Artillery Officer's Note
Artillery Officer's Note
Artillery Officer's Note
SMARTPACK
2
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
BRAVO BATTERY, 1ST BATTALLION, 30TH FIELD ARTILLERY
840 GERONIMO ROAD
FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA 73503
REPLY TO
ATTENTION OF
b. Location: Initial PT formation will be held on the south side of Snow Hall. Park in
the authorized parking areas.
c. Uniform: The daily Army Physical Fitness Uniform (APFU) will be determined by
the First Sergeant of Bravo BTRY, 1-30th FA BN. Changes to the uniform are
disseminated through Cadre and Student Chain of Command (CoC). Students will NOT
make their own changes to uniform without authorization from the BTRY First Sergeant
or Cadre.
(2) PT Belts: Students will purchase and wear reflective, neon yellow PT belts
with rank affixed on the left side of the Velcro ‘buckle’.
a. Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT): The APFT is the Army’s standard
measurement of a Soldier’s fitness. Students will take two APFTs during FA BOLC-B.
(1) A ‘diagnostic’ APFT will be given within the first five days of the FA BOLC-B
course. A Record APFT will be given NLT seven days prior to graduation.
b. Height and Weight Assessment (HT/WT): The Army’s Height and Weight
Assessment measures a Soldier’s Body Fat Percentage to determine if a Soldier meets
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Army Height and Weight standards. Students will conduct two HT/WT Assessments
during FA BOLC-B.
(1) The first HT/WT Assessment will be given within the first five days of the FA
BOLC-B course. The second will be given NLT seven days prior to graduation.
3. Bugle Calls: FT Sill has a series of Bugle Calls that are broadcast over the post’s
public address system. Each Bugle Call has specific meaning and denotes actions for
all FT Sill personnel.
a. First Call: Sounds at 0625, Monday through Friday. Gives a five minute warning
prior to Reveille (start of PT). Students should be in PT Formation at First Call in order
to have the Student Chain of Command collect accountability reports
b. Reveille: Sounds at 0630, seven days a week, and signals the beginning of PT.
During Reveille, Soldiers will stop all activity, face McNair Hall, or the sound, stand at
attention, and present arms (salute).
c. Last Call: Sounds at 0730, Monday through Friday, and signals the end of PT.
Students will not break from PT formation prior to Last Call.
d. Retreat: Sounds at 1700, seven days a week, to signal the end of the duty day.
Soldiers will stop all activity, face McNair Hall, or the sound, and salute the flag during
this time. If driving, soldiers need to safely pull to the shoulder, exit their vehicle, and
salute the flag.
4. Uniform:
b. Duty Uniform will be the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) with the Operational
Camouflage Pattern (OCPs). This uniform is commonly known as ‘multi-cam’, and will
be worn in accordance with AR 670-1. All classes and required activities will be
conducted in the Duty Uniform unless otherwise noted by Cadre.
c. Dress Uniform will be the Army Service Uniform (ASU). ASUs will be worn to
various events during FA BOLC-B, including graduation. Unit awards are annotated in
Annex 1 and Annex 4 of the Welcome Packet. Students will need to purchase the ASU
Service Cap.
d. TA-50 (Field Gear): Students will be issued TA-50 field equipment from the
Central Issue Facility. Students are responsible for maintaining all issued TA-50.
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e. Field Load Carrier (FLC) and Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH: FLC/ACH will be
worn any time Student conduct training in the field. FLC/ACH setups are shown in
Annex 5. No other adjustments or additional accessories are authorized to be worn on
the FLC/ACH.
