Cavalry scouts, artillerymen and attack aviation take on combined arms live fire exercise

By Staff Sgt. Keith AndersonMay 1, 2015

Manuever Shooter Exercise
FORT HOOD, Texas -- M109A6 Paladin artillerymen from 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, fire a 155 mm round April 23 during the maneuver -- shooter combined arms live fire exercise. Th... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

For the first phase of the operation, the scouts called for fire from 120 mm mortar fire support teams and 155 mm artillery M109A6 Paladins to destroy enemy air defense artillery positions, allowing freedom of movement for AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and other rotary wing aircraft.

After the suppression of enemy air defenses, scouts and dismounted infantry assault teams directed close combat attacks with Apaches on isolated enemy mechanized infantry formations. The race was on to destroy the enemy before reinforcements could arrive.

The complex exercise involved infantry, mortars, cavalry scouts and fire support teams from 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division; along with artillerymen from 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st ABCT; and close air support from the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cav. Div.

"The maneuver -- shooter CALFEX builds confidence in our fires support capabilities and confidence in their (1st Sqdn., 7th Cav. Reg.) maneuver capabilities," said Lt. Col. Douglas Hayes, commander, 1st Bn., 82nd FA. "This is how we fight now; everyone has a part to play."

For the exercise, Ironhorse Soldiers focused on finding, fixing, and destroying notional enemy forces within the area of operations by utilizing direct fires, indirect fires, and air assets to give forces the tactical advantage to successfully complete the mission.

Staff Sgt. Adam Fisher, a section chief (similar to a tank commander) in one of the Paladins during the exercise, said his team had just received their Paladin and certified it in the previous week, and the CALFEX was a good opportunity to get familiar with it.

"It's good for us, because we get to shoot a bunch of rounds," said Fisher, a native of Detroit, Michigan.

The exercise certified air weapons teams, trained Soldiers in coordinating close combat attacks with attack reconnaissance aircraft against enemy forces, and incorporated combat observation and lasing teams. Leaders were also able to assess the refuel, resupply and rearm process.

The training will serve the battalions well during the Ironhorse brigade's August 2015 decisive action rotation at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, said Maj. Jeremy Williams, executive officer, 1st Sqdn., 7th Cav. Reg.

"1-7 CAV is certifying scout sections and call-for-fire artillery training with the 1-82 FA," said Williams. "This is allowing us to develop TTPs (tactics, techniques and procedures) that will enable us to rapidly and accurately place indirect fires on target."

There was one other milestone reached during the exercise.

"This is the first combined arms live fire exercise since our integration into Division Artillery," said Capt. Lee Roberts, commander, A Battery, 1-82 FA. "What I've observed during this exercise is a sense of a real community of fire support. The integration has taken many of the needs of fire support off the plate and has positioned us to better support the brigade."