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108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade (United States)
Encyclopedia
The mission of the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade is an air defense artillery
brigade
of the United States Army
. The mission of the brigade is to train and maintain a strategic crisis response air defense artillery brigade capable of deploying worldwide, on short notice, to provide air defense force protection from air-breathing threats and tactical ballistic missiles, as well as allow freedom of maneuver for XVIII Airborne Corps operations.
in October, 1923. The Regiment was reorganized as the 108th Coast Artillery Group (Antiaircraft) on 3 January 1943 at Camp Davis
, North Carolina, and again reorganized as the 108th Antiaircraft Artillery Group, in May of the same year. The 108th was then moved to Camp Stewart, Georgia on 14 October 1943. Two months later, the 108th staged at Camp Shanks
, New York on 22 December and remained there until they deployed from the New York Port of Embarkation on 6 days later, and arrived in England on 7 January 1944.
The brigade deployed to Europe during World War II
, and participated in the landings at Normandy, going ashore at Utah Beach
on 28 June 1944. The 108th then went on to provide antiaircraft defense for the city and port of Cherbourg, for eleven months, and then moved forward to the cities of Rheims and Rouen
. The brigade was moved forward to Germany on 2 May 1945, and was stationed in Kaufhueren on 20 August. The Group was deactivated there on 14 December 1945, and returned to the Army reserve. The personnel and equipment from the brigade were dispersed to the occupation units.
1/514th CAR (AA) became 217th Coast Artillery Battalion on 20 January 1943, and was again redesignated as 217th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion on 28 June 1943. The 217th deployed from the Boston Port of Embarkation on 7 April 1944 and arrived in England on 17 April 1944. The 217th moved forward to France on 25 June 1944, where they remained until they moved forward to participate in the Ardennes-Alsace Offensive. The 217th was relocated to Stubenag, Germany on 20 August 1945. The 217th returned to the continental US via the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation on 2 February 1946, and was deactivated and returned to the US Army Reserve the same day.
2/514th CAR (AA) became 639th Coast Artillery Battalion (Auto Weapons) on 20 January 1943, And was again redesignated as the 639th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion (Auto Weapons) on 15 May. The 639th deployed from the New York Port of Embarkation on 29 September 1944, and landed in France on 10 October 1944. The 639th was then relocated to Braunfels
, Germany on 20 August 1945. The 639th returned to the continental US via the New York Port of Embarkation on 2 February 1946, and was deactivated at Camp Kilmer
, and returned to the US Army Reserve on the same day.
3/514th CAR (AA) became 363rd Coast Artillery Battalion (Search Light) on 20 January 1943, and was redesignated as the 363rd Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion (Searchlight) on 3 March 1943. The 363rd did not deploy, but remained at Fort Gordon
, Georgia
until 31 October 1944, whereupon the unit was deactivated and returned to the US Army Reserve, with the personnel and equipment transferred elsewhere as required.
, California.
, Kansas
as the 108th Artillery Group and deployed to the Republic of Vietnam in October 1967. The Group participated in every major operation conducted in I Corps area of operations and credited with participation in eleven different campaigns while in Vietnam. For its service it was awarded the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm. The 108th departed from Vietnam on 22 November 1971 for Fort Lewis
, Washington, where the unit was again inactivated.
On 26 August 1974, the group was again reactivated at Kapun Barracks, Kaiserslautern
, West Germany
, as the 108th Air Defense Group, the only Chaparral
/Vulcan
Group in the US Army. In September 1975 the group moved to Kleber Kaserne and on 1 October 1982 it was redesignated the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. On 15 April 1992 the Brigade was moved to Fort Polk
, Louisiana
, becoming a Patriot
(2–43rd) and Avenger (1–2nd) unit, and on 15 August 1996 the brigade moved to Fort Bliss
, Texas.
At Fort Bliss the brigade was aligned under the Fort Bragg-based XVIII Airborne Corps and, because of this alignment, added an Airborne tab above its patch; however, according to the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry, the alignment with XVIII Airborne Corps does not serve as authorization to add the Airborne tab and the brigade has never been authorized to wear it. The IOH also notes the brigade asked to be authorized a beret flash and parachute wing oval but was turned down because the brigade is not an Airborne unit and is not authorized either a flash or oval. The brigade's only unit to serve on jump status was the Stinger Platoon of 2–52nd ADA. This platoon, under the command of 1LT Evan Phelps, had the distinction of being the first ADA unit to be deployed in the opening days of the Gulf War. 2–52 ADA was disbanded shortly after the Gulf War in the early 1990s. Later in 2007, the brigade would again have Airborne units assigned to its command with the addition of the 3–4th ADA when it was reassigned from the 82nd Airborne Division. Under the ongoing reorganization, only Battery E of 3–4th ADA is on jump status.http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/03/13/18227-fort-bragg-battery-deploys-to-provide-support-in-iraq/
In 2007–2008, the unit was to be moved to Fort Bragg
as part of the 2005 BRAC realignment. The 108th saw its 1–7th ADA deployed to South Korea
(the first U.S. deployment since the Korean War) and gained 3–4th ADA, previously an Avenger
battalion. The 3–4th ADA is now organized as an "Air and Missile Defense" battalion. Additionally, the brigade lost the 2–43rd ADA to the 11th ADA Brigade.
