3rd Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
| 3rd Field Artillery Regiment | |
|---|---|
|
Coat of arms | |
| Active | 1907 |
| Country |
 United States |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Field artillery |
| Motto | "Celeritas et Accuratio" (Speed and Accuracy) |
| Branch color | Scarlet |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive unit insignia |
 |
| U.S. Field Artillery Regiments | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 2nd Field Artillery | 4th Field Artillery |
The 3rd Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1907.
History
The 3rd Field Artillery Regiment was first activated in 1907 from numbered companies of artillery. It was first organized with two battalions
- 3rd Field Artillery assigned 17 November 1917 to the 6th Division; relieved 24 March 1923 from assignment to the 6th Division and assigned to the 5th Division; relieved 1 January 1930 from assignment to the 5th Division and assigned to the 6th Division
- 3rd Field Artillery relieved 25 September 1939 from assignment to the 6th Division and assigned to the 2d Cavalry Division
- 1/3 FA was part of the 2nd Armored Division 1st Tiger Brigade from Ft. Hood Texas. 1/3 FA Battalion deployed to Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Prior to the commencement of the main ground offensive, Bravo Battery provided fire support in the form of Artillery Raids to the 2nd Marine Light Armored Infantry whose mission was to scout out possible alternate breach points, identify and locate Iraqi Artillery for counter battery attack, and to draw attention away from the main forces approach points. 144 Marines along with 2 155mm SP howitzer guns from Bravo 1/3 held off increasingly mounting Iraqi forces from 10:15 am on Feb 21st through 4:00am Feb 24th, using LAV-25's, LAV-TOW's and on call Artillery support. From 29 January to 1 February the Battalion would participate in the Battle of Khafji. Bravo Battery along with A Battery and C Battery 1/3 FA also participated and engaged Iraqi forces leading to the end of hostilities. The 1/3 FA Battalion had a hand in destroying or capturing 181 enemy tanks, 148 APCs, 40 artillery pieces, 27 AA emplacements, and 263 Iraqi soldiers dead with an additional 4,051 captured. The Battalion earned The Naval Unit Commendation for Valor for its outstanding performance in combat against the Iraqi army. Upon return to Ft Hood the battalion was deactivated.
- 4/3 FA Battalion was part of the 2nd Armored Division (Forward), stationed in Garlstedt, Germany. 4/3 FA Battalion was chosen to be the main fire support element of Task Force 1-41 Infantry(Iron) during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. It was equipped with M-109A2 self-propelled howitzers. 4/3 FA and the rest of the 2nd Armored Division(Forward) were attached to the 1st Infantry division during the war. 4/3 FA conducted a significant number of fire missions and artillery raids at the breach of initial Iraqi defenses. Over 14,000 artillery rounds were fired during these particular missions.[1] These missions destroyed the vast majority of Iraq's artillery assets and inflicted heavy casualties on Iraqi infantry units. 4/3 FA participated in the Battle of 73 Easting and the Battle of Norfolk.[2] At the Battle of Norfolk 4/3 FA had a hand in the destruction of 60 Iraqi tanks and 35 Infantry fighting vehicles just west of the IPSA pipeline.[3] 4/3 FA engaged up to 11 Iraqi divisions and inflicted well over 5,000 casualties on the Iraqi Army and Iraq's elite Republican Guard. 4/3 FA fired close to 7,000 rounds during these particular missions. Charlie Battery 4/3 FA was ambushed by the Republican Guard during the Battle of Norfolk, however, Charlie Battery managed to escape without suffering any losses. The Republican Guard unit that was responsible for the ambush was destroyed. 4/3 FA played a significant role in the destruction of four Iraqi tank and mechanized brigades during this particular battle. It earned a Valorous Unit Award for its outstanding performance during combat.[4] The unit would be deactivated in 1992.
4/3 FA Battalion conducts artillery strikes on Iraqi positions during the 1st Gulf War. 4/3 FA was the primary fire support battalion for Task Force 1-41 during the 1st Gulf War, February 1991.
Distinctive unit insignia
- Description
The distinctive unit insignia is an adaptation of the shield and crest of the coat of arms. The insignia is 1 1/4 inches (3.18 cm) in height.
- Symbolism
The shield is scarlet for Artillery. The Civil War is represented by the chevron and four stars, one for each battery in that war. The lion's face, dragon and fleur-de-lis allude to the War of 1812. China Relief Expedition and World War I, respectively. The rising sun indicates the regiment dates back nearly to the dawn of this country's history (Battery "D" was organized in 1802), and the Aztec banner is for the Mexican War.
- Background
The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 11 August 1922. It was redesignated for the 3d Field Artillery Battalion on 25 March 1941. It was redesignated for the 3d Armored Field Artillery Battalion on 7 December 1943. The insignia was cancelled on 19 October 1959. The insignia was restored and authorized for the 3d Field Artillery Regiment effective 1 September 1971.
Coat of arms
- Blazon
- Shield: Gules, on a chevronel Argent four mullets Azure, in chief a lion's face and an imperial Chinese dragon affronté both Or, langued of the third, in base a golden fleur-de-lis.
- Crest: On a wreath of colors Argent and Gules a demi-sun Or charged with an Aztec banner Vert garnished Argent.
- Symbolism
- Shield: The shield is scarlet for Artillery. The Civil War is represented by the chevron and four stars, one for each battery in that war. The lion's face, dragon and fleur-de-lis allude to the War of 1812, China Relief Expedition and World War I, respectively.
- Crest: The rising sun indicates the regiment dates back nearly to the dawn of this country's history (Battery "D" was organized in 1802), and the Aztec banner is for the Mexican War.
- Background: The coat of arms was originally approved for the 3d Field Artillery on 16 April 1921. It was amended to change the description and symbolism on 7 July 1921. It was redesignated for the 3d Field Artillery Battalion on 25 March 1941. It was redesignated for the 3d Armored Field Artillery Battalion on 7 December 1943. It was cancelled on 19 October 1959. The coat of arms was restored and authorized for the 3d Field Artillery Regiment effective 1 September 1971. The coat of arms was amended to correct the description of the shield on 30 October 2001.
Current configuration
- 1st Battalion 3rd Field Artillery RegimentTiger Brigade
- 2nd Battalion 3rd Field Artillery Regiment
- 3rd Battalion 3rd Field Artillery Regiment—No longer active
- 4th Battalion 3rd Field Artillery Regiment
- 5th Battalion 3rd Field Artillery Regiment
See also
- Field Artillery Branch (United States)
- Coats of arms of U.S. Artillery Regiments
- Task Force 1-41
- Battle of Norfolk
- Battle of 73 Easting
References
Citations
Works consulted
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Institute of Heraldry document "3rd Field Artillery Regiment".
- http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Heraldry/ArmyDUISSICOA/ArmyHeraldryUnit.aspx?u=3409
- Road to Safwan The 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry in the 1991 Persian Gulf War by Stephen A. Bourque and John W. Burdan III
- JAYHAWK:The 7th Corps in the Persian Gulf War by Stephen A. Bourque
- 1st Infantry Division "Big Red One" by Ian Westwell
- M1 Abrams vs T-72 Ural:Operation Desert Storm 1991 by Steven J. Zaloga
- 2nd Armored Division "Hell on Wheels" by Steven Smith
- "Desert Storm/Shield Valorous Unit Award Citations". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 December 2014.