With a resounding call of "fire mission," Alpha Battery of the 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment prepared to send out a round from the M-777 howitzer.

A moment later came a thunderous boom from the gun followed by a distant "whump" as the round hit its target.

February 15 marked the first live-fire training for Gunslinger Battalion crews on the new howitzers conducted on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Working in concert with one another, the artillery Soldiers adjusted azimuth and traversed the gun's barrel to align with digital input from the fire direction center overlooking the impact area.

Battalion Commander Lt. Col.James MacGregor said getting crews through the initial firing was an important element of unit readiness.

"The initial shoot is to make sure the gun is functioning properly and safely," MacGregor said.

When firing for the first time, the artillerymen used 25-foot lanyards and took cover behind trucks in case something failed, he said.

By noon, each of A Battery's four guns had shot one round.

"Then they get standard fire missions from the hill and they'll start shooting a little bit quicker," MacGregor said. "Each gun will shoot nine rounds today."

The unit underwent training in preparation for the first firings, he said.

"The civilians you see at each gun are from the new equipment training team from Fort Sill, Okla.," MacGregor said.

The following day, Feb. 16, the unit invited spouses to watch crews fire and get close to the M-777s, he said.

"It gives us a chance to show off the new equipment and have families participate," MacGregor said. "The family support is vital to our mission."

Alpha Battery Commander Capt. Eric Elliott, an artillery officer since 2004, said the initial firing went well.

"It's been pretty good - it's a good day," Elliott said.

All of the guns were operational and firing well, he said.

"We've had no major issues," Elliott said. "There are little things here and there."

For Soldiers used to firing the M-198, a heavier, non-digital howitzer, the new guns come with a learning curve, he said.

"For the most part, they like it better," Elliott said. "It's a little easier."

One thing that took adjustment by the artillerymen was the requirement for individuals to carry 65-pound M-777 rounds to the guns, he said. With the M-198, two Soldiers shared the weight of each round.

"(Crew members) spent the past two weeks learning everything about it, how to operate it, standard crew drill and also what to do in the case of certain mechanical failures, maintenance failures or misfires," Elliott said. "It's a learning experience. They've come a long way in two weeks." Even as a new Soldier, artilleryman Spc. Seth Vandersyde came to the unit with experience.

"I trained on the M-777 in (advanced individual training)," Vandersyde said. "There's some new stuff because we weren't allowed to use the electronics in AIT. So that was all kind of new."

Despite the learning curve, his battery didn't miss a step during live fire drills, he said.

"We did all right," Vandersyde said. "The first two sets were a little slower than they normally are."

Vandersyde's job was to ensure correct types and placement of fuses on each round, he said.

"After that I pretty much helped out with loading the rounds, verifying and whatever needed to be done," Vandersyde said.

How quickly the battalion ramped up to field the M-777 reinforces how good the new artillery piece is, he said.

The Army first fielded the M-777 in 2006.

A standard crew of eight Soldiers can fire the gun's 155mm projectiles at a sustained rate of two rounds per minute. In certain circumstances, a crew of five can man the M-777.

Along with standard rounds, it also has the capability to fire GPS guided munitions.

In 2007, Army and Marine units began employing the new howitzer under combat conditions in Iraq.

The "triple seven" replaced the M-198 155mm towed howitzers.

The M-777 is about half the weight of the venerable "one-niner-eight."

Last December, 1-377 FA retired the M-198 and was the last active duty Army unit to fire it.