3d Battalion 29th Field Artillery and 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment (United States): Difference between pages

3rd Battalion 29th Field Artillery Regiment
File:329FABN.png Regimental crest of the 29th Field Artillery Regiment
Active	1 July 1916-
Country	United States
Branch	U.S. Army
Part of	3nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division
Garrison/HQ	Fort Carson
Nickname(s)	"Pacesetters"
Motto(s)	"Fidelis et Verus" (Always Faithful)
Equipment	M109A6 Paladin
Engagements	World War II Vietnam War Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom
Decorations	Presidential Unit Citation

The 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment (3/29 FA BN) is a unit of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team (3rd BCT) of the 4th Infantry Division, United States Army. The battalion is garrisoned at Fort Carson, Colorado (Colorado Springs).

Unit Structure

The battalion is comprised of 3 firing batteries of M109A6 Paladin 155mm Self Propelled Howitzers. Each firing battery consists of 6 guns, 6 Field Artillery Ammunition Supply Vehicles (FAASV's, also referred to as CAT's), 2 Fire Direction Control (FDC) vehicles, and various support vehicles. Firing batterys are staffed with approximately 100 men, sub-divided into 3 platoons (1st, 2nd, and Headquaters).

The battalion also contains two non-firing batterys. The service battery consists of Palletized Loading System (PLS) resupply vehicles, fuelers, cooks, and logistics support services sections.

The headquaters battery and headquaters element, collectively know as Headquaters and Headquaters Battery (HHB), consists of battalion command and staff, with supporting equipment and personnel in each of the staff sections (S1 - S6).

Mission Statement

3-29 Field Artillery Fires Battalion provides timely and accurate lethal indirect fire support for the 3d Heavy Brigade Combat Team Unit of Action, along with synchronizing the effects of non-lethal fires for the Commander in support of any worldwide deployment or contingency operation. On order, 3-29 Field Artillery is prepared to operate as a motorized maneuver battalion, combining both maneuver and traditional fire support against any enemy on the modern battlefield.

Lineage

The 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, was originally constituted on 5 July 1918 in the National Army as Battery C, 29th Field Artillery, an element of the 10th Division. It was organized on 11 August 1918 at Camp Funston, KS, where it demobilized on 4 February 1919.

It was reconstituted on 24 March 1923 in the Regular Army as Battery C, 29th Field Artillery Battalion, and activated on 1 August 1940 at Fort Benning, GA, as an element of the 4th Division (later redesignated as the 4th Infantry Division). It was reorganized and redesignated on 1 October 1940 as Battery C, 29th Field Artillery Battalion. The unit inactivated on 14 February 1946 at Camp Butner, NC.

It reactivated on 15 July 1947 at Fort Ord, CA, and inactivated on 1 April 1957 at Fort Lewis, WAn, and relieved from assignment to the 4th Infantry Division.

Redesignated on 30 April 1959 as Battery C, 29th Artillery, it was concurrently, withdrawn from the Regular Army, allotted to the Army Reserve, and assigned to the Second United States Army. It activated on 1 June 1959 at Westminster, MD. It was relieved on 1 January 1966 from assignment to the Second United States Army and assigned to the First United States Army.

The unit was redesignated on 1 September 1971 as Battery C, 29th Field Artillery, before inactivating on 16 September 1979 at Westminster, MD.

Withdrawn on 1 April 1984 from the Army Reserve and allotted to the Regular Army, it was concurrently redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery, assigned to the 4th Infantry Division and activated at Fort Carson, CO, with its organic elements concurrently constituted and activated.

Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF 1)

The 3/29th FA BN was deployed to Iraq in April 2003, under the command of LT. Colonel Jeffrey Springman, as a part of the 4th Infantry Division invasion force. The battalion initially moved north into Kurdish controlled territory to establish a security presence in the area. They met little resistance during that initial push, however, and the brigade command began a reorganization of battalion Areas of Operation.

During that relative calm, the battalion detached its Alpha battery to take up a detainment facility guard position in the vicinity of Taji, Iraq, and the battalion was assigned a Multiple Launch Rocket platoon from 2nd Battalion 44th Field Artillery (MLRS) and elements of the Brigade Recon Team.

The Pacesetter battalion was soon ordered to move back south to support the ongoing operations to quell the insurgency in the vicinity of Samarra, with Bravo battery establishing a forward operating base (FOB) at the Samarra East Airfield. Its mission was to provide fires to coalition forces conducting sorties into Samarra, and to conduct patrols in the nearby towns and villiages. Firebase Paladin was established to provide "calls-for-fire" support, and began providing operation forces with, initially, illumination fire. As the insurgent presence escalated, the battalion began conducting combat fires on reported enemy positions, as well as counter-battery fire to suppress mortar attacks on the FOB and surrounding area.

As the insurgency gained more confidence and began performing more frequent attacks on patrols in and around Samarra, Charlie battery was dispatched from their base of operations near Kirkuk to reinforce Bravo battery, followed closely by the HHB and Service batteries. With the additional forces oh-hand, 3/29 FA continued presence patrols in the Daluiyah area and simultaneously provided firebase support to coalition forces. As the fighting in the area intensified, soon the battalion began conducting cordon and search, scout, and checkpoint operations to hinder insurgent activity, as well.

In addition to combat operations, the battalion established security for civilian infrastructure, provided training to Iraqi Civil Defense Forces (ICDC), and conducted community programs to educate the populace on the units mission and its commitment to bringing increased security and stability to the area.

The winter of 2003 and early spring of 2004 were occupied by continued combat operations and train-up and hand-off operations with elements of the 2nd Infantry Division, the battalions relieving unit. The Pacesetter battalion redeployed with the 4th Infantry Division to Ft. Carson, Colorado, in the spring of 2004.

- Source: First-hand account of the author.

Update: FOB Pacesetter was renamed FOB McKenzie in December 2003, in honor of Cavalry Officer Ronal S. MacKenzie, for his work in establishing security on the American Frontier. -Source:GlobalSecurity.org

See Also

4th Infantry Division United States Army

External Links

Official Site