United States Army Fires Center of Excellence

United States Army Fires Center of Excellence
Unit name	United States Army Fires Center of Excellence
Caption	Insignia at Fort Sill
Dates	2009–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Training and doctrine
Garrison	Fort Sill

United States Army Fires Center of Excellence is the Army institution charged with training, developing doctrine, and integrating capabilities for Field artillery, Air defense artillery, and related fires functions within the United States Army. Located at Fort Sill, it consolidates education, materiel development, and leader development to support combatant commands such as United States Central Command, United States European Command, United States Indo-Pacific Command, United States Africa Command, and United States Northern Command. The Center works with organizations including the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of the Army, Army Futures Command, and U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command to align fires with joint and multinational partners like NATO, Coalition forces in Iraq, and Combined Joint Task Force headquarters.

History

The Fires Center traces institutional lineage to historic formations such as the Royal Artillery-influenced early United States Army artillery units, the Coastal Artillery Corps, and the Field Artillery Branch (United States). Fort Sill became a focal point after the establishment of the Field Artillery School and the Air Defense Artillery School relocation initiatives following Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decisions influenced by the 2005 BRAC commission. The 2009 formal activation consolidated the Field Artillery School, Air Defense Artillery School, and associated centers under a single command, aligning with reforms from Transformation of the United States Army and guidance from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of the Army John McHugh. The Center's history is connected to campaigns including the Mexican–American War, the Indian Wars, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and operations in Iraq War and War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) through doctrinal evolution and veteran instructors.

Mission and Organization

The Center’s mission supports the Army Futures Command and U.S. Army Combined Arms Center priorities to produce trained leaders, develop doctrine, and deliver materiel for joint fires. Organizationally it reports through Training and Doctrine Command channels and interfaces with the U.S. Army Materiel Command for procurement, U.S. Army Sustainment Command for logistics, and Program Executive Office Missiles and Space for capability acquisition. Command relationships include liaison with service schools such as the Marine Corps University, the Air University, and the United States Naval War College to synchronize joint fires education. The Center supports modernization initiatives such as Precision-guided munitions, the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System, and networked systems developed under Cross-Functional Teams led by Army Futures Command.

Training and Education

The Center administers resident and distributed courses at Fort Sill and via partnerships with Fort Sill National Historic Landmark District, King Fahd Airbase-style joint training environments, and multinational exercises like Exercise Combined Resolve and Noble Fury. It delivers Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC) and Advanced Leader Courses for the Field Artillery Branch (United States) and Air Defense Artillery Branch (United States), precommissioning instruction with Reserve Officers' Training Corps, and professional military education coordinated with the Command and General Staff College and the United States Army War College. Training enablers include simulators used by Operational Test Command, virtual systems from Army Research Laboratory, and technical collaboration with the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command.

Units and Subordinate Organizations

Subordinate organizations include the Field Artillery School, the Air Defense Artillery School, the Fires Center of Excellence Band, and training brigades such as the 434th Field Artillery Brigade and the 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade, along with specialized centers for doctrine and lessons learned tied to the Center for Army Lessons Learned. Support elements include the Fire Support and Targeting School, logistics units from the 10th Sustainment Brigade, and liaison detachments to the Joint Staff and Combatant Command headquarters. Cooperative commands with the Oklahoma National Guard and tenant units from the U.S. Army Reserves augment training throughput and mobilization readiness.

Facilities and Range Complexes

Facilities at Fort Sill include the historic Geronimo Training Complex, the Henry Post Army Airfield, the Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center, and multiple live-fire ranges such as the McBride Range Complex and the Mountain View Range Complex. The Center leverages instrumentation from the National Training Center and networked training capabilities interoperable with Joint Simulation Environment assets. Range management engages environmental stakeholders including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and complies with regulations shaped by the National Environmental Policy Act while supporting large-scale combined-arms exercises involving partner nations like United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Poland.

Doctrine, Tactics, and Capabilities

Doctrinal products are published in coordination with the U.S. Army Publishing Directorate and the Combined Arms Center, informing manuals used by formations in theaters such as CENTCOM and EUCOM. Doctrine covers counterfire, suppression of enemy air defenses demonstrated in campaigns like the Operation Desert Storm, integrated air and missile defense seen in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and emerging concepts like multi-domain operations advocated by Army Doctrine Reference Publication updates. Capabilities developed include integration of Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems, employment of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, and coordination with Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and Army Space and Missile Defense Command assets to provide lethal and non-lethal effects across the spectrum of conflict.

Notable Operations and Contributions

The Center’s graduates and doctrine have contributed to operations including Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Inherent Resolve, and multinational exercises such as Operation Atlantic Resolve. Fires Center personnel supported modernization efforts yielding systems used in the Gulf War and subsequent conflicts, contributed expertise during the 2011 Libya intervention, and advised partner-nation capacity building initiatives under programs like the Foreign Military Sales and International Military Education and Training. Academic and historical contributions preserve institutions such as the Field Artillery Museum and maintain archives connected to figures like Henry W. Lawton and Jacob Brown.

Category:United States Army training installations Category:Fort Sill