On 11 September 1884, the Wisconsin Army National Guard Field Artillery was born when twelve men signed an agreement to organize a field artillery battery in Milwaukee. The formal organization occurred on 11 May 1885, with the creation of the 1st Light Battery. The battery had 65 members, occupied the Farwell Avenue Skating Rink, and trained on a vacant lot on North Prospect Avenue.
During 1916, the 1st Field Artillery was formed. On 8 June 1916, Battery B was established in Green Bay. On 12 June 1916, Battery C was established in Racine. On 14 June 1916, Battery A, 1st Light Artillery was re-designated as Battery A, 1st Field Artillery. On 30 June 1916, Battery A, 1st Field Artillery was called to active duty on the Mexican border as organized forces were making raids into the United States. Having served with distinction, the battery was released at Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, on 16 October 1916, and reconstituted as the Wisconsin National Guard unit at Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.
First World War
Following the United States' declaration of war on Germany in April 1917, the 32nd Division was reorganized under War Department orders of 18 July 1917, from National Guard troops from Wisconsin and Michigan. Wisconsin provided approximately 15,000 troops whilst Michigan raised 8,000. Later 4,000 National Army troops from Wisconsin and Michigan were transferred to the Division shortly before it left for France. On 4 August 1917, Battery F, 121st Field Artillery regiment, was the first unit of the new division to arrive at Camp MacArthur, Texas. From that time until late in September troops continued to pour in as rapidly as railroad facilities could be provided to transport them from the north. The 1st Wisconsin Field Artillery regiment became the 121st Field Artillery, the heavy artillery regiment of the 57th Field Artillery Brigade. The Commanding Officer of the Wisconsin Artillery, Colonel Philip C. Westfahl, became Commander of the new regiment.
On 19 September 1917, the Regiment was re-designated as the 121st Field Artillery Regiment and assigned to the 57th Field Artillery Brigade as a part of the 32nd Division. In addition to the 32nd Division, the records indicated the 121st Field Artillery Regiment also supported the 3rd, 47th, 79th, and the regiment distinguished itself in six major campaigns: Aisne-Marne, Alsace, Champagne, Lorraine, Meuse-Argonne, and Oise-Aisne. Along with the General of the Armies John J. Pershing's personal commendation, the regiment received the battle streamer of the French Croix-de-Guerre with Silver Star embroidered Aisne-Marne and Oise-Aisne. The 121st Field Artillery Regiment was demobilized at Camp Grant, Illinois., 17 May 1919.
Second World War
On 1 February 1942, the 32nd Division was converted from "square" configuration to "triangular" and re-designated as the 32nd Infantry Division. Under the Division reorganization, the 121st Field Artillery Regiment was divided. The Regimental headquarters became the HQs for the 173rd Field Artillery Regiment, the 1st Battalion was redesignated as the 121st Field Artillery Battalion and the 2nd Battalion became the 1st Battalion 173rd Field Artillery Regiment. In February 1943 the 173rd Field Artillery Regiment would undergo further re-organizations, with the Regimental HQs becoming the 173rd Field Artillery Group and the 1-173rd being redesignated as the 985th Field Artillery Battalion, and the 2-173rd being redesignated as the 173rd Field Artillery Battalion.
The 121st Field Artillery Battalion, as designated on 1 February 1942, distinguished itself in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. Its honors were: Aitape, Biak, Leyte, Luzon and New Guinea (with Saidor Arrowhead). Early in 1943 the 121st Field Artillery Battalion was issued 75mm howitzers in place of the 155mm howitzers that were its normal weapons as the general support battalion of Division Artillery.
Demobilization of the regiment following the end of the Second World War occurred over a six-month span: the 173rd Field Artillery Battalion on 11 September 1945, in Italy, the 985th Field Artillery Battalion on 8 October 1945, the 173rd Field Artillery Group on 27 November 1945, at Camp Kilmer, N.J., and the 121st Field Artillery Battalion on 28 February 1946, in Japan.
The 121st Field Artillery Battalion at Whitefish Bay and the 173rd Field Artillery Battalion at Superior were reconstituted as National Guard units on 3 June 1947, and 31 July 1947, respectively, as elements of the 32nd Infantry Division.
