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My name is Bombadier Danny Compton; I’m a field artillery soldier.
As an artillery soldier, we provide support for our forward combat roles, infantry and armoured, by providing indirect fire.
The artillery is not guns, as such. It’s a large weapon, it’s a howitzer.
My specific job is as an artillery technician.
I work at the observation posts as an OP tech, where I assist the forward observation officer to pick grids for targets on the ground.
The data we extract from the maps and the ground, we send it to the command post, where it is processed into gun data.
In my job, there’s a lot of technical work. When I’m in the field, there's a lot challenges there,
timings that you need to meet, high expectations from your seniors and COs and officers.
The seven positions on the gun are: Number One is the boss in command of the gun. He maintains control of whatever goes on within the gun.
He receives the data from the command post and distributes it to the Number Two and Number Three. The Number Two works the elevation.
The Number Three works the bearing sight. Between the two of them, they lay the gun on so that it can be fired.
The Number Four is the loader: He loads the ammunition into the barrel and fires the gun.
The Number Five is a general duties-type person. He works around the outside of the gun, doing odd jobs.
The Number Six is the driver: he controls the vehicle when moving from point A to point B.
And the Number Seven is the Det. 2IC, detachment second-in-command.
He takes care of the ammunition and keeps track of how many rounds and how much ammunition has been spent during the day.
My job does involve teaching. Being at the Royal Canadian Artillery School, we do a lot of training here for students.
I instruct on LAV-driver courses, which is the light armour vehicle three, the new vehicle the Canadian Forces has just purchased.
The type of person who would enjoy what I do is somebody who is physically fit and can handle pressure.
If you’re coming out of the high school and looking for a career in the military, you have to want to be here.
It’s like any other job—if you don’t like your job, then you don’t want to be here. Because once you get out here, it’s not easy to change.
Team cohesion, working well together and getting along with one another—very vital.
If you don’t get along with your teammates, how do you know he’s going to back you up if you need him?
The average income would be between thirty-five thousand and forty-five thousand a year.
There’s a ten-week basic training period followed by an eleven-week trades training period.
After that, you’re distributed out to the regiments or sent to the RCA School.
To find information on the field artillery soldier, go to the web page for the forces, www.forces.gc.ca. It’s very up-to-date, and it has a wide variety of information.
I find my job rewarding and important. Important because I’m in control in the back, and the rounds that I let go down-range could affect somebody else’s life on the other end.