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Division Artillery (DIVARTY), 25th Infantry Division (Light)
Division Artillery (DIVARTY), 25th Infantry Division
"Tropic Thunder"

In December 2012, the Fires Center of Excellence (FCoE) submitted a Force Design Update (FDU) (Fires HQ FDU) to re-establish fires command headquarters at echelons above brigade (EAB), for consideration in the Total Army Analysis (TAA) process for fiscal years 2016-2020. On Oct. 3, 2013, the Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army approved the Fires HQ FDU.

The Army decision to implement DIVARTYs will provide Field Artillery (FA) capabilities (planning, synchronization, and coordination) in order to execute strategic, operational and tactical fires in support of Unified Land Operations (ULO) and to provide effective mission command for the training and readiness of attached FA units. Current Echelon Above Brigade (EAB) mission command FA force structure and organizational design does not sufficiently meet the required capabilities in support of Combatant Commander (CCDR) requirements as part of the Joint force. This results in the inability to effectively integrate and synchronize fires at Division, Corps and Theater Army in support of ULO.

The Fires HQ FDU creates a DIVARTY for each active component Division and will align an active component Field Artillery Brigade (FAB) to each Corps and one to Eighth United States Army (EUSA). The term “Fires Brigade” (FiB) is being replaced with Field Artillery Brigade (FAB). The FDU does not alter the organization of the Army National Guard (ARNG) FABs; however ARNG FABs will be aligned with ARNG Divisions for training affiliation and will be capable of serving as a DIVARTY to support ARNG Divisions during deployment and provide reinforcing and counterfire capability to a Corps or Joint Task Force (JTF). The primary task for the FAB includes coordination, integration, synchronization and employment of fires as well as provides long range precision fires to the Corps through strike operations.

The DIVARTY is a proven force design that will play a key role in reversing the continuing atrophy of FA skills, halt the erosion of professional and leader development in the fires Warfighting Function, and restore the art and science of synchronizing effects for precise and discriminating fires.

The DIVARTY had no organic firing units, but can be provided a variety of FA Battalions (rocket and cannon) and other assets to accomplish its mission for the Division Commander. This may include a combination of one to five rocket/missile (MLRS or HIMARS) and/or FA Cannon Battalions as well as other enablers. The DIVARTY consists of a Headquarters (HHB), a Signal Platoon, and a Target Acquisition Platoon (TAP), initially consisting of two AN/TPQ-37 Radars and over the six years 2014-2020 transitioning to two AN/TPQ-53 Radars. DIVARTYs will provide command oversight for training management and certification of the Brigade Combat Team (BCT) FA Battalions, and Fire Support Cells. DIVARTYs will provide synchronization of sensors such as Sentinel and counterfire radars organic to the Division as well as synchronization of Joint sensors.

As of October 2015, all 10 DIVARTYs had activated. The DIVARTY’s primary role is to ensure readiness of the Fires formations within the divisions by improving the ability to deliver operational and technical Fires. The duties and responsibilities of the DIVARTYs are defined in Field Manual 3-09 and soon to be released Army Training Program 3-09.90, DIVARTY. The United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) commander further defined their roles and responsibilities in Fragmentary Order 1 to the U.S. Army FORSCOM Division Artillery Implementation Order with DIVARTY key tasks:

1. Improve the division commander’s ability to deliver operational and tactical level Fires.
2. Serve as the force field artillery headquarters for the division. The DIVARTY commander serves as the division FSCOORD.
3. Develop standardized approach to training and integrated Fires to ensure accomplishment of operational and tactical level fire support tasks.
4. Provide support to the brigade combat team (BCT) commanders with FA subject matter expertise. Coach, mentor and develop artillery commanders and leaders, and provide readiness assessment and advice to maneuver commanders.

The bottom line: DIVARTYs are the Fires integrators for the division and BCT commanders. Through stringent training and certification programs they ensure standardization across the division in the employment of Fires assets. Their success is incumbent on building strong relationships across the division and with joint Fires resources to ensure the Fires teams deliver over-match to the division and BCT commanders.

Precision targeting is non-negotiable. So going forward the Army implemented an 80-10-10 or a “Grid Getter Standard.” 80-10-10 is a ratio based on a precision mindset that makes it necessary for Forward Observers and Fire Support Teams to achieve Joint TLE categories while on the battlefield. Specifically, achieving a CAT I (6.0M TLE) and CAT II (15M TLE) “precision grid” 80 percent of the time; achieve a CAT IV (50M TLE) “near precision grid” 10 percent of the time; achieve a CAT V/VI (200M or greater TLE) as a degraded operation, the final 10 percent of the time. This 80-10-10 ratio defines the term Accurate in the First Requirement for Accurate Fires.

