Battery B Banditos Make History January 2nd
Camp Taji
A new type Lightweight howitzer system went into effect near Baghdad recently. Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, Eleventh Field Artillery Regiment, and 25th Infantry were the first Army unit to fire the new system January 2nd.
“I am very pleased and proud to be a part of this new system,” said Sgt Ramon Malave. Malave is the 1st Sergeant assigned to the 2nd Battalion. The new system went through extensive training with the unit, at the Pohakuloa Training area at the unit’s home base, in Hawaii.
“My men, these soldiers are very good, and they have trained well. They want to use and fire this system out here,” stated Sgt. Malave.
The point of the system is to protect and defend Base Defense Operations at Camp Taji. “We are part of the securing and defending of Camp Taji” said Lieutenant Colonel Joe Gleichenhaus. Colonel Gleichenhaus is the 11th Field Artillery Regiment commander.
In addition to guarding and safeguarding Camp Taji, the members of the Army unit are focused on other mission tasks, as well. “We have trained our men to be a field artillery unit, but also a maneuver unit, my men are fired up and ready to switch back and forth as needed between missions,” said Colonel Gleichenhaus.
The first time firing the new howitzer cannon system is more than just a rush for soldiers, however. It is the culmination of months of preparation and training, for the defense of Camp Taji and in other vital skills for the mission at hand. The new cannon uses a global positioning system to calibrate itself, making it much more accurate. “The ability to be accurate and properly calibrated allows us to be on target, and on time,” said Sgt. Malave.
