3ID artillery NCO wins Gruber Award

Soldier Stories ^ | Jan. 13, 2004

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

3ID artillery NCO wins Gruber Award
January 13, 2004

Sgt. 1st Class Glen R. Washington

Sgt. 1st Class Glen R. Washington, the fire control NCO for the 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized) Artillery, Fort Stewart, Ga., is the winner of the Gruber Award as the outstanding field artillery professional for 2003.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Washington developed critical tactics, techniques and procedures for the advanced field artillery tactical data systems known as AFATDS. While visiting Kuwait prior to the war, Washington planned for the 1-3 Attack Helicopter Battalion’s fire support element to fire digitally for the first time using AFATDS in conjunction with the airborne target handover system on the AH-64D Apache Longbow.

Upon his return to the states, Washington helped field more than 60 AFATDS rapidly across the 3d Div Arty. In four weeks, Washington and his fire control element trained more than 120 soldiers on the software on different continents. The Div Arty commander then picked Washington to live-fire and validate the software before the division went into combat.

In theater, The Div Arty S3 then challenged Washington to maintain digital communications on the move. Thinking “outside the box,” Washington suggested building a “jump FCE” in a humvee with M1113 rigid-wall shelter. Within 48 hours, he had the mobile FCE operational.

Upon notification of incoming Iraqi artillery fire near An Nasiriyah, Washington’s jump FCE emplaced from the march and immediately established communications with radars and firing units, enabling the Div Arty TAC to return fire rapidly, overwhelming the Iraqi artillery and ultimately saving U.S. soldiers’ lives.

Washington helped destroy nine Iraqi border observation posts at the beginning of major combat operations. He processed countless requests for additional fires from maneuver elements and processed the now famous multiple-launch rocket system strike in support of 2d Brigade’s “Thunder Run” into the Palace District of Baghdad. In all, Washington processed more than 90 counterfire missions that silenced the Iraqi artillery.

More Stories  

[xsrdx]

King Of Battle BTTT

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Sgt. 1st Class Glen R. Washington, the fire control NCO for the 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized) Artillery, Fort Stewart, Ga., is the winner of the Gruber Award as the outstanding field artillery professional for 2003.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Washington developed critical tactics, techniques and procedures for the advanced field artillery tactical data systems known as AFATDS.

... In all, Washington processed more than 90 counterfire missions that silenced the Iraqi artillery.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you, Sgt. 1st Class Glen R. Washington! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you want on or off the Pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me, Calpernia or xzins. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days. (Most days are good days).

[xsrdx]

[MEG33]

Wow,Thank you Sergeant 1st Class Washington!Well done!

[thinktwice]

An Army of one ... thinking is a singular process.

[Prodigal Son]

Good work SFC Washington.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you for the great illustration. (^:

[blackie]

Thank you, Sgt. 1st Class Glen R. Washington ~ Bump!

[RottiBiz]

Sgt. 1st Class Glen R. Washington Bump!

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[neverdem]

Thanks for posting a story I overlooked, but it was fortuitously linked in the cyberworld.

[neverdem]

Methinks you have good reason to be proud of an American RedLeg.

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for the ping !

[Tailback]

He can shoot a rifle too. I notice he's wearing the German Schutzenschnur (marksmanship badge) plus the US Army Expert Rifleman Badge. The German badge isn't easy to get.

[cyborg]

nice story