Division Artillery (DIVARTY), 1st Armored Division
"Iron Steel"
In the late-2000s, the 1st Armored Division began its transformation the new modular force structure. As part of the transformation, assets previously held at division level, but habitually attached to the Division's brigades during operations were made organic to the new modular brigade combat teams. This included field artillery support. As a result, the Division Artillery, 1st Armored Division was inactivated.
Prior to the modular reorganization, the mission of the Division Artillery (DIVARTY) had been to stand ready and able to provide devastating fires for the Iron Soldiers of the 1st Armored Division.
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Armored Division Artillery was first constituted on 15 July 1940 in the Regular Army as the Artillery Section, Headquarters, 1st Armored Division, and activated at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The unit was redesignated on 15 November 1940 as the Artillery Section, Division Headquarters, 1st Armored Division.
The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 1 March 1942 as Headquarters, Division Artillery Command, Headquarters, 1st Armored Division. During the Second World War, the Division Artillery Command fought in North Africa and Italy, earning 6 campaign streamers. The unit was consolidated on 20 July 1944 with the Service Company, 1st Armored Division (less Military Police Platoon) (which had been first constituted on 1 January 1942 in the Regular Army and activated 8 January 1942 at Fort Knox, Kentucky), and consolidated unit was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Division Artillery, 1st Armored Division. The unit was inactivated on 18 April 1946 at the New York Port of Embarkation, New York.
On 7 March 1951, it was reactivated at Fort Hood, Texas. The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 1 July 1955 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Armored Division Artillery before being inactivated again on 23 December 1957 at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
On 3 February 1962, the unit was once again reactivated at Fort Hood, Texas. In May 1971, the unit was inactivated at Fort Hood, Texas and reactivated in Zindorf in place of former elements of the 4th Armored Division Artillery.
On 9 November 1990, the Division Artillery was notified to deploy to Saudi Arabia. As part of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the 1st Armored Division Artillery added 2 additional battle streamers for service in Southwest Asia.
In December 1995, the Division Artillery deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina, as part of Task Force Eagle, in support of Operation Joint Endeavor. In 1997 the Division Artillery deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina for Operation Joint Guard and Operation Joint Forge. In 1998 the Division Artillery planned and executed Rolling Steel, the first large scale Maneuver Rights Exercise in Germany since 1993. The year 1999 saw elements of the Division Artillery deploy to peacekeeping operations with Operation Allied Force in Albania and Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo.
In the late 2000s, the 1st Armored Division's DIVARTY was inactivated. This was a product of the transformation of the 1st Armored Division to the new modular force structure. As a part of the transformation, assets that had previously been held at division level, but habitually attached to the Division's brigades during operations were made organic to those brigades, including field artillery support. The 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery was inactivated and reactivated as part of the reorganized and redesignated 1st Brigade Combat Team. The 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery was similarly reassigned to the reorganized and redesignated 2nd Brigade Combat Team. The 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery was inactivated, reorganized, and reactivated as part of the 17th Fires Brigade at Fort Lewis, Washington.
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