Friends and Family of the Washington Artillery,

With Labor Day behind us and the summer coming to an end, I hope everyone enjoyed their time with family and friends. Since the battalion did not drill in the month of July, it is my pleasure to give you an update on the training events for August as well as what is in store for the future.

The August drill was a home station at Jackson Barracks. The battalion had a busy weekend with the Periodic Health Assessment (PHA). This is an annual event for soldiers to update and maintain their medical readiness. A weekend dedicated to PHA is not an exciting one, it usually consists of waiting in line to answer a lot of questions, get a few shots, and have your teeth inspected. However, not all training time was lost. Alpha battery, which did not start PHA till Sunday, took their soldiers to Camp Villere in Slidell on Friday and Saturday to focus on drivers training and maintenance issues.

Looking forward, the September drill is another home station that the battalion will focus on closing out the 2011 training calendar and moving forward into 2012. October's drill will feature the annual Pass in Review and Wreath Laying Ceremony at Metairie Cemetery. November drill brings the opportunity for the units to utilize Camp Villere again to focus on artillery and drivers training.

By the next newsletter, I will give updates on Pass in Review, the Wreath Laying Ceremony as well as the upcoming St. Barbara's.

Try Us!
MAJ Finney
1-141 Field Artillery Battalion
Commanding