14th Marine Regiment.

The 14th Marines, with its headquarters at Naval Air Station, Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas, is the Marine Corps' largest regiment and the only Marine Reserve artillery regiment. Widely dispersed over 19 sites in 13 states, the Regiment's five battalions have overcome substantial challenges of time and distance to remain mobilization-ready and mission-capable.

During the first part of the year, 14th Marine units focused on battery-level operations. Training was conducted in a multitude of locations: Fort Dix, New Jersey; Fort AP Hill, Virginia; Fort McCoy, Wisconsin; and Camp Pendleton, California, just to name a few. Designated units also received the mobilization deployment readiness test.

In March, 5/14 was the first 14th Marines unit to participate in DESFIREX with the 11th Marines at MCAGCC, Twentynine Palms, California. Then elements of Headquarters Battery, 14th Marines, linked up with 5/14 and the 1st Marine Division at MCAGCC for Desert Scimitar. The battery refined TTP for serving as the force artillery during major theater wars.

The combined arms exercise conducted in June at Twentynine Palms allowed 1/14 and 2/14 to hone their combat skills in support of the 23d Marine Regiment.

The largest 14th Marines exercise of the year and one of the largest conducted in the 4th Marine Division, Maximum Force 00, was held at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in July. During the exercise, Headquarters, 14th Marines; 3/14 Marines; 4/14 Marines; 3-13 FA(MLRS), part of the Army's 214th FA Brigade; and CSSD-44 conducted battery, battalion, regimental and force artillery operations.

Concurrently, I MEF conducted a MEFEX at Camp Pendleton. The 14th Marines regimental liaison team participated to prepare for Ulchi Focus Lens in Korea where the 14th Marines will serve as the I MEF's force artillery.

The 14th Marine Regiment is reorganizing to train its units more efficiently, lower travel costs and prepare for the conversion of two M198 battalions to high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) battalions. The talented, dedicated Devil Dogs of the 14th Marines will continue to live up to our motto--At the Ready!