1st Battalion 21st Field Artillery Regiment ( United States ) The 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery Regiment ( United States ) is a field artillery battalion of the United States Army based in Fort Hood , Texas . It is a subordinate unit of the 41st Fires Brigade ( United States ) . History . The 21st Field Artillery was constituted in the Regular Army on 1 July 1916 and organized at Camp Wilson , Texas on 1 June 1917 . It was assigned to the 5th Division in 1917 and saw action in France during World War I , participating in the St . Mihiel and Lorraine ( 1918 ) Campaigns . The 21st Field Artillery was inactivated 23 September 1921 at Camp Bragg , North Carolina . On 24 March 1923 it was assigned to the 9th Division and relieved 1 January 1930 from assignment to the 9th Division . It was then assigned to the 5th Division and later redesignated as the 5th Infantry Division . Following World War I , the 21st Field Artillery was retired until 6 October 1939 when it was reactivated as part of the 5th Division . The 21st Field Artillery fought in the World War II campaigns of Normandy , Northern France , the Rhineland , Ardennes - Alsace , and Central Europe . The 21st Field Artillery was inactivated on 20 September 1946 at Ladd Field , Alaska . Then activated 3 June 1948 at Fort Jackson , South Carolina , inactivated 30 April 1950 at Fort Jackson , South Carolina , activated 1 March 1951 at Indiantown Gap Military Reservation , Pennsylvania , inactivated 1 September 1953 at Indiantown Gap Military Reservation , Pennsylvania , activated 25 May 1954 in Germany , inactivated 1 June 1957 at Fort Ord , California , and relieved from assignment to the 5th Infantry Division ; concurrently , redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery , 1st Battalion , 21st Artillery . It was then redesignated 1 July 1960 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery , 1st Howitzer Battalion , 21st Artillery , assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division , and activated in Korea ( organic elements concurrently constituted and activated ) . It was the redesignated 1 September 1963 as the 1st Battalion , 21st Artillery . The heroic tradition which started in World War II continued in Vietnam as the newly formed 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery began its association with the 1st Cavalry Division . During the Vietnam War , the 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery participated in 15 different campaigns including the Tet Counteroffensive and Counteroffensives I - VII , earning the Presidential Unit Citation for action in Pleiku Province , the Valorous Unit Award for the Fish Hook Campaign , and the Meritorious Unit Commendation for operations in Vietnam ( 1967 ) . Additionally , Alpha and Bravo Batteries were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for action in Binh Thaun Province . The 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery was relieved 13 September 1972 from assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division . It was inactivated 19 December 1973 at Fort Carson , Colorado and relieved 21 April 1975 from assignment to the 4th Infantry Division , assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division , and activated at Fort Hood , Texas . The 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery was inactivated 2 July 1986 , except for Alpha Battery , which continued to serve in the 1st Cavalry Division as Alpha Battery , 21st Field Artillery . In August 1990 , the 1st Cavalry Division was alerted for deployment to Southwest Asia as part of the joint forces participating in Operation Desert Shield . 1st Cavalry Division MLRS fires from Alpha Battery , 21st Field Artillery illuminated the night skies and crippled Iraqi targets deep within enemy territory . Upon activation on 16 September 1997 , with the addition of Bravo ( MLRS ) and Charlie ( Target Acquisition ) Batteries , the 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery became the first Divisional MLRS Command and Attack Battalion in the U . S . Army . In September 1998 , Charlie Battery , 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery deployed to Bosnia - Herzegovina to provide 24 - hour radar support to Task Force Eagle . On 28 July 2000 , 68th Chemical Company , the Division ’ s smoke , reconnaissance , and decontamination forces , became part of the battalion . The 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery completed the Army ’ s first deployment of a Divisional Command and Attack battalion , Operation Desert Strike 01 - 07 , an external evaluation at Fort Bliss , New Mexico , in April 2001 . In support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM , the 68th Chemical Company and the 1 – 227 FSE out of HHS / 1 - 21 , deployed from February 2003 through June 2003 . The FSE planned and executed SEAD missions in support of APACHE DEEP ATTACKS . 68th Chemical Company ’ s Smoke Platoon , while attached to 3rd Infantry Division , led the way as they crossed the border into Iraq and were among the first U . S . Soldiers to enter Baghdad . In March 2004 , Task Force 1 – 21 deployed to Iraq for combat operations under the task organization of the 5th Brigade Combat Team , 1st Cavalry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom II . Task Force Rocket was responsible for a portion of the Al - Rasheed district in southern Baghdad from March 2004 – March 2005 . During that time the task force conducted daily patrols , ambushes , raids , convoy escorts , target acquisition , and counter - battery cannon fires . The battalion contributed greatly to the first ever free elections held in Iraq in January 2005 . Following redeployment , Charlie Battery , 1 – 21 FA and 68th Chemical Company were inactivated in July 2005 . The 1st Cavalry Division ' s first Silver Star Medal for valor in combat during this