Hon. Col. of the Regiment

My Fellow Rakkasans:

To be sure, I know you all are as energized as I am to enter this exciting quarter.

320th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) conducting live fire rehearsal ,March 11, 2019 during rotation 19-05 at JRTC.

We start the month of March with the most important event for a Brigade Combat Team - a rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Ft Polk, LA. The JRTC is a pinnacle event for any unit, and what our Rakkasans have been preparing for over this past year. It is the US Army’s most demanding training exercise - taxing the combat preparedness, expertise, and Warrior Ethos of our Nations most capable fighting forces over a month long deployment. It encompasses all aspects of combat readiness to include deployment, combat operations, redeployment and recovery. I can assure you all, it is as close to combat as any training event, and will test every aspect of the Brigade from sustained combat operations, logistics, maintenance, command and control, and sustainment. RAK 6 and 7 have prepared the Brigade well and they will complete this demanding exercise as Rakkasans always do - with professionalism, expertise, and most importantly, a Warrior Ethos that will rival any unit to date. They will return the most ready combat Brigade in our, Army and once again, prepare to stand as the most deployed BCT in the US Army. I know you all join me in wishing them God’s Speed and safe and fulfilling operation. And when they return, they will recover and maintain their equipment, and prepare to celebrate our legacy and history as Rakkasans.

In April the Brigade will conduct the Rakkasan Ball with BG (R) Pete Dawkins as the guest speaker. I hope as many of you who can make it will be there to help celebrate. And of course in May we will all celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hamburger Hill at the Rakkasan Reunion, Ft Campbell, KY. This is a special event especially for our Vietnam Veteran Rakkasans as they take a moment to reflect and join hands with their comrades once again. I look forward to supporting them at the reunion and also reflect on their heroism, courage and valor. Look forward to seeing many of you during the week long festivities and events planned by the Brigade. I know our current Warrior Rakkasans are also looking forward to joining with you on this very special occasion.

Thanks for all you do for the Brigade and our great Rakkasans - they make us all proud.

Let Valor Not Fail.

Rakkasan.

Frank Wiercinski, HCOR

(Download the full Spring 2019 Shimbun by clicking here)