5. Fort Sill Blue Book: Students will carry a copy, physical or digital, of the FT Sill
Bluebook at all times. Link to the PDF is below
7. Resources:
a. Bluebook: http://sill
www.army.mil/_docs/2017/FT%20Sill%20Bluebook%202017%20(05%20DEC%202017
%20Signed).pdf
b. AR 670-1: https://www.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/337951.pdf
c. AR 600-9: http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/bodyComposition/docs/AR600_9_28-
June-2013.pdf
THOMAS W. STEVENSON
MAJ, FA
Commanding
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DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
BRAVO BATTERY, 1ST BATTALLION, 30TH FIELD ARTILLERY
840 GERONIMO ROAD
FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA 73503
REPLY TO
ATTENTION OF
a. All in processing requires a CAC. To obtain your CAC, you need to take a copy of
your orders to the closest military installation’s DEERS office. To locate the nearest
installation and DEERS office, access the online RAPIDS Appointment Scheduler
(website annotated below on line ‘d’). The RAPIDS Appointment Scheduler is
searchable by zip code. Find the closest facility and make an appointment to obtain
your CAC.
b. The FT Sill DEERS office is located at Building 4700, 4700 Mow-Way Rd, Fort Sill,
OK 73503. Phone: (580) 442-3217
d. Link: https://rapids-
appointments.dmdc.osd.mil/appointment/default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=
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2. Medical:
(1) Periodic Health Assessment (PHA): The PHA is a yearly requirement that
tracks a Soldier’s health and medical issues over the course of their careers. The PHA
is comprised of two parts, an online health survey and an in person medical screening
with a Physician’s Assistant. You must complete the online health survey on your own
time prior to the FA BOLC-B Medical Screening Day.
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(a) Online PHA Survey: Log on to AKO (www.us.army.mil) and access the My
Medical Readiness Tab. In the My Medical Readiness Tab, click on the MEDPROS
link. The MEDPROS link will open the MEDPROS homepage. On the MEDPROS
Homepage find the Periodic Health Assessment (PHA) Survey Link. Click the PHA
Survey Link and follow the instructions to complete the survey.
(a) Location: RAHC, 4301 Wilson St, Fort Sill, OK, 73503,
(4) Dental: All students are required to have dental x-rays on file and a dental
screening conducted. Dental screenings and x-rays have been scheduled for all FA
BOLC-B Students, and is part of the course schedule. You do not need to schedule a
dental screening.
(b) Location: Allen Dental Clinic, 6037 Bessinger St, Fort Sill, OK, 73503,
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(2) Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI): SGLI is a life insurance program
offered by the Department of Defense. Students apply for SGLI in two phases, an
online portion that includes filling out SGLI application forms and an in person
verification.
(3) Department of Defense Form (DD Form) 93: DD Form 93 is the casualty
notification form. The Army will reference this form in order to send a Casualty
Notification Team to your residence to inform your spouse or closest relative of your
status. Students are required to complete DD Form 93 during FA BOLC-B in
processing.
(2) Location: Building 4700, 4700 Mow-Way Rd, Fort Sill, OK, 73503
THOMAS W. STEVENSON
MAJ, FA
Commanding
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MISSION, GOAL, AND 5 REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCURATE PREDICTED FIRE
(4) Cannon, Rocket and Missile Fires. The course will focus
on cannon fires as those skills are transferable to the other
systems.
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b. Goal of the Field Artillery. The Goal of the Field
Artillery is to achieve accurate first round Fire for Effect
(FFE). The goal must be achieved IOT accomplish the mission.
There are several non-preferred options if the goal cannot be
achieved.
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Note: The OS is a very accurate grid marked on the ground by
survey. The OL and EOL are determined by survey and the EOL is
marked as well. Now if you place an aiming circle (survey gear
at the battery level) which has a sight and azimuth scale on
the OS and orient it on the EOL, you now have directional
control and help the howitzers achieve the same.
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Note: Imagine you are throwing baseballs from a bucket to the
catcher. You reach into the bucket, grab a baseball, and throw
it dozens of times with just the right amount of force to reach
the catcher. But someone replaced a baseball with a shot-put
instead. You don’t realize it until after you’ve thrown it, how
far will it go?
ii. Air Density. A larger air density means there are more
particles in a smaller space, which increases friction on the
projectile. The higher the air density the greater reduction in
achieved range. A lower air density provides an increase in
achieved range.
