157th Field Artillery Regiment


The 157th Field Artillery Regiment is a United States Army Regimental System field artillery parent regiment of the United States Army National Guard, represented in the Colorado Army National Guard by the 3rd Battalion, 157th Field Artillery Regiment, part of the 169th Field Artillery Brigade at Colorado Springs.
The regiment was first constituted in 1917 during World War I from the 1st Colorado Infantry Regiment. The regiment was an infantry regiment as part of the 40th Infantry Division.
It was again an infantry regiment of the 45th Infantry Division during and after World War II. In 1950 it was relieved from assignment from the 45th Division and after the Korean War assigned to the artillery. During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the regiment operated the M110 howitzer. The retirement of the M110 system left many National Guard units without a mission. In 2002, the battalions transitioned to the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System, and later in 2009 to the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System system.
1st and 2nd Battalions, 157th Field Artillery Regiment were disbanded in 2006 during the U.S. Army's restructuring from divisional organizations to the modular Brigade Combat Team model. Members from the two battalions were reorganized to form the 3rd Battalion, 157th Field Artillery, part of the 169th Field Artillery Brigade of the Colorado Army National Guard.
Meanwhile, the 1st Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment was reconstituted, also in the Colorado Army National Guard. The 157th Infantry was constituted on 1 October 2007, and activated on 1 September 2008; it is technically a completely new regiment with no lineage connection to the 157th Field Artillery, though it inherits campaign participation credit and a decoration from Colorado field artillery units. As of 30 October 2016 1st Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment was reassigned to the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Vermont National Guard, itself aligned with the 10th Mountain Division. It was also redesignated as a Mountain Battalion, becoming one of only three Mountain Infantry battalions in the Army National Guard.

Lineage of 157th Field Artillery Regiment

Constituted 8 February 1879 in the Colorado National Guard as the 1st Infantry Battalion.
Expanded and redesignated 22 March 1883 as the 1st Regiment Infantry
Expanded and redesignated 15 April 1893 as the 1st Infantry Regiment, Colorado National Guard
Mustered out of Federal Service 8 September 1899 at San Francisco, CA. and reverted to state status as the 1st Infantry Regiment.
1st and 2nd Infantry consolidated 15 June 1916 and designated as the 1st Infantry.
Entire Regiment drafted into federal service 5 August 1917
Consolidated 13 October 1917 with the 1st Colorado Cavalry and consolidated unit designated as the 157th Infantry.
Demobilized 29 April 1919 at Fort D.A. Russell
Redesignated 16 November 1921 as the 157th Infantry, an element of the 45th Division. subsequently the 45th Infantry Division.
Inactivated 3-December 1945 at Camp Bowie Texas.
Reorganized and federally recognized 8 January 1947 with headquarters at Buckley Field
Regiment broken up 1 August 1955 and elements converted and redesignated as follows;
144th Field Artillery Battalion consolidated 1 February 1959 with the 168th Field Artillery Battalion, the 183rd Field Artillery Battalion, and the 188th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, and reorganized and redesignated as the 157th Artillery, a parent Regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Howitzer Battalions.
Redesignated 1 March 1972 as the 157th Field Artillery.
Withdrawn 1 June 1989 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System.

Distinctive unit insignia

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 157th Infantry Regiment on 12 June 1924. It was subsequently redesignated for the 144th Field Artillery Battalion of the Colorado National Guard on 1 May 1956. The insignia was redesignated for the 157th Artillery Regiment of the Colorado National Guard on 23 March 1961 and then redesignated for the 157th Field Artillery Regiment, Colorado Army National Guard on 28 August 1972.
The DUI is a gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Per fess embattled Gules and Or in chief two wigwams of the second garnished of the first and in base a sea horse brandishing a sword in dexter paw of the last. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Blue scroll inscribed "EAGER FOR DUTY" in Gold letters.
The shield is scarlet and yellow which are the Spanish colors; the parting line embattled in recollection of fortifications. The sea horse of the Philippines recalls that the fortification was the walled city of Manila. The two wigwams recall the Indian service in the frontier days.

Campaign participation credit

All of the above WW II Campaign credits were earned as the 157th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Infantry Division.

Decorations