Photo By Staff Sgt. Gene Arnold | Soldiers of 1st Section, 1st Platoon, Battery Alpha, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team,...... read more read more
PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan –The twin howitzers of Alpha Battery’s 1st platoon had been silent for weeks. The usually tempestuous valleys surrounding Foward Operating Base Orgun-E had become still as the days grew shorter and the cold set in.
It seemed that most of the area’s “rowdier inhabitants” had left for winter, leaving only a token garrison to carry out their particular brand of mischief. Regardless of the relative calm surrounding them, the Soldiers of 1st platoon remained poised to deliver lethal, indirect fire whenever it should be needed.
On Nov. 11, Veteran’s Day, unmanned aerial assets operating in the area spotted a large group of individuals emplacing an improvised explosive device (IED) in a nearby valley. The crew immediately passed the target coordinates to 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment’s fire support cell, known as Black Lion Fires, who in turn sent a call for fire to 1st platoon’s Fire Direction Center (FDC). Due to the long range to the target and extreme precision that would be needed to engage it without endangering civilians, the call for fire requested that the Excalibur munitions be utilized.
The Excalibur is a long range, GPS-guided, high explosive artillery munition that can be fired from the M777 Howitzer. It was first fired operationally in 2007 in Iraq. Since then, it has been an invaluable tool for the maneuver commander when shooting close to friendly troops or into areas with collateral damage concerns.
Black Lion Fires, not content to allow any positively identified insurgents to escape the impending melee, immediately began redirecting additional manned aerial assets into the area. In minutes, the howitzers were laid on the target and awaiting the “fire” command; Army rotary-wing, Air Force fixed-wing, and unmanned aerial vehicles were all moved off of the gun-target line.
The call came to the FDC, “Fire when ready.”
Seconds later, with a blast that shook the walls of nearby buildings, Gun 1, chiefed by Staff Sgt. Shawn Nield, fired the first Excalibur round. Shortly after the first round left the tube, screaming toward the troposphere, Gun 2, chiefed by Staff Sgt. Arza Hammond, sent a second round into commercial-airliner territory. If all went well, once the rounds reached the peak of their trajectory, they would acquire a GPS signal and gracefully guide themselves to that particular spot on the earth’s surface where the unmanned aerial vehicle had acquired its target.
More than 20 kilometres away, the enemy never heard it coming. With a sudden screech and a deafening crash, the first Excalibur round detonated several meters above the ground sending a hail of hot steel splinters down onto the target. Seconds later another round detonated and further decimated the ground beneath. The UAV observed both rounds precisely hit the target. As soon as both impacts were observed, Black Lion Fires brought the numerous aerial assets into the fray to engage additional positively identified targets.
The gun crews and FDC personnel were elated. Not only had they made history by being the first crews to fire the Excalibur round in combat with the 1st Infantry Division, but they had taken the fight to the enemy on their own turf. The engagement had been a marvellous coordination between the brigade’s organic fire support assets, unmanned aerial vehicles, Army rotary-wing aircraft, and Air Force fixed-wing aircraft. Furthermore, the mission solidified the amazing capabilities of the Excalibur munition and showed the enemy that coalition forces could reach out and touch them where they felt safest.
Some thought that the mission would be one of the last for the Soldiers of 1st Platoon due to the worsening weather, but the enemy had other plans.Two days later, the FDC received another call for fire, this time from a special forces unit operating outside of FOB Orgun-E. The unit requested that the Excalibur munition be used. Alpha Battery was more than willing to oblige.
With yet another deafening concussion, one more Excalibur round was sent on its path to destruction by Gun 2. Once again the round acquired its GPS signal and again it glided gracefully to a spot on the earth from which the enemy was attacking American soldiers.
No correction or additional fire was needed. The unit that was in contact was no longer in contact. The enemy had been completely silenced. Black Lion Fires, who had been watching the engagement via unmanned aerial assets, said the shot was “beautiful.” The “end of mission” command was received, and the guns fell silent once again.
“It doesn’t matter what round we’re shooting to me, the most important thing getting rounds on target for the guys that need them when they need them,” said Pfc. Zachary Gamez, an FDC Soldier who processed both Excalibur missions.
The battery commander, Capt. Christopher Hoffman, was proud of his Soldiers.
“My soldiers made history with these missions, but more importantly we took the fight to the enemy,” he said. “My guys worked with precision and quickness which allowed us to put a dent in the insurgents’ ability to attack not only us, but the people of Afghanistan.”
| Date Taken: | 11.11.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 12.22.2012 05:38 |
| Story ID: | 99678 |
| Location: | PAKTIKA PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 781 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, ‘Aces’ make 1st Infantry Division history in Afghanistan By 1st Lt Ryan P. Devine, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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