1st Battalion 109th Field Artillery Regiment

The 1st Battalion 109th Field Artillery Regiment ("Wyoming Valley Guards:) is a battalion of the United States Army, maintained by the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. It is a subordinate formation of the U.S. Army National Guard’s 28th Infantry Division and the 55th Brigade Combat Team. Its headquarters is at the historic Kingston Armory located in Kingston, PA since 1932. The unit was organized on October 17th, 1775 and is one of the oldest military units in the United States Army.^[1] Recent news articles in 2014 and 2015 stated the 55th BCT is under consideration for inactivation by late 2016 and as a result may inactivate the battalion. Additionally, previous news articles such as the Citizen's Voice discussed rumors that the armory could be sold by the state and the unit would be consolidated into another center

History

The unit was organized on October 17th, 1775 and is one of the oldest military units in the United States Army. The first unit commander was Colonel Zebulon Butler. The unit traces is origins to the Connecticut Militia under the 24th Regiment since the Wyoming Valley was a part of Connecticut at the time. After alternating between a infantry and artillery unit throughout the early years and campaigns, the battalion was designated as the 109th Field Artillery Regiment on October 11th 1917.

Task Organization

The task organization has changed multiple times throughout the decades as the force structure of the Army and National Guard changes. As of 2015, the task organization consists of Headquarters, Headquarters Battery, Alpha Battery, Bravo Battery, Charlie Battery, and Fox Forward Support Company of the 228th Support Battalion.

Campaign Participation Credit ^[2]

Revolutionary War

Brandywine

Germantown

New Jersey 1777

Pennsylvania 1777

Pennsylvania 1778

Pennsylvania 1779

Mexican War

Vera Cruz

Cerro Gordo

Civil War

Chancellorsville

Gettysburg

Wilderness

Spotsylvania

Cold Harbor

Petersburg

Virginia 1861

Virginia 1863

World War I

Oise-Aisne

Ypres-Lys

Meuse-Argonne

Champagne 1918

Lorraine 1918

World War II

Normandy

Northern France

Rhineland

Ardennes-Alsace

Central Europe

War on Terrorism

To Be Determined

Decorations

Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered ARDENNE

Luxembourg Croix de Guerre, Streamer embroidered LUXEMBOURG

References

^ Zierdt, William (1932). Narrative History of the 109th Field Artillery. Wyoming Historical and Geological Society.
^ Dalessandro, Robert. "109th Field Artillery Regiment (Wyoming Valley Guards)". Department of the Army History. Department of the Army. Retrieved 11 October 2015.

[1] Zierdt, William (1932). Narrative History of the 109th Field Artillery. Wyoming Historical and Geological Society.

[2] Dalessandro, Robert. "109th Field Artillery Regiment (Wyoming Valley Guards)". Department of the Army History. Department of the Army. Retrieved 11 October 2015.

[1]

[2]