319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment

319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment
User:McChizzle · Public domain · source
Unit name	319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment
Dates	1917–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Field artillery
Role	Airborne forces
Size	Regiment
Garrison	Fort Bragg
Nickname	"Top Guns"
Motto	"Loyalty"
Notable commanders	William E. DePuy, H. Norman Schwarzkopf Sr., John J. Hennessey

319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment is a United States Army airborne artillery regiment with origins in World War I and an enduring role supporting Airborne forces operations. The regiment has served in major World War I, World War II, Korean War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom campaigns, providing towed and self-propelled artillery, liaison with 82nd Airborne Division and other formations, and specialized parachute-delivered fires. The unit's history intersects with prominent figures and units including the 101st Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, VI Corps (Union Army), and multiple Army commands.

History

Constituted in 1917 during the buildup for World War I, the regiment drew personnel from regional federal units and trained alongside formations destined for the American Expeditionary Forces in France. Postwar reorganization placed the regiment into the interwar Regular Army structure where it experienced peacetime garrison duty and doctrinal shifts amid debates in United States Army Air Corps and Infantry Branch circles. In World War II the regiment converted to airborne artillery to support parachute infantry operations, participating in airborne preparations that echoed lessons from the Sicily Campaign and the Normandy landings. During the Korean War era and Cold War the regiment provided airborne and air-transportable fires for contingency plans involving NATO and United States Army Europe deployments. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries elements of the regiment deployed to Panama, Grenada, Haiti, Somalia, and the Global War on Terrorism theaters, integrating modern M119 howitzer and M777 howitzer systems and adapting to joint operations with United States Air Force and United States Marine Corps aviation assets.

Lineage and Honors

The regiment's lineage traces to an artillery regiment formed for American entry into World War I and later reorganized into airborne configurations during World War II. It holds campaign credit for major operations including Normandy, Operation Market Garden, and airborne operations associated with Operation Varsity. Decorations awarded to the regiment and separate batteries include the Presidential Unit Citation (United States), Meritorious Unit Commendation (United States), and foreign decorations such as the Belgian Fourragere 1940 and citations from the governments of France and Belgium. Individual soldiers have received awards including the Medal of Honor (United States), Distinguished Service Cross (United States), and Silver Star for actions while assigned to regiment elements. The regiment's heraldry embodies airborne and artillery symbolism reflected in distinctive unit insignia and campaign streamers worn on the United States Army Regimental System colors.

Organization and Subordinate Units

Under the United States Army Regimental System the regiment historically comprised multiple battalions and batteries organized to support brigade- and division-level airborne formations. Typical subordinate units include 1st Battalion and 2nd Battalion elements equipped for direct support of parachute infantry, firing batteries designated A, B, and C, and a headquarters battery for command, control, and fire support coordination. Attachments and task-organizations have included forward observers assigned to Infantry Regiment elements, liaison teams integrated with Airborne infantry brigades, and support detachments drawn from Ordnance Corps and Signal Corps units. During modular restructuring the regiment supplied battalion headquarters to 82nd Airborne Division brigade combat teams and maintained airborne-qualified personnel for parachute and air-assault missions coordinated with Army Aviation units.

Campaigns and Decorations

Campaign participation credits span World War I, World War II, Korean War, and Southwest Asia operations, as well as numerous contingency operations in the post-Cold War era. Notable World War II campaigns include Normandy, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. The regiment and its batteries earned unit decorations such as the Presidential Unit Citation (United States) for extraordinary heroism in ground combat, the Meritorious Unit Commendation (United States) for sustained outstanding service, and foreign unit awards from France and Belgium for liberation operations. Campaign streamers and decorations are displayed in accordance with United States Army regulations and are preserved in unit museums and archives alongside personal citations from awardees who served in operations including Operation Just Cause and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Equipment and Armament

Historically equipped with towed artillery such as the M1 155 mm howitzer in early eras and later with lighter airborne systems designed for parachute and air-landing operations, the regiment transitioned to modern light artillery including the M119A3 howitzer and the M777A2 howitzer to support rapid deployment and precision fires. Fire direction centers used automated fire control systems interoperable with GPS and digital mission command networks such as the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System. Mobility assets have included C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III airlift platforms for parachute delivery, CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk rotary-wing platforms for sling-load and air assault relocation, and tactical vehicles from Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck fleets for ground movement. Counter-fire and force-protection measures incorporated radar systems like AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder and integration with Patriot (missile), short-range air defense, and joint fires networks.

Notable Personnel and Commanders

The regiment's history includes commanders and personnel who rose to prominence in the United States Army, such as William E. DePuy, who influenced Army doctrine, H. Norman Schwarzkopf Sr., noted for airborne leadership, and senior officers who later served in commands including XVIII Airborne Corps and U.S. Army Forces Command. Decorated battalion commanders and forward observers received individual awards like the Medal of Honor (United States), Distinguished Service Cross (United States), and Silver Star for actions during airborne assaults and direct support of infantry operations. Numerous noncommissioned officers and warrant officers from the regiment have gone on to leadership roles in Field Artillery Branch schools, joint staffs, and international training missions with NATO and coalition partners.

Category:Field artillery regiments of the United States Army Category:Airborne units and formations of the United States Army