What is the primary responsibility of the RSO in a live-fire exercise?

The primary responsibility of the Range Safety Officer (RSO) during a live-fire exercise is to ensure range safety during the exercise. The RSO's role involves monitoring all activities on the range to prevent accidents and injuries, maintaining a safe environment for all personnel involved, and enforcing safety protocols. This includes assessing risks, ensuring that safety procedures are followed, and responding to any safety concerns that arise.

The focus of the RSO is on creating and maintaining a safe operational environment, which is critical during live-fire situations where the inherent dangers of handling weapons are heightened. By prioritizing safety, the RSO helps ensure the successful and secure conduct of the exercise, fostering an atmosphere where training can occur without unnecessary hazards.

While managing ammunition supplies, overseeing logistical support, and conducting training are important tasks within a military or training environment, they are secondary to the overarching concern for safety that the RSO must prioritize during a live-fire exercise.