Range Safety OIC/RSO
AR385-63/MCO 3570.1
establishes ranges safety policies and responsibilities for firing ammunition, lasers,
guided, missiles, and rockets on Marine Corps and Army ranges.
DA Pam 385-63
provides implementation guidance for the Marine Corps Range Safety Program.
SOP
each range or range complex will have its own standard operating procedure (SOP).
The SOP for an installation will have installation -specific instructions for range safety.
You must read the most current Sop for the range that you will be using.
USMC Range Safety Pocket Guide
The USMC Range Safety Pocket Guide summarizes the policies and procedures
needed to conduct a live-fire event. This document contains information on surface
danger zones (SDZ) setup for weapon systems. The Pocket Guide also provides the
OIC and RSO with a checklist that will assist them with their most common tasks
SOUM
Safety Of Use Memorandums (SOUM) are how the Range and Training Area
Management (RTAM) Branch provides range safety information and guidance to the
Marine Corps Total Force. This guidance is directive until the SOUM is cancelled,
changed or written into the Range Safety Order.
RCO
Responsible for all range safety matters and provides coordination of ranges in the
installation complex
OIC
Responsible and accountable for conduct of the exercise and ensuring participants
follow safety regulations
RSO
Responsible for range safety for the exercise
LRSO
Responsible for laser range safety for exercises involving lasers
Land
The land area of a range for live-fire and maneuver includes start and cease-fire lines,
target areas, and impact areas.
Airspace
refers to any one of several types of controlled and uncontrolled airspace required to
support range operations. Airspace over a range may include restricted areas, warning
areas, military operations, and air traffic controlled assigned airspace.
Waterways
The range boundaries may include navigable inland waterways such as rivers or lakes.
Sea space is the operating area necessary to contain live-fire and support ship to shore
training.
00:0301:35
Dedicated impact areas
An impact area is a designated area within the limits of a range.
, Dedicated Impact Areas are associated with:
non-sensitive ammunition and explosives.
Size of dedicated impact area
usually a large piece of land that several ranges fire into.
What is a dedicated impact area reserved for
the impact and fragmentation of launched or fired ammunition and explosives
Dedicated Impact area can contain what other impact area
high-hazard
Impact Area
The purpose of an impact area is to contain all hazards associated with the ordnance
being fired
High-hazard impact
areas that are permanently designed to contain sensitive ammunition and explosives
Why are high-hazard impact areas dangerous
they contain high explosives and sensitive unexploded ordinance
True/False: Never enter a high-hazard impact area without permission from range
control
True
Ordnance fired into high-hazard impact areas
Cluster bombs, artillery rounds, mortar rounds, high-explosive grenades, missiles
Access Restricted
fences, barricades, signs, guards or a combination of these types of positive controls
are used to protect unauthorized personnel
Temporary Impact Area
normally for small arms or non-dud producing ammunition. This type of impact exists
only for the length of an exercise.
After Use of temporary impact area
After an exercise, the temporary impact area should be capable of being cleared and
returned to the original state.
Range Control __________________ and ______________________ airspace during
live fire exercises
Manages and deconflicts
What should you do if an aircraft/boat/ship enters your airspace during a live fire
exercise
Immediate cease fire and control range control
What does range control do for a range
-Captures vertical hazard limit for each weapon fired
-Coordinates w/ FAA to invoke airspace restrictions for all non-participating aircraft
-Captures operating airspace both lateral and vertical for all exercise aircraft operations
Local SOP's & airspace requirements
may require the RSO to identify personnel as air sentinels
Installation Commander will coordinate w US Army Corps of Engineers and US Coast
Guard to ensure proper notification of:
-waterways involved
-operations to be conducted
-Sector of waterway that must be restricted
AR385-63/MCO 3570.1
establishes ranges safety policies and responsibilities for firing ammunition, lasers,
guided, missiles, and rockets on Marine Corps and Army ranges.
DA Pam 385-63
provides implementation guidance for the Marine Corps Range Safety Program.
SOP
each range or range complex will have its own standard operating procedure (SOP).
The SOP for an installation will have installation -specific instructions for range safety.
You must read the most current Sop for the range that you will be using.
USMC Range Safety Pocket Guide
The USMC Range Safety Pocket Guide summarizes the policies and procedures
needed to conduct a live-fire event. This document contains information on surface
danger zones (SDZ) setup for weapon systems. The Pocket Guide also provides the
OIC and RSO with a checklist that will assist them with their most common tasks
SOUM
Safety Of Use Memorandums (SOUM) are how the Range and Training Area
Management (RTAM) Branch provides range safety information and guidance to the
Marine Corps Total Force. This guidance is directive until the SOUM is cancelled,
changed or written into the Range Safety Order.
RCO
Responsible for all range safety matters and provides coordination of ranges in the
installation complex
OIC
Responsible and accountable for conduct of the exercise and ensuring participants
follow safety regulations
RSO
Responsible for range safety for the exercise
LRSO
Responsible for laser range safety for exercises involving lasers
Land
The land area of a range for live-fire and maneuver includes start and cease-fire lines,
target areas, and impact areas.
Airspace
refers to any one of several types of controlled and uncontrolled airspace required to
support range operations. Airspace over a range may include restricted areas, warning
areas, military operations, and air traffic controlled assigned airspace.
Waterways
The range boundaries may include navigable inland waterways such as rivers or lakes.
Sea space is the operating area necessary to contain live-fire and support ship to shore
training.
00:0301:35
Dedicated impact areas
An impact area is a designated area within the limits of a range.
, Dedicated Impact Areas are associated with:
non-sensitive ammunition and explosives.
Size of dedicated impact area
usually a large piece of land that several ranges fire into.
What is a dedicated impact area reserved for
the impact and fragmentation of launched or fired ammunition and explosives
Dedicated Impact area can contain what other impact area
high-hazard
Impact Area
The purpose of an impact area is to contain all hazards associated with the ordnance
being fired
High-hazard impact
areas that are permanently designed to contain sensitive ammunition and explosives
Why are high-hazard impact areas dangerous
they contain high explosives and sensitive unexploded ordinance
True/False: Never enter a high-hazard impact area without permission from range
control
True
Ordnance fired into high-hazard impact areas
Cluster bombs, artillery rounds, mortar rounds, high-explosive grenades, missiles
Access Restricted
fences, barricades, signs, guards or a combination of these types of positive controls
are used to protect unauthorized personnel
Temporary Impact Area
normally for small arms or non-dud producing ammunition. This type of impact exists
only for the length of an exercise.
After Use of temporary impact area
After an exercise, the temporary impact area should be capable of being cleared and
returned to the original state.
Range Control __________________ and ______________________ airspace during
live fire exercises
Manages and deconflicts
What should you do if an aircraft/boat/ship enters your airspace during a live fire
exercise
Immediate cease fire and control range control
What does range control do for a range
-Captures vertical hazard limit for each weapon fired
-Coordinates w/ FAA to invoke airspace restrictions for all non-participating aircraft
-Captures operating airspace both lateral and vertical for all exercise aircraft operations
Local SOP's & airspace requirements
may require the RSO to identify personnel as air sentinels
Installation Commander will coordinate w US Army Corps of Engineers and US Coast
Guard to ensure proper notification of:
-waterways involved
-operations to be conducted
-Sector of waterway that must be restricted
