Army & FA in transition: leadership and soldier tours, FA modularity and other issues.

Part of my job as the Chief of FA is to keep you informed and, therefore, most able to lead and implement the multiple changes ongoing in the Army and our branch. These changes are affecting every aspect of the Army and FA, including the length and types of leaders' and Soldiers' tours, the design of the FA formation and the requirement for artillery leaders to serve as maneuver leaders, among other nontraditional missions--the issues discussed in this column. In addition, part of my job is bragging on the FA--which is easy to do.

Leadership Tours. Our branch is fully on board with and an integral piece of the Army's overall effort to move forward quickly to grow additional maneuver brigades. We all must understand that the Army is moving out as expeditiously as possible to stand up these additional units and create the force our regional combatant commanders require while providing a more predictable deployment expectation for our volunteer force.

Our most senior leadership appreciates the stress that repetitive combat tours 12 months long have on the volunteer force. In order to move closer to six-month deployments, increase deployment predictability and provide a reasonable period between tours, our Army must grow more maneuver brigade combat teams (BCTs). And that is exactly what we are doing.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

As I discussed in the July-August edition, our Army is in the process of reconfiguring all BCTs as unit of action (UA) formations, and will grow the number of Active Component (AC) BCTs by 10 (potentially 15). Each BCT will have an organic cannon artillery battalion with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other assets added, called a fires battalion. (I discussed the fires battalion in more depth in my July-August edition column online at sill-www.army.mil/famag.)

In the Army National Guard (ARNG), the number of cannon fires battalions will increase with the number of ARNG BCTs while the number of multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) battalions will decrease slightly. Overall, the number of ARNG FA battalions will decrease with some converting to other branches or deactivating.

In the AC, the number of fires battalions will increase for an overall increase in FA battalions. This means there will be more AC cannon artillery battalions to command.

As many of you are aware, our Army at war is not changing leaders in midstream--in the face of the enemy. Maintaining commanders and command sergeants major (CSMs) in place while units are deployed in the fight is all about readiness, keeping Soldiers alive and winning America's Waragainst Terrorism.

But extending serving commanders and CSMs means that some principals slated for these positions are "waiting in the wings." We are working closely with FA branch to ensure that every effort is made to work each case individually in order to maintain slate integrity, time-lines and follow-on positions. I encourage each involved to communicate with FA Branch.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

We will work through this unusual period of challenge. At the end of the day, I believe the overall increase in AC FA cannon battalions will balance longer command tours and maintain AC battalion command opportunities at about the levels we see today.

The concept of the joint and expeditionary mindset also requires we take steps to increase unit stability and readiness by setting the leadership for the 36 months of a unit's lifecycle. During the first six months of the cycle, Soldiers and leaders are assigned to the unit and complete both individual and collective training certifications. This enables the unit to be ready for deployment in the remaining 30 months.

During this 30-month period, Soldiers and leaders should expect one six-month deployment with about 24 months between deployments. Unless the Soldier's professional development requires a permanent change of station (PCS), he will remain in his unit for its lifecycle, greatly improving family stability.

Modularity in the Artillery Formation. The Army's first artillery fires brigade for a unit of employment (UEx) will be stood up at Fort Hood, Texas, on 16 December. It will be the 4th Fires Brigade in support of the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), a new UEx.

Although some of the components of this first fires brigade will not be available on its 16 December effective date, the basic command and control structure and organic MLRS battalion will form the brigade's foundation (I detailed the organization of the fires brigade in my July-August column.) Other components will be added as they become available.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

What is essential is for the 4th Fires Brigade to establish an appropriate relationship with the 4th UEx staff as well as training and warfighting relationships with the maneuver BCTs and their organic fires battalions.

Fort Sill is working closely with the DA and Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) staffs and the National Guard Bureau to determine the units that will be organic to the fires brigades and those assigned to them plus the locations of the fires brigades.

The current rules of allocation authorize one fires brigade for each AC and ARNG UEx. We are coordinating the establishment and designation of the fires brigades for the remaining UExs.

