1st Battalion - 213th Air Defense Artillery Regiment

The 1st Battalion, 213th Air Defense Artillery, was orignally constituted on 14 May 1874 as the 4th Infantry Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard. It organized on 30 June 1874 from existing independent companies of the 5th and 7th Divisions, Pennsylvania National Guard. The regiment consisted of companies in Allentown, Hamburg, Columbia, Reading, Pinegrove and Pottsville.

The unit was mustered into federal service from 9 May-6 July 1898 as the 4th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and mustered out of federal service 16 November 1898 and reorganized as the 4th Infantry Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard. It was mustered again into federal service on 8 July 1916 for Mexican border duty, and mustered out of federal service 15-26 January 1917. It was mustered into federal service on 16-27 July 1917.

The unit was reorganized and redesignated between 15 August 1917-21 March 1918 as the 10th, 108th and 109th Machine Gun Battalions, 28th Division, and as the 149th Machine Gun Battalion and elements of the 150th and 151st Machine Gun Battalions, 42nd Division. It was demobilized during May 1919.

The unit was reorganized between 9 July 1920-8 April 1921 as 1st, 2nd and 3rd Separate Battalions of Infantry, Pennsylvania National Guard. It was consolidated and redesignated 1 May 1922 as the 213th Artillery (Coast Artillery Corps). It was redesignated on 1 August 1921 as the 213th Coast Artillery and inducted into federal service on 15 September 1940.

The regiment reorganized and the 3rd Battalion activated on 15 June 1942. The regiment was broken up as follows: (Headquarters and Headquarters Battery was redesignated on 1 April 1944 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 213th Antiaircraft Artillery Group; hereafter, separate lineage); 1st Battalion was redesignated on 23 March 1944 as the 73rd Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion; the 2nd Battalion was redesignated on 14 March 1944 as the 899th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion; and the 3rd Battalion was redesignated on 1 April 1944 as the 337th Antiaircraft Artillery Searchlight Battalion.

The 73rd Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion inactivated on 25 January 1045 in France. It reorganized and was federally recognized on 30 September 1946 with Headquarters at Easton. It was redesignated on 1 June 1950 as the 213th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion and ordered in active federal military service on 29 August 1950 at Easton. It was redesignated on 1 October 1953 as the 213th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (Gun). It Headquarters relocated on 10 October 1953 to Bethlehem.

The 899th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion inactivated on 13 February 1945 in France. It reorganized in the Pennsylvania National Guard with Headquarters federally recognized on 8 October 1946 at Lancaster. The unit was ordered into active military service on 5 September 1950 at Lancaster. It was redesignated on 1 April 1953 as the 899th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (AW). The 899th Antiaircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) (Self Propelled) (National Guard U.S.) was organized with Headquarters federally recognized on 20 August 1953 at Lancaster. The unit was released from active military service on 15 June 1954 in Germany and reverted to state control. Its Federal recognition was concurrently withdrawn from its National Guard counterpart while the Headquarters relocated on 1 January 1958 to Hershey.

The 337th Antiaircraft Artillery Searchlight Battalion inactivated on 24 September 1944 in Italy. It was reorganized with Headquarters federally recognized on 9 December 1946 at Reading, and redesignated on 1 December 1947 as the 337th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion. It was ordered into active military service on 31 December 1952 at Reading and reverted to state control.

The 213th, 337th and 899th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalions were reorganized and redesignated on 1 June 1959 as the 213th Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System to consist of the 3rd Automatic Weapons Battalion and 4th Howitzer Battalion. It was reorganized on 24 March 1964 to consist of the 3rd Automatic Weapons Battalion and 4th Battalion. The unit was broken up on 17 February 1968 and withdrawn from the Combat Arms Regimental system and reorganized on 1 October 1990 under the United States Army Regimental System to consist of 1st Battalion, an element of the 28th Infantry Division.

July 2002 the 1st Battalion 213th Air Defense Artillery deployed to the European Theater in support of "Operation Enduring Freedom".