Is becoming an artillery crew member right for me?
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How to become an Artillery Crew Member
In the United States, artillery crew members are usually soldiers or marines that need to undergo Basic Combat Training before going to Advanced Military Training that is specific to their military occupation.
Potential candidates must graduate from the Army's Basic Training, which takes 10 weeks; whereas Marine Corps Basic Training takes 12 weeks. After successfully completing the basic training, they are directed to advanced training according to the military occupation of choice. See also Army ROTC and Navy or Marine ROTC.
In the case of artillery crew members, they undergo intense and demanding field artillery training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Almost every country with a powerful military has a field artillery training course that teaches candidates the basics of artillery gun operation and artillery combat tactics. After finishing specific artillery training, artillery crew members are assigned to their crews and units, where they begin their active duty military service.
Artillery crew members need to possess qualities such as mental toughness to cope with rapidly changing combat situations, physical endurance, attention to detail, especially when inputting target coordinates, excellent communication and teamwork abilities. They must also possess some degree of technical knowledge to make small gun repairs on the field during missions when large scale military equipment replacement may not be immediately possible.