3rd Battalion (HIMAD), 6th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
The 3rd Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery Regiment trains Initial Entry Soldiers on the Patriot weapon system, in soldierization and on warrior tasks and battle drills, and provides Patriot training to advanced US and select allied soldiers in order to build the tactical, technical and Warrior skills required to contribute immediately upon arriving to their follow-on unit. The Battalion, on order, serves as the Patriot strategic reserve for FORSCOM units and supports the mobilization of designated Active and Reserve component units and conducts other missions in support of Air and Missile Defense transformation and the global war on terrorism. The Battalion trains and prepares junior soldiers, warrant officers, and officers to immediately contribute to the operational force while providing world-class training for Allied students as a part of the Fires Center of Excellence. The Battalion also takes care of soldiers and families and develops leaders.
The 3rd Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery was first constituted on 8 March 1898 in the Regular Army as Battery B, 6th Regiment of Artillery and organized on 23 March 1898 at Fort McHenry, Maryland. The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 13 February 1901 as the 61st Company, Coast Artillery, Artillery Corps and was redesignated on 2 February 1907 as the 61st Company, Coast Artillery Corps. During this period, the Company participated in the Philippine Insurrection, receiving a campaign streamer without inscription.
The unit was subsequently redesignated on 20 July 1916 as the 2d Company, Fort Baker (California). It was redesignated on 31 August 1917 as the 11th Company, Coast Defenses of San Francisco, in November 1917 as Battery C, 1st Antiaircraft Battalion, and on 14 November 1918 as the 24th Antiaircraft Battery, 1st Antiaircraft Sector. In 1918, the Battery, having been sent to Europe to fight in the Great War, participated in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, being awarded a campaign streamer for this action.
After returning from Europe, the unit was redesignated on 29 March 1919 as the 11th Company, Coast Defenses of San Francisco. It was redesignated on 1 June 1922 as the 61st Company, Coast Artillery Corps and again on 1 July 1924 as Battery B, 6th Coast Artillery, and inactivated in the Coast Defenses of San Francisco.
The Battery was reactivated on 1 July 1939 at Fort Winfield Scott, California. It was reorganized and redesignated on 18 October 1944 as Battery B, 6th Coast Artillery Battalion. It was redesignated on 15 September 1945 as Battery F, Harbor Defenses of San Francisco and inactivated on 10 June 1946 at Fort Winfield Scott, California.
While inactive, the unit was redesignated on 28 June 1950 as Battery B, 6th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. It was redesignated on 4 October 1950 as Battery B, 6th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, an element of the 6th Infantry Division, and activated at Fort Ord, California. It was subsequently inactivated on 3 April 1956 at Fort Ord, California, and relieved from assignment to the 6th Infantry Division.
Battery B, 6th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion was consolidated on 1 September 1963 with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Howitzer Battalion, 6th Artillery (active) (first organized in 1901), and the consolidated unit designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Howitzer Battalion, 6th Artillery. The Battalion's organic elements were constituted on 2 June 1958 and activated on 25 June 1958. The consolidated unit was credited with participation in the European and Pacific Theaters during the Second World War, with campaign streamers having been awarded for the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, and Luzon.
The Battalion was subsequently deployed to the Republic of Vietnam and participated in 10 campaigns there: Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive Phase II, Counteroffensive Phase III, Tet Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive Phase IV, Counteroffensive Phase V, Counteroffensive Phase VI, Tet 69/Counteroffensive, Summer-Fall 1969, and Winter-Spring 1970. While deployed to Vietnam, the unit was redesignated on 1 April 1968 as the 3rd Battalion, 6th Artillery. It was inactivated on 10 April 1970 at Fort Lewis, Washington after returning from Southeast Asia.
The unit was redesignated (less former Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Howitzer Battalion, 6th Artillery) on 1 September 1971 as the 3rd Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery. The former Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Howitzer Battalion, 6th Artillery was concurrently redesignated as the 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery and thereafter had a separate lineage. 3rd Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery was activated on 13 September 1972 at Fort Bliss, Texas and was inactivated on 21 December 1975 at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Headquarters, 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery was transferred on 16 June 1987 to the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and activated at Fort Bliss, Texas. The Battalion was organized into 5 batteries administering to 9 departments and directorates of the US Army Air Defense Artillery School. As part of the Air Defense Artillery School's School Brigade, the 3rd Battalion was responsible for common task, skills qualification, and annual physical readiness testing for the personnel assigned to the various 9 directorates and departments within the School. In 1988, The School Brigade was reflagged as the 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and 3-6th Air Defense Artillery was assigned to the newly activated unit.
In the 1990s, 3-6th Air Defense Artillery transitioned to conducting the advanced individual training soldier training on the Patriot missile system. Located at Fort Bliss, Texas, adjacent to El Paso, all Patriot Missile System operators and maintainers were trained at this Battalion by military and civilian instructors. The Battalion's mission was to train US and selected allied officers, warrant officers, noncommissioned officers, enlisted personnel and authorized civilians on the Patriot missile system. On order, the Battalion would also support the mobilization of designated active and reserve component units.
The Battalion's primary mission was to conduct and support High-to-Medium Altitude Air Defense (HIMAD) systems institutional training. Headquarters and A Battery was responsible for the Patriot officer courses: MOSs 14E (Patriot System Officer) and 140E (Patriot System Technician); HAWK Product Improvement Program (PIP) III FMS officer, warrant officer, and enlisted courses; and operation of training devices. Battery B was responsible for Patriot enlisted courses: MOSs 14E10 (Patriot Fire Control Enhanced Operator/ Maintainer) and 14T10 (Patriot Launching Station Enhanced Operator). Battery C was responsible for Patriot organizational maintenance.
The Battalion staff worked to design, develop, review, and update POIs, lesson plans, and related materials for institutional training. It maintained an audit trail of POI and lesson plans development. The Battalion qualified instructors, following their graduation from the Brigade TAITC, via the Battalion Qualification Board. The Battalion also scheduled and adjust classes in accordance with the Structure Manpower Decision Review and Training Requirements Arbitration Panel processes, producing appropriate training schedules.
The Battalion also performed academic counseling; conducted academic boards, when necessary, and rendered recommendations; performs organizational maintenance on assigned conventional and tactical equipment and training devices. The Battalion maintained unit physical readiness and execute and support soldier and family care and community responsibilities. The Battalion also provided Patriot equipment and training devices to support US Army Ordnance, Missile, and Munitions Center and School detachment training (MOS 27X30/40 [Patriot System Repairer]) at Fort Bliss, Texas.
The unit was redesignated on 1 October 2005 as the 3rd Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery Regiment. In June 2009, as a result of the 2005 BRAC recommendations, the 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and its subordinate units followed the Air Defense Artillery School to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In May 2012, the 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade was inactivated and reflagged as the 30th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, which was activated in its place. 3-6th Air Defense Artillery was assigned to the newly activated brigade.
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