Note: Try running through the subway again, but this time the
number of people is constant. Would it be harder to run through
if everyone was standing still or moving? If everyone is
standing still, then you have to push everyone out of the way
as you go, it slows you down. If everyone is moving, then you
can slip and slide through the crowd easier, you move faster.
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Sometimes someone bumps into you and slows you down, but other
times they bump into you from behind and speed you up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avoqxyyX42w
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FA BOLC B WELCOME LETTER
Welcome to the Fires Center of Excellence/Fort Sill, OK. As you embark on your journey to become a REDLEG here at FA BOLC
B, you will build lifelong friendships, experience several new challenges and encounter an array of unique leadership styles.
One of your primary duties as a newly commissioned officer in the United States Army is to be in the right place, at the right
time, in the correct uniform.
A few of the right places, times and uniforms to be in while snow-birding include:
0630 PT Formation on the south side of Snow Hall in APFUs with a NEON YELLOW PT belt. Be present NLT 0615.
0900 Formation in Summerall Hall Room 31 in neat ACUs/OCPs.
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1st Battalion 30th Field Artillery Regiment
FA BOLC B
Personal Data Sheet
PLEASE PRINT LEGIBILY
Commissioning
Rank: _______ Component:
Source: ROTC USMA SOCS FOCS Other ACTIVE ARNG USAR
Military NG
Schools: ________________________________ ______________ Branch:_______________
State:
(e.g. Airborne/Air Assault/Pathfinder)
Military
Prior Service: Y or N
MOS: ______________ Email: _______________________________________________
OEF: _____ OIF: ____
([email protected])
College or
Type of Degree (circle one): BA or BS
University: ___________________________________
Major: ___________________________________
(Full School Name)
Spouse Spouse Number of
Name: __________________________ Accompanied: Yes No Children: ______
13 12 10 8
9
11 7
3
6 5
3
1
15 4
2 Key Gate 20
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Scott Gate
MAP KEY
1 – Summerall Hall. Designated by the star on the map, this is where B BTRY is located, and it is the first place you want to go when arriving to Fort Sill. This is also where the
Gunnery and Fire Support offices are as well as “Webster Auditorium” where your first day of class will be, ‘Terms and Ammo.’ Additionally, you will be issued Text and Instruments
(T & I) from here before classes start.
2 – IGH Army Hotels Allin or Aultman Hall. The on-post hotel also known as a Holiday Inn. This will be the residence for the majority of you, if you choose. You can stay off post at
your own expense. You will not receive BAH if you are here on TDY orders. Address is 5676 Fergusson Rd, Fort Sill, OK 73503
3 – Acceptable parking areas for class. Any spot that is next to a building or would generally be considered convenient is not for you.
4 – The Pershing Complex – located here is Pershing Hall. This is where you will have the majority of your classes outside of Snow Hall.
5 – Bldg 757 McNair Rd, the 1-30th FA BN building. The S-1 shop is located here. This is where you will bring you DA31 (Leave Form), DA71 (Oath of Office), and orders to be
arrived/attached to the unit.
6 – Snow Hall. The majority of classes will be in this building on the first floor. There is a shopette on the basement floor.
7 – Burleson Hall. This is where the majority of your automated classes will be for Gunnery. You can park in the lot immediately south of the building.
9 – US Post Office. You may rent a mailbox here if you desire, or you may use the hotel’s address to receive mail during your time at Fort Sill.
10 – Commissary
11 – Clothing and Sales. This is where you may purchase uniform items. It is recommended to set up your decorations/awards early for your ASUs.
12 – PX
13 – The UPS Store. Most students will get a mailbox here. It is very affordable and you can double up on boxes. Also at the UPS Store, you can buy what they call the “BOLC”
package, which is a set of laminated sheets and supplies needed for the course. Highly encouraged.
