13F Fire Support Specialist

About the role

Join the Army National Guard as a Fire Support Specialist and become part of an elite field artillery team. You will provide the intelligence needed to support infantry and tank units in combat operations while learning highly sought-after skills that will help you in your civilian career. Also known as the Forward Observer, Fire Support Specialists act as the eyes of an artillery unit and are primarily responsible for target acquisition and relaying that information to artillery units at all levels.

In this role, you will become an expert communicator as you establish, maintain, and operate communications equipment; operate laser range finders; encode and decode messages; assist in preparing and distributing fire support plans; and determine target locations using computers or manual calculations. And as your skills increase, so will your responsibilities. Advanced team members supervise and train other Soldiers, prepare observer target lists, initiate suppressive fire, and select and man observation posts.

Responsibilities

As a Fire Support Specialist, you will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including establishing, maintaining, and operating communications equipment, operating laser range finders, encoding and decoding messages, assisting in preparing and distributing fire support plans, and determining target locations using computers or manual calculations.

Requirements

• Military enlistment in the Army National Guard
• Must be at least a junior in high school, or have a high school diploma or a GED certificate
• Must be between the ages of 17 and 35
• Must be able to pass a physical exam and meet legal and moral standards
• Must meet citizenship requirements

Skills

Helpful skills for this role include being physically and mentally fit to perform under pressure and the ability to multitask. Plus, the skills you learn as a Fire Support Specialist can prepare you for a rewarding civilian career in computer consulting, information technology support, or data processing.

Benefits

• Paid training
• A monthly paycheck
• Montgomery GI Bill
• Federal and State tuition assistance
• Retirement benefits for part-time service
• Low-cost life insurance (up to $400,000 in coverage)
• 401(k)-type savings plan
• Student Loan Repayment Program (up to $50,000, for existing loans)
• Health care benefits available
• VA home loans
• Bonuses, if applicable

Most non-prior service candidates will earn between $200 and $250 per drill weekend, subject to change.

Training

After 10 weeks of Basic Training, where you will learn fundamental Soldiering skills, you will attend six weeks of Advanced Individual Training (AIT), which will include a combination of hands-on and classroom training where you will learn how to decisively compute target locations, proper ammunition handling techniques, system operations, and artillery tactics.