FORT BENNING, Ga., (May 27, 2015) -- Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, fired, validated and verified the new Howitzer M119A3 weapons system on Red Diamond May 21, the culmination of the 19-day process in terms of receiving the guns, training on them and conducting a live fire.
The new weapons system, now with an increased amount of digital components, is a lot different than what the Rock Support Soldiers are used to, said 1st Lt. Justin Schaaf, platoon leader for 2nd Platoon, B Battery, 1st Bn., 10th FA Regt.
With the 3rd ABCT transitioning from an armored brigade combat team to an Infantry brigade combat team, 1st Bn., 10th FA Regt. is having to change as well, said Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Jones, platoon sergeant. With the change, the battalion went from primarily using paladins to adopting these new howitzers as their main weapon system.
Even though the systems are similar across the board, with this new equipment the Soldiers are having to get familiar with 105 mm rounds versus a larger 155 mm round, Schaaf said. It's definitely different, but a lot of the same concepts still apply.
"The digital elements make this a far more seamless process," Schaaf said. "There is far less confusion, things happen more rapidly, we are more precise with our firing, and it allows for rounds to get downrange a lot faster."
"The new digital systems take a lot of the math out of the process of firing," Jones said. "The system itself is responsible for more mathematical calculations now. This does not mean that the crews do not practice these calculations, but while the system is active, it makes firing the weapon a lot quicker."
Civilian contractors came from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, home of the Field Artillery Center of Excellence, to train the Soldiers on the new systems.
"These guys; this is all they do," Schaaf said. "They only work with this piece. They know all of the ins and outs, and there is even a portion of them that are a part of producing this weapons system. They are here to give us that knowledge so that we can retain it and then ourselves, become subject matter experts."
"We need to be able to push that knowledge down to our Soldiers, and then use it in a combat scenario," Schaaf said.
Spc. Bryan Glass, an Ammo Team chief, with A Battery, was out on the range firing the howitzers for the first time in his career.
"Switching to a howitzer system is definitely something new and exciting," Glass said. "And anytime we get to come out here and do our job, it is a good day."
"Our guys have been anxiously awaiting this day to put rounds in the tube and get 'steel on steel' as we call it around here," Schaaf said.
"The rush from doing this is like no other," Glass said. "Your heart is pumping and your mind is racing. You're trying to get those rounds downrange as quick as possible."
"It's an exciting time to be a part of 1st Bn., 10th FA, the 3rd Infantry Division artillery, and to be here to fire them," Schaaf said. "As an Army, we are a team. We all have our roles in the field, just like a football team. We provide a certain element to the team and I am confident with this new weapon system, that we will be a better part of making this team work."
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