FORT SILL, Okla. - The High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems of the 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment fire the Multiple-Launch Rocket System family of munitions. And - at least in B Battery of 1-14 FAR - those HIMARS are operated by a family of soldiers, said Battery 1st Sgt. Matthew D. Dorman.
“We take a family approach to managing our soldiers,” said Dorman. “Within the battery, there is mutual respect, and everybody gets a chance to speak - to contribute. That’s how I was brought up.”
That familial mentality is part of what makes the unit special, said 2nd Lt. David C. Casey, the 2nd platoon leader and fire direction officer.
“As far as I’m concerned, this is the best firing battery in the Army,” he added.
As a fire direction officer, Casey supervises his platoon’s fire direction cell. However, having been with the unit for less than two months, Casey believes the support of his platoon - especially the non-commissioned officers - was instrumental in his preparation for the Aug. 25 live-fire exercise at the North Arbuckle range.
“The best part of this [job] is the people,” he said. “I felt very welcomed. People bent over backward to help get me up to speed.”
The experience of seeing his soldiers certified as a firing platoon was not only educational, but impressive, for Casey.
“In the schoolhouse, we’re just taught the basics. Doctrine. Out here, it’s different when we’re doing practical exercises,” he said. “This is awesome. There aren’t too many jobs I can think of where you get to fire rockets.”
The field problem provided some of the time necessary for the newer soldiers to learn their missions, and for the crews to bond, said Spc. Patrick T. Malek, the driver for one of 2nd platoon’s HIMARS, Bad Influence.
As the Bad Influence crew joked and compared experiences from the field, some of its other members echoed sentiments of community and teamwork.
“I try to make things as easy on my chief as possible. It makes his job easier if all he has to do is verify my [actions],” said the gunner, Sgt. Matthew Puhr.
That level of maturity is more common, now that more Soldiers are entering their initial service at an older age than in previous years, said Staff Sgt. Paul Johnson, the crew chief for Bad Influence.
And, while the soldiers in B Battery do not all conform to that paradigm, some in the unit believe that a willingness to learn can help forge close working relationships between senior and junior Soldiers, be they enlisted or officer.
“Officers need to listen to their NCOs with an open mind, and NCOs should take the time to understand the ideas and concerns of their officers,” said Sgt. 1st Class Todd Dickinson, the platoon sergeant for 2nd platoon.
That openness is part of what allows some of the younger soldiers to communicate with their leadership, helping them to develop into leaders themselves, said Malek.
“My NCOs are helping me to learn more about the job out [in the field] than in the motorpool. So far, I’ve really learned a lot from these guys,” he continued.
With his sights set on future leadership positions, Puhr believes himself ready for those challenges. He credits his development to his position in his crew as both student and mentor.
“It really helps you learn something when you’re teaching it to someone else,” he said. “It’s a continual learning process.”
| Date Taken: | 08.25.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2010 17:22 |
| Story ID: | 55278 |
| Location: | FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 70 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, A Family of Soldiers Prepares for Combat, by Levi Spellman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
