MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- The gunner barks, "hanging on one!" In mere seconds, a round sails through the air before hammering the earth, creating a fiery blast that sends tremors several hundred yards away.
The leftover crater is the thumbprint of the 60 mm mortar - an infantry mainstay for taking out pockets of fighters or other enemy assets.
"Ground-pounders" from Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, recently honed their indirect fire skills using the mortar weapon at Range MP-2. The firing drills are intended to instill "muscle memory," so that when rounds start coming downrange, the warriors will know exactly how to perform, said 2nd Lt. Jeremy P. Buker, Weapons platoon commander for Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.
"During combat, everything is different from when you train, but the basics stick with you," Buker added.
The battalion conducted the training in support of their upcoming deployment to Egypt in support of Operation Bright Star.
On this training day, the warriors concentrated on two methods of fire - direct lay and direct alignment. The first targets a visible enemy; the second involves relying on forward observers to spot the enemy. The forward observer calculates distance and angle to pinpoint where the blast will strike.
Most of the warriors are Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans. Although many have their own story to tell, jittery moments are a common denominator. They know what it's like to fire mortars - and to receive fire from enemy mortars.
"When mortar rounds are raining from the sky, all you're concerned with is getting the rounds out faster," said Lance Cpl. Josh P. Laine, an assistant gunner with Weapons Plt. "You're far more concerned with the fact that you're being shot at, so it comes down to natural instinct."
"When you're being attacked by mortars, all you're worried about is where the next one will hit," added Lance Cpl. Craig C. Bell, a gunner with Weapons Plt.
The Marines acknowledge many servicemembers have been wounded from enemy mortar fire. Nonetheless, they say the enemy in Iraq basically is taking shots in the dark.
"They're lucky if they hit anything most of the time. They hastily run out into the street with their mortars and fire off one or two rounds before running away and hiding to avoid being hit by our fire," said Cpl. Tuan D. Dao, 20, a section leader for Weapons Plt. from Eagan, Mass.