1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the mid to late 1990s with the Cold War over and a new mission on the horizon, the Centaurs of 1-6 FA began a transition to Peace enforcement operations while still maintaining their warfighting skills. Assigned to the 3rd Bridage Combat team of the 1st Infantry Division and headquartered in Bamberg, Germany, 1-6 FA would find itself a short distance away from a growing problem in the Balkans.
In 1997, 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Operation Joint Guard from 10 March 1997 until 10 October 1997. During this time they supported Task Force Eagle from a number of operating bases, providing convoy escorts, security and most importantly, fire support coverage of allied operations in the American area of responsiblilty. The excellence displayed by 1-6 FA resulted in the reception of the Army Superior Unit award upon return to Bamberg, Germany.
After completion of their mission in Bosnia, the Centaurs returned home and in early 1998, began am training program at which time the unit transitioned from the older M109A5 SP Howitzer to the highly advanced, highly accurate and extremely lethal M109A6 SP howtizer, commonly referred to as the Paladin.
It would not be long before the Centaurs and their new howitzer system would be called into use, as tensions in the Serbian province of Kosovo would flair up in early 1999. With tensions between ethnic Albanians and Serbs high, the resulting Serbian program of ethnic cleansing was deemed unacceptable by the world community. As Serbia refused to negotiate with the United States and Europe, it became clear that the world must act and that if neccessary, NATO forces would have to fight their way in. In early 1999, 3rd BCT and 1-6FA were tasked with preperation for a ground attack into Kosovo and began a series of intensive training densities at Grafenwoehr Training Area and Hoehenfels (CMTC) in preperation for a likely entry into Kosovo by force. Coming to their senses after a lenghty air campaign against Serb forces, the Serbians agreed to a joint peacekeeping force to bring peace to the province. Unfortunately for the Centaurs, after 5 months of intense training in preperation for a ground assault, the Centuars and 3rd BCT would not be given the honor of entering Kosovo first due to their condition from months of training. Instead, members of their sister battalion 1-7 FA and the 2nd BCT were sent in with the initial wave of NATO forces. It was not until 1 December 1999, that Centaurs would enter Kosovo and be given the opportunity to execute a mission they had spent all of 1999 training for. Once there the Centaurs would once again serve with honor and in June of 2000, returned to their base in Bamberg, Germany.
A few years later, the Centaurs of 1-6 FA would once again be called on by their country to face a growing threat in the middle east. 1st BN, 6th FA deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, again serving with honor. (More Needed)
After their service in Iraq, 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery regiment was inactivated in accordance with the closure of US Army Europe's installation in Bamberg, Germany and the rearrangement/removal of US Forces in Europe.
[edit] 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Lineage
Constituted 27 April 1798 in the Regular Army as a company in the 3d Battalion, 2d Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers, and organized at Fort Jay, New York, as Captain James Stille's Company, 3d Battalion, 2d Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers
Redesignated 1 April 1802 as Captain James Stille's Company, Regiment of Artillerists
Redesignated 9 June 1805 as Captain John Fergus's Company, Regiment of Artillerists
Redesignated 30 June 1808 as Captain William Wilson's Company, Regiment of Artillerists
Redesignated 3 June 1809 as Captain Enoch Humphrey's Company, Regiment of Artillerists
Redesignated 11 January 1812 as Captain Enoch Humphrey's Company, Corps of Artillery
Redesignated 17 May 1815 as Captain Enoch Humphrey's Company, Corps of Artillery, Southern Division
Redesignated 21 August 1816 as Company C, 3d Battalion, Corps of Artillery, Southern Division
Redesignated 1 June 1821 as Company B, 4th Regiment of Artillery
Reorganized and redesignated 13 February 1901 as the 7th Battery, Field Artillery, Artillery Corps
Reorganized and redesignated 11 June 1907 as Battery D, 6th Field Artillery
(6th Field Artillery assigned 8 June 1917 to the 1st Expeditionary Division [later redesignated as the 1st Division]; relieved 16 October 1939 from assignment to the 1st Division; assigned 22 June 1940 to the 8th Division; relieved 20 July 1940 from assignment to the 8th Division)
Inactivated 1 August 1940 at Fort Hoyle, Maryland
Absorbed 4 January 1941 by Battery A, 6th Field Artillery Battalion (active) (Battery A, 6th Field Artillery, reorganized and redesignated 4 January 1941 as Battery A, 6th Field Artillery Battalion; [6th Field Artillery Battalion assigned 8 August 1942 to the 37th Infantry Division]; inactivated 13 December 1945 at Camp Anza, California; redesignated 24 July 1946 as Battery A, 6th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, and relieved from assignment to the 37th Infantry Division; activated 1 August 1946 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma)
Former Battery D, 6th Field Artillery, reconstituted 15 February 1957 in the Regular Army and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Howitzer Battalion, 6th Artillery, assigned to the 1st Armored Division, and activated at Fort Polk, Louisiana (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated)
Redesignated 3 February 1962 as the 1st Battalion, 6th Artillery (Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 6th Artillery, concurrently consolidated with Battery D, 6th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion [organized in 1898], and consolidated unit designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 6th Artillery)
Relieved 5 May 1971 from assignment to the 1st Armored Division and assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division
Redesignated (less former Battery D, 6th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion) 1 September 1971 as the 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery (former Battery D, 6th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, concurrently redesignated as the 1st Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery - hereafter separate lineage)
1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery, relieved 21 June 1975 from assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division
Inactivated 1 October 1983 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Assigned 16 February 1996 to the 1st Infantry Division and activated in Germany
1st Battalion 6th Field Artillery Honors
Campaign Participation Credit
War of 1812: *New Orleans
Indian Wars: *Creeks; *Seminoles; *Modocs; *Bannocks; *Utah 1860
Mexican War: *Buena Vista
Civil War: *Peninsula; *Manassas; *Antietam; *Fredericksburg; *Chancellorsville; *Gettysburg; *Wilderness; *Spotsylvania; *Cold Harbor; *Petersburg; *Maryland 1863; *Virginia 1863
War with Spain: *Santiago; *Puerto Rico
Mexican Expedition: Mexico 1916-1917
World War I: *Montdidier-Noyon; *Aisne-Marne; *St. Mihiel; *Meuse-Argonne; *Lorraine 1917; *Lorraine 1918; *Picardy 1918
World War II: *Northern Solomons; *Luzon (with arrowhead)
Decorations
- French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War I for LORRAINE-PICARDY
- French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War I for AISNE-MARNE and MEUSE-ARGONNE
- French Croix de Guerre, World War I, Fourragere
- Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for 17 OCTOBER 1944 TO 4 JULY 1945
- Army Superior Unit Award, Operation Joint Guard, Bosnia-Herzegovina
