MCWP 3-16.1 Artillery Operations.pdf - Marine Corps Community ...

3-4 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ MCWP 3-16.1
the commander and his staff, and the requirements
for coordination between sections.
Traffic within the position should be held to a
minimum and controlled. Vehicles should be
stopped at a dismount point and directed to a
vehicle dispersal area. Foot traffic should be
restricted to prescribed trails or paths. A local
telephone should be connected from the dismount
area to the switchboard.
The COC (FDC, TPC and intelligence section)
should be located in an area outside the normal
traffic flow of other activities. The COC should be
marked for “authorized entry only.”
The message center should be at the entrance of
the position accessible to incoming messengers.
A switchboard should be located to install wire.
It should be in a covered area, away from noise
and interference, and must be protected from
threat attack.
The aid station should be near a road or trail for
rapid reception and evacuation of patients.
Sleeping areas should be established by section.
The messing facility must be easily accessible
within the position. It should be near a road to
facilitate supply.
Occupying the Position
The objective of the occupation phase of RSOP
is to prepare to deliver fire. Individual units of
the regiment are extremely vulnerable during this
phase. Thus, the occupation must be rapid,
orderly, and quiet. Occupations are enhanced by
a well-established SOP, training, and a wellprepared
position.
Actions Upon Arrival of the Forward Combat
Operations Center
● A guide is sent to a prearranged pick-up point
to guide the FWD COC into position. The
guide should possess a radio tuned to the
convoy frequency—typically the battery
command net.
● As the FWD COC passes through the pick-up
point, the guide will lead the first FWD vehicle
to the COC site where it will be placed in position
by the S-3 advance party representative.
● Other FWD vehicles will be met at the pick-up
point by the headquarters battery commander
and communication Marines to guide the
remaining vehicles to their respective positions.
Precautions must be exercised to prevent
a choke-point resulting in a lucrative
target for the threat.
● Focus of effort is establishing an operational
COC. All personnel must share this understanding
and assist in this endeavor.
● The headquarters battery commander completes
individual vehicle positioning.
Passage of Command and Control
Once an operational COC has been established,
the S-3A or S-3 at the FWD COC will initiate
the passage of C2 from the main COC to the
FWD CP.
At a minimum, the following nets will be established
by the FWD COC before passage of C2:
● Division Fire Support Coordination—Div FSC
(very high frequency [VHF]).
● Artillery Regiment Fire Direction—Arty Regt
FD (VHF).
● Artillery Regiment Tactical—Arty Regt TAC
(VHF).
The following is one technique for passage of C2:
(FWD) “__the Marines, This is __th Marines
FWD, over”
(Main) “This is __th Marines, Roger, over”
(FWD) “Are there any updates at this time?
over”
(Main) “Updates are as follows...”)