensuring units achieve section, platoon, battery and battalion certification and qualification supports the DA reportable readiness standards. In accordance with our Army’s Mission Command (MC) philosophy, commanders are ultimately responsible for the readiness of their units. Deviations from certification and qualification requirements based on Mission, Enemy, Terrain, Troops & Time Available (METT-T) and TC 3-09.8 drive conversations between Commanders to identify risk and reduction measures. TC 3-09.8 is structured into a base document (Chapter 1 and 2) delivered through the Army Publishing Directorate, with the remainder of the chapters and appendices delivered on the MilSuite web site under the management of the Directorate of Training and Doctrine, Fires Center of Excellence. Chapter 1 will include a complete introduction to the Theory of the Field Artillery Home Station Training Strategy, an explanation of certification and qualification, the standards and conditions of the evaluations, applying the strategy to unit training plans, and the linkage to a unit’s training readiness assessment. Chapter 2 will briefly describe the location and description of the online content. All of the content on MilSuite will be flexible and will change, with approval of the Field Artillery Commandant, as weapons platforms are upgraded or updated, or certification/qualification standards change. Unit commanders and master gunners should continuously check the MilSuite TC 3-09.8 to ensure they are using the most up-to-date certification and qualification standards for their respective units and platforms. This publication applies to the Active Army, the Army National Guard (ARNG), and the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) unless otherwise stated. The proponent for this publication is the United Stated Army Training and Doctrine Command. The preparing agency is the U.S. Army Field Artillery School. Submit changes for improving this publication on DA Form 2028 (Recommend Changes to Publications and Blank Forms) and forward to the Directorate of Training and Doctrine, Operational Training Division, Fires Center of Excellence, Fort Sill, Oklahoma 73503.