1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment
"The Rock's Support"

The 10th Field Artillery Regiment was constituted on 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 10th Field Artillery. The 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery was constituted on 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as Battery A, 10th Field Artillery. It was organized to Active Duty on 1 June 1917 at Douglas, Arizona. On 12 November 1917, the 10th Field Artillery was assigned to the 3rd Division (later redesignated the 3d Infantry Division). The unit then deployed for duty in Europe during World War I and during the War was credited for participation in 5 campaigns: Champagne-Marne; Aisne-Marne; St Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; and Champagne-Marne 1918. Additionally, the unit was decorated with the following decorations during World War I: The Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered COLMAR and the French Croix de Guerre with Gilt Star, World War I, Streamer embroidered Champagne-Marne and Aisne Marne.

It was during this war that the Regiment adopted its motto "The Rock's Support." The motto finds its roots in the fact that the 10th Field Artillery was in the 3rd Division during the legendary stand on the Marne. The 10th Field Artillery found itself on the right of the Division supporting the 38th Infantry. With the help of the fires of the 10th Field Artillery, the 38th Infantry held its ground along the muddy banks of the Marne.

It was also during World War I that the 10th Field Artillery had its first soldier receive the Medal of Honor, 1st Lieutenant George Price Hays. At the outset of an unprecedented artillery bombardment by the enemy on the 14-15 July 1918, Lieutenant Hays lines of communication were destroyed beyond repair. Despite the hazards associated with being a runner, Lieutenant Hays immediately set out to establish liaison with the neighboring command and 2 neighboring French batteries. Hays visited these French positions so frequently that he was mainly responsible for the accurate fires therefrom. While thus engaged, 7 horses were shot out from under him and Lieutenant Hays was severely wounded. His activities under the most severe fires were an important factor in checking the advance of the enemy.

On 1 October 1940, the Regiment was reorganized and redesigned as the 10th Field Artillery Battalion. The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 1 October 1940 as Battery A, 10th Field Artillery Battalion.

The 10th Field Artillery served again with distinction during World War II, earning 10 campaign streamers. Its campaign credits included: Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Anzio (with Arrowhead), Rome-Arno, Southern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. On Sicily, at Anzio, and in Southern France the 10th Field Artillery was part of the initial assault, identified by the arrowhead device on the campaign streamer. The 10th Field Artillery's decorations from World War II included: French Croix de Gueere with Palm, Streamer embroidered COLMAR; French Croix de Guerre, World War II, Fourragere; and the Bravery Gold Medal of Greece, Streamer embroidered COLMAR.

It was during the Second World War that the Regiment's second Medal of Honor Recipient was recognized. Technician 5th Grade (Corporal), Forest E. Peden, Battery C, 10th Field Artillery. Corporal Peden was a forward observer near Biesheim, France, on 3 February 1945, when a group of about 45 infantrymen, with whom he was advancing, was ambushed. Enemy forces outnumbering the Americans by 4 to one poured withering artillery, mortar, machine-gun, and small arms fire into the stricken unit from the flanks, forcing the men to seek the cover of a ditch that they found was already occupied by enemy foot troops. As the opposing infantrymen struggled in hand to hand combat, Corporal Peden courageously went to the assistance of 2 wounded soldiers and rendered first aid under heavy fire. With radio communications inoperative, he realized the unit would be wiped out unless help could be secured from the rear. On his own initiative, he ran 800 yards to the battalion command post through a hail of bullets, which pierced his jacket, and there secured 2 tanks to go to the relief of his hard pressed comrades. Knowing the terrible risk involved, he climbed the hull of the lead tank and guided it into battle. Through a murderous concentration of fire, the tank lumbered onward, bullets and shell fragments ricocheting from its steel armor within inches of the completely exposed rider, until it reached the ditch. As it was about to go into action, it was turned into a flaming pyre by a direct hit that killed Corporal Peden. His death was not in vain, reinforcements found the trapped Americans and drove off the enemy.

