A mortarman grasps another high explosive round and slips it in the tube's now smoking mouth. Once again the gunner sounds his warning. The round swiftly slides toward the firing pin in the bottom of the tube. Another deafening boom sends a shock wave through the crew. The gun line is reining terror onto an impact area some 5,000 meters away.
Crews scurry to disassemble their weapon systems.
Each complete system weighs a bulky 90 pounds, and each round adds at least another 15 pounds to the load. Mortarmen lug their weary bodies onto the trucks as well. Each team clings to their weapons and gear while bounding over rutted roads of northern Camp Pendleton. Dust kicked-up by the convoy sticks to the Marines' sweat and covers everything except a thick gunpowder odor, which will remain long after training ends. They await another fire mission.