82nd Field Artillery Regiment

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82nd Field Artillery Regiment
82nd Field Artillery coat of arms
Active	1917—present
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Army
Type	Field Artillery
Part of	1st Cavalry Division
Garrison/HQ	Fort Hood, Fort Bliss
Nickname(s)	Dragons
Motto(s)	"Can and Will"
Colors	Crimson, Obsidian, White
Engagements	Border War Third Battle of Ciudad Juárez World War II Pacific War Korean War Vietnam War Kosovo Campaign Persian Gulf War War on Terrorism Iraq War Afghanistan War
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

82nd Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army. The regiment has been involved with American conflicts dating back to then US involvement in the Mexican Civil War and more recently with the War on Terrorism. Currently, there are two active and three inactivate battalions in the regiment. Traditionally, the regiment has been aligned with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Bliss, Texas.

Vietnam War[]

The 1st Battalion, 82nd Artillery was reactivated on 10 January 1968 and arrived in Vietnam on 24 July 1968 with three 155 mm towed howitzer batteries and one 8-inch self-propelled battery. The 1st Battalion, 82nd Artillery was assigned to the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal) based in Chu Lai, Vietnam. Its assigned batteries were placed at various fire bases located in the Americal Division's area of operations below Da Nang in Southern I Corps. During its first full year in Vietnam the battalion's firebases were subject to frequent NVA attacks while supporting a number of operations within the Americal Division's area of operations (AO). A Battery participated in the July–August 1970 Operation Elk Canyon at Kham Duc where they suffered several casualties. Fifteen unit members were awarded medals for valor in this action including three silver stars. C Battery was located in the Duc Phu area, 4 guns were on a hill (LZ LIZ) and 2 others were on LZ Thunder just south west of Duc Phu.

In spring 1971, 1st Battalion, 82nd Artillery was deployed along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in support of Operation Lam Son 719, the ARVN invasion of Laos. The battalion made one of the longest nighttime road marches of the Vietnam War driving 192 miles in only 12 hours. 1st Bn, 82nd Artillery units manned several critical fire bases right on the border of North Vietnam to support Vietnamese and U.S. forces operating in these areas. At the height of this fighting in a 10-hour period, 1st Bn, 82nd Artillery guns fired between 7,000 and 9,000 rounds at an NVA Division that was trying to mount an attack against Fire Support Base Vandegrift the battalion's headquarters. During the 69 days of Operation Lam Son 719 the 1st Battalion, 82nd Artillery lost four men killed and twenty wounded with three more fatalities due to non-hostile causes. The battalion returned to the United States at the end of 1971 where it was soon inactivated.^[1][2]

Persian Gulf War[]

In September 1990, the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Shield. Along with other elements of the First Cavalry Division (United States), the helped to create the illusion that the main force of the coalition forces would enter Iraq by coming up the Wadi Al-Batin. This feint was part of General Norman Schwarzkopf's Hail Mary plan.^{[citation needed]}

The 4th Battalion, 82d Field Artillery, organic to the 3d Armored Division, deployed from Hanau, Germany as the Direct Support artillery battalion for 2d Brigade. The battalion was equipped with M109A2/3 howitzers and M981 Fire Support Team Vehicles (FISTV). The main body of the battalion arrived in Saudi Arabia on or about 1 January 1991, and remained in theater until 18 May 1991. Upon returning to Germany, the battalion started to inactivate, but was later transferred to Fort Polk, LA where it served as part of the 42d FA Brigade until inactivated in June 1995.^[3]

Global War on Terrorism Era[]

Regiment Wide Actions[]

Transition to Force XXI[]

The 1st Cavalry Division transitioned to Force XXI following the redeployment to Fort Hood after OIF II. Each brigade of the division gained many assets that were traditionally reserved at the division or echelon above division / echelon above corps level.

Each field artillery battalion gained greater depth in the staff sections of the headquarters, multiple automated battle command systems (ABCS), greater depth in intelligence sections, and a small gain in medical support. The battalions lost organic Forward Observers and their accompanying Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Largely due to restrictions on female soldiers in front-line combat, a tailored (Golf) was task organized from the brigade support battalion to support the fires battalions. Women were effectively assigned to the battalions for the first time.

1st Battalion[]

OIF II[]

OIF 06-08[]

OIF 09-10[]

OND[]

OEF[]

In July 2012, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment deployed forward to Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and then to Kuwait in support of Operation Spartan Shield.

OAR[]

In 2018, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment deployed with the rest of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division to Toruń, Poland and Germany in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve under the Command of LTC Matthew Dennis and CSM Jonathon Ballard. The Ironhorse Brigade earned the Army Superior Unit Award for its contributions, to include 1-82. Upon redeployment, the Battalion relinquished their mission to the 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment.

2nd Battalion[]

Elements of the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment deployed to Iraq. To support the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division in the Al Thawra District of Baghdad, Charlie Battery began conducting dismounted foot patrols in an area the soldiers call "Squaretown". From Squaretown, insurgent forces launched mortar attacks and the soldiers were concerned about weapons being transported through the area near the outskirts of Camp War Eagle.

