75th Field Artillery Brigade

Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 75th Field Artillery Brigade was originally formed under the Organized Reserves as the 509th Coastal Artillery (Antiaircraft) on 21 July 1921, at Seattle Washington. It was inactivated on 1 October 1933 at Seattle, Washington and allotted to the Regular Army. On 1 July 1940, it was activated and redesignated as the 75th Coastal Artillery (Antiaircraft) at Fort Lewis, Washington. In August 1941, the brigade participated in the second phase of the Army's 1941 maneuver in Arkansas as part of the VII Corps. On 7 December 1941, the unit was comprised of the 168th Field Artillery (155mm)(Motorized) Battalion Colorado National Guard, the 181st Field Artillery (155mm)(Trk Drawn) Battalion Tennessee National Guard, and the 191st Field Artillery (155mm)(Trk Drawn) Battalion Tennessee National Guard.

After reorganization on 20 February 1944, the unit became Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 75th Antiaircraft Artillery Group. The unit was inactivated on 12 December 1944 at Camp Howze, Texas. While inactive, the unit was redesignated on 10 January 1967 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 75th Artillery Group; it was subsequently re-activated the following month on 1 February 1967 at Fort Irwin, California. The unit was redesignated 15 March 1972 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 75th Field Artillery Group. On 16 March 1981, the unit was again redesignated to Headquarters Battery, 75th Field Artillery Brigade and provided fires to IIId Armored Corps. In September 2006, the 75th Field Artillery Brigade was re-organized and renamed the 75th Fires Brigade and assigned to the 1st Infantry Division to enhance their fires capability. Finally, in 2015, the brigade was once again redesignated as the 75th Field Artillery Brigade; providing fires for the IIId Armored Corps.

The 75th Field Artillery Brigade deployed to Saudi Arabia in September 1990. The Brigade was organized under XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery in support of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in the covering force area during Operation Desert Shield. The brigade was task organized with four battalions: two 155mm self-propelled, one 8 inch self-propelled and one MLRS, which had earlier detached a battery. The 101st also attached their target acquisition detachment to the brigade, to take advantage of the digital connectivity provided by the TACFIRE system. In January 1991, the Brigade was tasked organized under VII Corps Artillery in support of Operation Desert Storm. While in support of VII Corps, the 75th Field Artillery Brigade provided fires for 1st Infantry Division’s breaching operations in support of 1st Armored Division’s destruction of elements of the Republican Guard Force. The Brigade is credited with firing the first artillery rounds for VII Corps, to include the first Army Tactical Missile (ATACMS), facilitating the first National Guard fires during Desert Storm; overall processing 278 missions delivering 7,123 rounds/rockets. The brigade made it through Operation Desert Storm and re-deployed back to Fort Sill in April 1991.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) I, the brigade’s units served well. HHB, 75th Field Artillery Brigade again proved its versatility when in February 2003, it deployed as the Army’s first ever Exploitation Task Force. The HHB was task organized under Combined Forces Land Component Command - Iraq (CFLCC-I) and searched for Weapons of Mass Destruction during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. HHB Brigade returned successfully with no casualties from Operation Iraqi Freedom in June 2003.

On 5 November 2004, HHB, 75th Field Artillery Brigade deployed to Baghdad, Iraq in order to serve as the 75th Force Field Artillery Headquarters attached to the 1st Cavalry Division (CD) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) II. The Brigade mission was to quickly deploy, conduct RSOI, force protection, and establish Command and Control (C2) of 1st CD’s counter-fire operations. The 75th FA Brigade provided C2, intelligence planning, fire control, and the integration of lethal and non-lethal effects to maximize intelligence based counter mortar/rocket operations.

In September 2006, the 75th Field Artillery Brigade was re-organized and renamed the 75th Fires Brigade, and assigned to habitually support the 1st Infantry Division. The fires brigade was initially organized with a Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, two MLRS battalions, a 155mm self-propelled Paladin battalion, a target acquisition battery, and a brigade support battalion.

The 75th Field Artillery Brigade has played an active role in operations throughout the Global War on Terrorism. Whether providing oversight as a Force Field Artillery Headquarters, partnership to allies in the Middle East, or providing precision fires across Southwest Asia, the 75th Field Artillery Brigade remains Global, Lethal, and Steadfast. In 2012-2013, Headquarters, 75th Field Artillery Brigade deployed in support of Operation Spartan Shield (OSS), and served as the Force Field Artillery Headquarters (FFA) for US Army Central (USARCENT). During that time, the brigade coordinated joint fires across the Middle East and partnered with over seven nations to improve relations and help those countries to develop their fires capabilities. Again in 2014-2015, the Brigade Headquarters was called upon to serve as the USARCENT FFA as part of Operation Spartan Shield (OSS). This became even more complex when the brigade stood up a Joint Fires Cell in Jordan to support Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). The brigade served with distinction as they supported joint fires and conducted Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) among seven Middle Eastern nations. During that deployment, 75th FA BDE had personnel in Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

In 2013, the Army announced force structure decisions to execute end strength reductions. As part of these reductions, the brigade's cannon battalion was inactivated in 2014, while the target acquisition battery was reduced to a platoon assigned to HHB Brigade. Also in 2014, the brigade was redesignated once again as the 75th Field Artillery Brigade. With the inactivation of 214th Fires Brigade in June 2015, the 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery Regiment and the 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment were assigned to the brigade.

As of August 2015, the Diamond Brigade consists of five Field Artillery Battalions, 2-4 FA (MLRS), 3-13 FA (MLRS), 1-14 FA (HIMARS), 2-18 FA (MLRS), 2-20 FA (MLRS), and one Support Battalion, 100th BSB. The 75th Field Artillery Brigade is the largest Field Artillery Brigade in the United States Army and one of the most powerful field artillery formations in the world, able to execute two level maintenance, provide Mission Command for the counter fire fight, conduct long range communications, reinforce the close fight, and coordinate joint and long range artillery fires. Once again, the brigade has Soldiers deployed in support of Operation Spartan Shield, Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Resolute Support and on the Korean Peninsula.

In September 2022, the 75th Field Artillery Brigade deployed its 1-14 Field Artillery Regiment in support of Operation Europe Assure Deter Reinforce, in support of NATO and our Allies

Today, the 75th Field Artillery Brigade trains and prepares for combat; on order deploys to any area of operations to plan, synchronize, and execute combined joint and multinational fires; and integrates surface to surface fires in support of unified land operations. The unit colors are scarlet, yellow, and black representing our military heritage and our absolute combat focus. The Field Artillery piece on our shoulder sleeve insignia symbolizes the unit’s power, artillery mission, and traditions associated with our basic piece, the howitzer. The lozenge, or “Diamond” that surrounds the cannon, signifies the perfection and toughness associated with our character and determination to be TOUGH AS DIAMONDS! NOTHING BEYOND OUR REACH!