9 reasons why military mortarmen are so deadly

Sgt. Paris Capers/US Marine Corps

Mortars used to be considered artillery weapons because they lob hot metal shells, sometimes filled with explosives, down on the enemy’s heads.

But the mortar migrated to the infantry branch, and the frontline soldiers who crew the weapon maneuver into close ranges with the enemy and then rain hell down upon them. Here’s what makes the mortarman so lethal:

Mortarmen can emplace their system and fire it quickly.

Mortars can maintain a relatively high rate of fire.

The mortar crew is located near the front, so it can observe and direct its own fire.