14 – Central Issue Facility. CIF. The front is for bus transportation to use, do not park there.
18 – Fort Sill Welcome Center, Bldg 4700 This is the main building for most Fort Sill related administrative needs. You will go through here for CAC issue, DEERS, Finance, and
Student Records.
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Tips for FA BOLC B Students
-Website for contact information: http://sill-www.army.mil/BOLC-B_1/
-Get CAC (Common Access Card, also known as military ID) prior to checking in with
the Battery. It will help with in-processing and be one less thing to do afterwards. The
CAC/DEERS/ID Card section is part of Bldg 4700, the Welcome Center.
-Get a CAC reader and make sure it works on your computer.
-For verification of dependents in DEERS, bring all supporting documentation, eg. birth
certificate of children, marriage certificate, power of attorney if unaccompanied, etc.
-If you PCS (permanent change of station, not temporary duty or TDY) to Sill, call
Corvias Housing (580) 442-5000 as far ahead of time as possible to get on the wait list
for a house.
-If you are TDY, you are not authorized any family to accompany you. This is why it
says unaccompanied on your orders. There is nothing we can do to change this.
-If requesting PTDY, get it approved from previous post/commander prior to coming to
Fort Sill.
-It is preferred to check in during working hours (0900-1630) if arriving before BOLC
start date. If you arrive on post after the duty day, report to the battery at 0900 the next
duty day.
-Arrive in OCP, do all things on-post during the duty day in OCP.
-Make sure you get your vehicle weighed prior to leaving home or OCS and keep all
receipts.
-Ensure that your DA71 (oath of office) is for ACTIVE DUTY.
-Bring medical and dental records to first day of in-processing.
-The UPS Store sells a “BOLC Package” for incoming students. If you do not wish to
purchase this, then you should at least invest in superfine permanent map markers
(non-permanent rub off too easily, and fine are still too thick for detail), acetate sheets,
alcohol pens, and operational graphics stencil. Make sure to bring a calculator as well.
-Knowing operational terms and graphics ahead of time will help you out tremendously
for applying what you learn in class to your fire support capstone brief, JCATS.
-Prepare physically for ruck marches, the FA HPDT (Field Artillery high physical
demands test), and the Army’s new APFT.
-Have a personal laptop and printer.
-The Army Hotel (Holiday Inn) has free breakfast every morning.
Annex 1
You are required to bring to FA BOLC:
5 x Copies of Orders
5 x Copies of DA Form 31
2 x 428th Field Artillery Brigade patch, OCP
2 x Red, White, and Blue American flag patch, OCP
2 x Subdued American flag patch, OCP
2 x Name Tape, OCP
2 x U.S. Army Tape, OCP
2 x Rank
1 x Service Cap, ASU (DO NOT BUY THE FIELD GRADE OFFICER CAP)
1 x Black Beret, ASU
1 x Set of Unit Awards, ASU
Presidential Unit Citation
Navy Presidential Unit Citation
Valorous Unit Award w/ one bronze oak leaf
Meritorious Unit Commendation w/ two bronze oak leaf
Army Superior Unit Award
1 x Set of Basic Individual Awards, ASU
National Defense Service Medal Ribbon
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Ribbon
Army Service Ribbon
1 x 1-30th unit insignia, ASU
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Annex 2
Additional Resources:
FA BOLC Branch Manager: (502) 613-6113
Army IHG: (580) 355-4475
Supply: (580) 442-0083
CIF: (580) 442-3377
Training Room: (580) 442-3571
Common Core: (580) 442-3950
SHARP Hotline: (580) 917-4277
Housing Service Office: 580-442-5190
