1st Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment

The 1st Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment (1-319 AFAR) is the field artillery battalion that is part the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. Nicknamed "Loyalty", 1–319 AFAR has deployed to conduct combat operations in the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Kuwait, Afghanistan and three separate deployments to Iraq.

Origins
Battery A, 319th Artillery (A/319) served in World War I with the 319th Field Artillery Regiment, and in World War II with the 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion. Under the Pentomic organization, A/319 served as a direct support battery in the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery. Under the Combat Arms Regimental System and the Reorganization Objective Army Division, A/319 was reorganized and redesignated as 1-319 AFAR, a direct support battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery, on 25 May 1964.

Cold War
In April 1965, 1-319 AFAR deployed with the 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade to the Dominican Republic during Operation Powerpack, and earned campaign credit for the Dominican Republic Armed Forces Expedition.

In September 1974, 1-319 AFAR participated with 3rd Brigade in Exercise Gobi Express V at Fort Bliss, Texas. C/1-319 AFAR, commanded by CPT Gregory L. Shawn, employed innovative camouflage techniques to remain undetected by the opposing forces throughout the exercise, even after the battery's grid location was provided to opposing forces reconnaissance aircraft.

In 1983, 1-319 AFAR took part in Operation Urgent Fury, the Invasion of Grenada as part of the 82d Airborne Division. The 1-319 AFAR deployed an two tailored batteries of three guns each (Batteries A and B) and a battalion command post. The 1-319 AFAR earned Armed Forces Expedition credit for "Grenada".

In 1994, 1-319 AFAR was awarded the Army Superior Unit Award for meritorious service during difficult and challenging missions during peacetime for its participation as part of Task Force Outload from 10 September 2004 to 2 October 1994.

In 1999, C/1-319 AFAR earned the Army Superior Unit Award for their meritorious service in Kosovo with TF 2-505 PIR.

Operation Enduring Freedom II
Operation Enduring Freedom II

The first element of the 319th Field Artillery to deploy to combat in the Global War on Terror (GWOT), 1-319 AFAR, deployed as part of Task Force (TF) Panther (built around the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division) from June 2002 to January 2003. Batteries A and B of 1-319 AFAR manned M120 120mm mortars, while Battery C, 1-319 AFAR manned M119 105mm howitzers.

In 2002, B/1-319 AFAR was selected as the recipient of the Knox Award, recognizing the best field artillery battery in the Army, as a result of this deployment.

Operation Iraqi Freedom I
After returning from their OEF II rotation to Afghanistan, 1-319 AFAR deployed to Iraq with 3rd Brigade from summer 2003 to spring 2004.

Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-07
In August 2006, 1-319 AFAR deployed with 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division. Although expected to last one year, the deployment was extended to 15 months due to "The Surge" and the unit returned in November 2007, replacing the 3-320 around the towns of Tikrit and Ad Dawr in Salah ad Din Province. The 1-319 AFAR, commanded by LTC Barry DiRuzza, formed the core of Task Force Loyalty and operated as a provisional maneuver task force, conducting partnered training and joint operations with Iraqi Security Forces as well as other security and non-kinetic operations.

Other Significant Activities
Since it was established in 2002 to recognize outstanding individual thought and innovation that results in significant contributions to or the enhancement of the field artillery’s warfighting capabilities, morale, readiness or maintenance, members of 1-319 AFAR have earned the Field Artillery Association's annual Gruber award twice. The 2005 Gruber Award winner was SFC Craig Brown, brigade fire support NCO in HHB, 1-319 AFAR. The 2009 Gruber Award Winner was SFC Brandon Aguilar, a platoon sergeant in Battery B, 1-319.

On 21 January 2013, over 300 Paratroopers from 1-319 AFAR participated in the 57th Presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C.

Lineage

 * Constituted 5 August 1917 in the National Army as Battery A, 319th Field Artillery, an element of the 82d Division


 * Organized 2 September 1917 at Camp Gordon, Georgia


 * Demobilized 18 May 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey


 * Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as Battery A, 319th Field Artillery, an element of the 82d Division (later redesignated as the 82d Airborne Division)


 * Organized in January 1922 at Decatur, Georgia


 * Reorganized and redesignated 13 February 1942 as Battery A, 319th Field Artillery Battalion


 * Ordered into active military service 25 March 1942 and reorganized at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana


 * Reorganized and redesignated 15 August 1942 as Battery A, 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion


 * Reorganized and redesignated 15 December 1947 as Battery A, 319th Field Artillery Battalion

(Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps)


 * Withdrawn 15 November 1948 from the Organized Reserve Corps and allotted to the Regular Army


 * Reorganized and redesignated 15 December 1948 as Battery A, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion


 * Reorganized and redesignated 1 September 1957 as Battery A, 319th Artillery, an element of the 82d Airborne Division


 * Reorganized and redesignated 25 May 1964 as Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Battery, 1st Battalion, 319th Artillery (organic elements constituted 6 March 1964 and activated 25 May 1964)


 * Redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 1st Battalion, 319th Field Artillery


 * Redesignated 1 October 2005 as the 1st Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment

Source:

World War I
St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Lorraine 1918

World War II
Sicily; Naples Foggia; Normandy (with arrowhead); Rhineland (with arrowhead); Ardennes Alsace; Central Europe

Armed Forces Expeditions
Dominican Republic; Grenada

Southwest Asia
Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait; Cease-Fire

War on Terrorism
Campaigns to be determined

Decorations

 * Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered CHIUNZI PASS *


 * Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered STE. MERE EGLISE*


 * Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2003-2004*


 * Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered SOUTHWEST ASIA 1990-1991*


 * Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2006-2007*


 * Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2008-2009*


 * Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered 1994*


 * French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II, Streamer embroidered STE. MERE EGLISE*


 * French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II, Streamer embroidered COTENTIN*


 * French Croix de Guerre, World War II, Fourragere*


 * Military Order of William (Degree of the Knight of the Fourth Class), Streamer embroidered NIJMEGEN 1944*


 * Netherlands Orange Lanyard*


 * Belgian Fourragere 1940*


 * Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at St. Vith*


 * Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes*


 * Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in Belgium and Germany*

Battery C additionally entitled to: Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered 1999

Honors that are marked with an asterisk are those that were earned by the battalion or its predecessor. Unmarked honors are honors shared by all the regiment's elements based on having been earned by one of the other battalions.