Manually carrying an 8 inch round from one battery to another is hyperbole. The manual calls for two-man lift on that round. However, as the Fire Direction Officer of an M109A1 battery, I routinely had the gun section chiefs cross level projectile types across the battery. This could cause soldiers to pick up the roughly 90-100 pound projectiles and carry them 250 yards from one end of the battery to the other. Some would carry two, most would carry one. Current tactics are very different.MeMelYup wrote:That may be, but can they hump a 204 lb of HE round a hundred yards from battery 1 to battery 4 during a fire for effect? Been there and it is no fun. Especially with a center battery running low because they are firing the ranging rounds and need to borrow from other guns while the ammo people are getting another load of ammo.Breny414 wrote:Jago668, I understand the point. I do believe there is an ample supply of women who can... just a belief. whether or not recruiters ("your recruiter lied to you, son") will make sure the individual is qualified is another matter.
FWIW, I wasn't in infantry and I didn't want anything to do with infantry. when I got my orders and they said 3rd Infantry Division I was pretty bummed because I didn't know any better. Wound up in an artillery battalion. And I have no doubt that women can do that... cut the powder, pull the lanyard, etc, etc.
Current tactics on loading are still very similar. The M109A6 Paladin fires 4 rounds a minute for 4 minutes then 1 round a minute. The loader (#1 man in my day) has to pick up the projectile from the floor of the cab to about chest height in order to lay it in the loading tray. That's lifting about 100 pounds from the floor to chest height 16 times in 4 minutes.
As a Pershing missile platoon leader, I had women 15E soldiers. They could not keep up with the male soldiers in the physical task of preparing the missiles for launch. We found it most efficient to relegate the females to the less strenuous tasks. This part is the same with male soldiers. We assign the work to those who can do it best. I prefer that all my soldiers be able to perform all the tasks required. We were able to overcome creating shower schedules and managing the co-ed barracks. I did, however, send two female soldiers back the States when they chose to be discharged due to pregnancy.
Saying women can't do the job is too broad a statement. There are many aspects of field artillery for which men are better suited. On example is loading the 155mm howitzers.
The field artillery celebrates Molly Pitcher and Saint Barbara. One of my daughters served a hitch in the Army. I have led women in combat arms in Germany during the cold war. We can make it work. I would prefer that all my soldiers be required to achieve the same performance in all aspects of their Military Occupational Specialty. Bottom line is the Army will follow orders and make it work. This does not make the orders right. It is simply that the Army excels at adapting and overcoming.
2/19 FA, 1CD
1/81FA, 56FA BDE (Pershing)
FA School Instructor, Weapons Department
Pershing Missile Force Integration Staff Officer
2/27 FA, 3AD
4/133 FA, 49AD
National Guard Regional Training Institute Artillery Instructor