On 15 February 1961, the 121st Field Artillery Battalion was consolidated, reorganized, and redesignated under the Combat Arms Regimental Systems as units of the 121st Field Artillery. The 1st Howitzer Battalion at River Falls, the 2nd Howitzer Battalion at Marshfield, and the 3rd Rocket/Howitzer Battalion at Whitefish Bay.
On 15 October 1961, all battalions of the 121st Field Artillery were called to active duty with the 32nd Infantry Division for the Berlin Crisis. Having served with distinction at Fort Lewis, Washington, the 32nd Infantry Division was released on 10 August 1962, and returned under National Guard control within the 1st Battalion 121st Field Artillery at River Falls, the 2nd Battalion, 121st Field Artillery at River Falls, and the 3rd Battalion, 121st Field Artillery at Whitefish Bay.
On 1 April 1963, the 32nd Infantry Division was reorganized under the "ROAD" concept. Under this reorganization, the 2nd Battalion, 121st Field Artillery was demobilised. On 1 November 1964, the colors of the 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery were transferred from River Falls to Whitefish Bay.
On 31 July 1967, the 1st Battalion and the 3rd Battalion of the 121st Field Artillery were called to state duty during the 1967 Milwaukee riot. The battalions were released on 2 August 1962, then recalled for an additional day on 7 August 1967.
On 30 December 1967, the 32nd Infantry Division was inactivated and National Guard units realigned. Along with the 32nd Infantry Division, the 3rd Battalion, 121st Field Artillery was also inactivated.
On 5 November 1973, the 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery was called to state duty for a firefighters strike at Milwaukee. The battalion was released on 8 November 1973. On 8 July 1977, the 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery was called to state duty for a state employee strike. The battalion was sent to Taycheedah Correctional Institute near Fond du Lac. The battalion was released on 21 July 1977.
On 1 February 1980, the designation of Battery B was transferred during a statewide reorganization. The 1st Battalion, 127th Infantry was inactivated with Company C (-) at Sheboygan being reorganized as Detachment 1, Battery B, and Detachment 1, Company C at Plymouth becoming Battery B (-) of the 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery.
On 1 March 1981, the 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery was called to state duty for a firefighters strike in Milwaukee. The battalion was released on 2 March 1981, when an apparent contract settlement was reached. The battalion was recalled on 19 March 1981, when firefighters walked off the job again, and served until 21 March 1981.
On 1 August 1990, Battery C was moved from the Whitefish Bay Armory to Sussex and Battery A was moved to the Richards St Armory along with Headquarters Headquarters Battery. This was necessary to improve training conditions for the soldiers.[2]
Global War on Terror
The regiment saw action as part of the United States' contribution to the global war on terror. In April 2006, the 1st Battalion 121st Field Artillery Regiment was mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and moved to Camp Shelby, Mississippi.[3] Following this the 121st was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. During this deployment, 2 soldiers of the 121st were killed in action.[4]
Between January 2009 and January 2010, the 1st Battalion 121st Field Artillery was again raised and began training at Fort Bliss, Texas. The Battalion was later deployed to Iraq.[3]
The 1st Battalion 121st Field Artillery Regiment was mobilized between January and October 2013 at Fort Bliss, Texas before deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The regiment again served in Afghanistan between April 2014 and January 2015.[3]
The 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team is an infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) in the United States Army National Guard. It was formed from the inactivated 32nd Infantry Division in 1967. It is the largest unit in the Wisconsin National Guard.
The 119th Field Artillery Regiment, nicknamed the "Red Lions", is a Parent Field Artillery Regiment of the United States Army Regimental System (USARS) in the Michigan Army National Guard. The headquarters of the 119th Field Artillery Regiment is in Lansing, Michigan, and its principal training ground is at Camp Grayling, Michigan, the largest National Guard training center in the country. The Headquarters Battery of the current 119th Field Artillery Regiment can trace its history back to the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861, during the American Civil War. The history of the 119th Field Artillery Regiment as an entire regiment began on 6 November 1911 when it was organized as the 1st Battalion, Field Artillery in the Michigan National Guard.
