5th Battalion - 3rd Field Artillery Regiment
The history of the 5th Battalion, 3d Field Artillery can be traced back to the late 1700's. The motto "First Round" was aptly earned. During the Civil War, Battery D, the forerunner of the battalion fire the first round of the first battle of Bull Run as well as the first round of the battle of San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War. The battalion is also credited with beginning the tradition of playing Taps over the grave of a fallen comrade.
The unit earned campaign participation credit during the War of 1812, the Indian Wars, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the War with Spain, the Philippine Insurrection, and World Wars I and II.
In 1992, the battalion redeployed from Giessen, Germany to Fort Sill and quickly certified as an 8 inch battalion in III Corps Artillery. In 1993, the battalion began its conversion to MLRS. On 1 October 1993, Charlie Battery certified as the first MLRS battery in the battalion, quickly followed by its sister batteries.
The 5-3 FA (MLRS) First Round deployed, in 2000, a battery to the NTC with the 1st Cavalry Division. It also redeployed the battery-sized TF Comanche Thunder from Southwest Asia with 1-10 Cav, 4th IN Division, in Operation Southern Watch.
