117th Field Artillery Regiment

The 117th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the Alabama Army National Guard. The regiment's 1st Battalion is a cannon battalion assigned to the 142nd Field Artillery Brigade.

Lineage

 * Organized August–September 1916 in the Alabama National Guard as the 1st Cavalry.
 * Mustered into Federal service 23 September 1916.
 * Assigned 18 July 1917 to the 31st Division.
 * Drafted into Federal service 5 August 1917.
 * Converted and redesignated 4 October 1917 as the 117th Field Artillery and remained assigned to the 31st Division.
 * Demobilized 17 January 1919 at Camp Gordon, Georgia.
 * Reconstituted 1921–1922 in the Alabama National Guard as the 2d Battalion, 141st Field Artillery, an element of the 39th Division.
 * (141st Field Artillery relieved 1 July 1923 from assignment to the 39th Division and assigned to the 31st Division.)


 * 2d Battalion, 141st Field Artillery, expanded, reorganized, and redesignated 17 January 1927 as the 117th Field Artillery with headquarters at Florala, and remained assigned to the 31st Division.
 * Consolidated 15 March 1929 with the 55th Machine Gun Squadron (organized December 1921–January 1922 in the Alabama National Guard) and consolidated unit designated as the 117th Field Artillery.
 * Inducted into Federal service 25 November 1940 at home stations.
 * Regiment broken up 10 February 1942 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows: Headquarters and the 1st Battalion as the 117th Field Artillery Battalion, an element of the 31st Infantry Division; 2d Battalion as the 2d Battalion, 137th Field Artillery, and relieved from assignment to the 31st Division (Headquarters Battery consolidated with the Pioneer Company, 631st Tank Destroyer Battalion—hereafter separate lineage).
 * 117th Field Artillery Battalion inactivated 8 December 1945 at San Francisco, California.
 * Reorganized and Federally recognized 5 December 1946 with headquarters at Andalusia.
 * Ordered into active Federal service 16 January 1951 at home stations.
 * (117th Field Artillery Battalion [NGUS] organized and Federally recognized 12 March 1953 with headquarters at Andalusia.)


 * Released 15 June 1954 from active Federal service and reverted to state control; Federal recognition concurrently withdrawn from the 117th Field Artillery Battalion (NGUS).
 * 2d Battalion, 137th Field Artillery, reorganized and redesignated 8 February 1943 as the 933d Field Artillery Battalion.
 * Inactivated 29 October 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
 * Reorganized and Federally recognized 4 December 1946 with headquarters at Enterprise as an element of the 31st Infantry Division.
 * Ordered into active Federal service 16 January 1951 at home stations.
 * (933d Field Artillery Battalion [NGUS] organized and Federally recognized 27 February 1953 with headquarters at Enterprise.)


 * Released 15 June 1954 from active Federal service and reverted to state control; Federal recognition concurrently withdrawn from the 933d Field Artillery Battalion (NGUS).
 * 117th and 933d Field Artillery Battalions consolidated 2 May 1959 to form the 117th Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st and 2d Howitzer Battalions, elements of the 31st Infantry Division.
 * Reorganized 15 April 1963 to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions, elements of the 31st Infantry Division.
 * (1st and 2d Battalions ordered into active Federal service 11 June 1963 at home stations; released 23 June 1963 from active

Federal service and reverted to state control. Ordered into active Federal service 10 September 1963 at home stations; released 12 September 1963 from active Federal service and reverted to state control. 1st Battalion ordered into active Federal service 20 March 1965 at home stations; released 29 March 1965 from active Federal service and reverted to state control.)
 * Reorganized 15 January 1968 to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 30th Armored Division.
 * Redesignated 1 February 1972 as the 117th Field Artillery.
 * Reorganized 1 November 1973 to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 31st Armored Brigade.
 * Reorganized 1 November 1980 to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 31st Armored Brigade, and the 2d and 3d Battalions.
 * Withdrawn 1 May 1989 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System.
 * Reorganized 1 September 1992 to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 31st Armored Brigade, and the 3d Battalion.
 * Reorganized 1 September 1995 to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 31st Armored Brigade, and the 2d and 3d Battalions.
 * Reorganized 30 September 2002 to consist of the 1st and 3d Battalions.

Campaign participation credit

 * World War I: Streamer without inscription
 * World War II: Naples-Foggia: Rome-Arno: Southern France: Rhineland: Central Europe: New Guinea: Southern Philippines


 * Battery B (Luverne), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:
 * * World War II – AP: Papua; East Indies; Luzon

Decorations

 * Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 ribbon.svg French Croix de Guerre with Silver Gilt Star, World War II, Streamer embroidered ROME-ARNO (933d Field Artillery Battalion cited; DA GO 43, 1950)
 * Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 ribbon.svg French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II, Streamer embroidered ALSACE (933d Field Artillery Battalion cited; DA GO 43, 1950)
 * Presidential Unit Citation (Philippines).svg Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered 17 OCTOBER 1944 TO 4 JULY 1945 (117th Field Artillery Battalion cited; DA GO 47, 1950)
 * Battery B (Luverne), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:
 * * United States Army and U.S. Air Force Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered PAPUA (Papuan Forces, United States Army, Southwest Pacific Area, cited; WD GO 21, 1943)