page_title: 206th Field Artillery Regiment
section_title: Operation Dutch Harbor
hierarchical_section_title: 206th Field Artillery Regiment / History / Global War on Terrorism / OIF II / Operation Dutch Harbor
caption_attribution_description: English: A M102 Howitzer belonging to Battery A, 1-206th FA is towed north from Camp New York Kuwait on the convoy to Camp Taji by an M1114 Up-Armored HMMWV
context_page_description: The 206th Field Artillery Regiment is a United States artillery regiment, currently represented in the Arkansas Army National Guard by the 1st Battalion, 206th Field Artillery, Headquartered at Russellville, Arkansas. The 1–206th FA is an element of the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
  The regiment's history begins with the creation of the 3rd Arkansas Infantry in 1917 as a part of the expansion of the guard following the Mexican Expedition and just before World War I. The unit was reorganized for World War I as the 141st Machine Gun Battalion, an element of the 39th Infantry Division. The unit deployed to France but did not see combat before the end of the war. Between World War I and II, the unit was reorganized as the 206th Coast Artillery and many of its units were stationed at state colleges. The 206th CA was mobilized for World War II and participated in the Battle of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on 3 and 4 June 1942. Following World War II the unit was reorganized as the 206th Artillery and served as the Division Artillery for the 39th Infantry Division.
context_section_description: The 1–206th FA conducted the 300 mile road march from Camp New York, Kuwait to Camp Taji, Iraq 15–17 March 2004, moving over 150 vehicles and over 450 soldiers with no serious incidents or injuries. The battalion was the first element of the 39th Brigade and the 1st Cavalry Division main body, to enter Iraq. The battalion named its base operations order for the defense of Camp Taji and field artillery support to the 39th IBCT, Operation Dutch Harbor in deference to the regiment's World War II heritage. Upon arriving at Camp Taji, the battalion learned that the force which they were to relieve was substantially larger than originally believed. The 1st Armor Division had actually directed the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division to relieve the Division Artillery (DIVARTY) of the 4th Infantry Division of responsibility for the security of Camp Taji on approximately 1 February 2004. 3rd Brigade, 1st Armor Division deployed the 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery, 70th Engineer Battalion and elements of the 1 Battalion, 64th Armor to Camp Taji. In addition to conducting base defense operations, 3rd BCT had actually assumed responsibility for patrolling a large area surrounding Camp Taji as well as escorting explosive ordnance disposal teams on route clearance missions.
  The 1–206th FA relieved the 3rd BCT, 1st Armor Division on 24 March 2004 and conducted its first fire mission in combat on that afternoon. The battalion quick reaction force, composed of the Battalion Survey Section, the Brigade Combat Observation Laser Teams (COLT) and one platoon from Battery A, 1–206th FA assumed responsibilities for reacting to distress calls from convoys and escorting EOD teams operating along Main Supply Route (MSR) Tampa (Iraqi Highway 1) which ran north to south for 26 Kilometers through the battalion's area of operations.
  The first combat operation of the war for the 39th BCT occurred on 3 April 2004, when the 1–206th Tactical Operations Center (TOC) received a request for support from 1st Battalion, 25th (Attack) Aviation Regiment. An OH-58 from the 1–25th AVN had identified and engaged an insurgent mortar team north of Camp Taji along a canal. The 1–206th dispatched its QRF team, led by the Targeting Warrant and the Battalion Operations Sergeant, and quickly captured one mortar team member, recovered the 60mm mortar, one rocket propelled grenade (RPG) and several 60mm mortar rounds. The team spent several hours searching the area for the second mortar team member. This search eventually turned into a joint operation, another first for the 39th BCT, with members of the 2nd Iraqi Army Battalion joining in a larger cordon and search operation of the surrounding houses. The captured 60mm mortar tube was utilized as a flag stand for the 1–206th Battalion colors for the remainder of the deployment. QRF teams conducted route clearance operations and escorted EOD teams to numerous IED sites until relieved of escort duty by elements of the 239th Engineer Company.
  The battalion was originally scheduled to be relieved of responsibility for patrolling the area of operations around Camp Taji by the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment (2–7 CAV) on 9 April 2004, but the relief had to be delayed until 12 April 2004 due to the fact that the Heavy Equipment Transport System (HETS) transporting the M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles belonging to 2–7 CAV were delayed in transit by attacks against the 39th IBCT main body convoys south of Baghdad. After the arrival of the 2–7 CAV and the remainder of the 39th BCT main body, 1–206th FA provided fires in support of 39th Brigade Combat Team operations; served as the base defense operations center (BDOC); manned the main entry control point, Gunner Gate; provided the camp's quick reaction force (QRF); conducted convoy and VIP escorts; and, trained, equipped and organized the 307th Iraqi National Guard Battalion. The battalion's AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder radar section was located at Camp Taji to provide early warning and detection of insurgent fires against the 1st Cavalry Division. The 1–206th was augmented with one AN/TP
caption: M102 howitzer belonging to Battery A, 1–206th FA, is towed north from Camp New York, Kuwait by a M1114 Up-Armored HMMWV.
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