1st Battalion - 111th Field Artillery
The 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery, was originally constituted as the 1st Battalion Artillery, Virginia Volunteers and organized on 8 November 1877 from existing units to include the "Norfolk Light Artillery Blues" (organized on 22 February 1828) and the "First Company Richmond Howitzers" (organized on 9 November 1859) (Portsmouth Light Artillery [organized on 15 February 1809], joined Battalion Artillery on 18 July 1891).
The Battalion was called into Federal service on 18 June 1916 for Mexican Border duty. It was mustered out of Federal service on 14-22 March 1917. It was mustered into Federal service on 29 June 1917 at Richmond. The 1st Battalion Artillery was redesignated on 5 August 1917 as 1st Field Artillery, Virginia National Guard; and on 15 September 1917 as 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery and assigned to the 29th Division. It was mustered out of Federal service on 2 June 1919 at Camp Lee, VA.
The unit reorganized on 13 May 1921 as 1st Battalion Field Artillery, Virginia National Guard; Headquarters Federally was recognized on 20 August 1922 at Norfolk. The unit was redesignated on 25 October 1922 as the 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery. It was inducted into Federal service on 3 February 1941 at Norfolk. The unit reorganized and was redesignated on 28 February 1942 as the 111th Field Artillery Battalion, an element of the 29th Division (29th Division redesignated 1 August 1942 as the 29th Infantry Division). It inactivated on 6 January 1946 at Camp Kilmer, NJ.
The unit reorganized and was Federally recognized on 1 November 1946 at Norfolk as an element of the 29th Infantry Division. It consolidated with the 111th Artillery, on 1 June 1959.
In December of 2002, Maj. Gen. Claude Williams, the adjutant general of Virginia, announced that units of the Virginia Army National Guard had been alerted for and would enter active federal service in January 2003. This mobilization affected approximately 600 Virginia Army National Guard soldiers including those of the 1st Battalion 111th Field Artillery Regiment. This mobilization was in support of Operation Noble Eagle, the United States' response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The units were ordered to duty for a one-year period initially. The mission for these units was to provide force protection for Military District of Washington installations. These installations included Ft. A. P. Hill, Ft. Belvoir, and Ft. Myer located in Va.; Ft. McNair located in Washington, D. C.; and Ft. Meade, located in Md
