CAMP SHELBY, Miss. -- "As trainers of National Guard and Army Reserve units, we are constantly seeking opportunities to educate and improve ourselves in order to provide the best training possible to deploying Soldiers. Looking into our past and discussing lessons learned from historical battles is one way we accomplish this task," explained Lt. Col. Robert Burgess, 2-305th Field Artillery Battalion commander.
Soldiers of the 2-305th Field Artillery, 158th Infantry Brigade, First Army Division East, recently traveled to Chalmette, La., to learn about the Battle of New Orleans, an important American victory in the War of 1812.
First Army Division East partners with Army Reserve and National Guard leaders to advise, assist, and train reserve component units throughout Army Force Generation readiness requirements. This includes mentorship during their annual training as well as mobilization training prior to deploying in support of worldwide requirements.
Nathan Hall, a park ranger for the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve, provided the Soldiers an overview of the War of 1812, and then guided them around the battlefield. Hall focused his tour on how artillery helped the Americans win the battle of New Orleans. As part of the tour, the 2-305th Soldiers participated in an artillery crew drill on replica cannons, the same drills used by their 19th century predecessors.
"The importance of properly training our Soldiers for the rigors of battle was what I took away as a senior noncommissioned officer," said Sgt. 1st Class Lavour Dancy.
First Army Division East observer-controller/trainers, like Dancy, focus on that mission -- training Soldiers for the rigors of battle -- on a daily basis. The 158th Inf Bde O-C/Ts stationed at Camp Shelby Miss., train and deploy Reserve Component Soldiers for worldwide deployments.
"I could really get a feel for how the artillerymen felt during the fight," Dancy continued. "Events such as this one ensure that Soldiers understand their history so that they may be more enabled to understand the changing nature of the 21st century battlefield."
First Army Division East partners with Army Reserve and National Guard leaders to advise, assist, and train reserve component units throughout Army Force Generation readiness requirements. This includes mentorship during their annual training as well as mobilization training prior to deploying in support of worldwide requirements.
"We are a multi component force made up from active duty and reserve Soldiers, and we train reserve and National Guard Soldiers for combat. It was astonishing that the small force that defeated the British and solidified America's victory in the War of 1812 was in fact a multi component force consisting of a few regular army Soldiers, but mainly volunteer citizen Soldiers from states along the Mississippi River Valley, residents of New Orleans, and Baratarian pirates," explained Burgess.
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