Team work produces fastest gun in the west
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division
Story Identification #: 2004101455338
Story by Cpl. Jan Bender



CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Oct.13, 2004) -- They have earned the title of "Fastest Gun in the West." The west end of Camp Fallujah, Iraq, that is.

For the nine Marines who operate Gun 5, Battery M, 4th Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, from Chattanooga, Tenn., as part of Camp Fallujah's Artillery Counter Battery, being the best is all about team work.

The Marines earned their title through an ongoing competition in the battery, setting themselves apart from the other five guns by preparing a counter-battery mission in record time.

Able to maneuver their 14,000 pound M-198 Howitzer in any direction of 360, set the elevation, load a 100 pound round, determine the correct charge and stand ready for the word to fire in just under 57 seconds, the Marines have reason to talk.

"Ever since I joined, everything in the Corps has been a competition. It's all about pride," said Lance Cpl. Greg Kuehn, 23, a native of Hickson, Tenn., and a cannoneer with Gun 5. "We work hard to be the fastest gun, just so we can say we're the best."

The competition is tight, with only a few seconds difference between each gun's finish time, but the Marines say that's what makes it fun.

"We try to beat everybody in what ever we do," said Staff Sgt. Norman Dale Head, the Gun 5 section chief. "And it snow balls into a competitive spirit that helps pass the time out here."

The battery's six guns are in charge of providing counter battery fire for several coalition installations in the area. Those installations receive rocket and mortar fire from Anti-Iraqi Forces regularly, so Marines must remain proficient with their skills.

Camp Fallujah's counter battery radar track the projectiles from the point of origin and relay this information to the Fire Direction Control Center. Marines at the FDC run the numbers through a series of equations and contact the battery Marines, supplying them with a fire mission that will destroy the threat.

However, the Anti-Iraqi Forces have evolved their tactics, trying to evade the battery's counter fire by firing rockets or mortars from the back of trucks or rigging the projectiles with timing devices. The cannoneers know they have to make every second count.

"One thing I've tried to instill in my Marines from the beginning is that every step that we take, fast or slow is directly related to someone else," said Sgt. Eric J. Radich, 24, a native of Gainesville, Ga., and an assistant gunner with Gun 5. "If we move slow, (our counter fire) gets there slow. In many ways our job acts as a life saver."

The battery is also responsible for supporting any coalition ground forces operating within their range of fire. These Marines respond with high explosive, illumination or smoke rounds to destroy objectives or mark targets for air support.

"The infantry troops can rely on us. They know the round is coming in accurately and on time," said Sgt. Guy Yale, 35, a native of Atlanta and the Gun 5 ammo chief. "So in the end the little competitive games turn out to be positive for everybody."

The entire battery was activated on July 15 and spent two months training at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., before deploying to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They relieved the Marines of Battery A, 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Sept. 4.

This is the first time the Marines from Chattanooga have been activated since November of 1990, when they were brought on active duty in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Head, 35, a native of Ringgold, Ga., who was a lance corporal with the battery during Desert Storm said, this may be a different war, but the young Marines are still the same. "They are constantly working hard out here and doing one hell of a job."

And for the younger Marines deploying for the first time there is no place they'd rather be.

"We are all motivated to be out here," said Cpl. Kevin Bovina, 22, a native of Chattanooga, Tenn., the gunner for Gun 5. "This is what I joined the Corps to do, I'm glad to finally be able to do it."

The Marines of Gun 5, along with the rest of Battery M, have only been in Iraq for one month of their expected seven-month tour, but they have no doubts that the title of "Fastest Gun in the West" will remain in their hands. They believe this achievement is a reflection of good teamwork.

"We've got a good mix of Marines on this gun," said Radich, 24, a native of Atlanta. "We may not have all the characters out of the battery or the biggest and strongest guys, but we all work together, pull our own weight and it just seems to work."