| 319th Field Artillery Regiment | |
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Coat of Arms |
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| Active | 5 August 1917 – present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Field Artillery Branch (United States) |
| Type | Field Artillery |
| Size | Regiment |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive Unit Insignia | |
The 319th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army which can trace its lineage back to 1917.
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The regiment was administrative constituted on 5 August 1917 as a National Army (USA) unit, the 319th Field Artillery Regiment, and assigned to the 82d Division. It was first physically formed ('organized') on 2 September 1917 at Camp Gordon, near Chamblee, Georgia. It went overseas with the 82d Division and was present during the St. Mihiel offensive, the Meuse-Argonne, and the Lorraine advance of 1918. Returning to the United States, it was demobilised on 18 May 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey.
Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as the 319th Field Artillery and assigned to the 82d Division. Organized in January, 1922 at Decatur, Georgia.
The regiment was reorganized and redesignated 13 February, 1942 as the 319th Field Artillery Battalion. It was then ordered into active military service on 25 March 1942 and reorganized at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. Reorganized and redesignated 15 August 1942 as the 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion. During World War II the battalion was present for the Invasion of Sicily, Naples-Foggia, the Normandy landings, where at Ste Mere Eglise it gained a Presidential Unit Citation,[1] the invasion of the Rhineland (for which two operations it was granted an arrowhead distinction), and Ardennes-Alsace. It was also given the general campaign credit Central Europe.
On 15 December 1947 the battalion lost the 'Glider' from its title and became again the 319th Field Artillery Battalion. Withdrawn 15 November 1948 from the Organized Reserve Corps and allotted to the Regular Army. Reorganized and redesignated 15 December 1948 as the 319th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion.
It was relieved 1 September 1957 from assignment to the 82d Airborne Division; concurrently reorganized and redesignated as the 319th Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System. During the Vietnam War it was granted campaign credits for the Defensive phase, Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive Phases II & III, the Tet Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive Phases IV-VI, the Tet Offensive, Summer-Fall 1969, Winter-Spring 1970, the Sanctuary Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive, Phase VII, Consolidation I, and Consolidation II.
Redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 319th Field Artillery. In 1983, the 1st Bn (Abn), 319th FA took part in the Invasion of Grenada as part of the 82d Airborne Division, for which it gained an Armed Forces Expedition credit. Withdrawn 2 October 1986 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System. During the mid-1980s, the other two FA battalions in the 82d were reflagged as 2-319th and 3-319th, and in 1989 they took part in the Invasion of Panama for which they gained Armed Forces Expedition credit, with arrowhead. In 1990, along with the rest of the 82nd Airborne Division, the 319th's three battalions deployed to Saudi Arabia to defend against a feared Iraqi offensive. It then participated in the Gulf War of January–March 1991. For these operations the regiment gained the Southwest Asia, Defense of Saudi Arabia, Liberation and Defense of Kuwait, and Cease-Fire Armed Forces Expedition credit.
On 16 September 2006 a new battalion of the 319th was activated as part of the Southern European Task Force. For many years Battery D, 319th Field Artillery, had served as the SETAF airborne battalion's assigned artillery support. With the decision to expand the SETAF airborne battalion task force into the reformed 173d Airborne Brigade, Battery D, 319th Field Artillery, was reorganized and expanded into 4th Battalion (Abn), 319th Field Artillery Regiment. The battalion was reformed from elements of Battery D, 319th Field Artillery and 1st Battalion, 33rd Field Artillery at Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany. The Army traces its lineage back through Battery D, 319th Field Artillery to the Battery D of the original 319th Field Artillery Battalion. The battalion is nicknamed the “King of the Herd” battalion. Since activation in 2006, the 4th Battalion has participated in Operation Enduring Freedom Rotation VIII with the rest of the brigade.
The 319th also gained Armed Forces Expeditions credit for the invasion of the Dominican Republic.
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Center of Military History document "McKenny, Janice E. (2010). "319th Field Artillery Division". Field Artillery Part 2. Army Lineage Series. pp. 1301–1315. CMH Pub 60-11 (Part 2).".
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Center of Military History document "4th Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment Lineage and Honors".