Expanding Responsibilities of FA Commanders. Artillery commanders at each level remain responsible to their maneuver commanders for the training and certification of cannon and rocket Soldiers plus fire supporters and, ultimately, the delivery and execution of the maneuver unit's fires and effects. By virtue of their experiences and the personal relationships of trust and confidence established with their supported maneuver commanders, our artillery commanders uniquely "wear the roses" of delivery system commander and effects orchestrator.

Staff officers help and inform the commander. Unlike the commander, they ensure the "science" pieces of effects coordination are properly enabled by our automated systems and are prepared for execution to standard. The science of fires and effects includes geometry, fire support coordination measures (FSCMs), attack guidance matrices (AGMs), etc.

However, the FA commander creates the "art" of effects coordination and makes battlefield decisions that truly enable fires and effects to achieve the intent of his BCT or UEx commander.

Artillery battalion- and brigade-level commanders always have functioned in this dual capacity. Their training and experiences have made them better, more versatile senior Army leaders with unique insights into overall maneuver operations.

As we mature our doctrine supporting modularity, we will continue to expect artillery commanders to be both delivery system commanders and fires and effects coordinators.

In addition, FA unit commanders in the war on terrorism or training at the Combat Training Centers (CTCs) repeatedly have served as commanders of maneuver headquarters in the past year-plus and executed maneuver missions with great success.

Continuing Quality of the Branch. My recent visits to Fort Lewis, Washington, and Fort Knox, Kentucky, for Warrior Forge 04 and Leader Training Course 04, respectively, gave me great optimism that this year's recruiting class from all commissioning sources is going to be outstanding. The teams and cadre of artillery Soldiers who showed off the FA at its best and shared their Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) experiences with the cadets were highly professional, peer-credible and enthusiastically "on-target."

Fort Sill's 214th FA Brigade, part of III Corps Artillery, combined with Redlegs from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and the 18th Field Artillery Brigade and 82d Airborne Division, both from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, did a truly awesome job of demonstrating the full range of the artillery's capabilities at Warrior Forge at Fort Lewis. At Fort Knox, the 2d Battalion, 222d Field Artillery, Utah ARNG, with support from Redlegs from the 212th FA Brigade, superbly executed fire support, cannon and MLRS lanes. Each cadet had hands-on training, setting fuzes, transporting rounds and smelling cordite after the Paladins fired 155-mm high-explosive M107 rounds. The cadets' excitement was evident by smiles that extended from ear to ear as they exited the Paladins.

These cadets received a great exposure to the opportunities and challenges of our branch. To build additional recruitment opportunities, I ask each commander to encourage his lieutenants to share their branch experiences in communications with their commissioning schools.

More on Communications. Keeping each member of our formation informed is a priority. The new Strategic Communications (Strat Comms) Office is now operational under the able leadership of Lieutenant Colonel (Promotable) Annie Baker ([e-mail]).

Our most current messages and information regarding modularity, transformation, leader development and other key issues will be posted on the officer website of FA branch at Human Resources Command (HRC) in Alexandria, Virginia. The website is https://www.perscomonline.army.mil/opfa/fasitrep.htm; click on "Branch Chief Notes" and then on "MG Valcourt Sends."

In September, the Fires Knowledge Network (FKN) will be online at Army Knowledge Network (AKO) and accessible by anyone with an AKO account. It will include my strategic themes and messages.

Check these sites often, and give me your feedback at [e-mail].

FKN is the first branch and model for other branches as a one-stop website for all fire support and Field Artillery professional knowledge. FKN will link the operational forces with the Field Artillery Center and with each other. Individuals automatically will receive messages from Fort Sill when they log onto FKN, including information targeted specifically for them by communities, such as all warrant officers, commanders and (or) command sergeants major, joint fire supporters, Cannoneers, etc. Units will be able to have their own robust websites on FKN that are customized to fit their missions.

Redleg Pride. Again, never a day goes by that we do not witness the incredible adaptability and professionalism of our deployed artillery formations, both active and Guard. Throughout the spectrum of conflict, our artillery Soldiers and leaders demonstrate awesome versatility and value to combatant commanders by not only delivering precise, timely and lethal fires, but also executing maneuver missions very effectively.

I am proud to be a Field Artilleryman, and even prouder to serve in an Army at war with professional Soldiers and Marines, like you. Create the Thunder!

Major General David P. Valcourt 

Chief of Field Artillery