By Maj. Jason Turner
DIVARTY Operations Officer
YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, Wash. - In 2003, Pfc. Jesse Kobussen, a Field Artillery Fire Direction Specialist, was processing mass fire missions at Rodriquez Live Fire Complex, South Korea, for 2nd Infantry Division Artillery. This would be the last time the DIVARTY would control fires for multiple artillery battalions before its deactivation on Nov. 30, 2006.
But on June 10, 2017, Sgt. 1st Class Kobussen sat again in the DIVARTY Fire Control Center as the Senior Fire Direction Specialist - controlling fires for multiple field artillery battalions for the first time since 2003.
DIVARTY, based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., orchestrated the massing of 33 M777 Howitzers from three field artillery battalions, including one Washington Army National Guard unit, while conducting Force Field Artillery Headquarters training at the Yakima Training Center, Wash. This was the first time since the DIVARTY's reactivation on Sep. 25, 2014, the fire control team has demonstrated this critical capability required by the 2ID commander.
"It is truly awesome when you see 33 cannons mass on a single target," said Kobussen. "That destructive power shakes the earth for miles and shows the lethality of the DIVARTY."
DIVARTY routinely participates in 2ID Exercises, such as Operation Key Resolve, Operation Ulchi Freedom Guardian and division-level warfighting exercises. Their ability to integrate fires with maneuver and set conditions for maneuver commanders has proven critical to the success of 2ID missions.
"Re-establishing and training on this critical capability after some 14 years clearly demonstrates the lethality and the significant role the DIVARTYs have in a Decisive Action battle," said Col. David Pierce, 2ID Artillery commander. "The Force Field Artillery HQs can control multiple field artillery battalions and effectively mass onto a single target simultaneously and instantly destroy the adversary, creating that marked battlefield advantage for our brigade combat teams."
Soldiers of DIVARTY stand ready now to support their Republic of Korea partners. Kobussen and the Soldiers of DIVARTY have proven they can effectively control the field artillery fight, mass all indirect fires on enemy targets and are prepared to take the fight to the enemy.
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