Photo By Master Sgt. Ashlee J.L. Sherrill | Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery, conducted a tactical aerial...... read more read more
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FORT MCCOY, Wis. – For the first time since 9/11, the 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery conducted tactical aerial movement into “enemy” territory during their two-week annual training at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. With the help of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 211th Aviation, the field artillery unit moved forward on the battlefield using CH-47 Chinook helicopters, allowing them to place their howitzers quickly and efficiently.
“My hope is the maneuver elements and the brigade will have confidence in the field artillery battalion to be just as mobile in order to provide fires support,” said Lt. Col. Derek Adams, the 1-194 Field Artillery commander and a resident of Burlington, Iowa.
The battalion was restricted in the past from conducting this training due to the non-standard missions they’ve been assigned since 9/11.
The battalion was deployed stateside in support of Operation Noble Eagle from 2002-2003; to Kosovo in support of Operation Joint Guardian in 2007-2008; and in 2010-2011, the battalion was parceled out to elements of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, for increased combat capabilities when the brigade deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
“We’ve had to put our field artillery tasks aside in order to train for those other missions,” he said. “Now, we’re getting back to our core tasks. One thing that sets us apart in this exercise, it takes a different knowledge-base and skill-set to be able to sling heavy equipment like howitzers and ammunition, rather than Soldiers and their gear. We have so much more equipment that needs to be measured and balanced to safely sling-load from one point to another.”
During sling-load operations, the battalion moved eight, M119A1 howitzers along with Humvees, trailers, water trailers and pallets of ammunition and supplies requiring multiple trips for the Chinooks. A large majority of the battalion was able to be inserted via aircraft, while a ground convoy moved in later with elements unable to be transported via air.
Due to the large number of moving pieces, it took a lot of practice, said one field artillery noncommissioned officer.
“The biggest challenge is making sure people are being safe and paying attention to detail,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Rahm, gunnery sergeant for Battery B, 1-194 Field Artillery, from Lu Verne, Iowa, who is responsible for placing and aiming the battery. “We have been running rehearsals over the past few drill periods knowing we’d be conducting this sling-load.”
“Everyone in the unit played a part,” said Spc. Beau Tuttle, a Battery B, cannon crew member from Alden, Iowa. “Everyone had hands-on training rigging up the equipment, but only a few, key people were doing the hook-ups here.”
When the Chinooks first landed next to their rigs, he explained, a group of Soldiers boarded the aircraft and were able to observe the sling-load hook-up through an opening in the floor. “It was awesome!” he said.
This is Tuttle’s second annual training with his Iowa National Guard unit, and he said he’s learned a lot. He’s currently going to school to become a flight paramedic, but said he was drawn to the field artillery occupation when he enlisted in the National Guard because he wanted to get into the action. He admits he loves it.
“There are a lot of experienced leaders and veteran Soldiers to learn from,” he said. “At [Advanced Individual Training] there were a lot of students for each instructor. Here, I was the only new guy on the gun crew, so everyone would quiz me all day to make sure I knew my job. It’s a lot to take in.”
The sling-load operation was a success, according to Adams. After the field artillery units were placed, they were able to establish safety protocols and fire live rounds to support the remainder of the exercise.
The 1-194 Field Artillery is a part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division. The brigade and its subordinate battalions are training at Fort McCoy to complete the eXportable Combat Training Capability (“XCTC”) live-training program which the Army National Guard has been using to train Soldiers on combat readiness since 2005.
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2014 18:38 |
| Story ID: | 138812 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WI, US |
| Hometown: | ALDEN, IA, US |
| Hometown: | BURLINGTON, IA, US |
| Hometown: | LU VERNE, IA, US |
| Web Views: | 752 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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