Most of the soldiers of 2-82 Field Artillery are located on Camp Steel Dragon in the Green Zone. Many of the fire supporters are in different camps. The 2-82 Field Artillery fire supporters attached within the Grey Wolf Brigade Combat Team are serving at 3rd Brigade Headquarters, with Task Force 3-8 Cavalry, and with Task Force 1-9 Cavalry. Task Force 2-7 Cavalry and their fire supporters are serving with the 39th Brigade Combat Team at Camp Cooke in Taji. The soldiers of C Battery and the COLT Platoon are attached to Colonel Lanza's 5th BCT and are located on Camp Falcon on the south side of Baghdad. The rest of the 2-82 Field Artillery soldiers, along with nearly 100 soldiers of B Company, 1-160 Infantry, belong to Task Force Steel Dragon.

OIF II[]

OIF 06-08[]

OIF 09-10[]

OND[]

OEF[]

3rd Battalion[]

OIF II[]

An M109A6 Paladin from Alpha Battery from 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment sits ready to fire during the 2nd Battle of Fallujah

A typical day for 3-82 at Thunder involved anywhere from 1 to 2 daytime patrols and 1 to 2 nighttime patrols in its sector. These patrols can have any number of focuses from checking on projects in sector to searching for new ones to start or gathering intelligence. The main focus in the sector is helping to rebuild the neighborhood and helping the Iraqi Security Forces to take ownership in the areas. They have started two school projects that are approximately $100,000.00 a piece and several others in smaller amounts.

In October 2003, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery formed Fox Battery, a hybrid mechanized/motorized battery composed of 2nd Brigade (Black Jack) fire supporters. The first platoon consisted of six M7A2 Bradley Fire Support Vehicles taken from Task Force 1-5 Cavalry and Task Force 2-12 Cavalry. The second platoon's composition was six M707 Striker HMMWVs belonging to the COLT platoon of D/9 Cavalry. The battery's existence proved to be vital during the Mahdi Army's uprisings in April 2004 with the mechanized platoon filling the gaps in Black Jack's armor shortage. The second platoon ran counter Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and main supply route (MSR) security during that time. Fire supporters from F/3-82 Field Artillery were called upon in August 2004 to go with Task Force 1-5 Cavalry (Black Knights) to retake the southern city of Najaf, with the rest of the battery relieving Task Force 1-5 Cavalry in Area of Operations Black Knight. In November 2004, Fox Battery soldiers were sent with Task Force 1-5 Cavalry and Task Force 2-12 Cavalry to provide outer cordon for operations in Fallujah. The battery then accompanied 3-82 Field Artillery to Forward Operating Base Kalsu in December 2004 to run heavy counter-insurgency operations prior to the January 2005 elections. The COLT platoon is credited for smashing an insurgent operation to kill voters on Election Day, without firing a shot. Fox Battery was inactivated in May 2005, with the entire battery receiving the Combat Action Badge for their efforts.

During the first battle of Fallujah, Alpha Battery was task organized to the brigade-task force assigned under the 1st Marine Division. Alpha Battery fired over 1,800 155MM rounds in support of 1st Marine Division.^[4]

Operation Southern Comfort[]

Katrina Operations

OIF 06-08[]

Union III

OIF 09-10[]

Kirkuk

Operation New Dawn[]

The 3rd Battalion deployed to Joint Base Balad in May 2011. Bravo Battery was tasked with securing the Samarrah mosque in conjunction with U.S. Army Special Forces. Golf Forward Support Company providing weekly logistics support while concurrently patrolling the immediate area surrounding the base in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force.

After the main body of the battalion redeployed to Fort Hood in November 2011, Bravo Battery remained in Kuwait as part of the CENTCOM strategic reserve task organized under 1-8 Cav. The entire battalion was redeployed to Fort Hood by the end of January 2012.

Operation Enduring Freedom[]

In June 2013, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment deployed again to Afghanistan for combat and stability operations in Operation Enduring Freedom. The battalion redeployed in its entirety on 1 March 2014 after leading the largest Joint Coalition Task Force in Regional Command East. The battalion provided mission command to almost 2700 soldiers and airmen from the US, Jordanian, Korean, and Czech Republic armies. In June 2014, the battalion activated Charlie battery from within its organization and converted the Forward Support Company (FSC) from Golf Company to Foxtrot Company.

5th Battalion[]

The GWOT saw the continued association of the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood as well as the 5th Battalion's return of the regiment to Fort Bliss.

GWOT Deaths[]

Transformation and Inactivations[]

3rd Battalion[]

On May 5, 2015, 3-82 FA was inactivated and reflagged as 3-16 FA^[5] at Fort Hood, Texas.

5th Battalion[]

In October 2013, 5th Battalion was inactivated after a final tour in Afghanistan as part of the 4th Brigade Combat Team. Alpha Battery was reflagged as Charlie Battery 2-82 FA and Bravo Battery was reflagged as Charlie Battery 1-82 FA.

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 82nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States).

• 82nd FA Coat of arms
• 1-82nd FA Official Website
• 2-82nd FA Official Website
• 3-82nd FA Official Website
• 5-82nd FA Official Website