• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment
"Strike"

The 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment provides the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division with a trained and ready combat force. Additionally, the 1-125th Field Artillery, a Minnesota Army National Guard battalion, is prepared to support the State of Minnesota with troops capable of assisting in a disaster. The Battalion is headquartered in New Ulm, Minnesota. As of 11 January 2011, there were 3 major units in the 1-125th Field Artillery: the Battalion's Headquarters and Headquarters Battery in New Ulm, Minnesota; A Battery in Pipestone and Luverne, Minnesota; and B Battery in Jackson and Fairmont, Minnesota. At that time it was equipped with M109A6 self-propelled howitzers, M577 command tracks, and the AFATDS tactical computer system.

The lineage of the 125th Field Artillery traces back to the 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, which was organized on 15 April 1887. The 3rd Regiment was mustered into federal service in 1898 during the Spanish American War.

When called into Federal service for World War I in July 1917, the 3rd Regiment was primarily a northern Minnesota organization. The Minnesota units were reorganized into the 34th "Red Bull" Division on 1 October 1917 and became the new 125th Field Artillery Regiment. Troops of the 34th Division units landed in France in 1918 and of the Division units only the 125th Field Artillery earned a campaign steamer in World War I.

In February 1941, the 125th Field Artillery Regiment was inducted into Federal service for World War II. In January 1942, the Regimental Headquarters was disbanded and the 1st Battalion was redesignated the 125th Field Artillery Battalion. The 125th Field Artillery Battalion distinguished itself in World War II, where it was frequently teamed with the 135th Infantry Regiment. The Battalion fired over 250,000 rounds of artillery ammunition in 480 days of combat, more than any other battalion.

The Battalion was again ordered into active Federal service on 16 January 1951 for the Korean conflict and served at Camp Rucker, Alabama until 2 December 1954 when released from active duty. Many soldiers of the Battalion saw action in Korea as replacement troops.

The Unit was reorganized in 1959, 1963, 1968, and finally in 1972 as the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery.

In March of 1990, the Battalion deployed to the Republic of Korea to participate in Team Spirit 90, as part of I Corps. This was the first overseas deployment of a battalion-sized element from Minnesota since World War II. While in Korea, the Battalion received a fully trained status in every category evaluated.

In 1996, 1-125th Field Artillery was assigned a mission as part of a NATO Composite Force (NCF). The Battalion served as a part of the NATO forces for the defense of Norway and included forces from Norway and Germany, as well as the US. The Battalion trained annually in Norway as part of the Norwegian 6th Infantry Division until 2002. During this period, the Battalion also retained its mission to provide and coordinate direct support field artillery fires to the 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry Division.

During the 1990s, the 1-125th Field Artillery was equipped with the M109A5 self-propelled howitzers, the M577 command tracks, and the IFSAS tactical computer system. It was organized with a Headquarters and Headquarters Battery in New Ulm, Minnesota (with a detachment in Anoka, Minnesota); A Battery in in Pipestone, Minnesota (with a detachment in Luverne, Minnesota; B Battery in Jackson, Minnesota; C Battery in St. James Minnesota; and the Battalion's Service Battery in St. Peter, Minnesota.

In 2003, the Battalion mobilized and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Elements of the Battalion provided force protection and security for Air Force bases in Turkey, Italy, Belgium and the United Kingdom. The Battalion demobilized in spring 2004. During the same period, several elements of the Battalion mobilized and deployed to support stability operations in Bosnia and Kosovo.

In mid-2005, as part of Army-wide transformation, the Battalion severed its command relationship with the 34th Division Artillery and became the organic fires battalion of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division. The transformation represented little in the way of changes to the Battalion's legacy mission as the direct support field artillery battalion to the 1st Brigade.

In the fall of 2005, the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery and B Battery were again mobilized, this time to prepare for deployment in support of Operation Iraqi freedom. During its mobilization training at Camp Shelby Mississippi, the Battalion was with elements from Kansas (B/1-161st Field Artillery) and Kentucky (B/2-123rd Armor and C/2-123rd Armor), as well as nearly 150 individual replacements from 32 states and territories. During combat operations in Iraq from May 2006 through July 2007, the Battalion was charged with the mission to secure Convoy Support Center Scania, a key logistics hub south of Baghdad.

During operations the Battalion conducted counter-insurgency, civil-military support, humanitarian assistance, and security operations throughout a 400 square mile area of operations comprising portions of Babil, Qadisiyah and Wasit Provinces. The Battalion worked with Multi-national Divisions Baghdad, Center and Center-South to defeat insurgent, militia networks subverting Iraqi national security and rule of law. The Battalion sustained 2 KIAs and several WIAs during its 16 months of combat operations in Iraq. For its distinguished service in combat, the Battalion was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation.