Soldiers of the 2d Battalion, 114th Field Artillery

Soldiers of the 2d Battalion, 114th Field Artillery Regiment, Mississippi Army National Guard, and their guests attend the unit's St. Barbara ceremony, Dec. 2, 2017, at Columbus Air Force Base, Columbus, Miss.
"The St. Barbara ceremony is a field artillery ceremony represented to recognize those field artillerymen who have either gone into battle as field artillerymen or served as platoon sergeant or above, or commanded a field artillery unit," said Maj. Dennis Bittle, the battalion's executive officer. "We recognize those successful commands and those successful platoon sergeants with the Ancient Order of the St. Barbara medal."
The St. Barbara medal is named after the legend of the sainted patroness Barbara, revered as the protector from thunderstorms, fire, and explosions.
"The patroness saint, St. Barbara, she was the daughter of a nobleman in the Roman Empire," said Bittle. "She was sacrificed by her father, and eventually became the patron saint of field artillerymen everywhere."
During the ceremony, Soldiers were awarded for their excellence and bravery, and some wives of the Soldiers were awarded with the Molly Pitcher award.
"The Molly Pitcher award is an award we give to spouses, particularly wives of Soldiers who have been awarded the St. Barbara medal or spouses who have done a lot of work in support of our field artillery unit," said Bittle.
The 2-114, a part of the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, is preparing for the brigade's deployment.