Due to the complexities of the operational environment, the requirements for precise and discriminating fires, as well as the restrictions on employment of fires, these demands require that Fires organizations and Fire Supporters be thoroughly trained and certified. The Field Artillery Headquarters facilitates standardized core training throughout the Fire Support chain by ensuring routine training as a complete Fire Support systems, significantly enhancing the maneuvers commanders ability to plan, integrate, task organize, and execute Fires in support of ULO.

TRADOC Pam 525-3-4, the United States Army Functional Concept for Fires, states a responsibility to establish and maintain a fire support system that can, “enable the defeat of a wide range of threats, provide timely and responsive fires in environmental and operational conditions, provide a range of precision to conventional scalable capabilities to engage ground targets, prevent fratricide and minimize collateral damage, and to provide access to and integrate joint, Army, and multinational Fires capabilities at the lowest appropriate levels.” This will allow the commander to achieve his desired effects on the enemy in a manner that does not require detailed integration with the scheme of subordinate maneuver elements.

Operational-Level Fires is the transition from the Theater Joint Force Air Component Command fight to air-ground integration fight. Operational-Level Fires are usually conducted at the operational level of war, but may be conducted at any level of war. Operational-Level Fires generally integrate Army Field Artillery (surface-to-surface) fires with joint and multi-national capabilities but could be conducted by any combination of available fires assets. Field Artillery Brigades and DIVARTYs focus on the conduct of Operational-Level Fires, including the integration of sensors and intelligence assets to support the targeting process, although they can also conduct Close-Support Fires that require detailed integration with the scheme of subordinate maneuver elements. Close-Support Fires are usually planned, coordinated, integrated, synchronized and conducted by BCT Field Artillery battalions.

The Division Artillery (DIVARTY), 25th Infantry Division (Light) cased its colors on 15 June 2005, and as a result became the first DIVARTY to inactivate as part of the transformation of the 25th Infantry Division to the US Army's modular force structure.

The Division Artillery, 25th Infantry Division (Light) initially consisted of 2 105mm (Towed) direct support field artillery battalions (3-7th and 2-11th Field Artillery) equipped with the M119 howitzer, one 155mm (Towed) general support battery (F/7th Field Artillery); one target acquisition detachment, and a Headquarters and Headquarters Battery for Division Artillery HQ. In 1995, with the reassignemnt of 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, an additional direct support battalion, the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery, was assigned to the DIVARTY, but detached to Fort Lewis attached to the 1st Brigade.

The DIVARTY, 25th Infantry Division trained around the world, from the jungles in Thailand, to the fast paced action of the Joint Readiness Training Center, and the rough arid climate of Pohakuloa Training Area on the big island of Hawaii. The DIVARTY's mission was to ensure that each soldier in each section, platoon or battery was prepared to deploy, fight win and survive. In order to achieve this mission, units had be prepared to move out within 54 hours of notification to anywhere within the Pacific Rim.

Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 25th Infantry Division Artillery was first constituted on 26 August 1941 in the Army of the United States as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 25th Division Artillery and activated on 1 October 1941 in Hawaii.

It was allotted on 27 June 1949 to the Regular Army and redesignated on 1 February 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 25th Infantry Division Artillery.

In December 2000 DIVARTY's 2nd Annual Best by Test put their battalions' best fire support, survey, radar, fire direction center and howitzer teams against each other in front of crowds of their cheering peers to see who was the most efficient in their military occupational specialty. The week-long competition of both MOS specialties and sporting events ended with a demonstration of all the DIVARTY elements in effect. The fire-support team observed the target and called the information in to the fire direction center. The radar team scanned the area for the enemy, while the survey team made sure everyone was facing the same direction. The fire direction center computed the data sent from the FIST and relayed it to the howitzer team. Finally came the blast from the howitzer simulating rounds being blasted down range. After the step-by-step demonstration the scene heated up and all other movements were done with the swiftness in what appeared to be choreographed steps. It was the grand finale and for most of the teams the last event was going to decide which team worked in unison and which team's hard work would put them ahead of their peers. The winner of each event received a trophy to be displayed at their unit. The section or team chief received an Army Commendation Medal and the individual Soldiers received Army Achievement Medals.

The Division Artillery (DIVARTY), 25th Infantry Division (Light) cased its colors on 15 June 2005, and as a result became the first DIVARTY to inactivate as part of the Army's transformation. Following the inactivation, the DIVARTY headquarters elements were to be consolidated and restructured within other combat brigades. Battery F (General Support), 7th Field Artillery was also inactivated. As part of the modular transformation, assets previously held at division level, but habitually assigned to the Division's brigades during operations were made organic to those brigades. 2-8th, 2-11th, and 3-7th Field Artillery were all inactivated, reorganized, and reactivated as the organic field artillery battalions for the reorganized and redesignated 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams, 25th Infantry Division respectively.