"Missile Away!" Have any of you gotten to live fire at a missile range?

2015-07-15T15:55:53-04:00

Being an old Lance Missile Crewman (MOS 15D/13N) we could not fire on two many bases. Stateside was White Sands next to Fort Bliss, and overseas there was several locations: Crete, Greece, Sardinia, Italy, Hebrides Islands Scotland. I got to live fire with my Italian counterparts on the beaches of Sardinia. A more beautiful beach I have never seen, and no one was there. that was in 1988. Has anyone else got to shoot off into big blue?

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Jul 15 at 2015 6:14 PM

2015-07-15T18:14:42-04:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jks1M7UGQAc

This is what shooting from Greece was like.

Lance Missile System Live Fire (2nd Launch)

Lance Missile System-Field Artillery-Live Missile Fire-at Crete-Greece.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Jul 15 at 2015 6:16 PM

2015-07-15T18:16:42-04:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik6Kp-7h7GI The Brits shooting from the Islands off Scotland

Lance missile firing

Footage of last live firing camp for the British army with the lance missile. This particular mission was with 3 missiles firing at the same target with laun...

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Jul 15 at 2015 6:18 PM

2015-07-15T18:18:45-04:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYwJXGbTQ08 For those of you who are old school here is Lance way back before my time. Vintage footage. It was definitely low technology.

MGM-52 Lance Missile System

*** THIS FILM WAS MADE MY THE US GOVERNMENT AND IS PUBLIC DOMAIN *** The LANCE was a mobile field artillery tactical missile system used to provide both nucl...

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Jul 15 at 2015 6:22 PM

2015-07-15T18:22:36-04:00

Now this is Old School: The Honest John System
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nIGNezTQH8

Honest John Rocket

The U.S. Army's Honest John rocket (762mm Rocket MGR-1B (M50) Honest John)

Response by COL Charles Williams made Jul 15 at 2015 8:31 PM

2015-07-15T20:31:34-04:00

CW3 Kevin Storm Yes, but not the types you are referring to... a 90mm recoilless, a Law and AT (rockets), and Dragon and a TOW... I always wanted to try a Javelin...

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2015 11:03 PM

2015-07-15T23:03:11-04:00

I have to admit my range highlight is shooting aerial gunnery out of a Chinook.

Response by CPL Karin Knartzer made Jul 16 at 2015 11:48 PM

2015-07-16T23:48:47-04:00

I did not get to. I do believe that it was only fired once since this was fairly large and it was fired in Florida.

Response by SSG(P) D. Wright Downs made Jul 18 at 2015 12:57 PM

2015-07-18T12:57:21-04:00

I was at a Pershing P1A missile test at the Cape in Florida with Charlie 1/41. Was the first Perfect for the BN. don't remember the year--was between 77-81. Brown was the 1SG--what an unpleasant person. Really unpleasant when he became SGM of 1/41. Heard he died within a 5 years after he retired. Just plain mean, vulgar, and had no respect for female soldiers even though they worked hard...expected servitude from them. I told him it was not in my job discription. Thought he was going to have a stroke. He would not let me have a Pickle from the shoot. The Bn Commander gave me one. I took pictures, wrote the story and did my job.

Response by LTC Bink Romanick made Jul 18 at 2015 1:02 PM

2015-07-18T13:02:37-04:00

We got to fire a shillelagh missile from a M551 Sheridan in AOBC, it skipped across the ground like a stone across a pond. No go at this station. Als got to fire a Redeye....pretty cool.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 2 at 2015 12:39 PM

2015-10-02T12:39:20-04:00

Yes, in Crete with 2-377th and 2-12th (Lance). Enjoyed every trip there.

Response by SP5 Robert Ruck made Jan 26 at 2017 10:42 PM

2017-01-26T22:42:03-05:00

Yes and it was awesome. I was a PTS operator in "C" Battery, 3rd and 84th FA. In 1972 we fired our missiles from Green River, Utah to White Sands, NM.

Response by SP5 Rick LaJiness made Feb 19 at 2017 3:03 PM

2017-02-19T15:03:41-05:00

went to Crete with Holland 1st grp guided weapons in early 1974...ETS later that year from NATO

