Photo By Spc. Katlynn Pickle | U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the Ellenwood-based Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion,...... read more read more
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To deter adversaries, the U.S. maintains a strong military and close relationships with allies through treaties such as NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization). Should an ally call for support, U.S. forces must be ready to respond efficiently. Conducting regular training exercises is one way to improve readiness for such a response.
The Georgia Army National Guard is participating in a multinational exercise to improve its readiness. The exercise is called Dynamic Employment of Forces to Europe for NATO Deterrence and Enhanced Readiness (DEFENDER 24), which started on March 28, 2024. The 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery Regiment landed in Skillingaryd, Sweden, deploying as a battalion to shape operations for the Swedish forces, improving their battle capabilities. The unit is operating in the country for the first time since Sweden became NATO’s newest member on March 7, 2024.
“This is a big NATO exercise, and our unit has been preparing for this for a majority of the year,” said Sgt. Cody Miles, a cannon crew chief with Bravo Battery.
The unit is the largest present in Skillingaryd, with over 270 Soldiers consisting of Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie Batteries, 1214th Forward Support Company and the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery. The 420th Signal Company, and the Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), United States Marine Corps have all deployed with the 214th Field Artillery Regiment to partake in the exercise.
“The 214th is here as part of our annual training exercise with our new partner, Sweden, who recently joined NATO,” said Spc. Jeremy Rogers, a cannon crewmember with Bravo Battery. “It’s cool to come out here and be in a different area than we’re used to – this is getting my unit ready and helping us be adaptive.”
At the start of the exercise, the unit performed Preventative Maintenance Checks & Services (PMCS). This stage is designed to get artillery systems like the A M109A6 Paladin howitzer cannons ready for movement and use. It’s also a time for the cannon crewmembers to practice with their equipment to ready themselves for live-fire exercises.
“Like checking oil in your car, PMCS makes sure your vehicle is online when we need it,” said Rogers.
There are four positions within a Paladin crew — a crew chief, a driver, a gunner, and a loader. Each cannon crew member is in charge of their respective positions. They each play their own unique roles during Artillery Maneuver Tables.
“For the next two weeks, we’re conducting Table V and Table VI,” said Sgt. Cody Miles. “As a gun chief, I’m in charge of ensuring everything is in order and that my crew does what they need to do.”
Artillery crews use Artillery Maneuver Tables to help them accurately aim and fire their weapons. Crews become well-versed with the intricacies of their equipment, improving their readiness. These tables have information about factors such as the type of weapon and ammunition being used, the distance to the target, and the wind’s speed and direction. Table V has artillery crew members coordinating, rehearsing, and practicing with their equipment.
Table VI is a live-fire exercise to test the basic functionality of the Paladins, each Soldier is provided with a five-round magazine to confirm zero. Zeroing a weapon means calibrating its sights or aiming mechanism so that when you aim at a target, the bullets or projectiles go where you want them to. This process makes sure that the weapon aim is precise.
The 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery Regiment have performed more than Artillery Maneuver Tables too. The Soldiers conducted “React to Contact” exercises, which are training drills that prepare Soldiers for sudden enemy attacks. At DEFENDER 24, Swedish soldiers performed a mock attack against the 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery Regiment. The training helped both allied forces enhance their readiness capabilities through quickly responding and defending against unexpected threats during a mission.
The DEFENDER 24 exercise has proved a pivotal role in helping both the 214th Artillery and NATO allies improve their readiness.
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.09.2024 06:32 |
| Story ID: | 470705 |
| Location: | SKILLINGARYD, SE |
| Web Views: | 248 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 214 Field Artillery Show Combat Readiness at DEFENDER 24, by SPC Ehron Ostendorf, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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