We Can Not Take Your Call for Fire Right Now - Does the Global War on Terrorism Signal the Demise of the Field Artillery?

The United States Army began transformation to meet the needs of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Senior leaders within the military initiated the transformation from a division-based organization to one built around brigades. This transformation initiative demonstrated that change could be rapid. For some in the Field Artillery (FA), the concern was the change was too rapid and reduced the artillery available to support maneuver units. To make the necessary changes to support a Modular, brigade-based Army, the Army embraced Joint interdependence. Army and Joint doctrine has evolved to meet the needs of interdependence. The primary research question for this monograph is: "does the reduction of FA batteries within a heavy brigade combat team (HBCT) reduce the effectiveness of fire support for full spectrum operations?" The literature used for this research included documents on national strategy, speeches, service and Joint publications, and military journals. These resources provided a background on what the Army expects of the Modular Fires battalion. The publications also provided an understanding of the threat the United States is facing today and the threats expected in the future.