Field Manual 3-09

Field Manual 3-09
Name	Field Manual 3-09
Caption	U.S. Army field manual on fires and artillery
Country	United States
Subject	Artillery, fires, air defense
Publisher	Department of the Army
Language	English
Published	Various editions

Field Manual 3-09 is a United States Army doctrinal manual addressing fires, artillery, air defense artillery, and related fire support functions. It synthesizes tactical procedures, technical standards, and organizational guidance for Army units, bridging concepts used by U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, U.S. Department of the Army, and joint partners such as United States Air Force, United States Navy, and Marine Corps. The manual supports interoperability with coalition forces including North Atlantic Treaty Organization, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia while reflecting lessons from operations in theaters like Iraq War, War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), and contingencies involving United States European Command and United States Central Command.

Overview

Field Manual 3-09 offers doctrinal principles for planning, coordinating, and delivering fires across combined arms formations; it interfaces with procedures promulgated by Joint Chiefs of Staff, NATO Standardization Office, and service publications from Royal Artillery and French Army. The manual covers roles for units such as 101st Airborne Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 3rd Infantry Division, and fire-support elements attached to corps like III Corps and XVIII Airborne Corps. It provides standardized formats used by systems including Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System, Fire Support Command and Control Vehicle, and platforms such as M777 howitzer, M109 Paladin, and HIMARS.

History and Development

Development of the manual draws on institutional experience dating to the artillery practices of the American Civil War, tactical evolutions seen in the Battle of Normandy, and doctrinal shifts after the Gulf War (1990–1991). Contributors have included staff officers from U.S. Army Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, analysts from RAND Corporation, and operational commanders from V Corps and I Corps. Influences also came from multinational studies such as those by NATO Allied Command Transformation and historical analyses like works referencing Erwin Rommel and Gustavus Adolphus. Revisions incorporated lessons from urban engagements in Fallujah and counterinsurgency operations in Helmand Province.

Doctrine and Content

The manual delineates doctrinal tenets connecting targeting, counterfire, suppression, and coordination with aerial assets like MQ-9 Reaper, AH-64 Apache, and fixed-wing platforms from United States Air Force. It articulates procedures for integration with capabilities from United States Marine Corps Aviation, Royal Air Force, and coalition strike packages including those orchestrated by Combined Joint Task Force 82. Topics include fire support coordination measures used during operations under commanders such as General David Petraeus, liaison roles exemplified by historical leaders like General George S. Patton in combined arms contexts, and technical parameters aligned with standards from Association of the United States Army and Institute of Land Warfare.

Organization and Structure

Structurally, the manual is organized into chapters and appendices that mirror staff functions across echelons from brigade combat teams like 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division to corps-level artillery headquarters such as Eighth United States Army. It prescribes formats for firing tables and target folders analogous to documents used by units including 82nd Airborne Division and 10th Mountain Division. The structure supports interoperability with command posts such as Theater Sustainment Command and coordination nodes like Joint Fires Cell, facilitating liaison with partners like U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command and multinational contingents including ISAF elements.

Operational Use and Training

Operational employment guided by the manual has been practiced in exercises such as Operation Atlantic Resolve, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014), and multinational drills like Exercise Saber Strike and Exercise Defender Europe. Training institutions including U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, National Training Center (Fort Irwin), and Joint Readiness Training Center integrate the manual into scenarios featuring units from 82nd Airborne Division, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, and allied formations from Poland and Germany. The manual underpins certification standards for fire support specialists and observers akin to courses taught at Fort Sill and combined training events with partners such as Australian Defence Force and Canadian Army.

Revision and Publication History

Publication cycles for the manual have reflected doctrinal reviews by entities including U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and policy guidance from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Amendments have tracked technological change exemplified by systems like Counter-battery Radar and command-and-control suites such as Blue Force Tracker. Editions referenced operational lessons from commanders like General Martin Dempsey and debates in forums including Congressional Armed Services Committee. Subsequent updates continue to align with joint doctrine promulgated by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and multinational interoperability frameworks led by NATO.

Category:United States Army publications