Air Defense Artillery
The Air Defense Artillery branch descended from the Anti-Aircraft Artillery into a separate branch on 20 June 1968...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. The mission of the brigade is to train and maintain a strategic crisis response air defense artillery brigade capable of deploying worldwide, on short notice, to provide air defense force protection from air-breathing threats and tactical ballistic missiles, as well as allow freedom of maneuver for XVIII Airborne Corps operations.
Subordinate units
-
108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade
- Headquarters and Headquarters Battery
- 1st Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (United States)7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (United States)The 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1898 as the 7th Regiment of Artillery.-History:...
(Fort BraggFort Bragg, North CarolinaFort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
). - 2nd Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (United States)44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (United States)The 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an Air Defense Artillery regiment of the United States Army. first Constituted 1918 in the Regular Army.-Lineage:...
(Fort CampbellFort CampbellFort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
) (inactivation rescheduled from September 2011 to 2017)http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2010/07/01/strike-fear%E2%80%99-prepares-to-deploy-to-afghanistan/ - 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (United States)4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (United States)The 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment was constituted 1 June 1821 in the Regular Army as the 4th Regiment of Artillery and organized from new and existing units with Headquarters at Pensacola, Florida...
(Air and Missile Defense) (Fort BraggFort Bragg, North CarolinaFort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
).
Former subordinate units
- 1st Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (inactive)
- 2nd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (now part of 11th ADA Bde11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade (United States)The 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade is an air defense artillery brigade of the United States Army stationed at Fort Bliss.- Organization :* 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade** Headquarters and Headquarters Battery...
) - 2nd Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (HAWK) (formerly 3–68th ADA, now disbanded)
- 2nd Battalion, 60th Air Defense Artillery
- 2nd Battalion, 67th Air Defense Artillery
- 6th Battalion, 56th Air Defense Artillery
- 555th Maintenance Company (part of 2nd Battalion, 43rd ADA), now called Maintenance Support Battery (MSB)
World War II
The 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade traces its lineage to the 514th Coast Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft), which was formed in Schenectady, New YorkSchenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
in October, 1923. The Regiment was reorganized as the 108th Coast Artillery Group (Antiaircraft) on 3 January 1943 at Camp Davis
Camp Davis
Marine Corps Outlying Field Camp Davis is a military use airport located southeast of the central business district of Holly Ridge, in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States...
, North Carolina, and again reorganized as the 108th Antiaircraft Artillery Group, in May of the same year. The 108th was then moved to Camp Stewart, Georgia on 14 October 1943. Two months later, the 108th staged at Camp Shanks
Camp Shanks
Camp Shanks, named after Major General David Carey Shanks was a United States Army installation in and around Orangeburg in the Town of Orangetown, New York. Situated near the juncture of the Erie Railroad and the Hudson River, it served as a point of embarkation for troops departing overseas...
, New York on 22 December and remained there until they deployed from the New York Port of Embarkation on 6 days later, and arrived in England on 7 January 1944.
The brigade deployed to Europe during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and participated in the landings at Normandy, going ashore at Utah Beach
Utah Beach
Utah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
on 28 June 1944. The 108th then went on to provide antiaircraft defense for the city and port of Cherbourg, for eleven months, and then moved forward to the cities of Rheims and Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. The brigade was moved forward to Germany on 2 May 1945, and was stationed in Kaufhueren on 20 August. The Group was deactivated there on 14 December 1945, and returned to the Army reserve. The personnel and equipment from the brigade were dispersed to the occupation units.
1/514th CAR (AA) became 217th Coast Artillery Battalion on 20 January 1943, and was again redesignated as 217th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion on 28 June 1943. The 217th deployed from the Boston Port of Embarkation on 7 April 1944 and arrived in England on 17 April 1944. The 217th moved forward to France on 25 June 1944, where they remained until they moved forward to participate in the Ardennes-Alsace Offensive. The 217th was relocated to Stubenag, Germany on 20 August 1945. The 217th returned to the continental US via the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation on 2 February 1946, and was deactivated and returned to the US Army Reserve the same day.
2/514th CAR (AA) became 639th Coast Artillery Battalion (Auto Weapons) on 20 January 1943, And was again redesignated as the 639th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion (Auto Weapons) on 15 May. The 639th deployed from the New York Port of Embarkation on 29 September 1944, and landed in France on 10 October 1944. The 639th was then relocated to Braunfels
Braunfels
Braunfels is a town in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. It is located on the German Framework Road.- Location :The climatic spa of Braunfels lies at a height of some 100 m above the Lahn valley...
, Germany on 20 August 1945. The 639th returned to the continental US via the New York Port of Embarkation on 2 February 1946, and was deactivated at Camp Kilmer
Camp Kilmer
Camp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, and returned to the US Army Reserve on the same day.
