36th Infantry Division Artillery

36th Infantry Division Artillery
Unit name	36th Infantry Division Artillery
Caption	Shoulder sleeve insignia of the 36th Infantry Division
Dates	1917–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Field artillery
Role	Division artillery headquarters and fire support coordination
Size	Brigade-level
Command structure	36th Infantry Division
Garrison	Austin, Texas
Motto	"Strike Hard"
Notable commanders	Major General Walter G. H. Lanham, Major General Fred Walker
Identification symbol label	Distinctive unit insignia

36th Infantry Division Artillery is the division artillery headquarters and fire support element assigned to the 36th Infantry Division, historically associated with the Texas National Guard and active in major conflicts including World War I, World War II, and the Global War on Terrorism. As a corps-level capabilities node, the unit has coordinated field artillery, air defense, and target acquisition assets for combined-arms operations tied to the U.S. Army force structure. Over its existence the organization has integrated personnel and equipment from units across Texas, Oklahoma, and neighboring states while supporting domestic missions such as Hurricane Harvey relief and federal mobilizations.

History

The formation of the unit traces to the mobilization of the 36th Division in 1917 for service under the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I, participating in training alongside formations such as the 90th Division and deploying with artillery components that served in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the St. Mihiel Offensive, and sector operations on the Western Front. Between wars, the artillery elements were reorganized within the Texas National Guard and federally recognized under the National Defense Act of 1920 framework. In World War II, the artillery headquarters supported operations from the Anzio landings during the Italian Campaign through the Gothic Line and the Po Valley campaign, coordinating fires with allied formations including the British Eighth Army, the French Expeditionary Corps, and airborne units such as 82nd Airborne Division. Cold War restructuring tied the unit into CONUS defense plans and NATO-related exercises with units like V Corps and U.S. Army Europe. The post-9/11 era saw mobilizations for deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and stability operations supporting Multinational Force Iraq and International Security Assistance Force missions.

Organization and Structure

The division artillery served as a brigade-equivalent headquarters overseeing multiple field artillery battalions and support detachments drawn from fires brigades, field artillery regiments, and National Guard artillery units such as the 130th Field Artillery Regiment, the 131st Field Artillery Regiment, and the 144th Field Artillery Regiment. Typical wartime composition included towed and self-propelled battalions equipped with M114 155 mm howitzer, M109 Paladin, and M198 howitzer systems, plus target acquisition batteries using AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder radar and counter-battery teams. Command relationships encompassed coordination with infantry divisions like the 1st Infantry Division, engineer units such as the 20th Engineer Brigade, aviation assets from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, and corps-level artillery control via a targeting cell and a fire support coordination center (FSCC). Administrative control was exercised through the Texas Military Department during peacetime, with federal recognition and Title 10 activation managed by the National Guard Bureau.

Equipment and Insignia

Historically, the unit employed a range of American artillery systems from the M1902 3-inch field gun in World War I to the M1 Abrams era indirect fire support integration with modern systems like the M777 howitzer, M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, and digital command systems such as the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS). Target acquisition used platforms like the AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder radar and mortars integrated with the Advanced Positioning and Navigation architectures. The distinctive unit insignia and shoulder sleeve insignia derive from the 36th Division's emblem and incorporate symbols reflecting Texas heritage, such as the lone star motif also seen in Texas State Flag iconography. Unit heraldry has been approved by the United States Army Institute of Heraldry and displayed on guidons and unit colors during ceremonies like Unit Activation and Change of Command.

Combat Operations

In World War I the artillery elements provided preparatory fires and creeping barrages during major operations in the Meuse–Argonne Offensive working alongside corps artillery of the First United States Army. During World War II, the division artillery supported amphibious and airborne-linked operations in Operation Shingle at Anzio, maneuver operations across Italy including the battle for Monte Cassino sectors and the advance to the Gothic Line, coordinating with allied naval gunfire and Army Air Forces interdiction sorties. In postwar contingencies and the Global War on Terrorism, subordinate batteries and attached units carried out counterinsurgency fire support, route clearance coordination with Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams, counter-fire missions using AFATDS, and security cooperation with partner forces during rotations to Iraq War and OEF theaters. Domestic operations included support to civil authorities during Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey relief, providing command-and-control and logistics coordination with Federal Emergency Management Agency taskings when placed under Title 32 status.

Postwar Reorganizations and Modern Role

After World War II, the division artillery experienced multiple reorganizations under Pentomic and later ROAD structures, transitioning through Regimental Combat Team concepts and the adoption of brigade-centric artillery organizations such as the Division Artillery (DIVARTY) model. The end of the Cold War and the implementation of the Army XXI modernization influenced equipment shifts toward digital fires networks and precision munitions integration with systems like the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS). In the 21st century the unit has functioned as a DIVARTY responsible for readiness assessments, joint fires integration with United States Air Force assets, and force generation for deployments under United States Northern Command and United States Southern Command mission sets. State-level responsibilities with the Texas Adjutant General include domestic preparedness, interagency coordination with U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and participation in multinational exercises such as Beyond the Horizon.

Honors and Unit Citations

Throughout its history the unit and subordinate batteries have received campaign streamers and unit citations associated with engagements in World War I, World War II campaign credits for Italy campaigns, and commendations tied to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Awards include campaign streamers authorized by the Center of Military History and unit citations recognizing meritorious conduct during major campaigns such as the Anzio campaign and the Po Valley campaign. Individual soldiers within the artillery elements have been awarded decorations including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart for actions while attached to divisional operations. The unit's colors bear the heraldic emblems and streamers approved per Army Regulation 840-10 and displayed during observances such as Veterans Day and unit anniversaries.

Category:Field artillery units and formations of the United States Army Category:Texas National Guard units Category:Military units and formations established in 1917