1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery (United States)

The 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery Regiment (United States) is a field artillery battalion of the New York Army National Guard. It was originally constituted as the 4th Regiment, New York State Artillery and organized on 9 October 1809 at New York, from two existing battalions of Volunteer Militia Artillery dating back to 1786. It was redesignated on 13 June 1812 as the 3d Regiment, New York State Artillery.

History
The unit was mustered into Federal service on 15 September 1812 and mustered out of Federal service on 15 December 1812. It was mustered again into Federal service on 2 September 1814 and mustered out of Federal service, on 3 December 1814. It was redesignated on 27 July 1847 as the 8th Regiment, New York State Militia. The unit was mustered into Federal service on 26 April 1861 at Washington, D.C., and mustered out of Federal service 2 August 1861 at New York. It was mustered again into Federal service on 29 May 1862 at New York and mustered out of Federal service 11 September 1862 (the New York State Militia was redesignated in 1862 as the New York National Guard); mustered into Federal service on 17 June 1863 at New York and mustered out of Federal service on 23 July 1863.

The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 6 December 1893 as the 8th Battalion. It expanded and was redesignated on 14 February 1896 as the 8th Infantry Regiment. It was mustered into Federal service between 14 and 19 May 1898 as the 8th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment at Peekskill but did not serve outside continental United States, and was mustered out of Federal service on 3 November 1898 at New York.

The unit reorganized and was redesignated on 10 December 1906 as the 8th Battalion. It was then expanded and redesignated on 21 January 1908 as the 8th Infantry Regiment before being reorganized and redesignated on 23 January 1908 as the 8th Artillery District. It was redesignated on 10 August 1914 as the 8th Coast Defense Command.

The unit was mustered into Federal service on 22 July 1917 with elements at Fort Totten, Fort Schuyler, and Fort Wadsworth, NY. (Depot Battalion, 8th Coast Defense Command, was organized in June 1917 in the New York National Guard, and redesignated on 13 September 1917 in the New York Guard as the 8th Coast Artillery Corps).

The 8th Coast Defense Command reorganized on 1 February 1918 with elements redesignated as Supply Company and Batteries B, C, and D, 58th Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps; the remainder of personnel transferred to companies of the Coast Defenses of Southern New York and to 10th Company, Coast Defenses of Eastern New York. The New York elements of the 58th Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps, demobilized on 7 May 1919 at Camp Upton, NY (the elements of the Coast Defenses of Southern New York demobilized on 7 December 1918; and the 10th Company, Coast Defenses of Eastern New York was discontinued in December 1918).

The former 8th Coast Defense Command reorganized on 7 August 1919 in the New York Guard, and concurrently, the 8th Coast Artillery Corps consolidated with the 8th Coast Defense Command. The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 2 May 1921 as the 193d Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps, New York National Guard; lst Battalion organized and Federally recognized 9 May 1921 at New York. It was reorganized and redesignated on 28 November 1921 as the 258th Field Artillery.

The unit was inducted into Federal service on 3 February 1941 at New York 1st Battalion reorganized and redesignated on 8 February 1943 as the 258th Field Artillery Battalion. It inactivated on 19 December 1945 at Camp Myles Standish, MA (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 24th Armored Group consolidated with the 258th Field Artillery Battalion, on 27 September 1946).

The unit reorganized and was Federally recognized on 10 November 1947 at New York. It consolidated with the 258th Artillery, on 16 March 1959.

The 258th Artillery currently holds 4 unit awards. The Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Citation w/ bronze oak leaf and the Belgian Fourragere.



The current 258th FA
The 258th Artillery was re-designated 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery. Currently composed of three batteries and a support company. Battery A is located in New Windsor, New York. Battery B in Bronx, New York. Headquarters and Headquarters Battery in Jamaica, New York and Company G, 427th BSB in Jamaica, NY. The current armament of 1/258th FA is the M119 105mm Towed howitzer. They are programmed to transition to the new M777 155-mm towed howitzer in FY 2013.

Since 2001 the unit has sent soldiers to both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.