The year 2017 proved to be an exciting and rewarding year for the 101st Airborne Division Artillery, 101st Abn. Div.
HHB DIVARTY
The Soldiers of Head Hunter Battery have been on the ground running since the beginning of 2017 and look forward to continuing the pace into the new year.
The Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 101st DIVARTY, conducted a tough training cycle in 2017 with the completion of a certification of live gunnery and more than 10 air assault training missions with the radar section.
The gunnery certification in June, with every section qualifying to standard, provided many Soldiers their first opportunity to work with their sections in a live-fire scenario. The radar section was very active and aggressive acquiring air assets not only on Fort Campbell but through National Guard and other posts with a highlight being their air assault raid at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
1-320th FAR
The past year brought numerous successes and accomplishments to the Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st DIVARTY.
The year started out strong with members of HHB and C Battery redeploying from their mission in Iraq. Top Guns spent a nine-month deployment rotation in Iraq where the Soldiers of C Battery had a heavy load of fire missions during the push to Mosul and during the siege. Top Guns redeployed and continue to strive for excellence as they re-engaged in Field Artillery certifications from the section level all the way to the battalion level.
Top Guns participated in supporting the 2nd Brigade Combat Team for their field training exercise, firing more than 1,200 rounds during the exercise using their forward observers. They have conducted more than 20 live-fire events this year to ensure the batteries and fire support teams were well versed in their training to accomplish any mission given to them.
2-32nd FAR
The year 2017 proved a challenging and momentous year for the Proud American Battalion.
Throughout 2017 the battalion excelled in every mission while maintaining the ability and flexibility to support 1st Brigade Combat Team, and the rest of the division.
Some big events that happened later in the year include the Nov. 21 Proud American event. Soldiers, spouses and Families took part in the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 101st DIVARTY Air Assault Spouses Day. Spouses were invited to fire M4 carbines and the M249 squad automatic weapon systems, rappel, go through an air assault obstacle course, and conduct crew drills on a M777 howitzer with simulation rounds. This was an opportunity to bring the entire Proud Americans Family in to see what it is like to be a Soldier in a dominating field artillery unit.
The battalion participated in the Nov. 11 military appreciation day at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Proud Americans and their Families took part in the day’s activities while fostering a stronger relationship with the Vanderbilt and Nashville communities.
While some Proud Americans Soldiers deployed to Africa, The Soldiers who remained behind continued to train hard for their next rendezvous with destiny.
3-320th FAR
The year 2017 was a long ride for the Soldiers of Red Knights Battalion. They spent the first six and a half months downrange and upon redeployment they continued to strive for excellence.
In July, Red Knight Soldiers redeployed from Afghanistan where they served in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. The Red Knights were tasked with a wide scope of duties and responsibilities across Afghanistan.
HHB ran a division-level staff located in Shorab Annex for Task Force Forge with its scope of operations across all of Helmand Province. The Soldiers of Task Force Forge conducted numerous key leader engagements, kinetic strikes, and train, advise and assist missions across Helmand Province resulting in the increased security and readiness of government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan forces.
The Soldiers of 3-320th FAR batteries conducted numerous mission sets across Helmand Province including training the ANA 215TH Corps for future combat operations, securing CL Dwyer through patrolling its southern ground defense area, providing constant M777A2 artillery support across Helmand Province and Kandahar Airfield, and providing forward observers across Afghanistan.
Upon redeployment, the Soldiers of 3-320th FAR rapidly completed the reset process and began howitzer section certification and qualification live fires. The Soldiers of 3-320th FAR, 101st DIVARTY, received some of the highest awards granted to the field artillery battalions with success in section certifications.
Into 2018, the Red Knights will continue to support the Rakkasans and the division as they prepare for next mission.