169th Field Artillery Brigade
| 169th Fires Brigade | |
|---|---|
 169th Fires Brigade shoulder sleeve insignia | |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Army National Guard |
| Type | Artillery |
| Garrison/HQ | Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, Colorado |
| Decorations | Croix de Guerre with Palm |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | COL Michael Willis |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive Unit Insignia |  |
The 169th Fires Brigade is an artillery brigade in the US Army National Guard. It is part of the Colorado Army National Guard. The 169th Fires Brigade is currently composed of:
- Headquarters & Headquarters Battery
3rd Battalion, 157th Field Artillery (HIMARS)
1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery (M-109) (KS ARNG)
2nd Battalion, 130th Field Artillery (HIMARS) (KS ARNG)
2nd Battalion, 123rd Field Artillery (M-198) (IL ARNG)
147th Brigade Support Battalion- E Battery, 161st Field Artillery Regiment (Target Acquisition) (KS ARNG)
- 540th Network Signal Support Company
A tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) battery will be added in the future.
Activities
It was ordered into Federal Service on 1 October 1961 as part of the American reaction to the Berlin Crisis of 1961 and released in August 1962. The brigade headquarters was mobilized in March 2006 for service in Iraq and it returned in July 2007.[1]
Lineage
Originally raised as an infantry unit in 1909, HHB, 169th Field Artillery Group was converted from the Headquarters Company of the 157th Infantry Regiment in Denver on 1 August 1955. It was redesignated as an Artillery Group on 1 October 1959. It reverted to the original Field Artillery Group title and transferred to Aurora, Colorado on 1 March 1972. On 1 May 1978 it was redesignated as a Field Artillery Brigade.
Honors
The 169th's predecessor, the 157th Infantry Regiment, was awarded one campaign streamer in World War I and eight campaign streamers and one unit decoration in World War II.
Unit decorations
| Ribbon | Award | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
French Croix de Guerre, World War II (With Palm) | 1943–1944 | Embroidered "Italy" |
Campaign streamers
| Conflict | Streamer | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| World War I | Streamer without inscription | |
| World War II | Sicily (with Arrowhead) | 1943 |
| World War II | Naples-Foggia (with Arrowhead) | 1943 |
| World War II | Anzio (wirth Arrowhead) | 1943 |
| World War II | Rome-Arno | 1944 |
| World War II | Southern France (with Arrowhead) | 1944 |
| World War II | Rhineland | 1944—1945 |
| World War II | Ardennes-Alsace | 1944—1945 |
| World War II | Central Europe | 1945 |
References
- ^ Stone, Spc. Jessi. "169th Fires Brigade welcome home ceremony". Retrieved 18 August 2009.