3rd Infantry Division Artillery (United States)


The 3rd Infantry Division Artillery is the divisional artillery command for the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia. The DIVARTY has served with the division in World Wars I and II, the Korean War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and in peacetime at Fort Stewart and Germany. The DIVARTY was inactivated in 2004 as part of transformation to modular brigade combat teams, but was reactivated on 17 October 2014 to provide fire support coordination and mission command for the training and readiness of Field Artillery units across the division.

History

World War I

The 3rd Field Artillery Brigade was constituted in the Regular Army as part of the 3rd Division on 12 November 1917, and organized at Camp Stanley, Texas, on 26 November 1917. Besides the headquarters, the brigade’s initial units were the 10th Field Artillery Regiment, stationed at Fort Douglas, Utah, with 24 75mm guns; the 76th Field Artillery Regiment, at Fort Bliss, Texas, with 24 75mm guns; the 18th Field Artillery Regiment, with 24 155mm howitzers at Fort Ethan Allen Vermont; and the 3rd Trench Mortar Battery, with 12 6-inch trench mortars. The 3rd Division was never concentrated at a single location before departure to France. After sailing to France in March and April 1918, the units of 3rd Field Artillery Brigade began training at Camp Coetquidan, France

World War II

Pentomic

On 1 July 1957, the DIVARTY reorganized under the pentomic organization. The pentomic DIVARTY organized with a direct support 105mm battalion, with five firing batteries to support the divisions five battle groups and a composite general support battalion, with two 155mm howitzer batteries of six guns, a four gun battery of 8-in howitzers, and an Honest John rocket battery with 2 launchers.
In April 1958, the 3rd Infantry Division rotated to Germany under , replacing the DIVARTY of the 10th Infantry Division at Kitzingen, West Germany.
On 1 April 1960, the DIVARTY was reorganized with a five composite 105mm/155mm direct support battalions with the composite general support battalion consisting of 8-inch howitzers and Honest John rockets. The DIVARTY's new direct support battalions were 1st Howitzer Battalion, 10th Artillery; 6th Howitzer Battalion, 18th Artillery; 2nd Howitzer Battalion, 39th Artillery; 2nd Howitzer Battalion, 41st Artillery; 3rd Howitzer Battalion, 76th Artillery.

ROAD

In August 1963, the DIVARTY reorganized under the Reorganization Objective Army Division organization. The DIVARTY now fielded three DS battalions equipped with self-propelled 105mm howitzers, a composite 155mm and 8-inch general support howitzer battalion, and an Honest John rocket battalion. By 1965, the M108 self-propelled 105mm howitzers in the DS battalions had been replaced with 155mm M109 howitzers.
In 1972, the 3rd Bn, 76th FA reflagged as the 1st Bn, 76th FA.
In the 1970s, as a result of increasing weapons capability and unit zones, the DIVARTY activated a target acquisition battery. In 1984, this battery was designated Battery A, 25th Field Artillery.
In 1987, as part of the conversion to the "Army of Excellence" organization, 1-76 FA was reorganized and redesignated as Battery A, 76th FA. The division lost its 8-in howitzers, and retained a single firing battery of .
In 1988, the DIVARTY reflagged 1st Bn, 10th FA and 2nd Bn, 39th FA as 5th and 6th Bns, 41st FA, grouping three battalions from the 41st FA in the DIVARTY. The separate target acquisition and MLRS batteries retained different regimental lineages.

Post Cold War. In 1990 2-41 deployed to Desert Shield from Bad Kissengen Germany

In 1991, the DIVARTY deployed 2-41 FA and 6-41 FA to Saudi Arabia to participate in Operation Desert Storm. As a result of force reductions following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the DIVARTY inactivated two battalions. In return, 6-1 FA and 3-35 FA were attached to the division. When 3-1 FA returned from Operation Desert Storm, it was also attached to the division. In 1992, 2-14 FA was attached to the division from V Corps Artillery. A/76 FA, the division's MLRS battery, was inactivated and its personnel and equipment used to form one of the batteries in 2-14 FA. 3-35 FA was also inactivated as part of continuing force reductions. A/25 FA was reassigned to V Corps Artillery, with B/25 FA reassigned from 1st Armored Division as its replacement In 1994, 6-1 FA inactivated as part of continuing US force reductions in Germany. In 1995, 2-14 FA was inactivated, and A/76 FA activated as a separate MLRS battery for the division.
On 15–16 February 1996, the DIVARTY was involved in a complicated reflagging action involving three divisions. As part of finalizing the designations of the reduced 10 division force, the Germany-based units of 3rd Infantry Division were reflagged to 1st Infantry Division : HHB, 3rd Infantry Division Artillery as HHB, 1st Infantry Division Artillery; 3-1 FA was inactivated, with its personnel and equipment used to activate 1st Bn, 6th FA ; and 5-41 FA was inactivated, with its personnel and equipment used to activate 1st Bn, 7th FA. Btry A, 76th FA and Btry B, 25th FA were simultaneously reassigned to the 1st ID. At the same time, the Georgia-based units of the 24th ID were reflagged to 3rd ID units: HHB, 24th Infantry Division Artillery as HHB, 3rd Infantry Division Artillery; 1st Bn, 41st FA reassigned to the 3rd ID at Fort Steward, GA; 3rd Bn, 41st FA reflagged as 1st Bn, 9th FA, at Fort Stewart; and 4th Bn, 41st FA, reflagged as 1st Bn, 10th FA, at Fort Benning, GA. Battery G, 333rd FA at Fort Stewart was reflagged as Btry A, 39th FA. In addition, the three battalions and TAB battery, Btry A, 13th FA was reassigned to the 3rd ID.

Lineage & honors

Lineage

Distinctive unit insignia

Description/Blazon

A red triangle with one point down charged with five gold fleurs-de-lis, three and two, superimposed upon a gold circular bend bearing the motto "FULFILL YOUR MISSION" in black. The insignia is 1 inch in diameter.

Symbolism

The three points of the triangle are indicative of the numerical designation of the unit and also, of the 3rd Division to which the organization is assigned. The five fleurs-de-lis symbolize the major engagements in which the unit participated in World War I.

Background

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade on 4 February 1930. It was redesignated for Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Infantry Division Artillery on 29 April 1952.