Only 5 short years later, the 10th Field Artillery was fighting again, but this time on the Korean Peninsula. During the Korean War, the 10th Field Artillery was credited with participation in 8 more campaigns: CCF intervention, First UN Counteroffensive, CCF Spring offensive, UN Summer Fall Offensive, Second Korean Winter, Korea, Summer-Fall 1952, Third Korean Winter, and Korea, Summer 1953. The 10th was decorated in the Korean War with the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered Uijonbu Corridor and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer Embroidered Iron Triangle.

On 1 July 1957, the Regiment was relieved from assignment to the 3rd Infantry Division, and concurrently reorganized and redesignated as the 10th Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms regimental System. Meanwhile, Battery A was reorganized and redesignated on 1 July 1957 as Headquarters Battery, 1st Howitzer Battalion, 10th Artillery, an element of the 3rd Infantry Division. All of the elements of the Division were concurrently constituted and activated at this time. The unit was once again redesignated on 3 June 1963 as the 1st Battalion, 10th Artillery and the 10th Artillery was redesignated on 1 September 1971 as the 10th Field artillery. The 1st Battalion was itself redesignated as the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery.

On 16 March 1987 it was withdrawn from the Combat Arms Regimental System and organized under the United States Army Regimental System.

On 16 February 1996, the 4th Battalion, 41st Field Artillery was reflagged as the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery at Fort Benning, Georgia. The Battalion joined the 3rd Infantry Division Artillery (DIVARTY) as a direct support artillery battalion habitually assigned to support the Division's 3rd Brigade.

In November 2001, the Battalion deployed soldiers to the Former Yugoslav Province of Kosovo in support of Operation Joint Guardian. In April 2002, the remainder of the Battalion deployed the 3rd Brigade to Southwest Asia to participate in Operation Desert Spring 02-02. The 1-10th Field Artillery returned to the US from Kuwait on 23 Sept 2002.

In January 2003, 1-10th Field Artillery and 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) again deployed to Southwest Asia in support of the Global War on Terror and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Battalion repeatedly distinguished itself during 26 days of sustained combat, fighting in every major engagement of the war except one. After crossing the Kuwait-Iraq border on the night of 20 March 2003, the Battalion traveled more than 750 kilometers in 20 days, culminating in the 3rd Infantry Division's attack into Baghdad on 6 April 2003. The Battalion fired a total of 6,283 rounds in support of all 3 ground maneuver brigades of the 3rd Infantry Division. These fires destroyed more than 800 enemy soldiers and 75 direct fire combat systems. The Battalion processed 218 radar acquisitions that resulted in the confirmed destruction of more than 50 enemy indirect fire systems. The Battalion lost no soldiers during the initial conflict and sustained only one casualty.

In July 2004, the 3rd Infantry Division began transformation as a whole to the US Army's new modular force structure. One aspect of the transformation included the changing relationships between habitually attached Division level elements and the Division's line brigades. As a result the 1-10th Field Artillery was inactivated and relieved of assignment to the Division Artillery (DIVARTY) and reactivated asssigned to the redesignated and reorganized 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.

In January 2005, 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. On 1 February 2005, Task Force 1-10th Field ARtillery was formed in order to provide the 3rd Brigade Combat Team with with the main effort. With a task force consisting of a mechanized infantry company, and an engineer company from 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment; a tank platoon from the 2-34th Armor; and combat multipliers that included a tactical PSYOP team, tactical HUMINT team, Civil Affairs, a Signal detachment, and the P3 Task Force known as TF 5-O, Task Force 1-10th Field Artillery was prepared to perform sustainment and support operations. The Task Force was located at Forward Operating Base Gabe in Baquba, Iraq. Its mission was to aid the Iraqi government and train Iraqi police and the Iraqi Army to assume responsibility and prprietorship of Diyala Province.

In 2007 1-10th Field Artillery returned to Iraq with other elements of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team on another tour of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) remained in Iraq into 2008.