I really found this video interesting. There was one civilian instructor in the video wearing a blue shirt. I wondered just how much the Army uses civilian instructors.
How Army Artillery Soldiers Train to Fire $4.3 Million Howitzers
- Thread starter TerryMiller
- Start Date
A lot. We have 17 instructors at Fort Sill teaching Stinger to the Army, Marines, and Special Forces worldwide. Most of us have 20 + years working with the Stinger and they don't have to worry about us PCS'ing (leaving) every couple of years we are a stable source of information.
I don’t know if they still do it but many years ago we had our scout troop down there camping in the park and they were night firing. Boys thought it was cool as could be.
I have been fortunate to have been around FT. Sill area since childhood. 60 plus years. I can sleep thru artillery fire, and wake up when there is an odd one. Seen them practice with Patriot system way back (80's), really cool. They would fire a missile around Indiahoma side, and shoot it down over by Fletcher side with a Patriot. Seen them use MLRS before it was announced to public. Lived in a 2nd. story apt. facing range during MLRS days. In the late 60's I remember Traffic Jams at 17:00 when every soldier on base went up town in there muscle cars. Every one had there windows down, no AC much in that era. Pipes would roar, Tires would squeal when the lights turned green. It was an awesome time in Lawton, except even as a kid I knew the boys were fixing to leave for Nam. At night the flairs would be floating in the sky, and dad would drive us out along the fence so we could get a great view of the terrain. It would be lit up and you would see no one. Every one was hugging the ground I suppose. I know they still practice a lot even now. But nothing like they did in the late 60's and 70's. Artillery would sound off 24-7 for days at a time. I no longer live close to the base but I hardly ever hear artillery anymore just on occasion. Another cool sound was the mounted guns on the choppers when they were still there. Never got in position to see them close, but out by Job Corp on Wild Life Refuge, you could hear them ripping up jack. Sill was really cool when the choppers were there. Had Three Uncles train at Sill, all went to Korea for there tours.
Ft. Sill is loosing a lot of tradition seems like and it is not nearly as Pristine looking around the Gates as it used to be. Kind of sad.
Fort Sill is still a Great Place though.
PS: I Hope we get an administration that will bring back a renewed strength, and Hope for our Military.
If not I Hope we have some Minute Men left when the time calls for it.
America deserves better, time to put Woke to Sleep.
Men are Men and Women are Women, no more no less.
Close the Borders and Deport Illegals back to where they came from at all cost.
If you want to be an American go thru due process of the law.
Ft. Sill is loosing a lot of tradition seems like and it is not nearly as Pristine looking around the Gates as it used to be. Kind of sad.
Fort Sill is still a Great Place though.
PS: I Hope we get an administration that will bring back a renewed strength, and Hope for our Military.
If not I Hope we have some Minute Men left when the time calls for it.
America deserves better, time to put Woke to Sleep.
Men are Men and Women are Women, no more no less.
Close the Borders and Deport Illegals back to where they came from at all cost.
If you want to be an American go thru due process of the law.
Back in the 60's our Boy Scout troop got to see a firing demonstration at Ft. Sill. At one point they had everything from small arms to a tank and howitzers firing down range with tracers every 5 rounds.
I remember thinking that no way a even a rabbit could survive.
I remember thinking that no way a even a rabbit could survive.
Noticed block house Signal Mountain at the start, was a battery XO with M109's in the mid 70's and shot a ton of rounds on the west range.
If no one has been there, check out getting to see Fort Sill's artillery museum. Lots of "ordnance" both outside and inside. When I was there, it was hot and I spent a little too much time walking among and taking photos of the outside displays, enough so that I began to experience heat exposure. Got back to our vehicle and spent about 10 minutes sipping on water.
Link to my Smugmug Site with Fort Sill Artillery Museum
There are artillery pieces from other countries as well as U.S. ones.
Link to my Smugmug Site with Fort Sill Artillery Museum
There are artillery pieces from other countries as well as U.S. ones.
I started as a brand new 2LT in the FA Officer Basic Course in February 1978. I was newly married so I could live off-post rather than the BOQ but my wife was student teaching in OKC so she was only there on weekends. Training still went on so artillery fire could be heard at our apartment. She never got used to the rumble rolling into our apartment from the West Range, especially at night. She was very glad our government housing in West Germany was not on a post with a live-fire range.
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