41st Fires Brigade (United States)

The 41st Fires Brigade ("Railgunners" ) is a field artillery brigade of the United States Army based in Fort Hood, Texas. It is a subordinate unit of III Corps.

History
The 41st Fires Brigade traces its lineage back to the 41st Artillery Regiment (Coast Artillery Corps), a static coastal artillery formation activated near the end of World War I.

The 41st Artillery was formed on 26 August 1918, at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Several months later the unit was demobilized. On 15 January 1921, the colors were transferred to the Pacific Theater, where the 41st Artillery was re-constituted as the Hawaiian Railway Battalion. On 1 July 1924, the unit was re-designated as the 41st Coast Artillery and remained in Hawaii until its deactivation on 30 June 1931.

On 21 April 1942, the 41st Coast Artillery was re-activated, this time at Fort Hase, Hawaii, where it served until 25 May 1944. It was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Streamer for its role in World War II. At that time, it was retired from the rolls of the regular Army and incorporated into the Hawaiian Department.

On 28 June 1950, Headquarters Battery, 41st Coast Artillery was reconstituted as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 41st Field Artillery Group and was inactivated 18 January 1952 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

In April 1967, the 41st Field Artillery Group deployed to the Republic of Vietnam, where it earned nine campaign streamers. On 15 November 1969, the Group was inactivated and its colors returned to the United States.

On 15 March 1972, the 41st Field Artillery Group was re-activated in Babenhausen, West Germany. The unit was re-designated as the 41st Field Artillery Brigade on 16 June 1982, and was assigned to V Corps Artillery. In 1999 was deployed to Albania as part of Operation Task Force Hawk to potentially perform SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) missions, and to act as a command and control center for all artillery units involved in the operation. In 2003, the brigade deployed with V Corps to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following their service in Iraq, the unit was inactivated on 15 July 2005. The 41st Fires Brigade was reactivated at Fort Hood, Texas on 16 April 2007 taking over the units of the inactivated 4th Fires Brigade.

Slightly more than one year later, the 41st Fires Brigade was called upon again to provide its battlefield expertise to the Wasit Province of Iraq. The Brigade established itself on the battlefield and began the process of providing security and stabilization to the people of Iraq. After 14 months, the brigade fulfilled its mission.

Current Structure
The 41st Fires Brigade is currently composed of:


 * 21 FA Rgt DUI.jpg Battalion, 21st Field Artillery Regiment (M270A1 MLRS)
 * Headquarters and Headquarters Battery
 * Alpha Battery
 * Bravo Battery
 * 575th Forward Support Company
 * 20 FA Rgt DUI.gif Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment (M270A1 MLRS)
 * Headquarters and Headquarters Battery
 * Alpha Battery
 * Bravo Battery
 * 67th Forward Support Company
 * 589 Spt Bn DUI.jpg Brigade Support Battalion
 * Headquarters and Headquarters Company
 * A Company (Supply, Transport, Ammo, Petro., & H2O)
 * B Company (Maintenance)
 * 26 FA Rgt DUI.jpg Battery, 26th Field Artillery Regiment (Target Acquisition Battery)
 * 324th Signal Company

Commanders
Ranks indicated are the highest ranks held by the individual, not necessarily the rank held at time of command.

41st FA group

 * COL S.H. Wheeler 1967
 * COL Archibald V. Arnold 1969
 * COL Homer W. Kiefer, Jr.     1973–1975
 * COL Charles Hoenstine    1976–1977
 * COL Edward J. Stein, Jr. Dec 1977 – July 1979

41st FA Brigade

 * LTG August M. Cianciolo   July 1979 – May 1982
 * MG Fred F. Marty         May 1982 – September 1984
 * COL Craig H. Leyda     1984
 * COL James H. Chapman     1986–1988
 * COL David A. Schulte             1988–1990
 * COL George E. Newman III     1990–1991
 * COL James R. Chambless             1992–1994
 * LTG Michael D. Maples      August 1994 – June 1996
 * COL Stephen M. Seay        July 1996 – August 1998
 * COL Michael T. Hayes      August 1998 – July 2000
 * COL Jackson L. Flake III July 2000 – July 2002
 * COL Charles C. Otterstedt III July 2002 – July 2004
 * COL Gary D. Langford July 2004 – July 2005

41st Fires Brigade

 * COL Richard M. Francey, Jr.       April 2007 – Oct. 2009
 * COL John Thomson, III                         Oct. 2009 – August 2011
 * COL William McRae                           August 2011 – present

Honors & Decorations

 * Campaign Participation Credit
 * World War II: Asiatic-Pacific Theater, streamer without inscription;
 * Vietnam: Counteroffensive, Phase II; Counteroffensive, Phase III; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase IV; Counteroffensive, Phase V; Counteroffensive, Phase VI; Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970
 * Bosnia Herzegovina: Support of IFOR and SFOR, 1995–1996
 * War on Terrorism: Campaigns to be determined


 * Decorations
 * Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), for SOUTHWEST ASIA 2003
 * Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), for VIETNAM 1967–1968
 * Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), for VIETNAM 1968–1969
 * Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, for VIETNAM 1967–1969