Bastogne artillerymen fall back on traditional role during raid

Photo By Master Sgt. Kevin Doheny | Soldiers from Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, run out of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during Operation Balls Jackson I, Oct. 9, 2008. The artillery Soldiers role in the operation was to set up and fire an artillery barrage in order to deny enemy extraction routes for an air assault operation 10 kilometers away.  

IRAQ

10.18.2008

Story by Master Sgt. Kevin Doheny 

1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs

By Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Doheny
1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

AD DUJAYL, Iraq — Over the course of seven years during the Vietnam War, the 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment earned the nickname, "Balls of the Eagle," where they earned fifteen campaign streamers, two Valorous Unit Awards, and a Presidential Unit Citation.

During those rain-filled, muggy days in the jungles of Vietnam, an artillery Soldier was primarily focused on providing timely, lethal fires in support of ground forces.

The role of the traditional artilleryman in Afghanistan and Iraq has evolved in recent years though, and so too has the artillery Soldier.

Today he finds himself conducting counter-insurgency operations. This change in mission has often taken him away from what he knows best...putting 'steel on target.'

Falling back on the traditional role as cannon crew members, Soldiers from Alpha Battery conducted an artillery raid, Oct. 9, 2008, in support of an assault force during Operation Balls Jackson I, an air assault operation in the Jazeera Desert.

Two 105mm Howitzers were lifted via CH-47 Chinook helicopters to an isolated, predetermined landing zone. The combat-loaded, air assault Soldiers jumped off the back of the Chinook helicopters and began preparing their firing positions, just as their Vietnam-era brethren did more than 40 years ago.

"The Vietnam War saw the first major use of helicopters for transportation and aerial fire support, changing the artillery from a static role to giving it the mobility needed in any terrain or battlefield, said Capt. Adalberto Rodriguez, Alpha Battery commander.

Rodriguez said the artillery raid provides the element of surprise, while demoralizing and confusing the enemy troops, giving them no time for reaction.

"The artillery support during the operation gave us the ability to block the enemy extraction routes during the assault, keeping the enemy isolated on the objective," said Rodriguez. "It gave us battlefield supremacy."

According to the Maj. Timothy Frambes, 2-320th executive officer, the location in the Jazeera Desert has become an al-Qaida in Iraq support zone, where they have sought safe haven from coalition force operations. He said due to his battalion's efforts with increasing the security in the population centers in the area, the enemy has sought refuge in the desert, and the air assault operation allowed Alpha Battery the element of surprise.

"The enemy loses his advantage when we arrive by air to root him out of his hiding places," said Frambes. "The demonstrated lethality, accuracy, and speed of an air assault, combined with artillery fires, completely evaporates the pool of support formerly given to them."

Not every artillery unit in the Army performs these types of operations; however, artillery units in the 101st Airborne Division pride themselves on them.

Numerous training hours are devoted on perfecting each and every individual task associated with such a highly-complex operation. Gun teams must be precise, fires must be coordinated and the air assault force must be swift and agile because lives are in jeopardy if one element is not on target.

"In combat there are no second chances or re-do's if a timeline is missed or a critical step is skipped," said Frambes. "Real bullets are shot by real bad guys who intend to do real harm. While we can maintain our task proficiencies by training in combat, we must be efficient and execute the call for fire and fire-mission processing precisely in order to remain safe and accurate when 'under the gun' in combat."

Rodriguez believes the operation was a success because of the precision of fires from his gun teams.

"The artillery support was the key of success of the operation," he said.

• Date Taken: 10.18.2008
• Date Posted: 10.18.2008 11:12
• Story ID: 25180
• Location: IQ