The 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery is one of six battalions that make up the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, and while all Greywolf soldiers deployed originally to Camp Buehring in Kuwait, 2-82 spent most of their time elsewhere.
Fort Hood soldiers from 2-82 forward deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve with the mission to defeat ISIS and increase regional stability.
The Combined Joint Task Force —Operation Inherent Resolve focuses on a coalition strategy where the U.S. military works alongside local forces to win the fight against ISIS.
“We were basically providing fire for coalition forces against enemy ISIS fighters,” SGT. Aaron Whitmore, a 2-82 Field Artillery gunner, said.
The 2-82 Field Artillery unit has supported the Iraqi Security Forces while deployed for the past nine months.
“... on a joint multi-national task force. We worked with the marines, Danish, Norwegian and British Forces,” 1LT Zachary Knight, a 2-82 Field Artillery Platoon Leader, said.
Those 2-82 Fort Hood soldiers provided base defense as well as...
“...indirect fires for the Iraqi Security Forces throughout the operations they conducted trying to retake their country,” 1LT Knight added.
When ISIS threatened Iraqi forces, 2-82 Field Artillery was ready and able to target and remove the threat.
“Anytime you track indirect fire on the Iraqi Security or any coalition forces, and they are accurately and conductively counter-firing that to keep these forces safe to move forward, I mean just being a part of that operation, you know you’re being successful," WO1 Chas Schroeder, a 2-82 Field Artillery Target Acquisition Platoon Leader, said.
Over the summer, Iraq liberated the City of Mosul from ISIS, adding to the thousands of square kilometers the coalition forces have reclaimed from ISIS.
In addition to supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, 2-82 troops also conducted partner nation training exercises throughout the Middle East.
The Combined Joint Task Force -- Operation Inherent Resolve were established by the Department of Defense in October of 2014.
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