1st Battalion 79th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery is currently the only Active Duty element remaining of the 79th Field Artillery. First constituted on 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as Troops A (Alpha) and B (Bravo) in the 21st Cavalry, their mission has changed greatly from their Cavalry days. Currently the 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery is part of the 434th Fires Brigade charged with the TRADOC mission of Basic Combat Training or BCT of new soldiers to the United States Army
.
Organized 1 June 1917 at Fort Riley
, Kansas
Consolidated, converted, and redesignated 1 November 1917 as Battery A, 79th Field Artillery
(79th Field Artillery assigned 6 December 1917 to the 7th Division)
Inactivated 14 September 1921 at Camp George G. Meade, Maryland
, and relieved from assignment to the 7th Division
(79th Field Artillery assigned 1 January 1930 to the 7th Division; relieved 16 October 1939 from assignment to the 7th Division)
Activated 1 June 1940 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Reorganized and redesignated 23 February 1943 as Battery A, 697th Field Artillery Battalion
Inactivated 12 February 1946 at Camp Kilmer
, New Jersey
Redesignated 5 February 1947 as Battery A, 555th Field Artillery Battalion
Activated 1 January 1949 in Korea
(555th Field Artillery Battalion assigned 10 October 1954 to the 71st Infantry Division)
Inactivated 15 September 1956 at Fort Lewis
, Washington
Relieved 16 January 1957 from assignment to the 71st Infantry Division; concurrently redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 79th Artillery
Redesignated 1 June 1958 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Missile Battalion, 79th Artillery (organic elements concurrently constituted)
Battalion activated 24 June 1958 in Italy
Inactivated 25 June 1959 in Italy
Redesignated 1 July 1960 as the 1st Howitzer Battalion, 79th Artillery, assigned to the 7th Infantry Division, and activated in Korea
Redesignated 1 July 1963 as the 1st Battalion, 79th Artillery
Inactivated 2 April 1971 at Fort Lewis, Washington
Redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery
Activated 21 October 1975 at Fort Ord
, California
Inactivated 1 October 1983 at Fort Ord, California, and relieved from assignment to the 7th Infantry Division
Headquarters transferred 16 August 1995 to the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and activated at Fort Sill
, Oklahoma
Currently 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery has five active Batteries (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Echo) and they are all charged with the BCT mission. Up until January 2011 Echo and Delta Batteries were conducting Warrior Transition Courses (or WTC), where prior service members of other branches, such as the Navy
or Coast Guard
, receive training to prepare them for service in the United States Army. Recently Golf Battery, 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery reflagged into 1st Battalion, 31st Field Artillery on 10 February 2011 and Fox Trot Battery 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery also reflagged into 1st Battalion, 31st Field Artillery in December 2010. In March 2011 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery will stand up a new Fox Battery to once again have six batteries conducting a BCT mission.
1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery is currently commanded by LTC Smith and 1SG Brown and the Battalion Executive Officer is MAJ Anderson.
A gold color metal and enamel device 1 5/32 inches (2.94 cm) in height overall consisting of the shield and crest of the coat of arms.
Symbolism.
The 21st Cavalry was organized in June 1917 from the 13th Cavalry, and converted into Field Artillery as the 79th, in November of the same year. Its original Cavalry character is shown by the color of the field, its Field Artillery service by the red bend. The canton
shows a device from the badge of the 13th Cavalry, the parent organization. The regiment insignia in base is the shoulder sleeve insignia of the 7th Division with colors reversed, surrounded by a green band.
Background.
The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 79th Field Artillery Regiment on 22 December 1928. It was redesignated for the 79th Artillery Regiment on 14 April 1958. The insignia was redesignated effective 1 September 1971, for the 79th Field Artillery Regiment.
Shield
Or, a bend Gules, on a sinister canton of the like a sun in splendor of the field charged with the numeral “13” Sable (for the 13th Cavalry), in base the insignia of the regiment Proper (a Red hour-glass on a Black circle surrounded by a Green band).
Crest
On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules, a horse’s head armored Proper.
Motto
OUR COUNTRY – OUR REGIMENT.
Currently 1st Battalion, uses the Motto: PEACE THROUGH VICTORY, which they gained when they were organized as the 697th Field Artillery Battalion
Symbolism
Shield
The 21st Cavalry was organized in June 1917 from the 13th Cavalry, and converted into Field Artillery as the 79th, in November of the same year. Its original Cavalry character is shown by the color of the field, its Field Artillery service by the red bend. The canton shows a device from the badge of the 13th Cavalry, the parent organization. The regiment insignia in base is the shoulder sleeve insignia of the 7th Division with colors reversed, surrounded by a green band.
Crest
The armored horse’s head represents Cavalry and Armor, respectively.
Background
The coat of arms was originally approved for the 79th Field Artillery Regiment on 1 September 1920. It was redesignated for the 79th Artillery Regiment on 14 April 1958. The insignia was redesignated effective 1 September 1971, for the 79th Field Artillery Regiment.
