FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- Under cover of darkness, firing platoons of Alpha and Bravo batteries, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment creep towards their positions across Fort Drum in preparation for the battalion's culminating exercise, Allons Peak.
As the guns arrive, section chiefs and platoon leaders promptly lay the howitzers in the correct positions while gun teams sprint to their ammunition carriers to retrieve the correct number of rounds.
While the guns report their ready status, forward observers on the hill notify the battalion fire direction center that an enemy infantry company is poised to overrun a friendly maneuver element. Once the data is processed, a fire mission is issued, and 12 howitzers simultaneously elevate their gun tubes in preparation for the fire command.
Across the training area, fire direction officers stare at their watches counting down until finally, they grab their radios and say, "Standby … fire."
For more than 10 years, field artillery has focused on operations centering on forward operating bases where howitzer positions are static and movement was rare. However, as operations in Afghanistan continue to wind down, field artillery finds itself returning once again to the basics of shoot, move and communicate.
Over the course of four months, the Allons Battalion designed an operation that tested its subordinate units on field artillery tactical and technical tasks that have not been evaluated since before the 2013 deployment to Afghanistan.
Some of the critical training aspects included decisive operations, force-on-force operations and fighting an enemy force that is capable of matching American capabilities in the field.
Lt. Col. Kevin Jackson, 2-15 FAR commander, is a strong advocate for the return to fast and expeditionary fires.
"We wanted to design an operation that would evaluate our ability to deliver fires at both the platoon and battery level. We also needed to evaluate our capability to perform the critical tasks that are necessary to not only survive, but to win in a decisive action fight," he said.
The training that the Soldiers conducted over recent weeks was a testament to Jackson's vision for the return to highly mobile and early entry field artillery units.
On Aug. 11, the entire 2-15 FAR moved into the field to begin operations with the intention of fighting a near peer opponent. At no point did any fires element remain in place for more than 24 hours, often conducting survivability moves every two to three hours.
While moving from firing point to firing point, both Alpha and Bravo batteries faced a variety of threats, from improvised explosive device attacks and indirect fire, to gas attacks and suicide bombers. After fighting to reach their positions, both batteries were forced to follow a tight timeline of fire missions designed to certify their gun sections and deliver accurate and timely fires within a highly active environment.
Simultaneously, both batteries were expected to conduct fire missions in support of 2nd Brigade Combat Team's weeklong Fire Support Team Certification. This event was designed to test the knowledge and abilities of the brigade's fire supporters with exercises including land navigation, fire plan evaluation and live calls for fire.
With the reorganization of fires battalions ongoing across the Army, close coordination with fire supporters will be essential for the battalion's success in the upcoming Mountain Peak operation as well as the approaching rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La.
It was not only the firing batteries of 2-15 FAR that were tested, however; Golf Company, responsible for the rearming, refueling, and replenishment of the battalion, faced similar challenges. These included the delivery of ammunition while under fire, convoy operations and the security of fuel and ammunition sites from enemy attack.
Operation Allons Peak has successfully begun the transformation of 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment from a unit that focused mainly on firebase operations to conducting platoon- and battery-sized operations, into a unit that can rapidly deploy into a foreign country with little to no warning and perform rapid, early-entry operations while simultaneously conducting close coor-
dination with maneuver battalions to deliver timely, accurate and deadly fires at any time.
The lessons learned from this operation will serve the battalion well not only in follow-on operations at Fort Drum, but also during essential evaluations at JRTC and beyond.
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