The Wisconsin Army National Guard has dual state and federal roles, and is jointly funded and maintained by both governments. Its federal mission is to provide trained units to the United States Army in time of war or national emergency. Its state mission is to help civil authorities protect life and property and preserve peace, order, and public safety in times of natural or human-caused emergencies. The governor, who is the commander in chief of the Guard when it is not activated for federal service, appoints the adjutant general who directs the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, of which the Guard is a part. Members of the National Guard are typically part-time soldiers who attend unit drills one weekend per month and serve a two-week annual tour of active duty. All officers and enlisted personnel must meet the same physical, education, and other eligibility requirements as members of the active-duty services.
The 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, also known as the Iron Brigade, is based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was formerly known as the 57th Field Artillery Brigade, at which time its subordinate organizations included the 1st Battalion, 126th Field Artillery Regiment and the 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery Regiment from the Wisconsin Army National Guard, plus the 1st Battalion, 182nd Field Artillery Regiment of the Michigan Army National Guard. Not to be confused with the famous "Iron Brigade" of the Civil War, its nickname was traditionally given to crack artillery units in the Civil War. It was during World War I that the 57th Field Artillery Brigade earned its nickname as it spent many hours at the front and fired more artillery rounds than any brigade in the American Army.
The 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is a modular infantry brigade of the Georgia Army National Guard. One of the oldest units in U.S. Army history, the lineage of the 48th Infantry Brigade can be traced back to 1825. It is one of few units in the US military that also saw service as a unit of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Today, the 48th IBCT is part of the U.S. Army's "Associated Units" program where it is aligned under the 3rd Infantry Division, a combined arms combat maneuver unit of the Regular Army.
The 150th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery unit in the Indiana Army National Guard.
The 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery Regiment, also known as the "Red Fox" Battalion came into being on 22 September 1917 at Camp MacArthur, Waco, Texas, as part of the 57th Field Artillery Brigade, better known as the Iron Brigade. The 120th Field Artillery Regiment previously had been the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry. The history of the 1st Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry Regiment goes back the American Civil War days.
The 6th Field Artillery Regiment is a Field Artillery Branch regiment of the United States Army first activated in 1907 from numbered companies of artillery. It was first organized with two battalions.
The 15th Field Artillery Regiment (FAR) is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916. A parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, the 15th FAR currently has two active battalions: the 1st Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, is assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, while the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, is assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
The 76th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army. First formed as a cavalry regiment in 1916, the regiment was converted to field artillery in 1917, and served in Europe during World War I with the 3rd Division and as a separate battalion during World War II, as well as in peacetime at Fort Knox, KY, and Fort Devens, MA. Since 1959, the regiment has been a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System and the U.S. Army Regimental System, with regimental elements serving with the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany and Operation Iraqi Freedom, with the 7th Infantry Division in Korea, and in the Army Reserve. No regimental elements are currently active.
The 133rd Field Artillery Regiment is a parent field artillery regiment of the United States Army National Guard. It is currently represented in the Texas Army National Guard by the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Battalions.
The 146th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the Army National Guard first Constituted in 1886 as the 1st, and 2nd Regiments of Infantry.
The 168th Field Artillery Regiment was a Field Artillery Branch regiment of the Army National Guard.
The 105th Cavalry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army National Guard.
The 126th Field Artillery Regiment was a regiment in the United States Army National Guard.
The 116th Field Artillery is a regiment of the Florida Army National Guard. Currently there are two battalions; 2-116th FA is fires battalion for the 53rd Brigade Combat Team, and 3-116th (HIMARS) is part of the 164th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, both of the Florida Army National Guard.
The 107th Field Artillery Regiment is a Field Artillery Branch regiment of the United States Army. It has been affiliated with the Pennsylvania National Guard since its formation. It appears that the regiment last formally came into existence in June 1959, when the 107th Field Artillery Battalion was reorganized as the new Regiment's 1st Battalion in line with the Pentomic (ROCID) reorganization going on at that time.
The 103rd Field Artillery Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. The only currently existing component is the 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Regiment, a unit of the Rhode Island National Guard. The regiment was originally constituted in 1917, but it descends from predecessor units dating back to 1801.
The 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery Regiment is an inactive field artillery battalion of the United States Army. The battalion has been assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, 7th Infantry Division, 2nd Infantry Brigade, and as a separate field artillery battalion. The battalion has participated in World War I, World War II, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. The battalion inactivated in 2015 as part of Army force reductions.
The 120th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the Wisconsin Army National Guard.
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