Naval gunfire liaison officer

The mission was defined during World War II amphibious warfare, and these personnel remain an important coordination point for effective utilization of naval guns by troops ashore.

United States Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Earl Ellis 1921 prediction of Pacific island warfare with Japan prompted publication of a Tentative Manual for Landing Operations in 1934.

Infantry officers were surprised by the inability of flat trajectory naval guns to hit targets behind low hills; and the relatively wide distribution of fall of shot along the axis of fire sometimes endangered friendly troops behind or in front of the target.

NGLOs can also be assigned to air naval gunfire liaison companies (ANGLICO), or the various marine expeditionary force or division headquarters staff.

Specific training consists of the Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer Course, a five-week resident course taught in Coronado, California.