27th Field Artillery Regiment

27th Field Artillery Regiment
Unit name	27th Field Artillery Regiment
Caption	Distinctive unit insignia
Dates	1918–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Field artillery
Role	Indirect fire support
Size	Regiment
Garrison	Fort Sill
Motto	Conjunctis Viribus
Notable commanders	John J. Pershing, George S. Patton, Alexander M. Haig

27th Field Artillery Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army specializing in artillery operations, gunnery, and fire support coordination. The regiment has roots in World War I mobilization and served in major twentieth- and twenty-first-century campaigns, linking training at Fort Sill with combat in theaters associated with American Expeditionary Forces, Eighth United States Army, and III Corps. Elements of the regiment have supported operations alongside units such as the 1st Cavalry Division, 1st Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division, and multinational forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

History

The regiment traces origins to World War I mobilization at Camp Taylor (Kentucky), with early organization influenced by doctrine developed by figures like John J. Pershing and Hunter Liggett. Interwar assignments connected the unit with posts including Fort Riley, Fort Bragg, and Fort Sill, where doctrinal innovators such as George S. Patton and Jacob L. Devers refined indirect fire techniques. In World War II the regiment's batteries supported corps operations during campaigns including the Normandy landings, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Rhineland campaign, coordinating with formations like U.S. Army Europe and 21st Army Group. Cold War restructuring tied the regiment into NATO planning under United States Army Europe and partnerships with formations such as VII Corps, V Corps, and United States Army Alaska. In the post‑9/11 era, batteries deployed in support of Multinational Force Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force, and provincial reconstruction efforts in provinces mentioned in Operation Enduring Freedom, working alongside coalition partners represented in NATO and ISAF.

Lineage and Honors

Lineage entries record activations and reorganizations at installations like Fort Sill, Camp Polk, and Fort Bliss, with federal service under directives from the War Department and later the Department of the Army. Campaign participation credits encompass theaters associated with World War I, World War II, Korean War‑era support missions, and Global War on Terrorism operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Decorations include awards comparable to the Presidential Unit Citation (United States), Meritorious Unit Commendation (United States), and foreign honors awarded by governments such as France and Belgium for service during European campaigns. The regiment's heraldic lineage is maintained in coordination with the United States Army Center of Military History and the Institute of Heraldry.

Organizational Structure

The regiment follows the regimental system consistent with United States Army Regimental System practices and has been structured into battalions and batteries assigned to higher echelons like Division Artillery (DIVARTY), Brigade Combat Team, and corps artillery headquarters such as II Corps and III Corps. Typical battalion designations include 1st Battalion and 2nd Battalion elements, each containing firing batteries (A Battery, B Battery, C Battery), a headquarters and headquarters battery, and support elements coordinated with Field Artillery Brigade and Fires Brigade staff sections. Personnel assignments draw from Army branches including Field Artillery Branch (United States), with training pipelines at United States Army Field Artillery School and professional development via institutions like the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College.

Equipment and Armament

Historically the regiment fielded towed and self‑propelled artillery systems that trace technological evolution from the M1902 field gun and M2A1 howitzer to mid‑century platforms such as the M114 155 mm howitzer and the M101 howitzer. In later decades units transitioned to armored tube artillery like the M109 Paladin family and to rocket artillery exemplified by the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. Fire control and targeting advances integrated systems including Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System, GPS receivers, AN/TPQ‑36 Firefinder radar, and networked systems tied into Blue Force Tracker and Joint Tactical Information Distribution System. Mobility and logistics leveraged vehicles such as the M984A4 heavy expanded mobility tactical truck and transport assets including C‑130 Hercules and C‑17 Globemaster III.

Deployments and Combat Service

The regiment’s batteries have been deployed across major operations including service in the Western Front (World War I), engagements in the European Theatre of World War II, and contingency operations during the Cold War in Europe and Asia, supporting commands like USAREUR and Eighth Army (United States). Modern combat deployments included rotations to Iraq War campaigns around Baghdad, Anbar Province, and Mosul; and to Afghanistan provinces such as Kandahar and Helmand Province. Missions encompassed counter‑insurgency fire support, counter‑fire suppression, joint fires integration with United States Air Force platforms including the AC‑130 Spectre, and combined arms operations with formations like 1st Armored Division and 25th Infantry Division.

Insignia and Traditions

Heraldry reflects artillery symbols such as crossed cannons, scarlet and gold colors tied to the Field Artillery Branch (United States), and motto elements recorded by the Institute of Heraldry. Unit ceremonies align with observances like Army Day, anniversaries tied to major engagements such as D-Day, and memorials honoring artillerymen in associations related to Society of the Honor Guard and veterans’ groups including American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Traditions emphasize gunnery skills, ceremonies like the designation of a “gunnery sergeant” and accreditation at the Large Caliber Artillery Gunnery Table VIII.

Notable Personnel

Personnel associated with the regiment and adjacent assignments include leaders and artillery proponents such as John J. Pershing, George S. Patton, Alexander M. Haig, and doctrinal contributors from the United States Army Field Artillery School and Command and General Staff College. Other distinguished figures involved in artillery development and operations who intersected with regimental history include Omar Bradley, Mark W. Clark, Maxwell D. Taylor, William Westmoreland, and technical innovators linked to programs at Picatinny Arsenal and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.

Category:Field artillery regiments of the United States Army