Photo By Spc. Charles Leitner | U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Rogers speaks with Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 7th...... read more read more
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FORT RILEY, Kan. – After training in the thick summer heat, Soldiers of Cobra Battery, 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, lifted their gear before conducting the ceremonial after-action report (AAR). They gathered as treads linked along a track, lacquered in a layer of sweat and dirt, having just finished qualifying on the M109 “Paladin” Howitzer, a self-propelled in-direct fire support weapon that appeared to roll over the Kansas hills like an armor-plated buffalo.
Over the course of three days, the battery was graded on its ability to coordinate mission orders effectively between gun crews, rapidly relocate the element, and accurately input new grid coordinates before sending shells and illumination rounds down range. The element, from its highest ranking officer to its lowest ranking enlisted personnel, needed to operate fluidly to perform a series of calculated actions in unison rhythm.
As the battery worked through its training set, Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Rogers moved alongside them, operating as both observer and instructor. A long-time artillery Soldier himself, Rogers appears to have spent his early youth growing privy to the sound and sense of long-range ordnance as it shook and rattled the dirt beneath his feet. By the end of the third and final day, Rogers offered his final assessment.
“You didn’t pass today as individuals,” Rogers said. “You passed today as a platoon.”
Ultimately, the objective of the military ad hoc is to learn through strenuous exercises and better understand the value of failing.
Often, the battery was forced to engage enemy elements searching for breaks in their armor. At a moment’s notice, orders and objectives would come flying through the communications pipeline, forcing the element to re-organize, re-adjust and re-calibrate their instruments, often while sustaining gas attacks or in-direct fire that resulted in mock casualties.
Certain motor skills are required to build an effective member of an artillery unit. These skills are difficult to develop unless actively operating in the field and working through problem sets specifically designed to optimize challenging environments that offer Soldiers numerous repetitions to refine themselves in a controlled environment.
Ultimately, success comes from performing one’s job in real time, said 1st Lt. Christian Banks, a platoon leader with Cobra Battery, by working through scenarios that mimic real life situations.
In one instance, a hidden observer posing as an “enemy” unit had their sights locked on the battery. Soon, in-direct fire rained down on one of the guns. As “casualties” started to mount
Rogers switched roles and became an educator, illustrating the need to act quickly in times of duress. As terrifying as it may be to take on “casualties” at a rapid rate, decisions need to be made to preserve the unit and continue the fight. That’s reality, Rogers said.
During the AAR, Rogers switched hats once more. Now he functioned as a mediator, facilitating the conversation between the men and women of the battery as they worked to mend the breaks together. Here, Rogers emphasized the importance of accountability. In doing so, he referred to an adage used to identify the optimal person to task with fixing a particular issue. Known as “pinning the rose,” the practice was introduced to the battery as a way to keep the good things and fix the bad things, Rogers said.
In par with their new ritual of floral consignment, Rogers pointed to certain individuals and pinned them with the responsibility to correct certain faults exposed during the exercise.
“Do you have to be a sergeant to train a soldier?” Rogers asked at the end of the conversation. “No. All of you have a part in training each other.”
As the battery took control of the discussion, a bushel had gathered at the center blooming with the names of every Soldier who claimed responsibility to further develop the unit into a more cohesive, more resilient and more lethal fighting force.
| Date Taken: | 07.15.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.03.2023 18:00 |
| Story ID: | 450353 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY, KS, US |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Pinning the Rose, by SPC Charles Leitner, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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