18th Fires Brigade (Airborne).

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Headquarters and Headquarters Battery. After redeployment in 2007, HHB, Fort Bragg, N.C., began its transformation into 18th Fires Brigade (Airborne). Following reset, HHB conducted mandatory training requirements and standard garrison operations and fielding new positions and equipment to meet transformation guidelines. As 2008 began, HHB/18th Fires Brigade continued to train in accordance with its new mission as the Army's only airborne Fires brigade. On July 16, 2008 the unit fell under 82nd Airborne Division for training and readiness.

The battery supported the War on Terrorism throughout the year, training four Q36 Radar sections and one Q37 section for deployment to Operation Enduring Freedom. HHB also augmented 2nd Brigade Combat Team with observer/controller support throughout its mission readiness validation/exercise. Finally, the battery was tasked with a 15-month deployment mission of its own, and successfully trained and deployed a 40-man fires element on 15 month mission, starting May 2008. HHB performed missions that ranged from manning a fire control element at 4th Infantry Division headquarters to compiling an Iraqi security forces cell that worked as an assessment team for congress to evaluate progress in the war. Lastly, some of the unit was detached to the Baghdad Operations Command Advisory Team where it functioned as a corps-level military transition team between the commanding Iraqi general in the city and corps headquarters.

HHB/18th Fires Brigade (Airborne) began 2009 continuing to build the unit as a Fires brigade. HHB continued to support the brigade in its wartime mission. The battery supported 2nd Brigade Combat Team, from Fort Carson, Colo., on a number of joint fire exercises and conducted Operation Gunsmoke, a brigade-level field training exercise. In June, the battery participated in a series of change of command ceremonies. In August, the battery's 35-man forward element returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom and began reset. As of September, HHB/18th Fires Brigade completed its transition of command teams and continued to train to support the 82nd Airborne Division or combined joint task force headquarters in full-spectrum operations.

3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery (HIMARS). During the past two years, 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery, (High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System) has continued to support the battalion's deployments, sustainment and redeployment cycle.

While transforming into a modular High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System battalion with a self-sustaining precision fire and target acquisition capability, Steel Rain maintained the joint deployment mission it began in 2006. Rotating batteries on six month deployments, the battalion has conducted six deployment and redeployment cycles in support of Operation Enduring Freedom successfully to date.

Between deployments, batteries participated in various joint exercises, multiple mission readiness exercises and field training exercises in preparation for the battalion's ongoing mission. B and C Batteries are deployed in support of the ongoing joint mission and are conducting a relief in place/transfer of authority in preparation for B Battery's redeployment.

Steel Rain maintains the capability to employ and deliver accurate fires with the successful delivery of Guided Multiple-Launch Rocket System rockets and Army Tactical Missile System missiles. Since 2007, the battalion has shot more than 50 rockets and 20 missiles. It also has participated in several test missions at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., maintaining its relationship with forces at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. while continuing technological advancement within the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System community.

In June, the battalion was tapped for a global response force mission in coordination with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. The 3rd Platoon, A Battery is the global response force platoon for the battalion, which can strategically deploy within 96 hours of notification.

1st Battalion, 321st Field Artillery. Gearing up to head back to Iraq, 1st Battalion, 321st Field Artillery, trained on convoy live-fire ranges and close quarters combat training. Just weeks before boarding a plane at Pope Air Force Base, the battalion received word its mission had changed from a maneuver unit in Iraq to that of a field artillery unit in Afghanistan.

With the new mission, the 1st Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, went back to its roots and trained as an airborne field artillery unit after nearly three years of performing and preparing for nonstandard missions. With rounds going down range safely and accurately there was only one task untrained, a "heavy drop." On April 9, 2008, B Battery conducted the battalion's first airborne operation with the M198 howitzer in more than three years. During the next 10 months the battalion conducted 28 M198 drop zone missions, living up to 1-321st Field Artillery's motto as "The Only Airborne 155-mm Battalion in the World." C Battery, 1st Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, conducted the last heavy drop with an M198 howitzer on Sept. 11, 2008.

The M777A2 howitzer is the U.S. Army's newest howitzer, and 1-321st Field Artillery was set to field it. The battalion traded in its M198 howitzers for the new M777A2 howitzers. The firing batteries were instructed by a team of civilians and artillerymen from Fort Sill, Okla., on how to emplace, repair and fire the new howitzer system, providing timely, accurate and deadly indirect fires. Simultaneously, A Battery finalized training on the Q-36 and Q-37 Radars for its mission as a radar battery.

