Field artillery batteries are the basic firing units of field artillery battalions.
They are normally commanded by Captains, and are organized with a firing battery, a battery headquarters, and limited support sections. They may fire and move together or by platoon. Normally batteries fight as part of their parent battalion. In some cases, however, they respond directly to a maneuver battalion or company. Multiple Launch Rocket, Lance, and Pershing batteries will more often operate independently than cannon artillery batteries. Armored cavalry squadrons have organic howitzer batteries. Air defense artillery (or ADA) batteries operate as the fighting elements of ADA battalions or, if they are SHORAD batteries, in direct support of maneuver brigades or battalions. Separate SHORAD batteries exist in separate brigade-sized organizations.
The focal point of the Field Artillery is the line of metal -- the firing batteries of Field Artillery battalions. Firing platoons, commanded by Field Artillery lieutenants, and firing batteries, commanded by Field Artillery captains, and run by their lieutenant Executive Officers, are the delivery units for an impressive array of artillery munitions. All other efforts of the Field Artillery team, fire support, target acquisition and fire direction elements serve but one purpose--to help the firing units place responsive, accurate and lethal fires on target. Such fires can impact from just in front of friendly troops to more than one hundred miles into hostile territory. The howitzers and rockets are the muscle of the Field Artillery -- the hard-hitting hardware of fire support.
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Updated Monday, July 26, 1999 8:54:41 AM