Forward observers in the U.S. military are artillery observers who carry the Military Occupational Specialty designator of 13F in the United States Army and 0861 in the United States Marine Corps. They are officially called … See more

The U.S. Navy has a small corps of Naval gunfire liaison officers trained to provide observation and correction of naval gunfire in support of Army … See more

The joint fires observer (JFO) course is a two-week course which provides select personnel from all branches of the military with standardized training to engage targets with joint fires through the detailed integration with TACs and fire support teams (FSTs). … See more

• Former Action Guys Podcast
• Forward observers in Vietnam See more

The requirements for USMC observers are nearly identical to their Army counterparts. They attend training at Fort Sill, are required to obtain a secret security clearance, and are generally assigned as specialist members of larger combat units or specialized units … See more

Although the U.S. Air Force has no formal forward observer training of its own, members of the special tactics community are generally required to have a basic familiarity with techniques of call for fire and artillery spotting in addition to their normal duties. The … See more

• George P. Hays, Medal of Honor recipient
• John R. Fox, Medal of Honor recipient (posthumous) See more