143rd Field Artillery Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 143rd Field Artillery Regiment is a combat arms regiment
of the United States Army
made up of soldiers from the California Army National Guard
. Only the regiment's first battalion, an M119A2
-equipped fires battalion, is still active. The 1st Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery's current mission is to shoot safely, accurately, and quickly in direct support of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
. Furthermore, the battalion trains to deploy, fight, and win on the battlefield and respond effectively to any state emergency.
The first battalion was most recently activated for federal service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2007-2008. The subordinate batteries of 1-143 FA executed force protection missions throughout central and northern Iraq
.
The First Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery Regiment provides direct support fires to the 79th (formerly 40th) Infantry Brigade Combat Team, CAARNG. As the BCT's fires battalion, the 1-143 is organized to provide responsive and accurate artillery fires to the elements of the IBCT, including close supporting fires and counterfire.
The regiment was originally organized as the 1st Battalion of California Field Artillery on 20 December 1912 from existing units in the California National Guard, with Headquarters at Oakland. The 1st Battalion was called into service on 18 June 1916, at their home station, and mustered into federal service on 28 June 1916 at the Sacramento Fairgrounds as part of the 1st California Brigade [National Guard]. The 1st Battalion of California Field Artillery, along with other units of the 1st California Brigade, served during the Mexican Border Campaign at Nogales and Yuma, Arizona. The unit was tasked with protecting the border and railroads as other units patrolled the vast border that separated the United States and Mexico.
The regiment's units earned the following Campaign Participation Credit:
The regiment has contributed forces to the following state mobilizations:
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
made up of soldiers from the California Army National Guard
California National Guard
The California National Guard is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of California. It comprises both Army and Air National Guard components and is the largest national guard force in the United States with a total authorized strength of 22,900 soldiers and airmen...
. Only the regiment's first battalion, an M119A2
M119 howitzer
The M119 Howitzer is a lightweight 105-mm howitzer used by the United States Army. It can be easily airlifted, even by helicopter, or dropped by parachute. It does not need a recoil pit.-Development:...
-equipped fires battalion, is still active. The 1st Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery's current mission is to shoot safely, accurately, and quickly in direct support of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)
The 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is an infantry brigade of the United States Army and the California Army National Guard. In late 2008, the 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was redesignated as the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team without changing its composition.-Order of battle:*1st...
. Furthermore, the battalion trains to deploy, fight, and win on the battlefield and respond effectively to any state emergency.
The first battalion was most recently activated for federal service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2007-2008. The subordinate batteries of 1-143 FA executed force protection missions throughout central and northern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Subordinate units
First BattalionThe First Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery Regiment provides direct support fires to the 79th (formerly 40th) Infantry Brigade Combat Team, CAARNG. As the BCT's fires battalion, the 1-143 is organized to provide responsive and accurate artillery fires to the elements of the IBCT, including close supporting fires and counterfire.
- Headquarters and Headquarters Battery
- HHB is headquartered in Walnut Creek, CA and has a detachment in nearby Concord, CA. HHB consists of a battery headquarters, the battalion command section, S1, operations and intelligence platoon, communications platoon, S4, medical platoon, unit ministry team, and a target acquisition platoon. The battery provides communications support and command and control for the fires battalion and subordinate, reinforcing, or attached units.
- Alpha Battery
- Alpha Battery is stationed at Lodi, CA and has a detachment in Sacramento, CA. Though battery designation has changed through the years, there has been an artillery battery in Lodi since before World War II
- Bravo Battery
- Bravo Battery is stationed at Santa Maria, CA and has a detachment in Bakersfield, CA. Bravo is organized identically to Alpha battery and consists of a battery headquarters, two firing platoons, a supply section, and two ammunition sections. Each firing platoon consists of four howitzer sections, a platoon headquarters section, and platoon operations center composed of fire direction center section personnel.
- Golf Company, 40th BSB
- Golf Company, based in Richmond, CA, is the 1-143 FA's forward support company (FSC). The forward support company is organic to the 79th Brigade Support Battalion and assigned to the 1-143 FA. The forward support company provides field maintenance, subsistence (Class I), and supply distribution for the battalion. The forward support company consists of a company headquarters, a field feeding section, a field maintenance platoon, and a distribution platoon.
History
Service Battery, 1-143 FA (now G Co, 40th BSB) based in Richmond, CA, traces its lineage to Battery A, First Battalion of California Heavy Artillery. Battery A mustered into federal service in San Francisco between 6 and 11 May 1898, along with the rest of the battalion. A and D Batteries of the battalion sailed to the Philippines, participating in the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American War. Following service in those two conflicts, A Battery was mustered out of federal service in San Francisco on 21 September 1899.The regiment was originally organized as the 1st Battalion of California Field Artillery on 20 December 1912 from existing units in the California National Guard, with Headquarters at Oakland. The 1st Battalion was called into service on 18 June 1916, at their home station, and mustered into federal service on 28 June 1916 at the Sacramento Fairgrounds as part of the 1st California Brigade [National Guard]. The 1st Battalion of California Field Artillery, along with other units of the 1st California Brigade, served during the Mexican Border Campaign at Nogales and Yuma, Arizona. The unit was tasked with protecting the border and railroads as other units patrolled the vast border that separated the United States and Mexico.
The regiment's units earned the following Campaign Participation Credit:
- Spanish–American War
- Philippine–American War
- Mexican Expedition
- World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
- World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
- Operation Enduring Freedom JTF-GTMO
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
The regiment has contributed forces to the following state mobilizations:
- Folsom State Prison Riots 1927Folsom State PrisonFolsom State Prison is a California State Prison located in the city of Folsom, California, northeast from the state capital of Sacramento. Opened in 1880, Folsom is the second-oldest prison in the state of California after San Quentin and was the first in the country to have electricity...
- Los Angeles Riots 19921992 Los Angeles riotsThe 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...
- 2002-2004 Golden Gate Bridge Security
- Airport Security 2006
- California Wildfires 2007October 2007 California wildfiresThe October 2007 California wildfires were a series of wildfires that began burning across Southern California on October 20. At least 1,500 homes were destroyed and over 500,000 acres of land burned from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.–Mexico border...
- California Wildfires 2008Summer 2008 California wildfiresThe summer 2008 California wildfires, collectively dubbed the Northern California Lightning Series by CAL FIRE, were a concentrated outbreak of wildfires during the summer of 2008. Over 2,780 individual fires were burning at the height of the period, burning large portions of forests and chaparral...