Photo By Staff Sgt. Jonathan Shaw | An M28 training rocket is released from an M142 High Mobility Rocket Artillery System...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. – High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems crews with 5th Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment (HIMARS), conducted a live fire exercise in support of Carolina Thunder 2015 at Sicily Drop Zone here Aug. 1, 2015.
Carolina Thunder is an annual aviation training exercise conducted by the North Carolina Army National Guard’s AH-64 Apache battalion, the 1st Battalion, 130th Attack Reconnaissance Regiment. This year’s training exercise is different than previous years by involving aviation assets from the Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina National Guards as well as active-duty Airmen and Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division.
The 5-113th had a critical support role during the joint training exercise.
“We are going to notionally knock out enemy air defense assets,” said U.S. Army Capt. Michael Amoroso, the commander of B Battery, 5-113th FAR. “That will allow attack aviation to move through and attack any targets in support of ground movement.”
The battalion has been in the business of rockets since 1999 and has been using the HIMARS, a wheeled vehicle capable of firing up to six rockets at targets nearly 200 miles away, since 2010. But, it’s been approximately four years since they’ve been able and available to live fire their primary weapon systems.
“Live fire exercises, like this, are important,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Timothy Geldner, a fire crew chief assigned to B Battery, 5-113th FAR. “You can’t do your job well, even with the proper training, without being able to see exactly how these weapon systems operate.”
Since their last live fire exercise in 2011, the battalion has deployed to the Sinai Peninsula in support of the Multinational Force and Observers mission, which was the result of the Camp David Peace Accord of 1979. The battalion returned from the mission in September 2013.
“Coming together today is ultimately getting back to that field artillery proficiency and being able to demonstrate that,” said Amoroso.
For the past year the soldiers of the battalion have been training hard to get back to their field artillery roots, and the live fire exercise was the culmination of that training and a symbol of their return to artillery.
| Date Taken: | 08.02.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 08.10.2015 10:32 |
| Story ID: | 172638 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 263 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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