1st Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, deployed to Afghanistan between December 2008 and January 2009, in August 2009 as the first field artillery general support battalion headquarters in Afghanistan. The Warriors shot more than 8,000 rounds in support of maneuver forces to include 15 Excalibur missions.

It was determined the country still required an airborne 155-mm field artillery capability. On May 26, 2009, D Battery, 1st Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, was activated, given provisional status and hit the street running. By June 26, the battery had conducted its first airborne operation with the M777A2 assumed the global response force mission.

The Warriors are deployed as part of Combined Joint Task Force-82, providing devastating and lethal indirect fires in support of maneuver forces throughout Regional Command (East) in Afghanistan.

3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery. 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery, was the first active duty Army unit to field the new M777A2 howitzer in June 2007. The battalion trained and certified all cannoneers on the new weapon while developing and validating new training concepts such as the first low-velocity airdrop and the first sling load with a V-22 Osprey or CH-53E Super Stallion with an M777A2 by Army units. The battalion also stood up the 583rd Forward Support Company to provide ammunition, fuel and maintenance support for the new howitzers.

In December 2007, A and C Batteries deployed to Afghanistan. During their 15-month deployments, the batteries were broken down into platoons and occupied separate forward operating bases within remote areas of Afghanistan. The two batteries, combined, fired more than 20,000 artillery rounds in combat in support of maneuver forces, including Excalibur. B Battery remained at Fort Bragg and assumed the global response force mission.

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In February, A and C Batteries, redeployed to Fort Bragg and began reset. Both batteries completed their intensive reset and draw from left behind equipment stocks of howitzers, night vision goggles, radios, vehicles and small arms. All equipment was reset within the time standards prescribed by Forces Command.

The 583rd Forward Support Company was tasked to retrain mechanics and other support personnel as radar operators. The 583rd recently sent Soldiers to Fort Sill, Okla., to train side by side with Military Occupational Specialty 13R Field Artillery Firefinder Radar Operators and 131A Targeting Warrant Officers. Upon completion of 13R training, they trained alongside the 18th Fires Brigade target acquisition battery on the light-weight countermortar radar. The 583rd departed in November to Afghanistan.

In August, the battalion received an attachment of a fourth firing battery, D Battery, 26th Field Artillery. D Battery was activated by 1st Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, to augment 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery, for the January 2010 deployment to Afghanistan. Throughout fall, the battalion fired hundreds of artillery rounds to certify 24 howitzer and eight fire direction center sections. Thousands of small arms rounds of all calibers were fired to qualify all Soldiers on their individual and crew-served weapons.

D Battery, 26th Field Artillery (Target Acquisition). In June of 2007, 234th Field Artillery Detachment, a unit of 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment (HIMARS), was reconstituted as D Battery, 26th Field Artillery, and received notice it would deploy, providing radar support in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The battery analyzed its mission and realized the mission required additional Soldiers. The battery acquired an additional 20 Soldiers of varying military occupational specialties from 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery. With personnel in place, the battery sent non-radar MOS Soldiers to Fort Sill, Okla., and trained and certified sections, preparing to deploy. In November of 2007, the decision was made to transfer ownership of D Battery from 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery, to the 18th Fires Brigade (Airborne).

The battery refined its skills as a target acquisition battery until it deployed in January of 2008. Once in theater, the battery operated three Firefinder Radar AN-TPQ 36 systems and one Firefinder Artillery Locating Radar AN-TPQ 37 system in support of a myriad of forces within Regional Command (East) in Afghanistan and provided maintenance and training support for 42 Lightweight Countermortar Radar Systems and six Unmanned Transient Masint Systems within theater. D Battery also provided six Soldiers to 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery, in support of the maneuver mission at the Mando Zayi District Center in Khowst, Afghanistan. D Battery tracked 1,143 hostile enemy rounds, resulting in lethal counterfires. The battery redeployed in January.

Since redeployment, the battery continues to provide meteorological, target acquisition and survey support to the 18th Fires Brigade and its three field artillery battalions. The battery is set to deploy to Afghanistan once again in the fall of 2010.