Btry E (Target Acquisition), 161st Field Artillery

Commanded by CPT John Campbell, Battery E (Target Acquisition), 161st Field Artillery, Larned and Great Bend, departed for Ft. Benning in February, 1996, in preparation for this mission to Bosnia as part of Operation Joint Endeavor.  The unit arrived in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina on Feb. 28, 1996.  Here they would use TPQ-36 radars to track mortar shells, artillery rounds, and small arms fire during their peacekeeping mission.  Violations of the peacekeeping agreement between the Bosnians and the Serbs were reported to the Allied Rapid Reaction Command for checking.  The unit was returned to Great Bend in November of 1996 by the 190th Air Refueling Wing.

In early 2000, Battery E again received the call—to Kosovo this time.  The mission would be the same—use the Q-36 and Q-37 Firefinder radars to track incoming mortar, artillery, and small arms fire—in the vicinity of Camp Bondsteel and Camp Montieth in Kosovo.  Arriving on May 21, 2000, the unit began its mission, which also included providing security for medical clinics, patrolling, and interacting with the local populace.  They returned to Kansas in mid-December, 2000, in time for Christmas.

For the third time in less than 10 years, soldiers from Battery E (Target Acquisition), 161st Field Artillery were mobilized on Sept. 20, 2005.  This time, the unit headed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  One group of 13 soldiers was attached to a Texas field artillery unit, while a second group of six soldiers was to join up with another unit.  They returned to their armories at Great Bend and Larned on Dec. 3, 2005.