212th Fires Brigade (United States) - History

History

The 212th Fires Brigade formerly known as 212th Field Artillery Brigade was organized as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 212th Artillery Group and was constituted on 3 February 1944. Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 212th Field Artillery Group was organized and activated on 20 April 1944 at Fort Riley, KS, and was assigned to XVI Corps. The group consisted of four truck driven 105mm howitzers and 81 enlisted men. In July 1944, the group was assigned to XXXVI Corps. The group headquarters prepared for duty in Europe while the battalions were reassigned to the United States in November 1944.

Assigned to and controlled by XXVI Corps during the remainder of WWII, the group participated in the Central European Campaign with the 9th Infantry Division in the general vicinity of Aachen in northern Germany. On 20 April 1946, the group was inactivated in Germany. The group was reconstituted on 17 September 1958 and allotted to the Regular Army. The same order activated the group on 15 October 1958 in Germany; the 212th FA Group was then further assigned to Seventh Army, and attached to V Corps. In the fall of 1967, the group was designed to redeploy to CONUS under project REFORGER. On 9 April 1968, the group departed Germany for its new home at Fort Lewis, WA.

In August 1972, the group headquarters and three of its battalion (2-17th FA, 2-18th FA, & 3-18th FA) relocated to Fort Sill. In June 1973, 1-30th FA was reorganized and assigned to the group. In mid-1976, 2-18th FA deployed to Germany. On 1 October 1976, the 1-30th FA was returned to VII Corps, USAREUR. Later that month, 2-18th FA returned to the group.

On 16 July 1980, the 212th Field Artillery Group was redesignated the 212th Field Artillery Brigade. In September 1980, the 212th Field Artillery Brigade became the first TACFIRE-equipped brigade in the Army. In September 1990, the brigade deployed to Saudi Arabia, and participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

In 2003, 2-5 FA and 2-18 FA deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 12 April 2003, 2-5 FA, 212th FA BDE, deployed with the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF I). Upon arriving in theatre, 2-5 FA quickly postured itself to perform as the regiment's direct support (DS) artillery battalion but ultimately assumed responsibilities as another ground maneuver unit. As a ground maneuver unit, 2-5 FA was responsible for an area of operations (AO) that exceeded 6,500 square kilometers within the Al Anbar Province. 2-5 FA priorities shifted to include providing security and re-establishing national operations in Iraq, serving as a maneuver force, conducting humanitarian assistance (HA) operations and training Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC) forces. 2-5 FA conducted combat patrols, manned traffic control points (TCPs) and conducted raids to defeat those militant forces seeking to destabilize the towns and cities within 2-5 FA's AO. 2-5 FA shot more than 1,000 rounds in support of the 3d ACR and battalion operations. 2-5 FA redeployed to back Fort Sill, rejoining 212th FA BDE in March 2004.

On 5 September 2005, the Brigade HQs, augmented by 2-5, 6-27, and 6-32 FA HQs, deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-07 as the unit fill for the Joint Area Support Group-Central (JASG-C) in the International Zone, Baghdad, Iraq. 2-5 FA deployed as three PLS Truck Batteries. 6–32 FA (MLRS), 212th FA BDE served as a Heavy Equipment Transport System (HETS) Company. HHS, Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie Batteries were reorganized into four HET platoons, along with the Maintenance PLT and HQ Sections. Once they arrived in Iraq, HHS, Alpha, and Charlie 6–32 FA operated out of Camp Taji, while Bravo, 6–32 FA operated out of Al Asad Air Base in the Al Anbar Province. The Brigade's units returned to Ft. Sill, OK in November 2006. 2-18 FA remained "Mission Ready" as part of the nation's strategic hedge for contingency operations. The 212th Field Artillery Brigade received the Meritorious Unit Citation for its deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In November 2005 6–32 FA deployed to Iraq as a Heavy Equipment Transport System (HETS) Company. HHS, Alpha, Charlie, and Bravo batteries were reorganized into four HET platoons, along with the Maintenance PLT and HQ Sections. Once they arrived in Iraq, HHS, Alpha, and Charlie 6–32 FA deployed to Camp Taji, while Bravo 6–32 FA deployed to Al Asad Air Base in the Al Anbar province. They were deployed for one year, bringing the unit back to their home at Ft. Sill, OK in November 2006. The unit disbanded shortly thereafter, and the colors were cased in 2007.

The 212th Field Artillery Brigade cased its colors on 15 January 2007 at Fort Sill Oklahoma. Upon casing, 2-5 FA was reassigned to 214th Fires Brigade while 2-18th FA was reassigned to 75th Fires Brigade.

The 212th Field Artillery Brigade was reactivated as the 212th Fires Brigade (FiB) on 15 August 2011 at Fort Bliss, Texas. The 212th Fires Brigade is composed of a Headquarters Battery, the 72nd Brigade Support Battalion, B-26 (Target Acquisition), and 1st Battalion, 92nd Field Artillery Regiment (Provisional). The Brigade's 208th Signal Company will activate on 16 October 2011. Two additional Fires Battalions are projected to join the 212th Fires Brigade in 2012.