Photo By Sgt. Collin MacKown | Soldiers assigned to A Battery 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 75th...... read more read more
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FORT CARSON, Colo. – Soldiers from Alpha Battery 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 75th Field Artillery Brigade, participate in Ivy Mass, a joint force live-fire exercise, on June 8, 2022, here.
The 75th Field Artillery Brigade traveled to Fort Carson, Colorado from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to aid in the success of Ivy Mass and prove massed fires can be managed at the Division level.
Ivy Mass demonstrates and validates the 4th Infantry Division’s ability to converge multi-echelon operations alongside joint service partners to engage a simulated enemy at all levels of the battle space: on the ground, in the air, in space, and cyberspace.
This is the first time in the Division’s history that joint assets have been controlled at the Division level to enable effects from the ground up to space, as one unified mission.
Capt. Jasmine Winters, the commander of Alpha Battery 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 75th Field Artillery Brigade, says her unit is particularly special for the mere fact they are armed with High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). HIMARS were crucial to Ivy Mass and one of the many pieces to a very large and cohesive mission that engages with all levels of the battle space.
“Ivy Mass is an incredible opportunity to prove a war fighting concept that we can integrate surface and air fires at the division-level. Specifically, when we talk about surface and air fires, we are not just talking cannon artillery, we are talking rocket artillery,” says Winters. “There are a lot more considerations when dealing with safety and planning.” Winters’ Brigade is tasked to support III Corps, but most of their training is conducted at the Brigade-level and below.
Supporting a Division is a first for Winters and many of her Soldiers. “It’s awesome to get to have this experience and to get to participate with every echelon as they normally would,” says Winters.
The HIMARS is known for a shoot-and-scoot battle rhythm, where the system stops to shoot then moves to a new location to fire again, a method which proves its mobility and reliability for the force. This vehicle can propel ordnance approximately 50 miles, which is three to four times further than the M777 Howitzer cannons organic to the division.
1st Sgt. David Yates, the first sergeant for A Battery 1-14, 75th Field Artillery Brigade, is grateful to visit and support the 4th Inf. Div. because he gets to show how effective HIMARS are for large-scale military operations.
“Typically, HIMARS will be used at the very beginning of a battle to shape the battlefield and ensure we gain aerial superiority,” says Yates. “We get to show what a HIMARS brings to the fight, and when you’re talking about long-range precision fires, the 75th Field Artillery Brigade is where it’s at.”
The 4th Inf. Div. closely works with the 75th Field Artillery Brigade for Ivy Mass due to the 75th being the only battalion in III Corps with HIMARS capabilities. The 4th Inf. Div. welcomed them with open arms, and understood the critical force-multiplying element they presented within Ivy Mass.
“Words cannot express how much I appreciate the support we’ve received from 4th Inf. Div.,” says Winters. “The fact that all levels of leadership are willing to come out and talk to my Soldiers, shows them how much they truly appreciate them being here.”
Ivy Mass ensures readiness through simulated combat on a large scale and hopes to shape the future of combat not only for the 4th Inf. Div., but for the entire Army.
As the Army transitions to the Division being the unit of action, Ivy Mass demonstrates that the 4th Inf. Div. can coordinate multi-domain effects at all levels, including HIMARS. The Division is better prepared for the possibility of Large Scale Combat Operations - and better prepared to fight and win our Nation’s wars.
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| Date Taken: | 06.08.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2022 16:09 |
| Story ID: | 422629 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 354 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Rocket Artillery Supports 4th Infantry Division During Ivy Mass, by SGT Collin MacKown, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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