Field Artillery Team
Modern field artillery (i.e., post-World War I) has two distinct parts: some forward observers (FOs), and the batteries. Each battery is divided into the fire direction center (FDC) and the actual guns themselves.
The FOs sit forward where they can see the targets and call fire upon them. They signal the FDC of the battery, who calculate the gun settings, telling on to the gun crews, who then fire. The FO observes the fall of shot and sends correcting signals.
The batteries are many kilometres behind the FEBA, so one might hope well away from enemy infantry. They pick a "convenient" location where they can sit for some while and do multiple fire missions before needing to relocate.
In normal operations the FOs locate targets and signal them to the FDCs.
They can also calculate "defensive fire" tasks. These are pre‑planned missions, typically just in front of or upon one's own positions, designed with the intention of either suppressing potential attacks (where fire is dropped just in front of friendly positiona), or in dropping fire on a recently abandoned or overrun position to prevent the enemy from consolidating there. Because the calculations have already been done, the fire can be called down very quickly when it is needed.
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