(DoD) An observer operating with front line troops and trained to adjust ground or naval gunfire and pass back battlefield information. In the absence of a forward air controller, the observer may control close air support strikes. Also called FO. See also forward air controller; spotter.
Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. 31 January 2011.
| APA | Military Dictionary (DoD). (2011). forward observer. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/forward_observer/definitions/1961830 |
| Chicago | Military Dictionary (DoD). 2011. "forward observer" http://smartdefine.org/forward_observer/definitions/1961830 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Military Dictionary (DoD) 2011, forward observer, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/forward_observer/definitions/1961830>. |
| MLA | Military Dictionary (DoD). "forward observer" 4 April 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/forward_observer/definitions/1961830> |