Response by SPC Dan Petsch made Oct 9 at 2017 5:29 PM

2017-10-09T17:29:44-04:00

We live fired at White Sands from 1972 to 1974

Response by CW3 Bill Wynne made Nov 27 at 2017 5:37 AM

2017-11-27T05:37:17-05:00

CPL/SGT WYNNE WAS ASSIGNED TO 5TH BN, 73RD FA (SERGEANT), COLLOCATED AT RHEIN-MAIN KASERNE, CRAILSHEIM, GERMANY WITH THE 1ST BN, 41ST FA (PERSHING). THIS WAS THE HOME OF FORMER CAPTAIN ROMMEL, HIS FIRST COMMAND. I HAVE ATTENDED ANNUAL SERVICE PRACTICE MISSILE LAUNCHES FROM 1968, FROM CRETE, GREECE, BLANDING, UTAH, AND THE HEBRIDES. I WAS IN THE VERY FIRST LANCE MISSILE CLASS AS WE WERE TRANSITIONED FROM SERGEANT AND PERSHING MISSILE SYSTEMS TO THE NEW POCKET ROCKET SYSTEMS, LAND COMBAT MISSILES, TOW/DRAGON, LANCE, CHAPARRAL, REDEYE. LAND COMBAT SYSTEM SUPPORT. INITIALLY WE WERE THE 27Ds THAT REPAIRED YOUR MGS AND YOUR GARBAGE CAN LID GUIDANCE PLATFORM. I WAS HONORED TO ALSO BE AT WHITE SANDS FOR LANCE AND ATACMS DEVELOPMENT. AND THE HIMARS DEVELOPMENT THERE. MANY HAVE SEEN OUR SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCHES AND SAID "WOW". THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA OF WHAT HAPPENS AT A BALLISTIC MISSILE LAUNCH FROM THE CREW MEMBER FIRING POSITIONS. BEENING RANGE SAFETY OFFICER AND SYSTEM DEVELOP ENGINEER I FIRED AND TESTED THE "STINGER SHORADS IN 1982 AND THEN FIELDED STINGERS TO REPLACE THE "REDEYE" SHORADS SYSTEM THAT YEAR.

Response by SPC Eric Zimmerer made Feb 7 at 2018 2:56 AM

2018-02-07T02:56:07-05:00

Crete, Greece live fire exercise 7/91. Unfortunately didn't get to fire before we deactivated

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2018 8:03 AM

2018-03-22T08:03:53-04:00

Yes, Fort Hood, Texas, 1967.

Response by SSG Michael Clark made Nov 6 at 2018 4:17 PM

2018-11-06T16:17:13-05:00

I live fired the Lance missile in Crete, Greece 2 times in 1988 and 1989.
Was awesone!

Response by SP5 Robert Ruck made Nov 6 at 2018 5:40 PM

2018-11-06T17:40:30-05:00

I participated in 2 live fires of Pershing missiles back in 1972. I was the Programmer Test Station ( countdown computer) Specialist. We launched from Green River, Utah to White Sands N.M. The high point of my military career.

Response by SGT Harry C Miller Jr made Sep 6 at 2019 11:37 AM

2019-09-06T11:37:25-04:00

Heck, yes..... in 1976 in Izmit, Turkey fired it into the Black Sea,, Wow !!

Response by SFC Wendell Pruitt made Jan 31 at 2020 11:48 PM

2020-01-31T23:48:51-05:00

The Grand Daddy of all Army Missile Systems with 31 years of Service, The Pershing Missile System, P1 P1A and PII were the 3 generations deployed to Germany.....

Response by SPC Brian Stephens made Oct 22 at 2020 12:41 PM

2020-10-22T12:41:03-04:00

Twice in Crete. In 1989, I was new to 1st Fire, Bravo Battery, 1/32 FA. I was a finslapper. In 1990, I was the gunner. In 1990, we were also named by one of our evaluators "The Most Profane Platoon In The History of NATO To Ever Fire A Live Missile Off The Coast of Crete."

Response by SPC John Provenzano made Oct 26 at 2023 6:36 PM

2023-10-26T18:36:57-04:00

Yes..1977...IHAWK at ASP in Crete...

Response by SPC Brian Stephens made Mar 30 at 2024 10:18 AM

2024-03-30T10:18:29-04:00

I did. I served with Bravo Battery 1st Fire, 1/32 FA in 1989 and 1990 out of Hanau, Germany. I was an E-2 finslapper in 1989 and in 1990 I was an E-3 Gunner and got the AAM. We fired both times at Crete. I vividly remember the horror of my first launch. In spite of doing dozens of dry-fire launches in Crete, I was not prepared watching from the bunker as our round visibly shook on the launch truss and then the smoke ports popped. I was so convinced I was watching a misfire that could kill us all. I was convinced this would be my fault, watching that missile shudder, burning propellant, because I pulled the launch pin and gave it to my lieutenant. As I am literally silently freaking out, BOOM!!! She streaked into the sky like a bat out of hell and the round was as big as my thumbnail by the time the earthquake hit my toes, travelled across my feet and then went up my legs and shook the crap out of me. Then we ran to the track and played with the burnt propellant, making hand prints on each other's back, grabbing each other's faces and whooping it up. Back on top of the hill, we posed for a group picture and then threw our LT into the bilge water! And we partied hard in Xania the rest of the week until it was time to go. I did a cruise and hiked the Samaria Gorge. What a blast!