deployment was presented to a 5th Brigade Combat Team Soldier 13 August 2004 . Pfc . Christopher Fernandez , of Battery A , 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery Regiment , stood proudly in front of his entire brigade as the division ' s commanding general pinned on the small medal with red , white and blue ribbon . Fernandez said his family was proud , that they had even told members of his church back home about his award , but he didn ' t know if they understood that the Silver Star was a big deal . " It ' s a great honor , " said Fernandez a Multiple Launch Rocket System crewman in Battery A , 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery Regiment . Fernandez was awarded the Silver Star for actions he had taken on the night of 5 May , when his unit came under attack . Fernandez , a Tucson , Ariz . native , was on a patrol through the city ' s Saidiyah neighborhood when insurgents ambushed his unit . An improvised explosive device hit the patrol ' s rear vehicle . Immediately following the explosion , the patrol was barraged with small - arms fire . The patrol ' s crew - served weapons , a M - 240B machine gun and a . 50 caliber machine gun , immediately returned fire . Two U . S . Soldiers were killed and five others were wounded in the IED explosion and their vehicle was inoperable . Fernandez returned fire with his weapon , an M - 249 Squad Automatic Weapon . He reloaded his weapon at least once during the short engagement , said Capt . Thomas Pugsley , Battery A ' s commander . " There was a tremendous volume of fire coming at them , " Pugsley said . In all the chaos , Fernandez saw the stricken vehicle ' s M - 240B machine gun was unused . Acting on instinct , Fernandez knew that another weapon would suppress the enemy ' s fire long enough to evacuate the wounded and leave the area . He left his vehicle , ran to the disabled humvee and recovered the weapon and its ammunition . Fernandez then opened fire on the enemy . What made all of that spectacular was the recovered weapon ' s condition , said Pugsley . The hand guards covering the machine - gun ' s barrel , so the gunner ' s hands won ' t burn , were blown off in the explosion . That didn ' t matter to Fernandez though ; he kept firing even though his hands were burning . Pugsley said two other Soldiers were recommended for Bronze Stars with Valor devices for their actions that night . One received it ; the other received an Army Commendation with V device . On 19 August 2005 , the 1st Battalion 21st Field Artillery folded its flag under DIVARTY , 1st Cavalry Division and reflagged as part of the newly formed Fires Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division . The 1st Battalion 21st Field Artillery made its transition as part of the Army ’ s new modular transformation concept . Falling under the newly formed Fires Brigade model , in 2006 the battalion fielded and manned the 575th Forward Support Company and Charlie ( MLRS ) Battery , 1 – 21 FA . On 16 April 2007 , the Fires Brigade , formerly 4th Infantry Division ’ s DIVARTY , reflagged as the 41st Fires Brigade , where the 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery remains to date . On April 2008 , 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery , deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 08 - 10 . During their most recent deployment , the battalion conducted an In - Lieu of Mission , responsible for conducting Detainee Operations , and Security Operations at Camp Bucca , Iraq . Charlie Battery , 1 – 21 FA received a change of mission in July 2008 , and conducted convoy security operations in support of International Police Advisors and Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Basra and Al Kut , Iraq . The 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery redeployed to Fort Hood , Texas in July 2009 . The 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery ’ s current mission is to be ready to deploy anywhere in the world to provide rocket and missile fires in support of the maneuver Commander . Reactivation . On 16 April 2007 , the 4th Fires Brigade , ( formerly 4th Infantry Division ' s DIVARTY ) reflagged as the 41st Fires Brigade , where the 1st Battalion , 21st Field Artillery remains to date . The 41st Fires Brigade is currently composed of : And now falls under the 1st Cavalry Division Fort Hood , TX World War I : - St . Mihiel ; - Lorraine 1918 < br > Honors & Decorations . World War II : - Northern France ; - Rhineland ; - Ardennes - Alsace ; - Central Europe < br > Vietnam : - Defense ; - Counteroffensive , Phase I ; - Counteroffensive , Phase II ; - Counteroffensive , Phase III ; - Tet - Counteroffensive ; - Counteroffensive , Phase IV ; - Counteroffensive , Phase V ; - Counteroffensive , Phase IV ; - Tet 69 / Counteroffensive ; - Summer - Fall 1969 ; - Winter - Spring 1970 ; - Sanctuary Counteroffensive ; - Counteroffensive ; Phase VII ; Consolidation I ; - Consolidation II ; - Cease - Fire < br > Southwest Asia : - Defense of Saudi Arabia ; - Liberation and Defense of Kuwait ; - Cease - Fire < br > War on Terrorism : Campaigns to be determined Presidential Unit Citation ( Army ) for PLEIKU PROVINCE < br > Valorous Unit Award for FISH HOOK < br > Meritorious Unit Commendation ( Army ) for VIETNAM 1967 < br > Meritorious Unit Commendation ( Army ) for SOUTHWEST ASIA 1990 – 1991 < br > Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1965 – 1969 < br > Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1969 – 1970 < br > Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1970 – 1971 < br > Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1971 – 1972 < br > Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal , First Class for VIETNAM 1969 – 1970 Presidential Unit Citation ( Army ) for BINH THUAN PROVINCE Presidential Unit Citation ( Army ) for BINH THUAN PROVINCE < br > Valorous Unit Award for QUANG NAM