Fire mission

Photo By Sgt. Sean Harriman | The M982 Excalibur 155mm round leaves the barrel of an M777 Howitzer during a live fire shoot conducted by Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, at Oro Grande Range Complex, N.M., Dec. 5. The shoot was the first of its kind conducted outside of the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., and combat. (U.S. Army photograph by Sgt. Sean Harriman, 2nd BCT, 1st AD, Public Affairs)  

FORT BLISS, TEXAS, UNITED STATES

12.05.2012

Story by Sgt. Sean Harriman 

Network Integration Evaluation

FORT BLISS, Texas – The artillery soldiers of Battery B, 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, fired two M982 Excalibur 155mm artillery shells, Dec. 5, at Oro Grande Range Complex, N.M., the first time a FORSCOM unit outside of the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., and combat.

“The Excalibur munition is an extended range, precision-guided high explosive round,” said 1st Lt. David Galusha, platoon leader, 4th Bn., 27th FA Regt. “It was designed to lower collateral damage so that field artillery could be used in situations that we’ve never been able to before,” he said.

The use of artillery in combat is a complicated task, requiring numerous steps, checks and double-checks to ensure the proper target is hit.

“4-27 is one of the best trained field artillery units in the Army,” Galusha said. “We’re in the field just about every quarter doing gunnery qualification … so we’re definitely ready to do this kind of mission,” he said.

Staff Sgt. Francisco Alcala, B Btry., 4th Bn., 27th Field Artillery Regt., who verified the crews correct performance and safety, said he has fired the Excalibur during a deployment, but that the exercise was valuable to those soldiers who haven’t fired the round.

One of those soldiers, Spc. Kevin Callan, fuse setter, B Btry., 4th Bn., 27th Field Artillery Regt., felt very confident about the exercise.

“We went over a two-day class and we’ve been going over various dry-fire missions,” he said.

“Everyone is capable doing this mission,” Callan said.

Another soldier, Spc. Aaron Wolfe, automated field artillery tactical data system operator, 4th Bn., 27th Field Artillery Regt., was deployed but never had the chance to fire the Excalibur.

“One of the things that held the artillery back was the potential for collateral damage,” said Wolfe.

This is one of the things M982 Excalibur was designed to minimize, so the potential for using artillery is now a more viable option, and being the first unit to fire it in the U.S. outside of the National Training Center, the soldiers can become more familiar with using it.

“We’re out here getting some good training, working with the latest and greatest,” Wolfe said.

For the soldiers of 4th Bn., 27th Field Artillery Regt., using the latest and greatest to put rounds on target is an every day thing.

• Date Taken: 12.05.2012
• Date Posted: 12.11.2012 17:24
• Story ID: 99106
• Location: FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US