1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery Paladins take aim

Photo By Maj. Margaret St. Pierre | Soldiers from Battery C., 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery Regiment, clean up expended rounds after firing a Paladin M109A6 Artillery System during annual training at Fort Riley, Kansas, June 6-12.  

FORT RILEY, KS, UNITED STATES

06.12.2016

Story by Capt. Margaret St. Pierre 

105th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

“There’s a lot of administrative things that happen in the background,” said Best. “There’s a lot of things we had to get resourced prior to coming here. We had to request training areas, we had to develop the plan. So this is what we’ve been working towards all year long.”
Best also said the battalion has been able to make some significant improvements to their tactical operations center for this year’s training.
“This year we added a lot of new things to the mix,” said Best. “Last year we did have an Administrative and Logistics Operations Center, but it was co-located and it was run out of the back of a truck. This year we’ve graduated and improved and we’ve got our own Standardized Integrated Command Post System tent up, we’ve got air conditioning going - we’ve come a long way.”
Best was sure to point out that a successful annual training is a group effort.
“It takes a lot to make this happen. It’s not just us. We need other units and outside support to make this happen, and they’ve just been outstanding this year,” said Best.
Some of those units are, of course, the batteries of the 1st Bn., 161st FA.
A few training areas away at Battery C., Capt. Joe Kinsey, commander, and several of his Soldiers, talked about what annual training entails for line unit artillerymen.
“There are two different sides to what a firing battery has - a fire directions center and the cannon crews,” said Kinsey. “The FDC gets certified on processing fire missions directly to the gun line. The gun line executes those missions and they are evaluated on what type of techniques and training procedures are used during that time.”
Spc. Derrick Garnica and Pfc. Jeremy Witherspoon, field artillery automated tactical data system specialists, talked about their piece of the puzzle.
“Forward observers radio the location of where fire support is needed,” explained Garnica. “We put all the info in and send it to the gun lines: what type of ammo to use, when to shoot, where to shoot. There are a lot of variables that go in.”
Down on the gun line, Staff Sgt. Joshua Hulse, gun chief, – whose 14 years with the 1st Bn., 161st FA has additionally earned him the position of senior gun chief - also deals with a lot of variables.
“My job as the gun chief is to verify the fire missions that come down,” said Hulse. “I make sure that it’s safe. I instruct number one man and verify his round that he puts in. I verify the powder that the gunner puts in. Once we’re safe and ready, I tell the number one man to fire.”
“As senior chief, I pick where we go in our training area, I try to find the best spot so we’re not parking on the side of hills, or on the top of hills,” continued Hulse. “I instruct the other guns where to emplace.”
These jobs aren’t without their difficulties and Kinsey said that sometimes, the initial days of annual training can be challenging for everyone as the Soldiers get into the swing of things.
“It’s definitely a struggle getting digital communications up,” said Kinsey. “The FDC talks directly to the guns. So this is a training opportunity for these guys to learn troubleshooting techniques in order for us to fire effectively.”
Garnica and Witherspoon agreed that this year, there were definitely some opportunities for troubleshooting.
“Back at home station drills, we do train up on this stuff, but when we actually get to the field, it’s like, yes I know that by the book it says to do this, but what about if I have THIS problem? In the field you get to actually work through all that stuff,” said Witherspoon.
But aside from troubleshooting – and being one of the only opportunities for the Soldiers to see their Paladin M109A6 155mm Artillery Systems actually fire - annual training is about much more.
“It’s about unit cohesion,” said Witherspoon. “Here, we’re working together, we are working through problems together. Yeah, we’re getting frustrated with each other, but when we get everything working right, we get to shoot.”
Hulse seconded the unit cohesion sentiment.
“You come out and get to know how each person in your crew works,” said Hulse. “You get good communication between the driver and the chief. You find that good sync with your crew so everything runs smoothly.”
Kinsey said that it’s all of those things together – the entire annual training experience – that is critical for his Soldiers to go through.
“This is the specific job my Soldiers have come to complete and it’s a morale boost to get them out of the armory and actually do their job instead of sitting in a classroom,” said Kinsey. “As a commander, I’m pleased to watch them grow, personally and professionally as a unit.”
And so despite any frustrations or difficulties they might encounter, Hulse said it’s all still worth it.
“It takes a lot of work to get to where we can shoot,” said Hulse. “We do a lot of maintenance, a lot of upkeep in the guns. And we only shoot twice a year. But when we’re shooting, it’s the best job in the Army.”

• Date Taken: 06.12.2016
• Date Posted: 06.22.2016 13:33
• Story ID: 202110
• Location: FORT RILEY, KS, US
• Hometown: ABILENE, KS, US
• Hometown: HUTCHINSON, KS, US
• Hometown: NEWTON, KS, US
• Hometown: WICHITA, KS, US