# Air Defense Artillery Branch

The Air Defense Artillery Branch is the air defense branch of the United States Army, specializing in the use of anti-aircraft weapons (such as surface-to-air missiles) to conduct anti-aircraft warfare operations. In the U.S. Army, these groups are composed of mainly air defense systems such as the Patriot Missile System, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), and the Avenger Air Defense system which fires the FIM-92 Stinger missile.
The Air Defense Artillery branch descended from Anti-Aircraft Artillery (part of the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps until 1950, then part of the Artillery Branch) into a separate branch on 20 June 1968. On 1 December 1968, the ADA branch was authorized to wear modified Artillery insignia, crossed field guns with missile. The Branch Motto, "First To Fire", was adopted in 1986 by the attendees of the ADA Commanders' Conference at Fort Bliss. The motto refers to a speech given by General Jonathan Wainwright to veterans of the 200th Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft) stating they were the 'First to Fire' in World War II against the Empire of Japan.

## Mission

According to the Army's Field Manual 3-01, the mission of Air Defense Artillery is "to protect the force and selected geopolitical assets from aerial attack, missile attack, and surveillance."

## History

On 10 October 1917 an Antiaircraft Service in the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) was created at Arnouville-Les-Gonesse where an antiaircraft school was established. The antiaircraft units were organized as serially numbered battalions during the war, as follows:
* 1st Antiaircraft Battalion through the 10th Antiaircraft Battalion (redesignated as numbered antiaircraft sectors in November 1918, all demobilized by January 1919)
* 1st AA Machine Gun Battalion through the 6th AA Machine Gun Battalion. These units were organized by Col. James A. Shipton and were demobilized January–May 1919.

### Coast Artillery role

    The National Defense Act of 1920 formally assigned the air defense mission to the Coast Artillery Corps. In January 1923, the force structure of the National Guard was modified under a restricted manpower program, which left gaps in the numerical series of its units. Many of these gaps would be filled during the major expansion of the National Guard in 1939-1940 when new antiaircraft regiments were organized by the conversion of cavalry and infantry units.
Antiaircraft units based in the U.S. interior, particularly those from the National Guard, often had to travel out of state each year for live-fire training, as this was usually conducted over water so the rounds would fall harmlessly to earth. Most of the Organized Reserve Coast Artillery regiments were functional units and many were some of the most active and well-trained Reserve organizations in the Army.
* Regular Army antiaircraft regiments
** 60th CA (AA)
** 61st CA (AA)
** 62nd CA (AA)
** 63rd CA (AA)
** 64th CA (AA)
** 65th CA (AA)
* National Guard antiaircraft regiments
** 162nd CA (AA) - Pennsylvania
*** Allotted but never organized; designation "213th" substituted in 1922
** 197th CA (AA) - New Hampshire
** 198th Coast Artillery (AA) - Delaware
** 199th CA (AA) - Pennsylvania
*** Never organized; withdrawn from Pennsylvania in 1926 and the National Guard in 1927
** 200th CA (AA) - Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina
*** Only Battery G (North Carolina) ever organized; redesignated Battery F, 252nd CA (HD) in 1926, with remainder of regiment demobilized
** 201st CA (AA) - Ohio and West Virginia
*** Never organized; withdrawn from Ohio and West Virginia in 1926 and the National Guard in 1927
** 202nd CA (AA) - Illinois
** 203rd CA (AA) - Missouri
** 204th CA (AA) - Texas
*** Never organized; withdrawn from Texas in 1926 and the National Guard in 1927
** 205th CA (AA) - California, Washington, and Oregon
*** Never organized; withdrawn from respective states in 1926 and the National Guard in 1927
** 206th CA (AA) - Arkansas
*** Designated 141st CA (AA) 1921-24
** 211th (AA) - Massachusetts
** 212th CA (AA) - New York
** 213th CA (AA) - Pennsylvania
** 214th CA (AA) - Kentucky
*** Never organized; withdrawn from Kentucky in 1926 and the National Guard in 1927
** 251st CA (AA) - California
** 369th CA (AA) - New York

