1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery
"First West Virginia"
The 201st Field Artillery Battalion's federal mission is to mobilize and deploy to provide general support artillery to Echelons Above Division Field Artillery Commanders. As a Force Support Package unit, the United States Army depends greatly on the readiness of the 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery.
The battalion earned its combat spurs with the older M109s during the Persian Gulf War in 1991 as part of the allied force that drove the Iraqi army out of Kuwait. On 15 December 1990 the 196th Field Artillery Brigade was federalized with three subordinate battalions. On 2 February the 196th deployed to Saudi Arabia with one of its subordinate units, the 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery, from West Virginia. The two other units-the 1st Battalion, 623d Field Artillery, from Kentucky and the 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery, from Tennessee-joined the brigade several days later.
The main body of 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery (196th Field Artillery Brigade) arrived in theater on 5 Feb 91. The first ship carrying equipment of 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery, began unloading 6 Feb 91. The 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery had 459 personnel in country and all equipment (45 tracked and 87 wheeled vehicles). 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery participated in deception operations. 201st Field Artillery fired 227 rounds of 155mm rocket assisted projectile ammunition in support of 6th (French) Light Armored Division. On 24 February 1991 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery, conducted a series of fire missions in support of 2d Foreign Legion Infantry Regiment: Battery C (LU 85694108) first fires six 155mm rocket assisted projectile rounds at LV 08904845 and then two simultaneous missions sending three 155mm rocket assisted projectile rounds at LV 93735961 and ten similar rounds at those same coordinates; Battery A (LU 85014102) fires eleven 155mm rocket assisted projectile rounds at LV 93735961; and Battery B (LU 85134038) fires nine 155mm rocket assisted projectile rounds at LV 93735961. 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery, was released from attachment to the 18th Field Artillery Brigade effective 1 March 1991 and attached to the 196th Field Artillery Brigade (VII Corps Artillery).
West Virginia's 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery, based in Fairmont, became the first National Guard battalion on the East Coast to convert from the older M109 self-propelled howitzers, that date back to the early 1960s, to the high-tech M109A6 Paladins that have been introduced into the Army's field artillery inventory during this decade.The Paladins, which have been developed since 1979, feature onboard computer and navigation systems so they can stop and fire their 155-mm howitzers within 75 seconds, whereas the older M109s must first be "laid in" by their gun crews.
Annual Training 1998 provided the 201st Field Artillery Battalion an opportunity to exercise its federal mission. All tasks were met with enthusiasm and professionalism. The battalion qualified its howitzer crews through battery level missions. Additionally, selected battalion level missions were successfully completed. 1997's Single Channel Ground Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) training proved to be a complete success, as the battalion conducted its entire Annual Training utilizing the SINCGARS unique ability to operate in a Frequency Hopping Secure mode. The redlegs of the "First West Virginia" also took time to recognize its best. Each battery conducted a "Best Howitzer Section" competition and, although every battery selected a winner, the real winner was the espirit de corps of the battalion. The friendly competition brought out the "warrior spirit" in all involved.
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