What are some of the best posts for Field Artillery in the Army? Where does a fresh butter bar want to go out of BOLC and why?

Cadet SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 13:43:47 -0400

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2017 1:52 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 13:52:26 -0400

Not Fort Hood, go to an Airborne unit. Better funding, way more and better quality training, more esprit de corps, more of the soldiers put forth more effort than average soldiers. Airborne school aint hard but it does mean that every soldier there from private to general had to at one point do more than the minimum army requirements to get there.

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2017 2:03 PM

2LT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 14:03:53 -0400

I can't speak for which is the best for FA, but many of the cadets that commissioned FA in my class (2017) went to Ft. Riley. I live about 15 minutes from Ft. Riley, if you do end up there, the town of Manhattan is a nice place. That's about all I can speak on it.

Response by LTC John Mohor made Jun 22 at 2017 3:29 PM

LTC John Mohor — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:29:44 -0400

Fort Shafter Hawaii, Italy and Germany come to my mind as some of the best outside of Fort Sill of course. If you go Airborne try and get into the 173rd as an Artillery Officer. If you can shoot move and communicate there you can do it anywhere!

Response by LTC John Mohor made Jun 22 at 2017 3:33 PM

LTC John Mohor — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:33:26 -0400

C/SGT Aaron McIver do your absolute best while at Ft Sill. FA is known for eating its own so if you make it a 20 year plus career and have to switch branches it'll give you the best foundation as an Officer! It held me in really good stead for 26 years and three branches !

Response by SPC Sean Slaughter made Jun 22 at 2017 7:15 PM

SPC Sean Slaughter — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 19:15:50 -0400

Go to an MLRS/HIMARS unit. There is something immensely satisfying about being able to take out an entire grid square and everything in from ranges that make the 13BangBangs jealous.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Jun 23 at 2017 7:25 AM

CPT Aaron Kletzing — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 07:25:48 -0400

Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii

That's your top 3

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 24 at 2017 8:10 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 24 Jun 2017 20:10:28 -0400

Most of my class ended up at Hood. Don't worry about where you go, plan for tomorrow, but live for today. You will go where the Army needs you. Make the best of it, and have as much as is responsible.

Response by LTC Reginald Brown made Jun 25 at 2017 7:19 PM

LTC Reginald Brown — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 19:19:18 -0400

Any place where you have the opportunity to improve your skills in fire support while living with our other combat arms brothers, which has many opportunities to serve on the gun line that actually fires routinely, either for normal operational training or for displays and demonstrations; and of course, if you are providing routine fire support and fires then there is an equal opportunity for improving your skills in fire direction. Over the years every post goes through periods of being a good assignment or a not so good assignment depending on the missions assigned to the resident division(s), commanding generals and support from and to the local community. For me, it was very rewarding to serve in Germany because I was exposed to training opportunities in fire support, gun line and fire direction. Fort Bragg also offered similar opportunities in the 1990's even though my rank and assignment on staff did not allow for as much hands on training. The saving grace was that our commanders understood the importance of consistent training for all and had policies and plans to ensure our (staff) skills in operations did not decline. Fort Sill and Fort Hood offer a multitude of skill building assignments. As a former Brigade S1 responsible for recommending which battalion 2LTs are assigned to, I was very happy when a 2LT called or wrote to tell me which battalion they wanted to be in. Once you are assigned to a post, consider making personal contact with your ultimate assignment person. If the system is similar to what we had in the 90's: if you are assigned to a post, let the Military Personnel Division/Department know which Division you want to be in; once assigned to the Division, let the G1 know which Brigade you want to be in; once assigned to the Brigade let the S1 know which Battalion you want to be in; once assigned to the Battalion let the Battalion Commander and S1 know which task you want to perform first: fire support, gunline, fire direction. At the battalion level there was usually a development process in which 90% of 2LTs were assigned to fire support, then the gunline, then fire direction. Have that conversation with the Battalion Commander, ask what his policy is and let him know what your academic strengths are; for example if you are academically strong in fire direction , let him know that. He might have move a fire direction officer for some reason and maybe the other lieutenants are not ready or available for some reason. Either way, have the conversation before arrival so the battalion and battery commanders can plan for you appropriately. Again, this was valid in the 1990's and I might be far off target now based on organizational restructures and unit professional development assignment policies. I think the advice not to be afraid to talk to your future unit assignment folks is still valid.

Response by LTC Reginald Brown made Jun 25 at 2017 7:30 PM

LTC Reginald Brown — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 19:30:32 -0400

Take a look at DA PAM 600–3, Commissioned Officer Professional Development and Career Management, dated 3 December 2014

Response by MAJ Charles Cozzens made Jun 25 at 2017 10:09 PM

MAJ Charles Cozzens — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 22:09:39 -0400

Get in a unit that trains hard. Korea will work. Know your kraft forward and backward. NCO' s will respect you more listen to them. You will make mistakes but learn from them and lead by example. Take radio watch, eat last , do not chew gum, be early for for all so times show you care for your men my actions not words alone.

Response by CPT Adam Bartling made Jun 26 at 2017 2:11 AM

CPT Adam Bartling — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 02:11:03 -0400

The needs of the Army will give you experience, just do a great job. Each career path may vary.

Response by MAJ Paul Willis made Jun 29 at 2017 1:55 AM

MAJ Paul Willis — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 01:55:07 -0400

All of the advice provided above has validity and is more current than anything I can offer, but i will say this... Anything that takes you away from the guns in your first 5 years is a step away from maximizing your career opportunities. There is no replacement for spending those first few years in the dirt on the gun line. IMO

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 10 at 2017 6:34 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 18:34:37 -0400

Bragg or Campbell

Response by CPT Brad Wilson made Jul 31 at 2017 5:32 PM

CPT Brad Wilson — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 17:32:14 -0400

For real world missions a towed unit is the way to go If you watch the news the units supporting operations in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq are M 777 units I suspect that units in Korea are doing a lot of trading right now as well as the brigades rotating to Europe also

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 16 at 2018 5:10 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 16 Sep 2018 17:10:02 -0400

Fort Hood. It's good to get it over with early. You'll be at the "great place" at some point in your career if you're Artillery. Get it over with early. A previous commander and his wife both had nothing nice to say about the post. Being the motivated person I am I tried to look past the opinions. The realism quickly set in. But. If you can make it here you can make it anywhere. So it it over with early.