Photo By Monica Wood | Lara Armstrong keeps pace with the horses as the Half Section Soldiers practice riding...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT SILL, Oklahoma —Women’s History Month is a chance to celebrate trailblazing women like Lara Armstrong — the first female chief of the Fort Sill Artillery Half Section.
“I’ve been around horses all my life,” said Armstrong. “I grew up riding bareback, galloping and jumping on a little Shetland pony named Trixie. I have always had a love of horses.”
Armstrong has been a trainer for students ages three to adult for more than 20 years and brings an incredible amount of experience to the Half Section. She maintains her Oklahoma State Teachers Certification in biology sciences, chemistry, agricultural education and special education. Her bachelor’s degree in animal science and biotechnology from Oklahoma State University included classes in equine production and management, applied animal nutrition and others essential for proper stable management.
“As a little girl, my grandfather was very into military history, and I can remember the early days of the Half Section. When I was around 10 years old, I was dreaming of riding a horse on Polo Field with the Half Section,” she said. “I was told ‘they would never let you do that.’ It never occurred to me that being a female could hinder me being part of the Half Section.”
The Artillery Half Section is Fort Sill's equine Army special ceremonies unit. The horses and Soldiers in the unit are responsible for carrying on the traditions of horse-drawn artillery from the World War I era.
“I spent a lot of volunteer hours around the Half Section. The former chief of the Artillery Half Section actually borrowed my lesson horses from my farm one time to do a staff ride because he didn’t have enough horses,” she said.
The Half Section's events include changes of command, retirements, cannon salutes, funerals, retreat and reveille, and demonstrations throughout the year. Nine volunteer Soldiers and a civilian section chief make up the Half Section, which originated here in 1969.
Armstrong is uniquely qualified to be the chief of the Fort Sill Artillery Half Section. She is training new Soldiers and new horses in the unit to ride as a team and work together to pull the limber (where the Soldiers sit) and the French 75 mm field gun used in ceremonies. Each Soldier has a horse they bond with and care for. The Soldier not only learns how to ride and care for the horse, they also learn to become one with the horse.
Soldiers selected for the Artillery Half Section serve a one-year tour and gain professional and enhanced leadership skills as they serve beside some magnificent horses, according to Armstrong.
“The Soldiers come from various units, many with little to no horse experience. This presents a challenge in the fact that not only are the Soldiers trying to learn about one another, interact as a team and learn about their equine partner, but they have to deal with their own insecurities in communicating with and managing a 1,500-pound animal with a mind of its own that cannot communicate with words,” said Armstrong.
It is not all about ceremonies and parades though. These team members are up before dawn mucking stables, feeding and watering, brushing and caring for their horses, practicing their riding, repairing leatherwork and polishing the gear to keep it in good condition, rain or shine and on holidays.
“I hope me being chief will encourage more females to go for the jobs that were traditionally male roles,” said Armstrong. “Currently the Half Section has more female Soldiers than it ever had before with four female Soldiers on the team. I think that it’s great that we have more women than ever on the team especially during Women’s History Month.”
Pasture, stables get facelift
The Fort Sill garrison is upgrading the facilities by the Old Post Corral and the pasture for the horses of the Half Section.
“You might have noticed the pasture fencing has been removed or taken down. We are building a new fencing system for the horses that is safer, stronger and an improvement for the Soldiers and horses of the Half Section,” said Armstrong. “We plan on new fencing for the stables after that.”
According to Armstrong, upgrades on the corral and stables/shed row are in the works. The corral will get new shingles eventually.
Residents and visitors are asked to stay away from any construction areas on Corral Road until the project is complete.
| Date Taken: | 03.23.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.23.2022 13:52 |
| Story ID: | 417016 |
| Location: | FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 108 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Fort Sill names first female chief of Half Section, by Monica Wood, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
