Radar Team Keeps Eye on Falcon

Radar Team Keeps Eye on Falcon
DVIDSHUB
By Spc. Nathaniel Smith
Posted on 02.29.2008

Radar Team Keeps Eye on Falcon

BAGHDAD – In a small corner of Forward Operating Base Falcon there is a team from an artillery unit, not even on the base, performing a job a lot of Soldiers have no knowledge about.

Such is the life of FOB Falcon’s radar team, detached from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad which performs all their duties in the shadows, working hand-in-hand with the counter-rockets and mortars cell, quietly keeping an electronic eye out for enemy indirect fire attacks.

Staff Sgt. Matt Richter, the radar section chief with HHB, 2nd Bn., 32nd Field Artillery, said while his job may not be high-profile, he gets a sense of fulfillment from performing his day-to-day duties.

“It gives us the opportunity to have a significant impact in places where there’s a lot of indirect fire. If we do a good job, it allows the brigade and their sub-units to do a great job, too. We help the (Iraqis) and we help ourselves,” the Topeka, Kan., native said. “This job has satisfaction; it’s challenging and every day I learn something new. It’s an $8 million radar; there’s a whole bunch of electronics involved. You can’t know everything about it. When you have any problem, it makes it interesting because it’s always something new.”

With more than 1,300 acquisitions, more than 500 rounds tracked, and a 98 percent operational rate since March 21, 2007, things have been interesting for the Falcon radar team.

Spc. Adam Hovelson, from Brookings, S.D., and a radar operator with HHB, 2-32 Field Artillery, said he enjoys the quiet occupation he chose.

“I love my job,” he said. “It’s something that is really technical, but not terribly tough to do. It’s a fun job; I really enjoy doing it.”

Richter said his favorite part of being a “radar Soldier,” which he has been doing for seven years, has been the unique assignments he has received.

He said being in a small, dynamic field has afforded him the opportunity to work with a wide range of elements, from Special Forces to Marines. Richter, who is on his fourth deployment as a radar operator, said he enjoys having the chance to be in situations that most Soldiers would rarely find themselves.

Despite having a rewarding, one-of-a-kind job, like every other Soldier, the deployment has not been without challenges.

Among the difficult parts of the radar teams job is maintaining focus during what can be long hours of inactivity.

Hovelson said he keeps himself sharp over what can be very boring stretches by studying the radar system’s manual.

Despite the team’s difficulties, Hovelson said the camaraderie in the section became stronger due to the team’s relying on each other throughout the course of the deployment and being away from the rest of the 2-32 Field Artillery, “Proud Americans.”

“It’s helped bring our section closer together; it really helped to establish lasting relationships,” Hovelson said. “It’s given us a chance to meet a lot of people.”

Richter also found a silver lining.

“The cohesion of the section definitely went up quite a bit,” he added. “The opportunity to network and work with other people not in the same unit has been great.”