1-10 Field Artillery Shifting Operations to FOB Hammer

Staff Sgt. Dennis Brown, of Swainsboro, Ga., a non-commissioned officer in 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, carries mail into the new battalion headquarters building, Sept. 15, at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq.

Sgt. Roderick Thompson, of Selma, Ala., communications specialist, 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, splices a network cable in the new battalion headquarters building, Sept. 15, at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq.

Sgt. Natalie Rostek
3rd Brigade Combat Team
Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment are leaving Camp Bucca, Iraq, after six months of detention operations and heading to Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq.

Since 3rd Brigade Combat Team came to Iraq in mid-March, the 1-10 FAR has been separated from the brigade and stationed in Southern Iraq. They were attached to the 16th Military Police Brigade at Camp Bucca.

The battalion is expected to make the transition to FOB Hammer in late September and assume control of the Nahrwan area of operation in the Ma’a'in Qada in mid-October, said Capt. Scott Lorenzen, of Des Moines, Iowa, battle captain, 1-10 FAR.

Soldiers living at FOB Hammer are readying accomodations for the arrival of their 1-10 FAR comrades.

Air conditioned living quarters and latrines are set up in what will be the unit’s logistical support area. Engineers of the 557th Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron, currently attached to 3rd BCT to aid in rebuilding and maintenance of the FOB, have already completed the battalion headquarters building. Early arrivals of 1-10 FAR are in the process of setting up work stations and offices.

Sgt. Roderick Thompson, of Selma, Ala., is new to the unit and said he is excited to have his battle buddies join him at FOB Hammer. His daily tasks include ensuring the communication aspects of the headquarters building will be fully operational upon the unit’s arrival.

“I’m still getting to know everyone on the team,” Thompson said. “I’m getting to meet new people and with the arrival of the rest of 1-10 (FAR). I’ll be able to get to know Soldiers from my own unit.”

Lorenzen said the unit is executing the movement rapidly with few difficulties.

“There are a lot of moving pieces,” he said. “Trying to keep track of all the moving pieces is probably the hardest part, but everything has been running pretty smoothly.”

Upon arrival to their new area of operation, the unit must make the transition from military police work to conducting full-spectrum operations.

“I think we will do very well in the transition,” Lorenzen said. “We have pushed our Soldiers back to Kuwait for retraining and it should be an easy transition.”

First Sgt. Michael Patton, of Memphis, Tenn., Battery B, 1-10 FAR believes his Soldiers will have no problem getting back into field artillery missions.

“I don’t think there are going to be any challenges making the change,” he said. “My unit is going back to fire support missions. That’s our job. Most Soldiers know their jobs already and they are glad to come back to doing their job.”

Lorenzen said working at Camp Bucca in the detention facility has given the battalion Soldiers an experience that will help them accomplish their mission in Nahrwan.

“We learned a lot about Iraqi culture,” he said. “We spent so much time with the Iraqi people that we’ve picked up a lot of things that will help us for this next mission.”

The Soldiers must also re-adjust to FOB life. Accommodations at FOB Hammer are very different than those at Camp Bucca. Soldiers will be going from a well-established base to one where 3rd BCT is the first occupier.

“Bucca has been there for five years, so it’s more established,” Lorenzen said. “I think the transition will be harder for Soldiers who haven’t been deployed to Iraq before now. For the rest of us, it’s not going to be a big surprise. FOB Hammer is what I was expecting.”

First Lt. Scott Dickson, of Midwestern, Kan., Battery B executive officer, said he believes the changes will be welcome.

“There are less people at Hammer,” he said. “This means shorter lines, longer time on the phones and internet, and a faster laundry turnaround. Yeah, there is dust everywhere, but everyone understands that and it’s not that bad.”

The 3rd BCT is assigned to 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.