1st Battalion - 206th Field Artillery

The 1st 1st Battalion, 206th Field Artillery was originally organized in the Arkansas National Guard from elements of the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment and mustered into Federal service 27 September- 18 October 1917 at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, as the 141st Machine Gun Battalion, an element of the 39th Division. It deployed to Europe, near Chaumont, Department of Haute-Marne, France. It was demobilized 13 January 1919 at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana.

After World War I, the Regiment was organized 24 November 1923 in the Arkansas National Guard as the 206th Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps, with Headquarters at Marianna. Batteries D and F of the 206th Coast Artillery were stationed at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas.

The 206th Coast Artillery Regiment (Anti-aircraft) was ordered to active duty December 31, 1940 and began moving to Fort Bliss, TX in early January 1941. It was inducted into Federal service 6 January 1941 at home stations as a part of a 1 year mobilization of the National Guard in preparation for World War II. The Regiment conducted initial training at Fort Bliss, Texas. After extensive training, the 206th left Fort Bliss in August and arrived at Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska on August 16, 1941. It had been on station there for approximately 4 months when the Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. The Regiment participated in the Battle of Dutch Harbor Alaska, against two attacks by carrier based Japanese planes, a part of the Midway Island Campaign, on 2 June 1942, sustaining 7 killed. Members of the Regiment participated in operations to retake the islands of Attu and Kiska in the Aleutian Islands.

The 2nd Battalion was redesignated the 597th AAA (automatic weapons) and participated in the Central Europe and Rhineland campaigns. The 3rd Battalion, which was created in Alaska, was redesignated the 339th Searchlight Battalion, but was disbanded in less than three months and its personnel used as replacements.

The regiment returned to Fort Bliss in March of 1944, deactivated and headquarters personnel were reassigned. The 1st Battalion was redesignated the 596th AAA (automatic weapons), but was broken up after a month and its personnel used as replacements.

The 206th was ordered into active Federal service 24 September 1957 at home stations in support of the Central High School Integration Crisis in Little Rock Arkansas; released 22-24 October 1957 from active Federal service and reverted to state control.

On 1 December 1967 the 39th Division was re organized to become the 39th Infantry Brigade, the 206th was also re-organized to consist of the 5th Battalion, with headquarters in West Memphis, Arkansas.

It was reorganized on 30 September 1996 to consist of the 1st Battalion, with headquarters in Russellville, Arkansas.

1st Battalion, 206th Field Artillery qualified for battery certification at Ft. Chaffee, AR, in 1998.

The 1st Battalion inducted into Federal service 12 October 2003, at home stations, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit underwent training at Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Polk, Louisiana before deploying to Camp Taji, Iraq. During OIF II, the 206th provided fires in support of 39th Brigade Combat Team Operations; Served as the Base Defense Operations Center; Conduct Convoy and VIP Escort; Trained, Equipped and Organized the 307th Iraqi National Guard Battalion and Conducted mounted combat operations in the Taji, Area. The Battalion sustained 5 killed in action. Two members of the unit were awarded the Silver Star Medal.

In September 2005, the 1st Battalion was activated in support of Operation Katrina to provide Hurricane relief to the residents of Louisiana. Elements of the 206th served in Louisiana until February 2006.

In December 2006, the 1st Battalion deployed a 70 man detachment of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery for service on the South West Border in support of Operation Jump Start, serving there until the 1st Battalion received it's alert for the current mobilization.

1st Battalion inducted into Federal service on 2 January, 2008, at home stations, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. It underwent post mobilization training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. While deployed, it conducted Convoy Security, Base Defense and Garrison Command Operations in the Baghdad Area of Operations. Headquarters and Headquarters Battery was stationed in Camp Taji, Iraq and supported the 4th Infantry Division; Battery B, and Company G were also stationed at Camp Taji, Iraq, but supported the 1st Sustainment Brigade; Battery A was stationed at Camp Liberty, Iraq and also supported the 1st Sustainment Brigade. The battalion demobilized at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, 23 December 2008.

The unit activated a 50 man County Recovery Team under state control in order to support Ice Storm Recovery Operations in Sharp County, Arkansas, 30 January 2009 to 6 February 2009.

The 1st Battalion, 206th Field Artillery is currently headquartered in Russellville, with its attached Forward Support Company, Company G, 39th Brigade Support Battalion. Battery A is stationed in Morrilton, Arkansas with a detachment in Perryville. Battery B is stationed in Dardanelle, Arkansas, with a detachment in Paris. Detachment 1, (Fire Support) of Headquarters and Headquarters Service Battery is stationed on Camp Robinson, in North Little Rock Arkansas.

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CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT

World War I
Streamer without inscription

World War II
Aleutian Islands 1942-1943
Rhineland 1944-1945
Central Europe 1945

Global War on Terrorism
Iraq Campaign Streamer
Combat Action Battalion

Headquarters Battery (Russellville), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:
Southwest Asia
Defense of Saudi Arabia 1990-1991
Liberation and Defense of Kuwait 1991
Cease-Fire 1991-1995

B Battery (Dardanelle and Paris), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:

World War I
Silver Ban with out inscription

World War II
EAME
Naples-Foggia 1943-1944
Rome-Arno 1944
Southern France 1944 (with Arrow Head)
Rhineland 1944-1945
Central Europe 1945

Korean War
1st U.N. Counter Offensive 1951
CCF Spring Offensive 1951
U.N. Summer-Fall Offensive 1951
Second Korean Winter 1951-1952
Korea Summer-Fall, 1952
Third Korean Winter 1952-1953
Korea Summer 1953

DECORATIONS

B Battery (Dardanelle and Paris), 1st Battalion entitled to:

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Steamer Embroidered Korea 1951-1952