Seventh section, from A. Battery, 2nd
Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade
Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, conducts live firing of their
howitzer after successfully being certified, April 16, 2012 on Fort
Bragg, N.C. The howitzer is one of the weapon systems the artillery
has in its arsenal, and because of the devastating effects it has on
the battlefield, the crew has to operate it with precision. Photo by Army Sgt. Matthew Ryan
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. (4/30/2012) - During World War I, the artillery
branch became the highest casualty-producing weapons system the
United States Army had in its arsenal due to its long-range
capabilities and the size of its ammunition. Their lethality earned
them the nickname “King of Battle.” Although the battlefield has
changed, this still proves true. The weapon systems and the
paratroopers who operate them must work with pinpoint accuracy
because of the devastating effects they have on the battlefield.
“The key to artillery is perfection; every step, every
process, from stopping the truck to unhitching the howitzer, all the
way through firing rounds,” said Staff Sgt. Jerrod Grant, section
chief for seventh section of A. Battery, 2nd Battalion, 319th
Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd
Airborne Division. Grant, a native of Portland, Ore., said that the
team has to perform multiple tasks in a very short time in order to
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the time standards for all the tasks that are required to be
certified for the M119A2 105 mm howitzer. |
The 2-319th AFAR, “Black Falcons,” conducted their howitzer
certification, April 16-20. This is the first time in nearly
16 months that the Battery has fired live rounds, due to its
recent deployment to Operation New Dawn, said to Capt.
Jonathan D. Nordin, commander of A. Battery, from
Woodinville, Wash. “Most of all the eight howitzer sections
are newly-formed teams, meaning this is their first
certification as those sections.”
“There are about
80 artillery paratroopers from A. Battery testing this week,
and we have six infantry paratroopers who are also being
certified,” said Nordin. The Battery had to pull from the
infantry to fulfill manpower shortages.
“It is a new
experience being able to certify with a howitzer,” said Pfc.
Nate Morgan, assistant gunner, A. Battery., 2-319th AFAR,
from Sault St. Marie, Mich. Morgan is an infantryman who is
assigned to the 2-319th AFAR. “It is truly a one-of-a-kind
experience being able to see how the whole process goes
compared to the infantry tasks and drills I have learned
from basic combat training.” One of the drills that an
infantryman has to perform is to call the artillery to fire
on a target. He expressed how it is reassuring to know that
the sections train so much, because of the rounds they send
downrange.
Grant got to experience his first time
going through the certification as the section chief. “I
have been the gunner and almost every other position before,
but now I have to control the whole team.” The team was
assembled less than three weeks ago. “In the last two weeks,
the team has been working long hours to master the crew
drills.” The section chief is only given four attempts to
certify;otherwise he is relieved of his duty position.
“We have to be like synchronized swimmers moving around
the howitzer, every paratrooper performing his job without
fault, without hesitation.” This is referring to how all of
the team has to work around the howitzer in a fluid motion
to be able to assemble and position the howitzer within six
minutes as part of the certification. There can be no errors
or mistakes, Grant explained. “If one person doesn't know
their job inside and out, we will not make the time
standard.”
There are a few different parts to the
whole certification, Grant said. “We have our
prepare-for-air assault mission, the six minute drill, the
20 minute drill, and the blitz drill to name most of them.”
Grant said, “the hardest drill we have is the six-minute
drill,” because it takes every member of the team to
function as one.
The six-minute drill can be broken
down into three main parts. The first part is driving the
trucks up to a location and unhitching the howitzer. The
second step is placing the howitzer on its firing base
plate, and then swinging the howitzer around to its firing
position, which involves removing a tire to allow it to
traverse into position. Finally the last step is setting up
the sights correctly to being able to place rounds on a
target, all within six minutes. Seventh section has been
able to perform the drill in under four and half minutes
during training in the past.
Sgt. Michael Lucio,
section gunner for the section, from McAllen, Texas, says
the most difficult aspect of the certification for him is
getting the howitzer sighted in under the time limit. “I was
selected to be the section gunner less than two weeks ago,
but with the training I have received I was able to
certify,” said Lucio.
“My job is to get the howitzer
in the correct direction, because the slightest
miscalculation could mean the round hitting off target, said
Lucio. He has to be able to perform math on the fly, and aim
the howitzer with perfection to complete his task.
After the section was certified by the Master Gunners from
the 18th Fires Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, the teams
proceeded to fire live rounds into the impact area located
on Fort Bragg.
“This is what it all comes down too,”
said Sgt. Michael Jaresh, ammo team chief for seventh
section, 2-319th AFAR, from Columbus, Ga. “It is just a rush
hearing it fire a round, feeling your chest pump from the
force of the round, and smelling the gun powder as the round
is taken out of the howitzer.” Howitzer sections have to
experience the demands of this testing every six months to
remain certified.
“The artillery plays a key part in
combat, that is why we train so hard and so intense,” said
Jaresh. “We have to be able to move by truck, or be dropped
into an area and set up our howitzer in a matter of minutes,
to be able to support the mission, and because of our long
distance reach this is why we are the king of battle.”
More photos available below
By Army Sgt. Matthew Ryan
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2012
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