#207: No Place to Hide - 18th Field Artillery Brigade Colonel Andy Hercik & Command Sergeant Major George Cabrera

Before ground forces can advance, the battlefield has to be shaped. Air defenses have to come down. Enemy weapons have to be destroyed. And the adversaries' will to combat America has to be lessened. This is the job of field artillery; a branch of the US Army where speed, distance, precision, and results determine who controls the battlefield before ground forces ever make contact. From Fort Bragg, NC, the 18th Field Artillery Brigade leads the Army’s rapidly deployable artillery units. As the largest HIMARS brigade, its soldiers must be prepared to deploy anywhere in the world within 10 days of notification and deliver long-range precision fires in support of the XVIII Airborne Corps, its divisions, and Special Operations Forces. Fran Racioppi sat down with the command team of Colonel Andy Hercik and Command Sergeant Major George Cabrera, to talk about what it takes to maintain readiness as the battlefield rapidly changes. After two decades of counterinsurgency, field artillery is now leading in large-scale combat operations where kilometers matter, ammunition and logistics can determine operational reach, and the ability to shoot, move, communicate, and survive has become unforgiving. Drones have made the battlefield increasingly transparent. A cell phone can expose a position. A lingering electromagnetic signature can make a HIMARS crew a target. The answer isn't abandoning the fundamentals. It's executing them better, while using lessons from today's conflicts to change how soldiers train and how the Army develops the capabilities required for tomorrow. We also discuss what true integration between conventional forces and Special Operations looks like, why the targeting process has to bring every capability together from the beginning, and the responsibility of NCOs and officers to build a formation that doesn't simply comply with standards, but understands why those standards keep soldiers alive and make them lethal. When the call comes, there won't be time to prepare. 18th Field Artillery Brigade has to be ready. Highlights 00:00 Introduction 01:12 Mission of the 18th Field Artillery Brigade 04:16 NCO Leadership and Force Readiness 05:38 Subordinate Units and Capabilities 09:55 Refocusing on Core Field Artillery Basics 13:49 Passing Down Lessons Learned 14:40 Interoperability and Special Operations Forces Integration 22:31 What Separates the 18th FA Brigade 24:58 Joint Force Integration 26:15 Modernization, Innovation, and Ammunition Investment 30:15 Drone Warfare and Signature Management 36:02 Culture of Commitment and the Warrior Mindset 41:15 Driving Decision-Making and Warfighting Readiness Quotes “We have to be ready to deploy, fight, and win within 10 days of notification.” “We are the Army’s largest HIMARS brigade with 54 HIMARS launchers.” “We’re going to first look to strip away adversary air defense and then kill what’s killing us.” “It’s much more effective to destroy a launcher than to try to intercept an incoming missile.” “Divisions are maneuvering in order to fire.” “We now have to be prepared to operate in a completely transparent battlefield.” “What we’re trying to do is avoid being at this point on the Earth where the enemy missile hits when it hits.” “Shoot, move, communicate, clean up our electromagnetic spectrum.” “Making sure soldiers understand the visibility of their signature.” “Be more survivable, which then lets us be more lethal, because we’re able to retain more combat power.” Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge. The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

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