EO Hotline: 580-483-6648
Religious Support Office: (580) 442-3302
After hours: (580) 442-3240/3241
EEO: 580-442-4024 / TTY 442-8442
Gate Hours:
Key Gate West (Leads into main post) 24/7
Key Gate East (Leads into BCT side of post) 0500-1400
Scott Gate 0500-2100
Bentley Gate 24/7
Gate 6 (52nd street gate) 0500-1400
Apache Gate (Leads into LETRA) Mon-Fri 0500-2000/ Sat 0600-1600/ Closed
Sun
Chow Hall Hours:
Bamford Chow Hall
o Mon-Sat: 1100-2100; Sun: 1100-2000
Garcia Hall
o Mon-Sat: 1100-2100; Sun: 1100-2000
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Annex 3
Off Limits Areas:
Addiction Ink 1612 Pearlie Drive, Wichita Falls, TX
Apple Run/Deer Park Apartments 2301 NW Williams Avenue, Lawton, OK
Aquarius Massage and Spa 818 SE 2nd Street, Lawton, OK
BS Unlimited 420 SW 59th St., Oklahoma City, OK
Chief’s Smokin’ Icehouse 1315 SW Lee Blvd., Lawton, OK
Club Chameleon (Club Inferno) 2611 Plaza Parkway #304, Wichita Falls, TX
Drew’s Tobacco World 1514 SE 44th Street, Oklahoma City, OK
Eastside Smoke Shop 2005 E. Gore Blvd., Lawton, OK
FatHedz 8912 S. Western, Oklahoma City, OK
Foxy Lady 411 North Scott Ave., Wichita Falls, TX
Gary’s Chicaros Club 3030 N. Grand Street, Enid, OK
Get N Go 813 W. Bois D Arc Ave., Duncan, OK
Getaway Spa and Massage 1901 NW Cache Road, Lawton, OK
Half Price Novelties 2610 Pollard Road, Lawton, OK
Half Price Novelties 2610 1/2 Pollard Road, Lawton, OK
Lynn’s Books, Body Jewelry, Etc. 1904 NW Ferris Ave., Lawton, OK
Massage and Spa 1910 E. Gore Blvd, Lawton, OK
Massage and Spa 3132 NW Cache Road, Lawton, OK
Mr. Coolz 7808 S Western & 3200 N. May Ave. #A, Oklahoma City, OK
Nottingham Realty 502 NW Sheridan Road #1, Lawton, OK
Outter Limits 7092 MacArthur Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK
Pipe Dreamz 107 S. Sooner Road, Oklahoma City
Puff and Stuff 4401 NW Cache Road #A, Lawton, OK
Qwik-N-Go 2213 NW Sheridan Road, Lawton, OK
Sidewinders 24201 Oklahoma 49, Medicine Park, OK
Smitty’s Toot-n-Tote 1309 NW Cache Road, Lawton, OK
Smoke 4 Less 2818 NW Sheridan Road, Lawton, OK
Studio E Club (formerly Village Vanguard) 2400 Sheppard Access Road, Wichita
Falls, TX
The Other Place 605 SW Lee Blvd., Lawton, OK
Tommy’s House of Music 110 East Scott Ave., Wichita Falls, TX
Zagman’s Interesting Gifts 2818 NW Sheridan Road, Lawton, OK
Ziggy’s Smoke Shop 2228 S. Air Depot Blvd. and 924 SW 59th St. Oklahoma City, OK
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Annex 4
Unit patch
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Annex 5
FLC/ACH:
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Gunnery Read Ahead
Section 1: Artillery Expression
Section 2: Introduction to Interpolation
Section 3: Weapon System and Ammunition Familiarity
Answers to Practice Problems
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Section 1: Artillery Expression
You are probably familiar with the term “rounding” in mathematics. In general, the rule is quite simple; if a
number must be rounded, simply take the number to the closest value and accuracy for which you wish to round it.
The only special rule in rounding is that if you are exactly halfway between two values (at 0.5 for example), then
you always round up.
The problem with always rounding up is that it introduces an upward bias. In professions like banking and
artillery, we want to avoid this bias as it can skew results. A visual example is best to explain this principle. Imagine
you are attempting to navigate to a point far away with a compass. Now suppose you run into a small building
which you must go around and you choose to go around it to the right (Figure 1-1).
