Photo By Sgt. Taylor Gray | Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, 25th Infantry Division,...... read more read more
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SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — Soldiers, veterans and families gathered Sept. 24 to honor more than a century of service as the 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment (2-11th), 25th Infantry Division, held a cannon retirement ceremony at Schofield Barracks.
The event recognized the battalion’s long history of answering the nation’s call — from major campaigns to steady-state training that kept crews ready and precise. Over the years, 2-11th built a reputation for competence and cohesion, a culture sustained at the section level and reinforced across batteries.
Alpha and Bravo batteries were highlighted for sustained excellence and adaptability, both previously honored with the Henry A. Knox Award. Those recognitions, earned through tough training and consistent performance, underscored what the battalion is best known for: disciplined crews, reliable fires and leaders who invest in their soldiers.
The ceremony concluded with a final firing of the M119 howitzers — one last report that served as both farewell and reminder of what the formations behind those guns accomplished. For many in attendance, the closing shots connected past to present: the soldiers who learned their craft on those weapons, the NCOs who built crews from the ground up and the officers who planned and synchronized fires across the brigade fight.
For Staff Sgt. Kenneth Gaetos, a launcher section chief with Alpha Battery who recently transitioned from being a cannon crew member to operating rocket systems, the ceremony was both an ending and a beginning.
“Transitioning from being cannons to rockets is definitely a different field of view,” Gaetos said. “It’s a very different work ethic, especially for the camaraderie we have now — fewer soldiers, fewer personnel on our crew, but it does not change the fact that we can still do our missions, do our job, and we have closer connection or training with my guys.”
The battalion’s cannons were formally reassigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, ensuring the capability continues within the division even as unit roles evolve. For Gaetos, the move to rockets represents both change and improvement.
“Being able to work with the rocket system, being able to range longer rather than not, like the cannons, I think it brings much more efficiency to this unit,” he said.
While the M119’s last rounds marked the end of one era, the Soldiers of 2-11th are already leaning into the future. Gaetos summed up the mindset he hopes others will carry forward.
“When an opportunity is right in front of you, don’t hesitate — take it,” Gaetos said. “Be better every day, hold to the standards and get the job done on time.”
The legacy of 2-11th Field Artillery Regiment doesn’t end with the last round fired. It continues in the soldiers who trained on those guns, the batteries that earned recognition for excellence and the units that will employ the reassigned systems. The ceremony simply put a period on one sentence of a longer story — one built on teamwork, readiness and a shared commitment to getting it right when it matters.
| Date Taken: | 09.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.26.2025 20:12 |
| Story ID: | 549468 |
| Location: | HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 49 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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