Photo By Sgt. Nicholas Ramshaw | Soldiers in the 138th Field Artillery Brigade supported Operation Spartan Shield and...... read more read more
LEXINGTON, Ky. – In a first-ever effort to provide modernization to the U.S. Army’s fires warfighting function, a National Guard artillery brigade has been chosen to realign with an active-duty corps.
On Nov. 27, 2024, Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, director of the Army National Guard, formally notified Kentucky’s adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Haldane Lamberton, that the 138th Field Artillery Brigade (FAB), Kentucky Army National Guard, is uniquely chosen as the first Operational Fires Command (OFC).
The new mission will bring active and reserve components together as the 138th converts to become command and control of lethal and non-lethal fires for the U.S. Army’s V Corps, with headquarters at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and forward headquarters in Poznan, Poland.
According to Lt. Col. Robbie Andersen, commander of the 138th, his unit was chosen for this alignment based on readiness and experience.
“We just came off a combat deployment where we achieved a high level of readiness. We were primed and ready as the best choice for showing what an Operational Fires Command should look like,” said Andersen. “We are also fortunate that V Corps is located on Fort Knox here in Kentucky.”
Andersen is leading the conversion and will validate the unit’s modified table of organization and equipment (MTOE) as recommended by the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence (FCOE).
Andersen takes on this mission alongside the dual-hatted, FCOE deputy commanding general and Kentucky deputy adjutant general, Brig. Gen. Brian Wertzler.
Wertzler, also a former commander of the 138th, said this conversion is something that has not been seen in the reserve forces.
“The force structure within the KYARNG will allow Soldiers and leaders within the KYARNG field artillery community to learn, grow, and employ fires from the battery, battalion, division, and corps echelons,” Wertzler said. “Kentucky will be the only state that has this capability across the 54 within Compo Two.”
The FCOE, located at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, provides guidance and oversight for this conversion, however, the 138th will provide bottom-up refinement by working closely alongside V Corps counterparts to ensure the MTOE is manned and equipped effectively in support of corps fires.
As an OFC, the 138th will teach themselves and the Army how to be a “one-stop-shop” for the corps commanding general and the command and control for FAB commanders.
This will give the corps commander an advantage over the previous Army structure that places the FAB commander in that dual-role mission as brigade commander and corps fire support coordinator.
Having a dedicated OFC provides high command for the field artillery commanders while synchronizing non-lethal fires to support operational and tactical needs.
Andersen and the 138th have two-years to convert the FAB into the OFC.
“Like every transformation, we have to have lines of effort,” said Andersen. “Our three lines of effort are training, manning, and equipment. So, most of our time will be making a bigger investment in our NCOs, warrant officers, and officers.”
Andersen is planning the next two years of training to be oriented to support the V Corps’ warfighter exercise in 2026.
“We are going to see what equipment is going to be the most relevant in each role,” Andersen said. “After each training evolution, we will sit down with FCOE and go line-by-line to see what we need or was not relevant, which will be based on what we feel is what right looks like.”
The 138th will be doing a one-for-one conversion to the OFC. However, its subordinate battalions--the 2/138th Field Artillery and the 1/623rd Field Artillery--will be reassigned to the 38th Division Artillery. This will allow the new OFC to focus on supporting V Corps requirements and the OFC mission of commanding aligned field artillery brigades.
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| Date Taken: | 02.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.07.2025 16:16 |
| Story ID: | 490173 |
| Location: | LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, US |
| Hometown: | LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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