Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Zach Sheely | Brig. Gen. Robert E. Windham, center, commander of the Kansas Army National Guard,...... read more read more
MANHATTAN, Kan. - The thunderous boom of three 75mm pack howitzers firing shook the ground and filled the air with smoke, officially signifying the return of a historic Kansas National Guard unit, as the 130th Field Artillery Brigade was reactivated during a ceremony at Frank Anneberg Park in Manhattan, Kansas, Oct. 19.
The new brigade brings 15 new full-time National Guard jobs and 163 part-time National Guard positions. The part-time jobs are traditional National Guard positions in which individuals train one weekend a month and two weeks a year.
“The reactivation, one more time, of the 130th Field Artillery Brigade is a long-awaited event that returns a storied and treasured unit to the inventory and a powerful asset to the state and nation,” said Brig. Gen. Robert Windham, commander, Kansas Army National Guard. “The 130th is a decorated unit with a long history and rich lineage.”
The Soldiers of the 130th stood in formation as 35th Division Band played, and the ceremony was marked by the uncasing of the red and yellow flag of the 130th for the first time since 2007. Windham ceremonially passed the flag to the new commander of the 130th, Col. John Rueger, symbolizing the activation.
“It’s a great honor for me to command the newest field artillery brigade in the Army National Guard,” said Rueger. “We’re bringing such a tremendous history forward. With the unfurling of the colors, this brigade is starting a new chapter in the Kansas Army National Guard and brings much capability and much to the fight.”
The 130th Field Artillery history in the Kansas Army National Guard dates back to 1917, where its lineage can be traced through both world wars as part of the 35th Infantry Division, the Korean conflict and, most recently, Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following its deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the brigade was inactivated on Nov. 10, 2007.
The Field Artillery Corps is known as the “King of Battle” and the 130th is the eighth such unit in the National Guard. The close proximity of the 130th headquarters to Fort Riley and the 1st Army Division is mutually beneficial, said Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, adjutant general of Kansas.
“We want to find ways to bring the National Guard and our active duty counterparts together, so we find a host of opportunities where we can work and train together as one fighting force,” said Tafanelli.
The 130th headquarters will provide command and control to subordinate field artillery units in the Kansas National Guard. These include the 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery in Hutchinson and the 2nd Battalion, 130th Field Artillery in Hiawatha. The field artillery units provide indirect fire in support of Army maneuvers. The brigade’s subordinate battalions are fielded with the 155mm Paladin self-propelled howitzer and equipped with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.
“With the standup of the 130th today, our Army is stronger and the enemies of our nation and the people who threaten our way of life are more at risk,” said Windham.
| Date Taken: | 10.19.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2014 15:35 |
| Story ID: | 145684 |
| Location: | MANHATTAN, KANSAS, US |
| Hometown: | MANHATTAN, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 955 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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