• Military Menu                       

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

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

2nd Battalion - 180th Field Artillery

The 2-180 FA has been designated as an M198 Howitzer battalion and is undergoing equipment transition training. The 2-180th FA is an Arizona Army National Guard Field Artillery battalion. Field training is conducted mostly at Florence Military Reservation. Annual Training this year was conducted in two locations; Camp Navajo, near Flagstaff, Arizona; and at Florence Military Reservation. While the Battalion Headquarter is located in Phoenix, there are units located in Chandler, Phoenix, and Tucson.

The battalion traces its lineage and history back to Battery B, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, Arizona National Guard. This Battery was constituted on 16 July 1919, and was federally recognized on 24 March 1921 at Mesa, Arizona. On 19 October 1921, the battery was redesignated as Battery E, 2nd Battalion, 158th Field Artillery Regiment, originally equipped with horse drawn 75mm guns.

On 16 September 1940, Battery E was inducted into federal service at Mesa as part of the 45th Division. The battery soon joined the parent unit at Ft Sill, Oklahoma. After a period of intensive training at Ft Sill and Camp Barkley, Texas, including maneuvers in Texas and Louisiana, the 2nd Battalion, 158th Field Artillery Regiment, including Battery E and many of its original men, were ordered to the Panama Canal Zone on 10 January 1942. In Panama the battalion was outfitted with 105mm Howitzers.

On 22 February 1942, the 2nd Battalion, 158th Field Artillery Regiment was redesignated the 207th Field Artillery Battalion, and Battery E became Battery B. Almost a year and a half later, after service in Panama, the battalion was ordered back to the States and arrived in San Francisco on 25 June 1943. In California the battalion again underwent intensive training at Ft Ord and Hunter Liggett Military Reservation. After some 23 years as light artillery, the battalion was reorganized on 1 February 1944 as a tractor drawn 8 inch howitzer battalion.

The 207th Field Artillery Battalion fought in France, Belgium and Germany. It was credited with participating in campaigns of North France, Central Europe and the Rhineland. Although the fighting in Europe ended on 5 May 1945, the battalion remained in the European Theater of Operations until 5 November 1945, when it departed from Marseilles, France. The battalion arrived at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on 14 November 1945 and was inactivated two days later.

Less than one year later the history of the Arizona Artillery resumed. On 24 June 1946, Battery B, 207th Field Artillery Battalion was expanded to Battalion size and designated the 480th Field Artillery Battalion equipped with 105mm towed howitzers. The first units of the battalion to receive federal recognition were Headquarters and Headquarters Battery and Service Battery, both located in Mesa. They received federal recognition 9 July 1947. The battalion grew rapidly adding the following units: Battery B, Casa Grande on 22 October 1947; Battery A, Chandler on 23 October 1947; Battery C, Tempe on 23 March 1948; and Medical Detachment on 4 August 1948.

On 1 March 1959 the battalion was reorganized as a 155mm towed howitzer battalion, and redesignated as the 1st Howitzer Battalion 180th Artillery. On 1 March 1963 the battalion was redesignated as a self-propelled 155mm howitzer battalion.

On 1 April 1976 the 180th Field Artillery was re-organized to consist of the 1st and 2nd Battalions. The 2nd Battalion was inactivated on 1 September 1992. On 1 October 1995 the 2nd Battalion began to develop it's force structure and on 2 September 1997 was activated as part of the 40th Infantry Division (Mech), Los Angeles, California.

The 2nd Battalion transitioned in 1999 from its previous role as a self-propelled direct support battalion to its current configuration as a towed, general support battalion. They completed this transition in less than five months, becoming combat ready by the end of annual training at Camp Navajo and Florence Military Reservation in July 1999.