434th Field Artillery Brigade
"Destroyers"
Mission Statement
434th Field Artillery Brigade conducts reception operations and Basic Combat Training by integrating and transforming civilian volunteers into Soldiers who are prepared to complete IMT and contribute to their first unit of assignment; O/O integrate RC augmentation IOT expand the training base.
History
The unit was constituted on 21 November 1942 in the United States Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Tank Destroyer Brigade. It was activated on 24 November 1942 at Camp Hood, Texas. On 22 January 1944, the 1st Tank Destroyer Brigade sailed abroad HMS Queen Mary, from NY Port of Embarkation, arrived Greenock, Scotland 28 January 1944. On 11 July 1944 the Brigade landed on Utah Beach, France.
On 2 August 1944 Field Order #10, HQ, VIII Corps designated 1st TD Brigade as HQ for Task Force “A” commanded by Gen Herbert Ernst, consisting of the 15th Cav Group, the 705th TD Battalion, 6th TD Group, 509th Engineer Co, and 159th Engineer BN. Their mission was to attack from Avranches to Morlaix, to assist in clearing the Brittany Peninsula and to assist in the capture of Brest. TF A captured 1,679 Enemy Prisoners of War and inflicted heavy damage to enemy personnel and equipment.
On 17 April 1947, the Brigade was re-designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 434th Field Artillery Group and allotted to the organized reserves. On 1 June 1978, it was re-designated as Headquarters and Headquarters, 434th Field Artillery Brigade. The Brigade was inactivated on 31 December 1990 in Chicago, Illinois. On 17 April 2007, the 434th Field Artillery Brigade was re-activated at Fort Sill, OK as an Army Training Center responsible for the training of the Army’s newest warriors. As the Army transforms to meet the challenges of the future, we can be certain that the 434th Field Artillery Brigade will continue to be the premier training center in the United States Army, transforming volunteers into Soldiers.