Emplacing, Firing, and March Ordering an M109A1 Howitzer: Tasks and Task Times

If there is ever a conflict in Europe between NATO forces and current threat forces, crews operating weapon systems might be forced to fight around the clock for up to 8 consecutive days. To assess the effects of prolonged continuous operations on crew performance, the Fort Sill Field Unit has developed a computer-based simulation model. One major component of this model is a task library. The task library, which will differ depending upon the weapon system being simulated, contains a definition of each task required to operate a weapon and numerical values for relevant task parameters, including the minimum, average, and maximum time required to perform the task. This report describes the development of a task library for the M109A1 155mm self-propelled howitzer, the weapon system chosen as the test bed for the research effort on continuous operations.