What is deployment for 13M/HIMARS like?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 May 2018 09:30:14 -0400

Being a mechanized artillery, what is the activity/quality of life/tempo of deployment for the 13M? Is the function more reactive patrol and garrison, or proactive? What is daily life like?

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made May 1 at 2018 9:34 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Tue, 01 May 2018 09:34:19 -0400

Depend on deployment, and standard SOP followed.

Response by SPC Daniel Henson made May 6 at 2018 12:26 AM

SPC Daniel Henson — Sun, 06 May 2018 00:26:45 -0400

Don't know how much it's changed since I was in. But 97-01 it consisted of Monday vehical inspection Tues and Weds working on those. Thurs miscellaneous and sergeants time then Fri motor pool cleanup for the weekend. And sporadic details everything from manning the wash rack to cutting grass around post and what nots. Of course this is back when the launcher was a track vehical.

Response by SPC William Clem made May 17 at 2018 3:21 AM

SPC William Clem — Thu, 17 May 2018 03:21:48 -0400

We spent most of the time on guard duty my first deployment, my second we dumped the tracks and loaded up on high back cause they all just broke down.

Response by SPC Stephen Parke made Jun 3 at 2018 10:31 PM

SPC Stephen Parke — Sun, 03 Jun 2018 22:31:05 -0400

Pretty much depends where you're at. Otherwise though they may throw you in with convoys if they need bodies...

Response by SSG Dennis Mendoza made Jun 26 at 2018 8:59 PM

SSG Dennis Mendoza — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 20:59:12 -0400

Well my personal experience, I just returned to active duty so I had 13M as my only option back into active duty and right after AIT I got stationed right at the same schoolhouse I just graduated at for 13M and personally disliking this assignment/MOS

Response by SGT Nelson Cox made Aug 23 at 2018 2:53 PM

SGT Nelson Cox — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 14:53:38 -0400

I have out of military for over 20 years, I can on state what it was like when was in.

Response by SGT Cass Hill made Nov 10 at 2018 8:28 AM

SGT Cass Hill — Sat, 10 Nov 2018 08:28:29 -0500

I was on rear det when my unit did an actual HIMARS deployment, but here's what I know. For them, it was primarily a massive training mission with the host nation (not sure I'm allowed to say which nation). The host nation was buying HIMARS so they spent the year training them, from what I've heard they had a lot of fun doing a lot of not only live firing but also apparently plenty of air missions, loading the launchers into a plane (both c17s and c130s).. Plane lands, launchers exit, fire and then return to the plane.

Generally, I think if actually deployed to a combat zone, they're usually staged on fob much like the patriot missile batteries, though I have no verification for this