Story by: Spc. Erik LeDrew
FALLUJAH, Iraq -- While the troopers of 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment and the Marines of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Division were on the ground in Fallujah, it was the Soldiers of A "Gator" Battery, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division who supported them with artillery fire.
"Our mission is to provide artillery support for the units in Fallujah," said Sgt. Andre Hall, a fire section chief with Gator Battery and a Hopkinsville, Ky. native.
Their fire-missions in Fallujah varied, but the battery was equipped to handle whatever came their way.
"We use Paladin Howitzers which are capable of firing [high-explosive], illumination and smoke rounds," said Capt. Michael Burgoyne, Battery A commander, 3-82 FA. Using their Paladins, which are essentially mobile canons, Gator Battery was able to provide whatever artillery support was required. At first, such support mostly consisted of returning fire against insurgents mortaring and attempting to mortar U.S. military bases around the city of Fallujah.
"We've been providing counter-fire against anti-Iraqi insurgents, which is a strictly responsive mission," Burgoyne, who hails from St. Charles, Mo., said. "But we also have been providing direct-fire support for the guys [engaged in combat] with the enemy."
According to Hall, when a mission comes down the pipeline, it doesn't always go through because of the possibility of civilian bystanders or friendly forces that are too close to the impact site.
"We receive our missions from the Fire Direction Center, lay down the position they give us and wait for the call to fire," Hall said. Although Gator Battery's job became considerably busy after the ground battle in Fallujah began, only one in every four missions was actually given the go-ahead for fire during their first few days at Camp Fallujah.
The battery arrived at Camp Fallujah in the beginning of November with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, to aid the over-taxed U.S. Marine Corps artillery units"who use standard Howitzers, not Paladins"already stationed there.
"The Marine artillery has been engaging the enemy, but they needed extra support," Burgoyne said. "So that's why our battery came with the [2nd BCT] from Baghdad."
Gator Battery was the only artillery unit from 3-82 FA that accompanied the 2nd BCT to Fallujah, leaving their old sector in southwestern Baghdad behind.
"In Baghdad, we were doing patrols and humanitarian missions," Burgoyne said, "But this mission here is the most important my unit has yet done in the 10 months we've been in Iraq. [Insurgents] cannot be allowed to strike with impunity on a people who are trying to better their own lives, and my Soldiers understand that."
| Date Taken: | 11.22.2004 |
| Date Posted: | 11.22.2004 14:03 |
| Story ID: | 633 |
| Location: | FALLUJAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 14 |
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