Figure 1-1
This deviation moves you slightly off course, but probably won’t affect you reaching your end state. But
what if you keep running into obstacles? If your rule is to always take a few steps to the right around every obstacle,
in the long run you will be way off track (Figure 1-2).
ERROR
Always rounding numbers at the halfway point to the higher value produces this same type of error. In order to
avoid this error, artillerymen do not “round,” we “express.” The rule is no different than rounding for values that are
not exactly halfway; however, if I am exactly halfway between two values, then we express to the even value,
instead of always rounding higher. For example, 3.5 expresses to 4 because 4 is an even value. Rounding 3.5 would
give you the same result. But consider 2.5; expressing 2.5 to the nearest whole value provides a final answer of 2,
because 2 is the even value.
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This expression also works for negative numbers. If I were to express -13.55 to the tenths place, my
choices would be -13.5 or -13.6. Because 6 is the even value -13.6 is my expressed value. One strange case is
expressing 0.5 to a whole number. Your options are 0 or 1. Zero is actually an even number, so 0.5 would express to
0. Again, this special rule only applies when numbers are exactly halfway; 1.2 still expresses to 1, 155.7 still
expresses to 156 and so on. Here are a few examples for you to consider:
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Section 2: Introduction to Interpolation
Interpolation is a mathematical method of estimation that is often used to determine a non-listed value that is
between two listed values. There are two kinds of interpolation you should be familiar with: visual interpolation and
mathematical interpolation. Let’s start with visual interpolation.
Visual Interpolation
Visual interpolation is nothing more than estimating, as accurately as the human eye allows, values between
numbers. For example, suppose we have a specialized ruler that represents ranges in meters (Figure 2-1). Notice
that our ruler is labelled every 100 meters and has graduation marks between these labels. If you count the marks
you will realize that each graduation has a value of 20 meters, although they are not labelled. If this is not obvious,
simply count the number of marks from the first labelled value to the second labelled value and divide the
difference in value by the number of marks.
Figure 2-1
9000 9100
At first glance it appears this ruler can only measure accurately to 20m, but what if the value we want to
determine is exactly between two graduation marks? In that case we might be able to guess the value between the
marks fairly accurately to the nearest tens of meters. This is called visual interpolation and we can utilize this
method to measure more accurately (Figure 2-2).
For example, in the figure below we can see the line we are attempting to measure falls between two
graduation marks. We can read the labels (9000m and 9100m) and the graduation marks (every mark = 20m). Based
on the red line’s location, we can visually interpolate and determine in crosses at range 9050m.
9040 9060
Figure 2-2
It is important to note that different rulers are designed to be visually interpolated to a certain accuracy. For
example, on our ruler it is nearly impossible for us to measure to the nearest meter. Every ruler is designed with
labels, graduation marks, and visual interpolation values. Let’s try a few more example and problems.
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Example 1
Notice our new ruler, which measures meters, is labelled every 500m, graduated every 50m (large graduations at
100m, small graduations at 50m), and can be visually interpolated to the nearest 10m.
7000m
6600m
6500m 6550m
6000m
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Try the following problems: SECTION 2A
1. In the figure below there is a pin that is resting against our ruler. What is the reading along the meters scale?
2. What is the reading for the pin along the meters scale?
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3. Notice the outer scale on the new ruler depicted below. If this ruler measures meters and is labelled every
100 meters, how often is it graduated? For the next two problems, assume that you can interpolate to the
nearest 10 meters on this scale:
980m
500m
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5. What is the reading along the meters scale?
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Generally speaking, visual interpolation is the easier of the two forms, but the general principle is the same for
the mathematical determination. Let’s use a simple example to describe the process of mathematical interpolation.
