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Further Reading

Division Artillery (DIVARTY), 25th Infantry Division (Light)
Division Artillery (DIVARTY), 25th Infantry Division
"Tropic Thunder"

The Division Artillery (DIVARTY), 25th Infantry Division (Light) cased its colors on 15 June 2005, and as a result became the first DIVARTY to inactivate as part of the transformation of the 25th Infantry Division to the US Army's modular force structure.

The Division Artillery, 25th Infantry Division (Light) initially consisted of 2 105mm (Towed) direct support field artillery battalions (3-7th and 2-11th Field Artillery) equipped with the M119 howitzer, one 155mm (Towed) general support battery (F/7th Field Artillery); one target acquisition detachment, and a Headquarters and Headquarters Battery for Division Artillery HQ. In 1995, with the reassignemnt of 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, an additional direct support battalion, the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery, was assigned to the DIVARTY, but detached to Fort Lewis attached to the 1st Brigade.

The DIVARTY, 25th Infantry Division trained around the world, from the jungles in Thailand, to the fast paced action of the Joint Readiness Training Center, and the rough arid climate of Pohakuloa Training Area on the big island of Hawaii. The DIVARTY's mission was to ensure that each soldier in each section, platoon or battery was prepared to deploy, fight win and survive. In order to achieve this mission, units had be prepared to move out within 54 hours of notification to anywhere within the Pacific Rim.

Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 25th Infantry Division Artillery was first constituted on 26 August 1941 in the Army of the United States as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 25th Division Artillery and activated on 1 October 1941 in Hawaii.

It was allotted on 27 June 1949 to the Regular Army and redesignated on 1 February 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 25th Infantry Division Artillery.

In December 2000 DIVARTY's 2nd Annual Best by Test put their battalions' best fire support, survey, radar, fire direction center and howitzer teams against each other in front of crowds of their cheering peers to see who was the most efficient in their military occupational specialty. The week-long competition of both MOS specialties and sporting events ended with a demonstration of all the DIVARTY elements in effect. The fire-support team observed the target and called the information in to the fire direction center. The radar team scanned the area for the enemy, while the survey team made sure everyone was facing the same direction. The fire direction center computed the data sent from the FIST and relayed it to the howitzer team. Finally came the blast from the howitzer simulating rounds being blasted down range. After the step-by-step demonstration the scene heated up and all other movements were done with the swiftness in what appeared to be choreographed steps. It was the grand finale and for most of the teams the last event was going to decide which team worked in unison and which team's hard work would put them ahead of their peers. The winner of each event received a trophy to be displayed at their unit. The section or team chief received an Army Commendation Medal and the individual Soldiers received Army Achievement Medals.

The Division Artillery (DIVARTY), 25th Infantry Division (Light) cased its colors on 15 June 2005, and as a result became the first DIVARTY to inactivate as part of the Army's transformation. Following the inactivation, the DIVARTY headquarters elements were to be consolidated and restructured within other combat brigades. Battery F (General Support), 7th Field Artillery was also inactivated. As part of the modular transformation, assets previously held at division level, but habitually assigned to the Division's brigades during operations were made organic to those brigades. 2-8th, 2-11th, and 3-7th Field Artillery were all inactivated, reorganized, and reactivated as the organic field artillery battalions for the reorganized and redesignated 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams, 25th Infantry Division respectively.