Photo By Spc. Nathan Arellano Tlaczani | U.S. Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade...... read more read more
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MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, Romania — “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” ~ Benjamin Franklin
Field training exercises, range day and the army combat fitness test are all examples of ways Soldiers of the U.S. Army maintain high levels of standards and readiness; ensuring Soldiers are always prepared, fit, efficient, and lethal on the battlefield should the need come.
Today 1-320th FAR, (a field artillery unit currently on rotation in Romania, NATO’s eastern front) maintained that standard of ensuring Soldiers readiness by conducting Table V Certifications for Howitzers M119A3 to give an opportunity for Soldiers to improve their skills and to demonstrate that they are capable and ready to defend at any given time here in Romania, May 1, 2025.
“Today we executed table V certifications which is our individual section certification for all of our gun sections,” said U.S. Army Capt. Hugh Kennedy, commander of Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “This is part of making sure every individual section of the battery is able to execute their real-world mission.”
Table V Certifications consist of 27 tasks. Within those tasks there are 354 sub tasks with go and no-go criteria in which sections must demonstrate overall safe and timely fire with the howitzer. Certifications train each member in their specific roles and make them an expert in all artillery tasks.
“I think this the most critical piece of this training as far as getting us ready, this is the foundation of everything we do, we fight artillery as a platoon and as a battery that's the way we are effective,” said Kennedy. “So if an individual gun section is not ready that leads to lesser results in the battlefield for our maneuver partners, so building this foundation is critically important going forward making sure we can achieve our mission.”
In combat, artillery plays a crucial role in support, providing indirect fire from long range, and clearing zones in support of other combat soldiers in the field from afar. If Soldiers were sent out to shoot live without the proper training and certifications, they could end up endangering their own people and civilians, said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Mark Sauceda, a cannon section chief assigned to 1-320th FAR.
“As a cannon section chief I'm basically a safety, verifying that my gun is doing the right thing and that my Soldiers are doing the right thing when we’re occupying and shooting,” said Sauceda. “I need them to know what they are doing at all times and to be hungry to light up the next target.”
1-320 FAR arrival to Romania, ensures a strong and ready military presence in NATO’s eastern flank as part of its strengthened defense posture, which has been enhanced in recent years to reflect the new security reality in the Euro-Atlantic area.
“Training In Romania provides a unique opportunity especially for Soldier who has never left the country before,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Brandon Carter, a cannon section chief assigned to 1-320th FAR. “They get to explore different cultures and learn how to work with foreign nationals.”
Training serves as a way to increase the warfighting capabilities of U.S. Soldiers allowing them to deploy, engage, and destroy enemies and defend against any aggression.
“These Soldiers are some of the best combat Soldiers that we got, they are all motivated and ready to get the job done,” said Carter. “I have no problems taking them to combat with me.”
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2025 07:10 |
| Story ID: | 496788 |
| Location: | MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, RO |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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