World War II: Naples-Foggia; Rome-Arno; North Apennines; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
Korean War: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; Un Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea, Summer –Fall 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea, Summer 1953
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for Korea 1953-1954
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for Korea 1960-1971
Bravo Battery
Charlie Battery
Delta Battery
Echo Battery
Fox Battery
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
History and Lineage
Constituted 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as Troops A and B, 21st CavalryOrganized 1 June 1917 at Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
Consolidated, converted, and redesignated 1 November 1917 as Battery A, 79th Field Artillery
(79th Field Artillery assigned 6 December 1917 to the 7th Division)
Inactivated 14 September 1921 at Camp George G. Meade, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, and relieved from assignment to the 7th Division
(79th Field Artillery assigned 1 January 1930 to the 7th Division; relieved 16 October 1939 from assignment to the 7th Division)
Activated 1 June 1940 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Reorganized and redesignated 23 February 1943 as Battery A, 697th Field Artillery Battalion
Inactivated 12 February 1946 at Camp Kilmer
Camp Kilmer
Camp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Redesignated 5 February 1947 as Battery A, 555th Field Artillery Battalion
Activated 1 January 1949 in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
(555th Field Artillery Battalion assigned 10 October 1954 to the 71st Infantry Division)
Inactivated 15 September 1956 at Fort Lewis
Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, Washington
Relieved 16 January 1957 from assignment to the 71st Infantry Division; concurrently redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 79th Artillery
Redesignated 1 June 1958 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Missile Battalion, 79th Artillery (organic elements concurrently constituted)
Battalion activated 24 June 1958 in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Inactivated 25 June 1959 in Italy
Redesignated 1 July 1960 as the 1st Howitzer Battalion, 79th Artillery, assigned to the 7th Infantry Division, and activated in Korea
Redesignated 1 July 1963 as the 1st Battalion, 79th Artillery
Inactivated 2 April 1971 at Fort Lewis, Washington
Redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery
Activated 21 October 1975 at Fort Ord
Fort Ord
Fort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Inactivated 1 October 1983 at Fort Ord, California, and relieved from assignment to the 7th Infantry Division
Headquarters transferred 16 August 1995 to the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and activated at Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
Currently 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery has five active Batteries (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Echo) and they are all charged with the BCT mission. Up until January 2011 Echo and Delta Batteries were conducting Warrior Transition Courses (or WTC), where prior service members of other branches, such as the Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
or Coast Guard
Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
, receive training to prepare them for service in the United States Army. Recently Golf Battery, 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery reflagged into 1st Battalion, 31st Field Artillery on 10 February 2011 and Fox Trot Battery 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery also reflagged into 1st Battalion, 31st Field Artillery in December 2010. In March 2011 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery will stand up a new Fox Battery to once again have six batteries conducting a BCT mission.
1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery is currently commanded by LTC Smith and 1SG Brown and the Battalion Executive Officer is MAJ Anderson.
Distinctive Unit Insignia
DescriptionA gold color metal and enamel device 1 5/32 inches (2.94 cm) in height overall consisting of the shield and crest of the coat of arms.
Symbolism.
The 21st Cavalry was organized in June 1917 from the 13th Cavalry, and converted into Field Artillery as the 79th, in November of the same year. Its original Cavalry character is shown by the color of the field, its Field Artillery service by the red bend. The canton
Canton (heraldry)
Canton is a square charge placed in the upper dexter corner. It is classed by some heraldic writers as one of the honorable ordinaries; but, strictly speaking, it is a diminutive of the Quarter, being two-thirds the area of that ordinary. However, in the roll of Henry III the quarter appears in...
shows a device from the badge of the 13th Cavalry, the parent organization. The regiment insignia in base is the shoulder sleeve insignia of the 7th Division with colors reversed, surrounded by a green band.
Background.
The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 79th Field Artillery Regiment on 22 December 1928. It was redesignated for the 79th Artillery Regiment on 14 April 1958. The insignia was redesignated effective 1 September 1971, for the 79th Field Artillery Regiment.
Coat of Arms
BlazonShield
Or, a bend Gules, on a sinister canton of the like a sun in splendor of the field charged with the numeral “13” Sable (for the 13th Cavalry), in base the insignia of the regiment Proper (a Red hour-glass on a Black circle surrounded by a Green band).
Crest
On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules, a horse’s head armored Proper.
Motto
OUR COUNTRY – OUR REGIMENT.
Currently 1st Battalion, uses the Motto: PEACE THROUGH VICTORY, which they gained when they were organized as the 697th Field Artillery Battalion
Symbolism
Shield
The 21st Cavalry was organized in June 1917 from the 13th Cavalry, and converted into Field Artillery as the 79th, in November of the same year. Its original Cavalry character is shown by the color of the field, its Field Artillery service by the red bend. The canton shows a device from the badge of the 13th Cavalry, the parent organization. The regiment insignia in base is the shoulder sleeve insignia of the 7th Division with colors reversed, surrounded by a green band.
Crest
The armored horse’s head represents Cavalry and Armor, respectively.
Background
The coat of arms was originally approved for the 79th Field Artillery Regiment on 1 September 1920. It was redesignated for the 79th Artillery Regiment on 14 April 1958. The insignia was redesignated effective 1 September 1971, for the 79th Field Artillery Regiment.
Campaign Participation credit
World War I: Streamer without inscriptionWorld War II: Naples-Foggia; Rome-Arno; North Apennines; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
Korean War: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; Un Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea, Summer –Fall 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea, Summer 1953
Unit Citations or Decorations
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for Korea 1950-1953Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for Korea 1953-1954
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for Korea 1960-1971
Current Organization
Alpha BatteryBravo Battery
Charlie Battery
Delta Battery
Echo Battery
Fox Battery