Photo By 1st Lt. Sean Carstensen | From left, Lt. Col. Troy Soukup, Lt. Col. Edmond Brown, Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Cabrera,...... read more read more
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CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - “Fire Mission!” This shout could be heard bellowing from the back of the M109A6 Paladin 155mm self-propelled howitzers as Minnesota National Guard soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, conducted live fire exercises at the Udairi Range near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, in February 2012. Lt. Col. Troy Soukup, commander, 1st Bn., 125th FA, listed artillery training as one of his top goals while his soldiers performed security force missions across southern Kuwait in order to maintain proficiency in their military occupational specialties. After months of preparation and planning, this goal was accomplished with the help of the 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
The 1st Battalion, 125th FA deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in July 2011. The Battalion’s missions included providing security for Camp Patriot, Kuwait Naval Base, and the Seaport of Debarkation/Embarkation; providing quick reaction forces at Camp Patriot, KNB, and Camp Arifjan; providing an area reaction force for southern Kuwait; and providing the camp command cell for Camp Patriot. None of these missions are standard for a Field Artillery Battalion. “As artillerymen, it is our goal to prove our capabilities not only as a maneuver task force, but to do what we Red Legs are meant to do—fire howitzers,” said Lt. Col. Soukup.
The artillery training was conducted at Camp Buehring in two iterations—the first from Feb. 1 to Feb. 8, 2012, and the second from Feb. 10 to Feb. 17, 2012. The 1st Battalion, 82nd FA, an active duty unit deployed to Camp Buehring, provided the training. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 125th FA spent the first three days of the iterations in the classroom brushing up on their artillery knowledge, primarily focused on safety, and completing a test that required 90 percent or greater to pass. The next two days were spent on the guns and in the fire direction centers practicing dry-fire missions to familiarize the soldiers with crew drills. The sixth day consisted of the Table V dry-fire certification for the gun and FDC crews. During this certification, Master Sgt. Aaron Wilfahrt, master gunner, 1st Battalion, 125th FA; 1st Sgt. Robert Newman, first sergeant, A Battery, 1st Battalion, 125th FA; 1st Sgt. George Jensen, first sergeant, B Battery, 1st Battalion, 125th FA; Capt. John Mastbergen, commander, A Battery, 1st Battalion, 125th FA; and Capt. Joseph Beatty, commander, B Battery, 1st Battalion, 125th FA, observed and certified their Soldiers when they were confident that live fire could be conducted safely and efficiently.
In the early morning of the seventh day, the soldiers of the 1st , 125th FA arrived at the motor pool with their counterparts from the 1st Battalion, 82nd FA to prepare for the convoy to Udairi Range. A long line of Paladins, ammo carriers, and HMMWVs rolled across the desert with the rising sun as a backdrop. After arriving, emplacing, and ensuring positive communications, the soldiers of the 1st BN, 125th FA fired their first live artillery rounds in a combat theater since World War II. At the end of the training a total of 299 rounds were fired with zero safety incidents. Additionally, 12 gun crews were Table VI live fire certified, 2 FDC crews were Table VI live fire certified, and 2 FDC crews were Table V dry fire certified.
It is not often that the Minnesota National Guard gets the opportunity to train alongside active duty soldiers. Many of the soldiers from the 1st BN, 82nd FA have multiple deployments under their belts and have fired thousands of rounds in combat. This experience proved invaluable to the soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 125th FA. “Attending the training gave the crews the opportunity to learn new techniques and responsibilities from an active duty unit. It was a good refresher for those with experience and good training for those new to the positions,” said Sgt. 1st Class William Hawker, platoon sergeant, B Battery, 1st Battalion, 125th FA.
On March 14, 2012, Lt. Col. Soukup and Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Eustice, command sergeant major, 1st Battalion, 125th FA, made the trip from Camp Patriot to Camp Buehring to present a special gift to the command team of the 1st Battalion, 82nd FA. The gift was a folded Minnesota state flag in a wooden display case with a plaque detailing the appreciation for the assistance with the training exercises. Lt. Col. Edmond Brown, commander, 1st Battalion, 82nd FA, accepted the gift with a smile and thanked the 1st Battalion, 125th FA. Afterwards, Lt. Col. Brown made a remark that summed up the relationship between active duty and reserve component soldiers: “That howitzer doesn’t care if you are active duty or National Guard. When [soldiers] are in the gun, they are all the same.”
| Date Taken: | 03.14.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 03.22.2012 06:48 |
| Story ID: | 85590 |
| Location: | CAMP BUEHRING, KW |
| Web Views: | 169 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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