Forward observers in the U.S. military
Forward observers in the U.S. Army hold the Military Occupational Specialty of 13F for enlisted and 13A for officers designating them as members of the field artillery corps.
After completion of basic combat training, enlisted soldiers attend an eleven-week course (AIT) on the fundamentals of call-for-fire techniques as well as general field craft and small unit tactics at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
[3] Combat observation lasing teams (COLTs) are a sub-specialization within the Army's 13F career field which train in the directing of long-range fire such as rocket-assisted artillery or GPS guided munitions like the 155 mm Excalibur series weaponry.
They have a secondary spotting-reconnaissance capability and are trained to operate with other unconventional forces such as sniper and scout teams for long periods of time with minimal support.
Since 2003 the U.S. Army has also used the RQ-7B Shadow unmanned aircraft, flown by soldiers in the 15W MOS, in Iraq and Afghanistan for artillery correction, close air support and reconnaissance.
As early as 1921 the United States Marine Corps identified naval gunfire as one of the six key elements for amphibious operations.
NGLOs can also be assigned to air naval gunfire liaison companies (ANGLICO), or the various marine expeditionary force or division headquarters staff.
[9] Specific training consists of the Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer Course, a five-week resident course taught in Coronado, California.
Although the U.S. Air Force has no formal forward observer training of its own, members of the special tactics community are generally required to have a basic familiarity with techniques of call for fire and artillery spotting in addition to their normal duties.
Students who graduate this course will be able to request, control, and adjust mortar, field artillery, and naval gunfire support; provide targeting information for A-10, AC-130, and other close air support (CAS) aircraft, terminal guidance operations, initial terminal guidance operations, SOF gunship call for fire, close combat attack and joint fire-support planning at the company level.
[11] JFOs in the Army and Marine Corps are typically officers or enlisted forward observers or special operations personnel who are awarded the L7 additional skill identifier.
