4th Infantry Division Artillery (United States)

4th Infantry Division Artillery
Active 1916 – 2007
Country United States
Allegiance United States
Branch US Army
Type Artillery
Role Fire support
Size Brigade
Part of 4th Infantry Division
Garrison/HQ Fort Carson, Colorado
Nickname(s) Iron Gunners
Engagements World War I
World War II
Vietnam
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 LTG David Valcourt, 1996-98,
MG Edwin Babbitt, 1918-19

The 4th Infantry Division Artillery ("Iron Gunners") or DIVARTY is the force fires headquarters for the 4th Infantry Division of the United States Army. The 4th DIVARTY has been active from 1917–1921, 1935–1939, 1940–1946, 1948–1995, 1996-2007, and most recently reactivated in 2015. The DIVARTY has operational service in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

History

World War I

The 4th DIVARTY was first constituted under the title of Headquarters, 4th Field Artillery (FA) Brigade (BDE) on 19 November 1917, and was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. The unit was organized at Camp Greene, North Carolina from 15 December 1917 to 10 January 1918, under the command of Brigadier General Edwin Burr Babbitt. The 4th FA BDE was composed of a headquarters, a 155mm howitzer regiment (13th Field Artillery), two 75mm gun regiments (16th Field Artillery and 77th Field Artillery), and the 4th Trench Mortar Battery. The brigade, less the 16th Field Artillery, departed Camp Greene on 14 May 1918 for Camp Merritt, NJ; and sailed on 19–22 May 1918 to Brest, France, and Liverpool, England, arriving on 30–31 May 1918. The 16th Field Artillery sailed with the 7th Infantry Brigade, departing 3–10 May 1918, and arriving at Brest on 23 May 1918. The brigade consolidated at Le Havre and Brest, and on 28 May 1918 moved by train to Camp de Souge for training from 30 May to 1 August 1918.[1][2]

The brigade rejoined the division on 28 July 1918, near Chateau-Thierry, and was ordered to support the 26th Division. Campaign participation included actions at Meuse-Argonne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Champagne 1918, and Lorraine 1918. Upon returning stateside, the 4th Field Artillery Brigade was stationed at Camp Lewis, Washington where it was inactivated on 21 September 1921 following the Armistice that ended World War I. The 4th Field Artillery Brigade was redesignated at Fort Sill, Oklahoma on 1 January 1935, then was disbanded again on 14 November 1939.

World War II

Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 4th Field Artillery was reconstituted on 10 September 1940 as Headquarters Battery, 4th DIVARTY. The unit was activated on 1 October 1940 at Fort Benning, Georgia under the command of BG Julian Barnes. Following reactivation, the unit deployed to Europe for combat operations against the Axis. Campaign participation included action at Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central-Europe. 4th Division Artillery was inactivated on 5 March 1946 at Camp Butler, North Carolina.

Vietnam

With the escalation of the Vietnam conflict, the 4th Infantry Division Artillery again followed the Ivy Division into battle. On 21 July 1966, from Fort Lewis, Washington, and under the command of BG Joseph Cutrona, the 4th Infantry Division began deploying to South Vietnam. The 4th Infantry Division Artillery would spend the next 4 years in South Vietnam providing fire support for the Division during intense close combat operations. Campaign participation in Vietnam included action during Tet 69/Counteroffensive, Summer-Fall 1969, Winter-Spring 1970, Sanctuary Counteroffensive, Tet Counteroffensive, and Counteroffensive phases III-VII. By December 1970, the 4th DIVARTY returned from South Vietnam to Fort Carson, Colorado. Also during 1970, 4th DIVARTY was redesignated as 4th DIVARTY (Mechanized). This last redesignation nicknamed the unit "Iron Gunners," which complemented the "Iron Horse" Division.

