7th Field Artillery Regiment ( United States ) The 7th Field Artillery Regiment is a United States Army field artillery regiment , whose lineage traces back to the early 20th century . World War I . The regiment was constituted on 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 7th Field Artillery . It was organized on 15 July 1916 at Fort Sam Houston , Texas . On 8 June 1917 it was assigned to the First Expeditionary Division , which was later designated as the 1st Division as part of the Allied Expeditionary Force in World War I . World War II . 7th Field Artillery Regiment participated in the amphibious assault landing in Algeria as part of Operation Torch . After fighting across North Africa , the regiment participated in 1st Infantry Division ' s assault of Omaha Beach . Vietnam , the " Pheons " . On 20 January 1964 the unit was redesignated the 1st Battalion , 7th Artillery and assigned to the 1st Infantry Division . The redesignation included a new design for the unit ' s distinctive unit insignia ( DUI ) to an " artillery red " square shield divided by a silver band running from the top right corner to the bottom left corner ( as the wearer sees it ) . In the upper division of the shield appears three silver crescent moons , while the lower division holds seven silver crosslets alluding to the numerical designation of the battalion . The primary charge of the shield however is the three large " artillery red " arrow heads or pheons that rest upon the silver band . It is from these three pheons that the nickname for the battalion " the Pheons " is derived . The unit ' s motto was shortened to " Nunquam Fractum " ( Never Broken ) written in silver on an " artillery red " scroll beneath the shield . The unit would carry this designation throughout its tour of Vietnam from 25 June 1965 , to 19 March 1970 . On 23 June 1965 , Private First Class Gerold Worster arrived by plane in Saigon , in the Republic of Vietnam . Not only was Gerold the first soldier from the 1st Infantry Division , known as the " Big Red One " , he was also the first member of the 7th Artillery to set foot on Vietnamese soil . Even as he climbed from the plane , his comrades were loading aboard the " USNS Gordon " for the trip to Vietnam . On 12 July , Charlie Battery of the 1st Battalion , 7th Artillery made landfall at Cam Ranh Bay , part of a taskforce with the 1st Battalion , 18th Infantry , 1st Infantry Division . This force was the first tactical US Army unit to be deployed in the Republic of Vietnam directly from the continental United States . After returning from Vietnam in March 1970 , the 7th Artillery was redesignated the 7th Field Artillery once again on 1 September 1971 . The unit insignia was redesigned by replacing the squared shield with a more rounded one , eliminating the three pheons on the bend of the shield , and replacing the seven crosslets with seven blossoms of the Texas bluebonnet , alluding not only to the unit ' s number , but its birthplace as well . The motto " Nunquam Fractum " was replaced with " Nunquam Aerumna Nec Proelio Fractum " ( never broken by hardship or battle ) . During its Vietnam tour the 105mm howitzers of the 1st Battalion , 7th Artillery fired more than 1 , 250 . 000 rounds in its 55 continuous months of combat while earning 11 new battle honors . With the change of the unit insignia and the loss of the pheons from the shield , the 7th Artillery ' s Vietnam nickname of " Pheons " was also lost . Vietnam Campaign Participation : * Defense ; * Counteroffensive ; * Counteroffensive , Phase II ; * Counteroffensive , Phase III ; * Tet Counteroffensive ; * Counteroffensive , Phase IV ; * Counteroffensive , Phase V ; * Counteroffensive , Phase VI ; * Tet 69 / Counteroffensive ; * Summer - Fall 1969 ; * Winter - Spring 1970Decorations : * Meritorious Unit Commendation ( Army ) for VIETNAM 1966 – 1967 , * Meritorious Unit Commendation ( Army ) for VIETNAM 1967 – 1968 , * Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1965 – 1968 , * Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1969 – 1970 , * Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal , First Class for VIETNAM 1965 – 1970 . Kuwait 1990 – 91 . The artillery battery elements of the 7th FA Unit located in Fort Drum , New York volunteered approximately 60 soldiers at a time to participate in a rotation schedule during Operation Desert Shield / Operation Desert Storm in late 1990 and early 1991 . Although the Unit itself was not activated for combat duty as a whole , these soldiers rotated out over a nine - month period to support the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division s . Afghanistan . The 3rd Battalion , 7th Field Artillery 3rd Brigade Combat Team , 25 ( Light ) Infantry Division , was in Afghanistan as part of Joint Task Force 76 in Operation Enduring Freedom 2004 – 2005 . The unit was headquartered at Kandahar Airfield and provided Indirect Fire , Close Combat Air Control , and Fire Support for the Bronco Brigade and throughout Afghanistan during the 12 month rotation . The battalion , augmented by coalition partners , was responsible for Kandahar Province and conducted infantry missions during the deployment , conducting patrols in the districts surrounding the city of Kandahar . During this deployment , Alpha Battery was recorded as having shot the first artillery round against a hostile enemy for the 25 ( L ) ID since Vietnam . Operation Iraqi Freedom . 1st Battalion , 7th Field Artillery Regiment was relieved from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division and assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team , 1st Infantry Division on 16 November 2005 . On 5 August 2006 3 – 7 FA deployed from Schofield Barracks , Hawaii to the Province of Kirkuk in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . Not only did they conduct a traditional counter - fire mission , 3 – 7 FA also set themselves apart as a maneuver taskforce conducting infantry - type missions . The use of 3 – 7 FA as a maneuver asset instead of a direct support field artillery battalion was a result of the implementation of the Counter Insurgency ( COIN ) doctrine in Iraq . The method of removing the insurgency and strengthening the government could not be done solely through the use of indirect fires , but also with platoon sized maneuver elements and partnerships with local leaders and influencers . The primary spheres of influence during this deployment included local , provincial , and regional governmental leaders , Iraqi Police , and Iraqi Army Strategic Infrastructure Brigades that guarded the nation ' s crude oil pipelines . On 15 October 2007 , 3 – 7 FA returned from Iraq to Schofield Barracks , Hawaii and was again awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation . They spent the next year conducting a refit and training in preparation for their return to Northern Iraq . On 16 October 2008 , 3 – 7 FA deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF 09 - 11 ) to Salah Ad Din Province in Iraq . Operating out of Contingency Operating Base ( COB ) Speicher , they were responsible for over 4600 square kilometers in and around Tikrit , the provincial capital of Salah Ad Din . From October 2008 to October 2009 they broke from their traditional artillery role and supported the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team as a maneuver element partnering with Iraqi Security Forces and the Iraqi Government to strengthen security and build civil capacity improving the quality of life for the people of the Tikrit Qada ( District ) . Current status . The 1st Battalion , 7th Field Artillery Regiment returned to Fort Riley , KS in October 2009 where they were awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation . Currently , they are conducting reset operations and training to prepare for future deployments . The 3rd Battalion , 7th Field Artillery Regiment deployed in April 2011 to Regional Command - East , Afghanistan as TF Steel in support of 3rd BCT , 25th ID .