An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Feb. 26, 2020

US, Kuwait artillery lights up night sky

By Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry Task Force Spartan

UDAIRI RANGE, Kuwait – The rockets' red glare, the rockets streaming in air lit up the night sky over a sea of sand in Kuwait.

The U.S. forces supporting Task Force Spartan and Kuwait Land Forces worked shoulder-to-shoulder to test their capabilities firing their respective truck-based, artillery rocket launchers.

"It's important what we're doing here because we're working together," said Sgt. Dexter Jones, a fire control direction chief and a liaison officer for the 115th Field Artillery Brigade during the combined exercise.

The Kuwaitis invited their American counterparts to participate in Dasman 1 as a precursor to Dasman Shield in late February.

Kuwait Land Force Maj. Mohammad B. Alafasi, a liaison fire control officer for the Kuwait and U.S. forces, agreed that the two forces working together would benefit the troops of both nations.

It's important because the two forces can learn from one another and, God forbid, in case something happens there would be a combined operation against a common enemy, Alfasi said through an interpreter.

Over five days, more than 200 troops with the two nations learned how each military works at Udairi Range along Kuwait's northwestern border.

This interaction will help deter regional aggression.

"We're increasing the interoperability, increasing the capabilities between us and Kuwait, and maximizing our readiness between our countries," said Jones from Frederick, Colorado. "This exercise is a great showcase in our capabilities and what we can do together."

The Task Force Spartan joint fires coordinator agreed.

"If we have to be in a fight tonight scenario, our biggest effort is to protect in an event of an invasion," said 1st Lt. Jonathon Stinnett, with the 38th Infantry Division and a fires coordinator during the exercise. "So we're basically joining artillery and learning how to combine fires, along with our Air Force fires as well."

Not only did the countries combine to become a lethal force against a common enemy, but they also developed a bond with each other.

"As we call them out here, they're our brothers, they're our artillery brothers," said Stinnett from Brownsburg, Indiana. "They treat us like family, and we do the same for them."

 

 

Related Articles
A UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter assigned to the New York National Guard's A Company, 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, prepares to lift an M-117 howitzer belonging to the 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery during a training exercise at Fort Drum, New York on June 8, 2025. The 258th Field Artillery's C Battery will be part of a 246-Soldier New York Army National Guard contingent serving as the Opposing Force, or OPFOR, at the National Training Center from July 25 to August 3.
NY Army Guard Serves as Opposing Force at Training Center
By Eric Durr, | July 15, 2025
LATHAM, N.Y.  –  Two hundred forty-six New York Army National Guard Soldiers will go to Fort Irwin, California, the home of the Army’s National Training Center in the Mojave Desert, starting July 15.The Soldiers will serve...

Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines III, SEA to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, the Adjutant General of Maryland and Command Sgt. Maj. David C. Harry, senior enlisted leader of the Maryland Army National Guard, pose for a photo with competitors in the Army National Guard’s 2025 Best Warrior Competition on July 12, 2025, at Under Armour Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. The Army National Guard’s 2025 National Best Warrior Competition, hosted by the Maryland National Guard, is an annual event that unites Soldiers and Noncommissioned Officers from seven regions across the United States. Competitors face a demanding series of physical and mental challenges designed to test their military expertise, resilience, and dedication to the Warrior Ethos for the opportunity to advance to Best Squad Competition.
Army Guard’s 2025 National Best Warrior Competition Begins
By Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Ames, | July 15, 2025
BALTIMORE — The Army National Guard’s 2025 National Best Warrior Competition officially kicked off this week in Maryland, bringing together 14 elite Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from seven regions across the United...

An Oregon Army National Guard HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, assigned to the 641st Aviation Regiment, conducts a search and rescue mission on July 13, 2025, in the caldera at Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. The same Black Hawk later in the day conducted a second rescue mission at Lake Harriett, Southeast of Crater Lake, when three hikers were injured from a falling tree limb.
Oregon Guard Responds to Multiple Search and Rescue Missions
By John Hughel, | July 15, 2025
SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Army National Guard’s 641st Aviation Regiment worked with several agency partners to respond to multiple search and rescue operations in one day across the state during its scheduled Inactive Duty...