1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery
The first IBCT's FA battalion -- the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery (1-37 FA), the former direct support battalion for the 2d Infantry Division based at Fort Lewis -- has three batteries, each with four M198 155-mm howitzers (3x4). The battalion also has a target acquisition platoon with one Q-36 and one Q-37 Firefinder radar.
The 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, was originally constituted on 5 July 1918 in the National Army as Battery A, 37th Field Artillery, an element of the 13th Division. It was organized on 17 August 1918 at Camp Lewis, WA, and demobilized there on 11 February 1919.
Reconstituted on 1 October 1933 in the Regular Army as Battery A, 37th Field Artillery, it was redesignated on 1 October 1940 as Battery A, 37th Field Artillery Battalion, an element of the 2d Division (later redesignated as the 2d Infantry Division), and activated at Fort Sam Houston, TX.
It was reorganized and redesignated on 20 February 1956 as Battery A, 37th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, and again on 20 June 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Howitzer Battalion, 37th Artillery. It was concurrently relieved from assignment to the 2d Infantry Division (its organic elements were concurrently constituted and activated).
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Howitzer Battalion, 37th Artillery, reorganized and was redesignated on 16 December 1957 as Battery A, 37th Artillery (the organic elements of 1st Howitzer Battalion, 37th Artillery, concurrently inactivated).
Battery A, 37th Artillery, reorganized and redesignated 1 June 1960 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Howitzer Battalion, 37th Artillery (with its organic elements concurrently activated).
The Battalion was assigned on 20 May 1963 to the 172d Infantry Brigade. It was redesignated on 1 July 1963 as the 1st Battalion, 37th Artillery, and on 1 September 1971 as the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery.
Relieved on 15 April 1986 from assignment to the 172d Infantry Brigade, it was reassigned to the 6th Infantry Division. It inactivated on 2 October 1986 at Fort Richardson, AK, and was relieved from its assignment to the 6th Infantry Division.
Assigned on 16 April 1995 to the 2d Infantry Division, the unit reactivated at Fort Lewis, WA.
