Role of FA in today's Army?

billyb

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I am an old field artilleryman. It has been some time since I have left the army and I was wondering if someone can comment on the current state of viability of the artillery branch. Based on the last 10 years can I assume that FA branch has a more minimal role than it previously had (say 20 years ago)? Are less cadets branching FA? I know the DIVARTYs are no longer so I would assume the commands available at the O6 level are minimal as well?
 
I am an old field artilleryman. It has been some time since I have left the army and I was wondering if someone can comment on the current state of viability of the artillery branch. Based on the last 10 years can I assume that FA branch has a more minimal role than it previously had (say 20 years ago)? Are less cadets branching FA? I know the DIVARTYs are no longer so I would assume the commands available at the O6 level are minimal as well?

Well, no. DIVARTY is gone, but they've created these separate "Fires Brigades" which are O-6 commands.

Arty has done a lot of functioning as infantry in the past ten years. That being said, we used to do observed fire in OIF (155s from FOB Hammer and 105/155s from FOB Mahmudiyah). G-MLRS also tore up some roads that were filled with DBIEDs. Arty has a good future, but you're correct that a lot of the stuff you remember (CFLs, FFAs) have been put on the back burner.
 
I wouldn't say less cadets are branching FA, it is one of lesser chosen MFE branches but slots are not diminishing the last time I checked. It was up there with infantry as was of the largest branches to be filled every commissioning year.

As Scout said, if there are no fire missions occurring (especially with the 155 guys) infantry foot patrols are often the de facto contingency operation.
 
I wouldn't say less cadets are branching FA, it is one of lesser chosen MFE branches but slots are not diminishing the last time I checked. It was up there with infantry as was of the largest branches to be filled every commissioning year.

For what it's worth, some USMA cadets were force-branched into FA last year to fill slots
 
Also, as a very unofficial observation, tons of Citadel cadets which graduated this past year were commissioned FA. It was by far the most common MFE branch offered, and likely the most commissioned branch, between that and Signal.
 
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