### Expansion

In 1938, there were only six active Regular Army and thirteen National Guard regiments, but by 1941 this had been expanded to 37 total regiments. New National Guard regiments were organized by the conversion of the National Guard's four cavalry divisions and other units.
* New National Guard antiaircraft regiments
** 207th CA (AA) - New York
*** Organized 1940 from the 107th Infantry
** 208th CA (AA) - Connecticut
*** Organized 1940 from the 110th Cavalry and 21st Reconnaissance Squadron
** 209th CA (AA) - New York
*** Organized new, 1940
** 210th CA (AA) - Michigan
*** Organized 1940 from new units and the conversion of the 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment
** 214th CA (AA) - Georgia
*** Organized 1939 from the 2nd Battalion, 122nd Infantry and the 264th CA Battalion (Harbor Defense)
** 215th, 216th, 217th CA (AA) - Minnesota
*** Organized from the 205th and 206th Infantry Regiments, 92nd Infantry Brigade (separate)

### World War II

In November 1942, 781 battalions were authorized. However, this number was pared down to 331 battalions by the end of the war. By late 1944 the regiments had been broken up into battalions and 144 "Antiaircraft Artillery Groups" had been activated; some of these existed only briefly.
The serially-numbered battalions in late World War II included the following types:
* Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion
* Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion
* Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion
* Antiaircraft Artillery Searchlight Battalion
* Barrage Balloon Battalion
and in the 1950s:
* Antiaircraft Artillery Missile Battalion.
On 9 March 1942 Antiaircraft Command was established in Washington D.C. and 1944 the AAA school was moved to Fort Bliss.

### Army Air Defense Command

Army Air Defense Command ran from 1957 to 1974.
In 1991 the Patriot missile was heavily utilized during the Gulf War. After this short skirmish ended Air Defense has not been involved in any significant combat actions due to lack of enemy air assets and/or missile technology.
In 2010 the United States Army Air Defense Artillery School was moved from Fort Bliss to Fort Sill.

## Air Defense Artillery Units

The following lists all units that make up the Army's Air Defense Artillery Branch.

### Army Air and Missile Defense Commands

| Command | Subordinate to | Garrison or Headquarters |
| 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (10th AAMDC) | United States Army Europe | Sembach, Germany |
| 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command (32nd AAMDC) | United States Army Forces Command | Fort Bliss, Texas |
| 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (94th AAMDC) | United States Army Pacific | Fort Shafter, Hawaii |
| 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command (263rd AAMDC) | South Carolina Army National Guard | Anderson, South Carolina |

### Air Defense Artillery Brigades

| Brigade | Subordinate to | Garrison |
| 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade (ADAB) | 32nd AAMDC | Fort Bliss, Texas |
| 30th ADAB | Army Air Defense Artillery School | Fort Sill, Oklahoma |
| 31st ADAB | 32nd AAMDC | Fort Sill, Oklahoma |
| 35th ADAB | Eighth United States Army / 94th AAMDC | Osan Air Base, South Korea |
| 38th ADAB | 94th AAMDC | Sagami General Depot, Japan |
| 52nd ADAB | 10th AAMDC | Sembach, Germany |
| 69th ADAB | 32nd AAMDC | Fort Cavazos, Texas |
| 100th Missile Defense Brigade (MDB) | Army Space and Missile Defense Command / Colorado Army National Guard | Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado |
| 108th ADAB | 32nd AAMDC | Fort Bragg, North Carolina |
| 164th ADAB | Florida Army National Guard | Orlando, Florida |
| 174th ADAB | Ohio Army National Guard | Columbus, Ohio |
| 678th ADAB | 263rd AAMDC | Eastover, South Carolina |

