US, UAE artillery movement exercise demonstrates speed, coordination

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Doug Roles, 28th Infantry Division / Published May 29, 2018

AL MINHAD AIRBASE, United Arab Emirates,

Spc. Rey Claudio (left) of Orlando, Fla. and Staff Sgt. Christopher Allen (center, facing camera) of Las Vegas, N.V., both with the 75th Field Artillery Brigade, III Corps, U.S. Army talk to soldiers with the 79th Heavy Rocket Regiment, United Arab Emirates Land Forces, before the crews move their High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicles onto the airfield April 18, 2018. The Soldiers participated in a HIMARS Rapid Infiltration (HIRAIN) exercise in which HIMARS crews flew with their vehicles in a U.S. Air Force cargo plane then conducted a simulated fire mission after landing.

U.S. and United Arab Emirate army units recently demonstrated the speed with which a truck-mounted artillery system can be airlifted to where it can do the most good on the battlefield. During a planned transport exercise April 18, Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 75th Field Artillery Brigade (FAB) and the Emariti Land Forces’ 79th Heavy Rocket Regiment moved their High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicles onto a U.S. Airforce Boeing C-17 Globemaster cargo plane and secured them for a short flight at a training area on Al Minhad Airbase.

When the C-17 touched down again, the HIMARS vehicles rolled out the back of the airplane to conduct simulated fire missions. The HIMARS Rapid Infiltration (HIRAIN) exercise displayed coordination between the U.S. and U.A.E units and proved how quickly they can put a HIMARS right where it’s needed to destroy a target or deter aggression. The concept is to move, shoot and move again.

“This exercise allows the Emirati military to demonstrate how we can create strategic dilemmas for our shared adversaries simply by loading an Airforce aircraft and moving the HIMARS around the theater,” said Col. Steven Carpenter, 75th Brigade commander. “This is a rehearsal of how we use U.S. Army and Emariti HIMARS to competitively posture across the Mideast.”

Mounting the M142 light multiple rocket launcher on the Army’s M1140 Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) five-ton truck makes it mobile. Putting the HIMARS inside a C-17 makes it global.

"The most important part is speed...This exercise builds readiness."Spc. Jessica Schierkolk, Bravo Battery, 1-14th

Soldiers with the 75th Field Artillery Brigade, III Corps, U.S. Army and 79th Heavy Rocket Regiment, United Arab Emirates Land Forces, look over a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicle prior to moving it onto the tarmac for loading into a U.S. Air Force cargo plane April 18, 2018. The loading occurred during a HIRAIN (HIMARS Rapid Infiltration) exercise in which HIMARS crews flew with their vehicles then conducted a simulated fire mission after landing.

“The most important part is speed, said Spc. Jessica Schierkolk of Thermopolis, Wyo., a gunner with Bravo Battery, 1-14th. “This exercise builds readiness. It shows we are able to quickly move to a location.”

“Working with the Emiratis you learn a lot but you also teach a lot. It goes both ways,” Schierkolk added. “We’re learning their point of view about the HIRAIN.”

The HIRAIN consisted of several iterations of loading one U.S. and one Emirati HIMARS onto the plane. Back on ground, the HIMARS crews moved their weapons systems to predetermined coordinates to complete their fire missions.

The HIMARS carries six rockets or one Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile. The 75th is proud to wield what the U.S. Army calls its all-weather, surface-to-surface destruction weapon of choice for targets between 30-300 kilometers.

"Working with the Emiratis improves our interoperability and builds readiness."First Lt. Elijah Lake, Second Platoon, Bravo Battery

Soldiers with the 75th Field Artillery Brigade, III Corps drive a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicle out of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster April 18, 2018. The loading occurred during a HIRAIN (HIMARS Rapid Infiltration) exercise in which HIMARS crews flew with their vehicles then conducted a simulated fire mission after landing.

The brigade’s headquarters is currently serving as U.S. Army Central’s (ARCENT) field artillery headquarters. Training with the Emiratis in events such as the HIRAIN exercise is a key part of the brigade’s mission in the Gulf.

First Lt. Elijah Lake of Baltimore, Md., platoon leader for Second Platoon, Bravo Battery, said the HIRAIN exercise proves the concept of Air Force and Army assets working in tandem to extend the reach of the HIMARS. He said training with U.A.E. forces adds another layer of strength to the field artillery mission.

“Working with the Emiratis improves our interoperability and builds readiness,” Lake said. “We learn from each other. We learn their fire mission process.”

Staff Sgt. Valentino Varlaro of Syracuse, N.Y., a Bravo Battery section chief, said the unit has a mix of soldiers who have and have not participated in a previous HIRAIN training event. He said the exercise brings together a myriad of soldier skills into one culminating event.

“The learning value for junior soldiers is a better understanding of how a HIRAIN is conducted and an understanding of the tasks involved, such as tie-down procedures, fire mission procedures and the ability to shoot and move on command,” Varlaro said.

The crew of a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicle waits for orders to conduct a fire mission during the Diamond Tempest training exercise April 18, 2018. The Soldiers and equipment are with 75th Field Artillery Brigade, III Corps.

One of those junior enlisted soldiers is Pfc. Miquel Rodriquez of Las Vegas, N.V., a driver with Bravo Battery. He lived with his Emirati counterparts for two months and participated in training events – such as rifle qualification – with them.

“We need to show we are capable of precision fires with the Emiratis,” Rodriquez said. “They’re also a HIMARS unit. They come ready to learn; they also teach us a lot about our jobs. It’s great working with them. We both understand what it’s like to be a field artillery unit. We’re here specifically to defend the Gulf. The HIMARS was created to be very mobile, to be able to get on an aircraft, offload, shoot its mission and get out.”

The 75th, the corps artillery for the U.S. Army’s 3rd Armored Corps, is known as America’s Hammer. Permanently stationed at Fort Sill, Okla., the 75th FAB is the U.S. Army’s largest field artillery brigade, boasting 50 percent of the active component’s rocket and missile firepower. A point of pride for the brigade is that it is counterpointing every American adversary.