Later Cold War

1989 - 1-29 FA, 3-29 FA, 5-29 FA converted to 3 x 8[3]
1990 - 1-29 FA inactivated; 1-148 FA (116th Brigade) as roundout[4]
1991 - 2 x NTC, BCTP, 3-29 train 2-114 FA, 155th BDE [5]
1992 - September REFORGER 92; 2 x NTC[6]

War on Terrorism

The DIVARTY deployed to Iraq in March 2003. Initially planned to deploy through Turkey, the entire 4th Infantry Division was re-routed into Kuwait. After a 500-mile movement north, Task Force Gunner, consisting of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 4th DIVARTY, and 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery initially secured Al Taji Military Complex and processed captured enemy ammunition from across the division's area of operations. During redepoyment, 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery conducted port and rail operations for the division. The DIVARTY's three cannon battalions operated in direct support of their respective brigades conducting combat and stability operations: 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery in support of 1st Brigade from FOB Arrow in Ad Dawr; 3rd Battalion 16th Field Artillery in support of 2nd Brigade between Baqubah and Baghdad; and 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery in support of 3rd Brigade in the Ad Dulu'iyah are in the Sunni Triangle north of Baghdad. During the deployment, the DIVARTY fired over 8100 rounds of 155mm and 3 ATACMS unitary missiles[7]

The DivArty took command of FOB Gunner (later known as Camp Taji or Camp Cooke) in April 2003 and held the base until February 2004 when they were relieved by elements of the 1st Cavalry Division. The brigade routinely maintained a strong defense through offense by active patrols and show of strength. FOB Gunner was the location for storage and consolidation of enemy arms and equipment to be redistributed to the Iraqi Police and Iraqi Civil Defense Force (ICDF) later the New Iraqi Army (NIA), although the mission was executed by the 751st Quartermaster Company (Army Reserve) out of Mesa, Arizona. This was the only location in Iraq to perform this type of mission. The FOB supported units including the 82nd Airborne, the 101st Airborne, the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (2nd ACR), and the British.

In Iraq the brigade was commanded by Col. Kevin Stramara and was stationed at Taji, Iraq. During this time, the unit and its commander were the subject of internal complaints and investigations by the military for harsh treatment of Iraqi civilians.[8]

The unit was reorganized in December 2004 to assign its subordinate units to the division's four maneuver brigades, giving each of those brigades their own organic artillery for close fire support. Only the 2d Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment remains part of the fires brigade directly.

In December 2005 the brigade was sent again to Iraq with most of the brigade going to Baghdad to conduct FOB Base Defense and 2-20FA(-) going north to support operations of the 101st Airborne and the 18th Airborne Corps. Alpha Battery went west to support Marine operations in the Al Asad and Fallujah area.

In 2007, the 4th Fires Brigade was inactivated and its HQ reflagged as HHB, 41st Fires Brigade. In October, 2014, the 4th ID DIVARTY was reconstituted and activated in October 2015 under the command of COL Michael Oeschger, with command of 2-12 FA, 3-77 FA, and 3-29 FA.

Lineage and Honors

Lineage

Campaign Participation Credit

Decorations

References

  1. ↑ “4th Division (RA).” Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the World War, Volume 2: American Expeditionary Forces: Divisions CMH Publication 23-2. Washington: Center of Military History, 1988: 59-65; at http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/023/23-2/index.html, accessed 3 February 2017.
  2. ↑ “4th Division Summary of Operations in the World War.” Washington: American Battlefield Monuments Commission, 1944: 4; at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3110100;view=1up;seq=8, accessed 3 February 2017.
  3. ↑ “Silhouettes of Steel: 1st Armored Division Artillery,” Field Artillery HQDA PB 6-89-6 (December 1989): 23.
  4. ↑ “Silhouettes of Steel: 1st Armored Division Artillery,” Field Artillery HQDA PB 6-90-6 (December 1990): 17.
  5. ↑ “Silhouettes of Steel: 1st Armored Division Artillery,” Field Artillery HQDA PB 6-91-6 (December 1991): 16.
  6. ↑ “Silhouettes of Steel: 1st Armored Division Artillery,” Field Artillery HQDA PB 6-92-6 (December 1992): 17.
  7. ↑ “Silhouettes of Steel: 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) Artillery,” Field Artillery HQDA PB 6-04-5 (November–December 2004): 33.
  8. ↑ "'It Looked Weird and Felt Wrong'". Washington Post. 24 July 2006. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
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