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The Artillery Half Section, Fort Sill's equine Army special ceremonies unit, is looking for a few good Soldiers to be members of an elite team and partner with a horse for a one-year special duty.
Formed to carry on the proud heritage of horses and the Field Artillery, the Half Section horses and Soldiers in the unit are responsible for carrying on the traditions of horse-drawn artillery from the World War I era.
“You don’t have to know how to ride a horse or have any experience with horses – you just have to pass the physical training test, have a strong work ethic and a desire to learn,” said Lara Armstrong, chief of the Artillery Half Section.
The Half Section's events include changes of command, retirements, cannon salutes, funerals, retreat and reveille, and demonstrations throughout the year. Up to 12 special-duty Soldiers and a civilian section chief make up the Half Section, which originated at Fort Sill in 1969.
Armstrong said they are actively recruiting Soldiers for the Half Section because there are seven Soldiers currently in the unit and three of them will be leaving in November. “We have up to eight openings for Soldiers to be a part of the Half Section and learn Soldier skills unique to Fort Sill and the Half Section,” she said.
Armstrong is uniquely qualified to be the chief of the Fort Sill Artillery Half Section. She is training new Soldiers and new horses in the unit to ride as a team and work together to pull the limber (where the Soldiers sit) and the French 75 mm field gun used in ceremonies. Each Soldier has a horse they bond with and care for. The Soldier not only learns how to ride and care for the horse, he/she also learns to become one with the horse.
According to Armstrong, Soldiers selected for the Artillery Half Section serve a one-year tour and gain professional and enhanced leadership skills as they serve beside some magnificent horses.
“The Soldiers come from various units, many with little to no horse experience. This presents a challenge in the fact that not only are the Soldiers trying to learn about one another, interact as a team and learn about their equine partner, but they have to deal with their own insecurities in communicating with and managing a 1,500-pound animal with a mind of its own that cannot communicate with words,” said Armstrong.
It is not all about ceremonies and parades though. These team members are up before dawn mucking stables, feeding and watering, brushing and caring for their horses, practicing their riding, repairing leatherwork and polishing the gear to keep it in good condition, rain or shine and on holidays.
Spc. Jonathan Marshall, 1st Battalion, 31st Field Artillery, 434th Brigade, was asked by his first sergeant if he would be interested in special duty with the horses. He had absolutely no experience with horses, but he thought why not?
“One thing I can say is, if you are offered a chance to do special duty with the Half Section, take advantage of it — chances like this don't come around often,” said Marshall. “I'm glad that I had a whole year just to reflect not only on myself, but to build a relationship with my horse, Kamper. That bond with Kamper is special to me. I’ve learned so much about partnerships and working as part of a team.”
Marshall only has three weeks left with the Half Section and he said the time went by really fast.
“There are so many things I will remember from my time with the Half Section,” he said. “I will never forget Kamper, who is a very young horse at 4 years old. He’s going to be amazing 10 years from now because he will be here for quite a while. He's going to be perfect.”
Spc. Ernesto Gamez, 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery, 75th Fires Brigade, has only been with the Half Section for three months but he’s been around horses since he was ‘knee high’ and said he actively asked to get special duty with the Half Section.
“One day I let my commander know that if there were any details or duties that I can do that involve animals or livestock, I would like to volunteer. I wanted him to keep that in mind,” Gamez said.
Gamez, who rides Baxter or Shoffner, was recommended for the special duty and he loves it. “It's different from my regular Soldier duties,” he said. “I would recommend this duty to any Soldier who has his/her core Army values because the Half Section is a great opportunity to learn new things and open your mind to your choices in the service.”
Gamez has been helping Armstrong and the unit Soldiers train the green (new) horses recently acquired by the section. He also been learning the history of Fort Sill and horses in the Army. “That’s a great part of this duty – learning about the culture of Fort Sill. When you're at a ceremony, people come up and ask you questions — historical kinds of questions — and you should know the answers,” he said.
Gamez said he had heard good things about the female section chief at the Half Section. “When I went to the Half Section, I was impressed with Lara Armstrong because she knows her stuff. She knows horses and how to teach the Soldiers to ride those horses. She’s very down to earth and a good teacher.”
Any Soldiers interested in applying should contact their chain of command or email FCOE G3 at usarmy.sill.fcoe.mbx.g3-taskings@mail.mil.
| Date Taken: | 10.18.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 10.18.2022 13:24 |
| Story ID: | 431557 |
| Location: | FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 83 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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