3/514th CAR (AA) became 363rd Coast Artillery Battalion (Search Light) on 20 January 1943, and was redesignated as the 363rd Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion (Searchlight) on 3 March 1943. The 363rd did not deploy, but remained at Fort Gordon
Fort Gordon
Fort Gordon, formerly known as Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established in 1917. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps and Signal Center and was once the home of "The Provost Marshal General School" . The fort is located in Richmond, Jefferson, McDuffie,...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
until 31 October 1944, whereupon the unit was deactivated and returned to the US Army Reserve, with the personnel and equipment transferred elsewhere as required.
Campaign participation credit
- Normandy 1944-06-06 – 1944-07-24 108th and 217th only.
- Northern France 1944-07-25 – 1944-09-14 108th and 217th only.
- Rhineland 1944-09-15 – 1945-03-21 108th, 217th, and 639th.
- Ardennes-Alsace 1944-12-16 – 1945-01-25 108th and 639th only.
- Central Europe 1945-03-22 – 1945-05-11 108th, 217th, and 639th.
Post-War
In September, 1956, the 108th AA Group was reactivated in Los Angeles, California. It was again redesignated as the 108th Artillery Group (Air Defense). The 108th was deactivated in April 1960, in Fort MacArthurFort MacArthur
Fort MacArthur is a former United States Army installation in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California . The fort is named in honor of Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur...
, California.
Vietnam War
In May 1967, the group was reactivated at Fort RileyFort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
as the 108th Artillery Group and deployed to the Republic of Vietnam in October 1967. The Group participated in every major operation conducted in I Corps area of operations and credited with participation in eleven different campaigns while in Vietnam. For its service it was awarded the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm. The 108th departed from Vietnam on 22 November 1971 for Fort Lewis
Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, Washington, where the unit was again inactivated.
Post-Vietnam
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate forest . The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, and from Luxembourg.Kaiserslautern is home to 99,469 people...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, as the 108th Air Defense Group, the only Chaparral
MIM-72/M48 Chaparral
MIM-72A/M48 Chaparral was a US Army self-propelled surface-to-air missile system based on the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile system. The launcher is based on the M113 family of vehicles. It entered service with the US Army in 1969 and was phased out between 1990 and 1998...
/Vulcan
M167 Vulcan
The M167 Vulcan Air Defense System was a towed short-range United States Army anti-aircraft gun designed to protect forward area combat elements and rear area critical assets. It was also used to protect U.S. Air Force warplane airfields and U.S. Army helicopter airfields...
Group in the US Army. In September 1975 the group moved to Kleber Kaserne and on 1 October 1982 it was redesignated the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. On 15 April 1992 the Brigade was moved to Fort Polk
Fort Polk
Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, approximately 7 miles east of Leesville, Louisiana and 20 miles north of DeRidder, Louisiana....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, becoming a Patriot
MIM-104 Patriot
The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile system, the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied nations. It is manufactured by the Raytheon Company of the United States. The Patriot System replaced the Nike Hercules system as the U.S. Army's primary High to Medium...
(2–43rd) and Avenger (1–2nd) unit, and on 15 August 1996 the brigade moved to Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
, Texas.
At Fort Bliss the brigade was aligned under the Fort Bragg-based XVIII Airborne Corps and, because of this alignment, added an Airborne tab above its patch; however, according to the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry, the alignment with XVIII Airborne Corps does not serve as authorization to add the Airborne tab and the brigade has never been authorized to wear it. The IOH also notes the brigade asked to be authorized a beret flash and parachute wing oval but was turned down because the brigade is not an Airborne unit and is not authorized either a flash or oval. The brigade's only unit to serve on jump status was the Stinger Platoon of 2–52nd ADA. This platoon, under the command of 1LT Evan Phelps, had the distinction of being the first ADA unit to be deployed in the opening days of the Gulf War. 2–52 ADA was disbanded shortly after the Gulf War in the early 1990s. Later in 2007, the brigade would again have Airborne units assigned to its command with the addition of the 3–4th ADA when it was reassigned from the 82nd Airborne Division. Under the ongoing reorganization, only Battery E of 3–4th ADA is on jump status.http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/03/13/18227-fort-bragg-battery-deploys-to-provide-support-in-iraq/
In 2007–2008, the unit was to be moved to Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
as part of the 2005 BRAC realignment. The 108th saw its 1–7th ADA deployed to South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
(the first U.S. deployment since the Korean War) and gained 3–4th ADA, previously an Avenger
M1097 Avenger
The Avenger Air Defense System, designated AN/TWQ-1 under the Joint Electronics Type Designation System, is a missile system which provides mobile, short-range air defense protection for ground units against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, low-flying fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters...
battalion. The 3–4th ADA is now organized as an "Air and Missile Defense" battalion. Additionally, the brigade lost the 2–43rd ADA to the 11th ADA Brigade.
External links
- Official homepage
- http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/108ada-bde.htm