### Army Battalions

| Unit | Subordinate to | Garrison | Equipment |
| 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment (1-1st ADAR) | 38th ADAB | Kadena Air Base, Japan | MIM-104 Patriot |
| 2nd Battalion 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment (2–1st ADAR | 35th ADAB | Camp Carroll, South Korea | MIM-104 Patriot |
| 3–2nd ADAR | 31st ADAB | Fort Sill, Oklahoma | MIM-104 Patriot |
| 4–3rd ADAR | 31st ADAB | Fort Sill, Oklahoma | MIM-104 Patriot |
| 3–4th ADAR | 108th ADAB | Fort Bragg, North Carolina | MIM-104 Patriot, AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, FIM-92 Stinger |
| 5–4th ADAR | 52nd ADAB | Ansbach, Germany | M-SHORAD |
| 4–5th ADAR | 69th ADAB | Fort Cavazos, Texas | MIM-104 Patriot |
| 5–5th ADAR | 31st ADAB | Fort Sill, Oklahoma | AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, C-RAM Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar |
| 2–6th ADAR | 30th ADAB | Fort Sill, Oklahoma | AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, C-RAM Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar |
| 3–6th ADAR | 30th ADAB | Fort Sill, Oklahoma | MIM-104 Patriot, THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense |
| 1–7th ADAR | 108th ADAB | Fort Bragg, North Carolina | MIM-104 Patriot |
| 5–7th ADAR | 52nd ADAB | Baumholder, Germany | MIM-104 Patriot |
| 1–43rd ADAR | 11th ADAB | Fort Bliss, Texas | MIM-104 Patriot |
| 2–43rd ADAR | 11th ADAB | Fort Bliss, Texas | MIM-104 Patriot |
| 3–43rd ADAR | 11th ADAB | Fort Bliss, Texas | MIM-104 Patriot |
| 1–44th ADAR | 69th ADAB | Fort Cavazos, Texas | MIM-104 Patriot |
| 2–44th ADAR | 108th ADAB | Fort Campbell, Kentucky | AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, C-RAM Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar |
| 5–52nd ADAR | 11th ADAB | Fort Bliss, Texas | MIM-104 Patriot |
| 6–52nd ADAR | 35th ADAB | Suwon Air Base, South Korea | MIM-104 Patriot, AN/TWQ-1 Avenger |
| 1–56th ADAR | 30th ADAB | Fort Sill, Oklahoma | Officer training |
| 6–56th ADAR | 1st Cavalry Division | Fort Cavazos, Texas | AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, Stryker M-SHORAD and "other systems." |
| 1–57th ADAR | 52nd ADAB | Ansbach, Germany | Stryker M-SHORAD |
| 4–60th ADAR | 1st Armored Division | Fort Sill, Oklahoma | Stryker M-SHORAD |
| 1–62nd ADAR | 69th ADAB | Fort Cavazos, Texas | MIM-104 Patriot |

### Army Batteries

| Unit | Subordinate to | Garrison | Equipment |
| A Battery, 2nd ADAR | 11th ADAB | Fort Bliss, Texas | THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense |
| B Battery, 2nd ADAR | 11th ADAB | Fort Bliss, Texas | THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense |
| D Battery, 2nd ADAR | 35th ADAB | Osan Air Base, South Korea | THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense |
| E Battery, 3rd ADAR | 38th ADAB | Andersen Air Force Base, Guam | THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense |
| A Battery, 4th ADAR | 11th ADAB | Fort Bliss, Texas | THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense |
| B Battery, 62nd ADAR | 69th ADAB | Fort Cavazos, Texas | THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense |
| E Battery, 62nd ADAR | 69th ADAB | Fort Cavazos, Texas | THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense |

### National Guard Battalions

| Unit | Subordinate to | Garrison | Part of | Equipment |
| 49th Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Battalion | 100th Missile Defense Brigade | Fort Greely, Alaska | Alaska Army National Guard | Ground-Based Interceptor |
| 1–174 Air Defense Artillery (ADA) | 174th ADAB | Cincinnati, Ohio | Ohio Army National Guard | AN/TWQ-1 Avenger |
| 2-174 ADA | 174th ADAB | McConnelsville, Ohio | Ohio Army National Guard | AN/TWQ-1 Avenger |
| 1–188 ADA | Separate battalion | Grand Forks, North Dakota | North Dakota Army National Guard | AN/TWQ-1 Avenger |
| 1–204 ADA | Separate battalion | Newton, Mississippi | Mississippi Army National Guard | AN/TWQ-1 Avenger |
| 2-263 ADA | 678th ADAB | Anderson, South Carolina | South Carolina Army National Guard | AN/TWQ-1 Avenger |
| 1–265 ADA | 164th ADAB | Palm Coast, Florida | Florida Army National Guard | AN/TWQ-1 Avenger |
| 3–265 ADA | 164th ADAB | Sarasota, Florida | Florida Army National Guard | AN/TWQ-1 Avenger |

## Shipton award

The Shipton Award is named for Brigadier General James A. Shipton, who is acknowledged as the Air Defense Artillery Branch's founding father. Shipton felt that the mission of antiaircraft defense was not to down enemy aircraft, but instead to protect maneuver forces on the ground: "The purpose of anti-aviation defense is to protect our forces and establishments from hostile attack and observation from the air by keeping enemy airplanes [sic] at a distance." The Shipton Award recognizes an Air Defense Artillery professionals for outstanding performance individual thought, innovation, and contributions that result in significant contributions or enhances Air Defense Artillery's warfighting capabilities, morale, readiness, and maintenance.