FA branch: transforming with our Army.

The Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA) General Peter J. Schoomaker recently decided that Field Artillery-men will be considered for Department of the Army (DA) selection to command all brigade combat teams (BCTs)--Infantry, Heavy and Stryker--beginning with the 2008 board. This is great news for the Field Artillery. It will further transform our branch. However, it also means we have some work to do.

This decision by the CSA recognizes the versatility of our branch. FA Soldiers around the world in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) have been performing magnificently in many non-FA tasks and missions. Many FA officers have commanded task forces with missions identical to those of our maneuver brethren. Indeed, some of our colonels have commanded brigades that had maneuver missions.

We performed the missions we were given, and we did them well. In a sense, every Soldier in our branch contributed to this CSA decision. Our branch continues to transform with our Army and to prosper.

Now that we've been given this opportunity, what are we going to do about it? Of course we'll immediately reevaluate our FA Officer Education System (OES). We'll examine our system to see if we need to make any changes to prepare our best officers for BCT commands, if selected. Furthermore, we'll institute a monitoring system to ensure the right officers are assigned to positions that enable them to compete and prepare them for these commands.

For those who have lamented the loss of the division artilleries (Div Artys), this should be a further sign that the Field Artillery is here to stay. We are a relevant, vital part of GWOT--recognized by the Army senior leadership. This opportunity to command BCTs will augment the current means for our best and brightest FA officers to become future senior leaders of our Army.

On that note, I'd like to point out some of the senior FA officers in the Army and the unique jobs they have. Lieutenant General (LTG) James J. Lovelace is the Army's G3. LTG Michael D. Maples is the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). LTG David P. Valcourt is the Commanding General (CG) of Eighth US Army and the Chief of Staff of the United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/US Forces in Korea. LTG Raymond T. Odierno is the III Corps CG. Finally, LTG Keith W. Dayton is the US Security Coordinator for the Israel-Palestinian Authority in Tel Aviv. This is quite an impressive list of Field Artillery officers of whom we all can be proud.

Our use and development of our precision-guided munitions (PGMs) continue to transform our branch as well. The guided multiple-launch rocket system unitary (GMRLS-U) is now the precision weapon of choice by ground commanders in GWOT. Army Artillery PGMs are a great complement to Air Force PGMs. The ground commander now has additional options from which to choose and, for the first time, a dedicated PGM at his disposal that he can employ quickly and efficiently 24/7 in all weather conditions. GMLRS-U is rapidly becoming the ground commander's primary precision munition.

MLRS and high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) units now train thoroughly on GMLRS-U before deploying, using the latest tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) from theater. We quickly have learned the best way to employ our "70-kilometer sniper rifle." Soon we'll have even greater employment flexibility as GMLRS-U testing continues. The commander soon will have a third fuze-mode option (proximity) plus the ability to attack targets vertically.

Excalibur unitary remains on track. Recently at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, we fired four XM982 Excalibur projectiles, two each under hot (approximately 145 degrees Fahrenheit) and cold (approximately -25 degrees Fahrenheit) at a range of 22 kilometers. These projectiles engaged the targets successfully, landing between three and eight meters from each target's center.

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For the test, full mission threads were executed using the advanced FA tactical data system (AFATDS) to send the fire missions to the portable Excalibur fire control system. This concludes the current phase of testing, and we continue on track for FY07 fielding.

The precision guidance kit (PGK) development continues as well. The PGK for both 155-mm and 105-mm conventional cannon munitions, such as the high-explosive (HE) or dual-purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM), will make these munitions' area fires more precise. In other words, this will allow our "dumb" rounds to be "smarter." PGK will guide rounds using the global positioning system (GPS) to an impact point within a 50-meter circular error probable (CEP).

BAE Systems and Alliant Techsystems were selected to compete for the PGK production contract. A shoot-off demonstration currently is scheduled for January 2007 at Yuma. After a successful shoot-off, the winner will be awarded the contract.

We continue to improve our branch everyday. We're developing Pentathletes constantly in our schools and adapting to be ever responsive to the ground commander in the GWOT fight. I commend all members of the Field Artillery for their support and commitment. A special thanks for demonstrating to our Army that the Field Artillery is vital and always will be the King of Battle!

Major General David C. Ralston

Chief of Field Artillery