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OMNA International Newsletter

April 2012

In This Issue
Shooting Tip 60mm
Thought of the Month
Sustaining Armies
Chief of Ordnance
6th Maine
Shooting Tip of the Month 

 

60mm Boresighting 

  

60mm Direct Fire

 

 

Well here's a tip you won't find in the manuals!
 
Everybody knows that mortars are muzzle-loaded, drop-fire, high-angle, indirect-fire weapons.  So most "shooters" don't pay them much attention.
 
The M224 60mm mortar though, has a trigger-fire option!
 
Even so, most mortarmen are never taught how to effectively shoot direct-fire with the mortar.
 
Now I'm not talking about direct-lay of the mortar, which every mortarman is taught.  Nor am I talking about direct-fire from the handheld mode by propping the assault baseplate against a sandbag on a wall or a tree, which most mortarmen have figured out.
 
I'm talking about providing accurate direct-fire with the mortar for shooting through upper-story windows or even for attacking vehicles on the move or helicopters in flight.
 
Here's how to do it...
 
Using the M-64 sight assembly, set the deflection to 3200.  Then index 0800 mils using the course elevation scale and the fine elevation knob.
 
Then unlock the telescope cam lever and tilt the telescope all the way back so that it is running parallel to the mortar tube, then relock it in place.
 
Now when you look through the telescope, you should be looking in a straight line parallel to the bore of the tube, about 8 inches to the left of the centerline.  This is the same procedure so far as you would use to measure mask and overhead clearance.
 
So set the mortar to trigger fire, and load an illumination round on charge 1.   Look through the telescope, and manipulate elevation and deflection of the tube to aim in on the top of a pine tree or some other target at mask at least 100 yards away.  When you're on-target, have the A-Gunner squeeze the trigger, and then watch the round to see how close to the target it flies.  Then make minor adjustments (if needed) to your sight to match where the round hit the target, and you can consider yourself zeroed!
 
For longer shots up beyond a 10th floor window, increase the charge.  Experiment a bit and you can hit quite accurately.
 
For moving targets like vehicles or helicopters, collapse the bipod legs and hold them with your left hand as you get your sight picture.  Apply a little lead as necessary and fire.
 
SAFETY NOTE:  Be vary careful if using HE rounds at upper elevations.  You can imagine what would happen if you fired an HE round at 1600 mils elevation and missed!
 
So there...how's that for a change from the same old boring pistol and rifle stuff!

 

 

 

 

Shooting tips every month!

 

 

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Greetings!

 

Thank you for your interest in OMNA International.  Our monthly newsletter provides an update on our latest adventures in leadership development and other related efforts aimed at building a culture of watchfulness and preparedness.  We'll also provide some ideas on a variety of topics which we hope you find useful as you lead those entrusted to your care.  

Ah the tyranny of time!  Yes, we know it's May already, but we've been kind of busy lately.  On 30 April and 01 May, we had a great staff ride of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville with some new friends from XVIII Airborne Corps.  Next week we're heading out to L-580 in Gettysburg, then South Canyon, then Gettysburg for USNA, and now the SEALs want a staff ride too!  
 
Looking forward to a busy summer season!

  
Semper Fidelis,

OMNA International

 

Thought of the Month:  

 Holmes 

"Young man, make the most of the scraps of time."

 

Oliver Wendell Holmes

 

Quoted by Douglas Southall Freeman in a 1949 speech on Leadership

 

  

  

Sustaining Armies on the Rappahannock

 

On 30 April and 01 May, OMNA participated in a staff ride for the 82nd Sustainment Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps.   COL Chris Sharpsten, the Brigade Commander and his staff drove up to Fredericksburg from Fort Bragg NC to study leadership and operational logistics during the Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville campaigns of 1862-1863.    One conference group is shown below at Chatham Manor overlooking the northern crossing sites on the Rappahannock.  A photo of the whole staff near the Kirkland Monument at the base of Marye's Heights is posted to our Facebook page.

Stand 1 

 

Chief of Ordnance 

Welcome to Pete Whitenack as our new Chief of Ordnance, shown here with some of his latest research.  Pete will be joining us for L-580 in Gettysburg 8-10 May; for those at L-580 you can ask him about all these great finds...

Pete 

 


 6th Maine at Fredericksburg
 
Here's a photo we found of a company from the 6th Maine at Fredericksburg.  All that leadership and  "sustainment of armies" we discuss in our staff rides comes down to creating conditions for the success of folks like this, whether they are Firefighters, Law Enforcement Officers, Soldiers, Sailors, or Marines.
 
6th Maine 
 

About OMNA International

 

OMNA International provides support services for leaders with vision and good moral character.  If you are such a leader, or would like to become one, we invite you to explore our website to learn what we can offer your organization.  We are retired U.S. Marines with a good deal of pragmatic experience in developing leaders for organizations with a bias for action.  We thank you for your interest, and hope that we can be of service to you and the organization you lead.

  

OMNA International

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http://www.TheOMNA.com

 

 

 

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