Suppose you are throwing basketballs and someone is counting the shots you make and miss. The person counting
your shots is rather inattentive and only records every few shots. Here is what is recorded:
# of Baskets
Shots Made
2 1
6 3
10 5
According to this chart if you shoot twice, you’ll make one basket and if you shoot six, you’ll make 3, and so on.
The question is, if you shot four times how many baskets would you make? It’s fairly obvious that the answer is two.
You have just mathematically interpolated, you just didn’t realize it. Most likely you realized that 4 is halfway
between 2 and 6, and that 2 is exactly halfway between 1 and 3. The mathematical formulation for this is:
4–2 x
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 1.
=
6−2 3−1
In order to solve for x, we need to set up a ratio of the differences (inside over outside). Your ratio should look like
this:
2 𝑥
=
4 2
x, Therefore x = 1
We don’t quite yet have our final answer, however. The x is the difference between 1 and the number we are
looking for, so we have to add the x to the 1 (baskets made). Since 1+1=2, the number of baskets made with 4 shots
is 2.
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This is generally the easiest method to mathematically interpolate. Simply follow five steps: 1) record the numbers
in two columns that you are interested in, 2) determine the differences in values as depicted, 3) set the ratios equal
to each other inside over outside, 4) solve for x, 5) add the value for x back to the original value on the top right side
of your columns.
Note: You must artillery express (see Section 1: Artillery Expression) the value you determine for x to the appropriate
accuracy of the extracted column before adding it back in. In order to understand this, let’s use the basketball scenario
again. This time, try to figure out how many baskets you would have made had you attempted 7 shots.
Just by inspection we can see that the math will probably work out to a decimal answer,
but it is impossible to make fractions of a shot! I either make it or I do not. The way we
avoid nonsense answers like this is by expressing when I determine my value for the x.
Let’s see how this works:
6 3
1 X
4 7 ???? 2
10 5
So, what does our ration look like? Inside over outside:
1 𝑥
=
4 2
x, Therefore x = 0.5
Here is where the problem lies. If I add 0.5 to 3 I will determine 3.5 shots made, but this is impossible. I am only
allowed to make whole numbers of shots. Because the column on the right is accurate to the whole number, I must
express my x value to a whole number before adding it back in. Another way of stating this is that I am not
allowed to add a more accurate number than the table allows. In this case 0.5 expresses to 0 (exactly halfway, 0 is
an even number), therefore my x=0, 3+0=3. My final answer, after interpolating, is I will have made 3 baskets
with 7 attempted shots.
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Try the following problems: SECTION 2B
# of Baskets
Shots Made
2 1
6 3
10 5
3. A golfer has only practiced his even numbered irons while on the range. Provided below is the club he hits
and the range he can achieve with that club. How far can he hit his 5 iron?
4. How far can he hit is 3 iron?
Club Distance
4 Iron 217 Yards
6 Iron 194 Yards
8 Iron 170 Yards
5. A cannon is engaging targets at various ranges in meters. The first column lists these ranges, the second
column lists the Times of Flight associated with firing projectiles at that range. If you fire a projectile at
1650m, what will the time of flight be?
Time of
Range Flight
1600m 5.3
1700m 5.6
1800m 6.0
6. What is the Time of Flight from question 5 expressed to the whole second?
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Section 3: Weapon System and Ammunition Familiarity
During your period of instruction (POI) you will be introduced to many different kinds of weapon systems and
ammunition. It is highly recommended that you memorize as many nomenclatures and facts about each howitzer,
propellant, projectile, and fuze as possible; you will be introduced to may more later on, so familiarity with the
various nomenclatures will significantly improve your experience during the first few weeks of class. You are going
to be flooded with information and the better prepared you are now, the easier it will be.
I. Howitzers
a. 105mm Howitzers
b. 155mm Howitzers
35
II. Ammunition
a. Propellants
i. MACS Charges
b. Projectiles
ii. M107 High Explosive (HE)
36
b. Fuzes
iv. Point Detonating (PD)
37
vi. Electronic Time (ET)
38
Answers to Practice Problems
39