Job Title
TAFT Instructor – Joint Fire Support (13F)
Why IDS?
IDS believes in resolving conflict, building innovative approaches to do so. Combining operational expertise with an intimate understanding of today’s greatest challenges, we bring our customers the solutions required for success in a complex and multidimensional world. IDS tailors solutions for a diverse range of government, military, nonprofit, and public sector clients.
Locations
Iraq
Job Description
The TAFT Joint Fire Support Instructor is responsible for delivering comprehensive instruction on forward observer duties, target intelligence gathering, fire mission initiation, adjustment procedures, and fire support planning in support of the Artillery Officers Basic Training Course (AOBTC). This role provides advanced training in identifying, locating, and designating targets using digital and manual methods, and prepares students to effectively integrate indirect fires into combined-arms operations.
Instruction includes hands on training with map systems, GPS based tools, terrain analysis, laser target designation equipment (when available), and communications platforms used to coordinate fires across mortar, artillery, and air to ground assets. The instructor ensures that students understand and can apply doctrinal call for fire procedures, target refinement techniques, and fire support synchronization within maneuver operations.
Key Duties
• Provide advanced instruction on identifying enemy positions, vehicles, threats, and battlefield indicators to develop accurate and timely target intelligence.
• Train students in multiple target location methods including terrain association, map plotting, GPS calculation, laser rangefinding, and manual resection.
• Teach doctrinal call for fire procedures for both precision and area fires, including message format, method of engagement, method of fire and control, and round adjustment.
• Deliver instruction on artillery and mortar adjustment techniques, teaching students to refine rounds onto target through deviation corrections, bracketing, and refinement methods.
• Instruct on proper setup and operation of communications systems, including radios, data equipment, encryption procedures, and secure message transmission for fire missions.
• Provide applied training on fire support planning, integrating fires for infantry, armor, reconnaissance, and combined arms units to enhance operational effects.
• Deliver practical training on the use of laser target designators (when available), marking techniques, line of sight considerations, and target designation safety.
• Facilitate scenario driven training events that simulate realistic fire support operations, testing student ability to process fire missions under time sensitive and high stress conditions.
• Conduct written assessments, performance evaluations, and after action reviews (AARs) to measure student understanding and guide improvement.
Requirements
• Five (5) years of experience in an operational artillery or mortar unit.
• Served as a US Army MOS 13F or USMC MOS 0861.
• Thorough knowledge of Iraqi MoD artillery systems, including the 120mm mortar, M198, and M109A5.
Questions?