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Fire. Mortar. Boom. That’s really all you need to know about what’s happening in this photo, and based on the tag, that’s about all you get. For those who aren’t familiar with PAO parlance: A “tag” is how you identify a photo so it shows up when you search for it.

And really, what else should you search for if not: “fire mortar boom.”

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The incredible image, and the even more awe-inspiring tag was surfaced by Defense News’ Aaron Mehta on Twitter, and shows soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division lobbing 120 mm rounds from an M121 mortar during a live fire exercise at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The photo was taken by Army Capt. Justin Wright — if his bosses are reading this: Promote ahead of peers — along with a number of similarly tagged images, like “security” and “fire mortar hang it.”

The tag on this photo beats out my previous favorite from the Marine Corps, which included the well placed tags “boot” and “pog.”

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Capt. A. Hudson Reynolds, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs Officer, and Houston native, continues to work as a simulated chemical attack begins in the command tent during Desert Scimitar 2014 aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., May 15, 2014. (U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Robert J. Reeves)
James Clark
James Clark

James Clark is the former Deputy Editor of Task & Purpose. He is an Afghanistan War veteran and served in the Marine Corps as a combat correspondent. Contact the author here.

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