BOISE, Idaho - The 17th Field Artillery Brigade deployed from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to the Orchard Combat Training Center in March to increase warfighting readiness and hone lethality in a rigorous, realistic training environment aligned with the challenges of modern combat.
The OCTC enabled the brigade to collectively train in a contiguous battlespace with unfamiliar terrain and numerous live firing locations.
“The primary focus of our training operation was a HIMARS battalion-level qualification for 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery – the first in many years,” said Col. Andrew J. Knight, commander of the 17th FAB. “We also evaluated the training and readiness of the 308th Brigade Support Battalion and the Brigade Headquarters with the help of observers from the 593rd Corps Support Command, 189th Infantry Combined Arms Training Brigade, the 18th Field Artillery Brigade, and the 65th Field Artillery Brigade from the Utah Army National Guard.”
The unit also hosted Brig. Nicholas Wilson, commander of the Australian Army’s 10th Fires Brigade, and his senior enlisted leader, Sgt. Maj. Anthony Hortle. The visitors were in Idaho to observe the battalion’s training.
The brigade evaluated and demonstrated mastery of several essential combat tasks during the training. These included expeditionary deployment operations, controlling field artillery units, massing rocket and missile artillery missions, sustaining logistics requirements and maintaining command and control of the brigade while operating at the speed and tempo of the modern battlefield.
“We routinely campaign in the Indo-Pacific with our partners and allies through Operations Pathways,” said Knight. “Capabilities we built here deter potential adversaries and, if necessary, will win our nation’s wars.“
The Orchard Combat Training Center is a premier joint combined arms training site. Its world-class ranges and four-season climate make the 173,000-acre training center an ideal location to prepare brigade combat teams and other units for combat.