High Angle Hell Oct. 11

So I joined the right MOS apparently. I am the Mortar stud not just of 4th platoon, but of Alpha Company as a whole.

Mortar week was spent entirely in the field with Monday - Thursday spent learning the various tasks that we would be tested on on the gunner's exam.

Monday we spent the entire day learning about the 81mm mortar system and how to place it into action and care for it. My team, gun 17 averaged Expert time so we ended the day very confident about what we learned.

Tuesday was the most important day of our training as we learned how to do small and large deflections and elevation changes. Small deflections are very easy, in fact I set a company record of gun up in 6 seconds during a speed round, and the cadre who had done the demonstration got theirs up in 7. That 6 second time was due to a fluke though but I averaged about 14 seconds, with expert time being 20. Large deflections were a different story though, 95% of us couldn't even get the gun up in 75 seconds for standard 11c time, let alone the 55 seconds for expert, but our cadre reassured us we'd get better as we learned how to move the gun more effectively.

Wednesday involved lots and lots of running, with refer and realign aiming posts and reciprocal lay being canned. Refer and Realign includes basically shifting your aiming poles and the centering the gun and doing a large deflection back onto the poles. I won't go into the finer points. Reciprocal lay is a process I won't go into but ends with the guns all aiming the same way. Reciprocal lay is ridiculously easy, Expert time is 55 seconds, standard 11c time is 115 seconds and I averaged about 30 seconds.

Thursday marked our gunner's exam, the qualification we need to be designated 11cs, mortarmen. Hopes were high and nerves were jumpy as we lined up in out gun crews. I was nominated to go first since I'm the fastest gunner. A word about the gunner's exam first though, it consists of 5 events, small deflection, large deflection, refer and realign aiming posts, reciprocal lay, and place mortar into action. Gunners are graded on a point scale based on time, Expert time and under is always worth 10 points. You perform each event twice so the max score is 100, 70 to qualify and 90 for expert. You also got a practice attempt at each event, and could keep that time if you wish, but you had to take your next time as well.

The first small deflection went out. 23 seconds, 3 away from Expert. I didn't take it. Completed next two both in 19 seconds for a total of 20/90 needed for expert. Everyone was nervous about large deflections, especially after a 59 second first attempt, 1 second away from a no go. Obviously I dropped that time and attempted to shake it off. My next two times surprised even me, 20 and 25 seconds, both company records and well within 35 seconds Expert time. 40/90 points for Expert.

Refer and Realign Aiming Posts was completed with times of 45 seconds and 49 seconds, expert time was 55 seconds. 60/90 points. Reciprocal lay was more free expert points, as the time allotted is ridiculous, 55 seconds for Expert. My times were 30 seconds and 35 seconds. 80/90 points with one event left.

Placing the mortar into action was unique in that if you got Expert on the first attempt, you didn't need to do it again. It counted twice. 55s was Expert time, and led to nerves. I got 55 seconds exactly, for a grade total of 100/100, a perfect score, one of only 8 in the entire company of 218. Friday we live fired the 60mm and will live fire the 81mm and for Experts, the 120mm on Monday and Tuesday.

Saturday we had a company competition on the mortars, with the fastest gun team from each platoon wining a 5 hour Main Post pass to see a movie of their choice. Myself, Arvin, and Triplett were the winning team from 4th platoon and went to see Zombieland. More on that later though.