Field artillery, the King of Battle, has earned a reputation on the battlefield as a deadly and efficient means of warfare. The 214th Fires Brigade is home to some of the most precise and lethal weapons systems in the U.S. Army, capable of completely obliterating targets up to 300 miles away.

This reputation is maintained through a system of teamwork spanning many disciplines within the Army's spectrum of operations. It is the collective result of numerous hard-working individuals, most of whom execute their missions well behind the front lines. Because of this, many have never fired their weapons in combat. But, in the current warfare environment, those battle lines have largely evaporated.

For most Soldiers in a supporting role, basic Soldiers skills can become rusty from disuse. To correct this problem, Headquarters, Headquarters Battery, 214th FiB conducted a unit-level field training exercise in March.

"When you're deployed, who knows what you're going to get into. And, you might be a "fobbit" - stuck doing your day-to-day job - and not see anything. But, you never know when you're going to get pulled onto that convoy and actually have to do that stuff," said Spc. J.R. Salo, a human resources specialist with HHB, 214th FiB.

"It's important to refresh those skills. Everyone's secondary [occupation] is infantry," said Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. McLaughlin, a field artillery tactical data systems specialist with the unit.

The exercise, which represented the unit's first solo FTX, went much better than expected, said 1st Sgt. Kevin R. Leopold, the battery first sergeant.

Others agree, utilizing the unit's non-commissioned officers was the highlight of the FTX for Salo, citing their exceptional work as both instructors and opposing forces.

"[The opposing forces] were there to test us and were able to give us some input during the [after action report] that we wouldn't be able to get just from what we saw as a squad," he said.

Happy with the training, Leopold believes much of the success achieved by the unit was due to the unusually high level of enthusiasm displayed by his troops, a sentiment repeatedly voiced among the unit's other leaders.

As a former member of the 10th Mountain Division and the 172nd Brigade Stryker Combat Team, Staff Sgt. Chad M. Garrison has had an opportunity to train and fight with the Army's best. Now, serving as a fire support specialist with HHB, 214th FB, Garrison said what he witnessed during the FTX pushed the Soldiers in a meaningful way.

"I think the motivation level was good for a bunch of [Soldiers] that don't get out of the office that often," he said.

In addition to the tactical improvements provided by the training, the 214th FB HHB realized some benefits to personnel management while in the field, said Garrison.

"As an event, I actually think it was good for this battery to ... get out of their comfort zone," he said. "It's a good way to assess your Soldier's abilities because some Soldiers are office people and others are the field kind, and it's good to get the field types out and see how they lead."

However, for a unit divided among the staff they support, one of the greatest assets cultivated by the training may have more to do with solidarity than strategy, said Spc. Deondra Johnson, a unit supply specialist for the battery. "To me, being in the field brings your unit closer. It helps you know the people you work with. Here, we're in an environment where we only see each other when we have to," she said.

"It definitely helped build camaraderie around the battery, as a whole because you were able to interact with people you wouldn't see on a day-to-day basis. It helped bring the battery together," said Salo.

After such a positive experience and reception, Leopold hopes to tackle more battery-level field problems in the future.

"I would like to do another battery FTX. I would like to do it during inclement weather because you see different sides of Soldiers when the weather is not perfect. It requires extra planning, and it adds a whole new dimension to the exercise."