75th Fires Brigade (United States) - History

History

Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 75th Field Artillery Brigade was originally formed within the Organized Reserves as the 509th Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft) on 21 July 1921, at Seattle, Washington. It was inactivated on 1 October 1933 at Seattle, Washington and allotted to the Regular Army. On 1 July 1940, it was activated and re-designated as the 75th Coastal Artillery (Antiaircraft) at Fort Lewis, Washington.

After reorganization on 20 February 1944, the unit became Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 75th Antiaircraft Artillery Group. The unit was then inactivated 12 December 1944 at Camp Howze, Texas. Re-designated 10 January 1967 as Headquarters and Headquarter Battery, 75th Artillery Group. It was activated 1 February 1967 at Fort Irwin, California. The unit was re-designated 15 March 1972 as Headquarters and Headquarter Battery, 75th Artillery Group. Finally it was re-designated 16 March 1981 as Headquarter Battery, 75th Field Artillery Brigade. the Brigade was composed of the following units.

• 168th Field Artillery (155mm)(Motorized) Battalion Colorado National Guard
• 181st Field Artillery (155mm)(Trk Drawn) Battalion Tennessee National Guard
• 191st Field Artillery (155mm)(Trk Drawn) Battalion Tennessee National Guard

The 75th Field Artillery Brigade deployed to Saudi Arabia in September 1990. The Brigade was task organized under XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery in support of defensive operations during Operation Desert Shield. In January 1991, the Brigade was task organized under VII Corps Artillery in support of offensive operations. The 75th Field Artillery Brigade supported both VII Corps main efforts providing fires for 1st Infantry Division (Mech) during their breaching operation and while supporting the 1st Armored Division, helped deliver the Knock Out Punch by destroying elements of the Republican Guard Force. The brigade is credited with firing the first artillery rounds for VII Corps, firing the first Army Tactical Missile (ATACMS), having the first National Guard unit to fire during Desert Storm, and firing 278 missions with 7,123 rounds/rockets. Receiving no casualties, the 75th Brigade re-deployed back to Fort Sill in April 1991.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom I, the Brigade’s units served well. HHB, 75th Field Artillery Brigade again proved their versatility when in February 2003, deployed as the Army's first ever Exploitation Task Force. The HHB was task organized under CFLCC and searched for Weapons of Mass Destruction during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. HHB, 75th Brigade returned successfully with no casualties from Operation Iraqi Freedom in June 2003.

6–27th Field Artillery Battalion organized under the 4th Infantry Division, deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom in April 2003. 6–27th Field Artillery was then subsequently reassigned under 17th Field Artillery Brigade in support of Task Force Bullet II where the unit began missions of hauling captured enemy ammunition. In 8 months of deployment, 6–27 FA traversed over 13,000 miles hauling in excess of 1.3 million pounds of captured enemy ammunition. 6–27 redeployed from the Central Command area of responsibility in November 2003.

1–17th Field Artillery Battalion organized under 4th Infantry Division and fired in direct support of the Division’s Cavalry Squadron, 1–10 CAV. 1–17 supported 1–10 CAV from the crossing of the berm until the culmination of major combat operations. 1–17 was then organized under 2nd Brigade, 4th ID, and assigned an area of operations along the Iranian border where it served in training the Iraqi Border Police, Iraqi National Guard, and standing up of three city governments. 1–17 redeployed from OIF in March 2004. The unit also deployed 2010-2011 in support of OEF.

1–77th Field Artillery Battalion served as III (US) CORPS strategic hedge, standing ready to deploy to any major contingency operations that may have arisen. In May 2004, 1–77 deployed to Fort Lewis, Washington where it served in evaluating ROTC Cadets in their summer training. They returned to Fort Sill in August 2004.

On 5 November 2004, HHB (-), 75th Field Artillery Brigade deployed to Baghdad, Iraq in order to serve as the 75th Force Field Artillery Headquarters attached to the 1st Cavalry Division (CD) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) II. The Brigade mission was to quickly deploy, conduct RSOI, force protection, and establish Command and Control (C2) of 1st CD’s counter-fire operations. The 75th Brigade provided C2, intelligence planning, fire control, and the integration of lethal and non-lethal effects to maximize intelligence based counter mortar/rocket operations.

In September 2006, the 75th Field Artillery Brigade was re-organized and renamed the 75th Fires Brigade. Today, the 75th Fires Brigade continues the mission of being a deployable, combat brigade, prepared to support any contingency in support of the Global War On Terror. The reorganization of the Brigade established 2-18FAR (Mission Ready!) as the organic Fires battalion and established the 100th Brigade Support Battalion (Diamond Support), and C/26 TAB (Diamondbacks) as the other organic units associated with the Brigade. 3-13FAR (Red Dragons) and 1-17FAR (Copperheads) are assigned to the Brigade as the additional Fires battalions. Today, the 75th Fires Brigade stands as one of the most powerful brigades in the United States Army, able to execute two level maintenance, provide C2 and assets for the counter-fire fight, conduct long range communications, reinforce the close fight, and provide long range artillery fires with one M109 Paladin and two M270A1 Multiple Launch Rocket System Fires battalions.

The Brigade is credited with campaign participation in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II, the defense of Saudi Arabia, the liberation and defense of Kuwait during Operation Desert Shield / Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom II.