18th Field Artillery Brigade
brigade of the United States Army
The 18th Field Artillery Brigade is the XVIII Airborne Corps field artillery brigade, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Role and structure
The 18th Field Artillery Brigade is America's Contingency Field Artillery Brigade. The Brigade plans, synchronizes and employs long range precision strike fires and counterfires in support of the XVIII Airborne Corps, its subordinate divisions, and to Special Operations forces as required. When the call comes, the Brigade is ready to deploy, fight and win. This brigade consists of the following units
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery
3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment—High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
2× batteries with 8× M142 HIMARS each (change to the new 3×9 structure scheduled for July 2023)
3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment
3× batteries with 9× M142 HIMARS each (changed from the old 2×8 structure to the new 3×9 structure in November 2021)
188th Brigade Support Battalion
Operational history
The 18th Field Artillery Brigade has served in multiple capacities over the past decade in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as the primary 155mm howitzer and HIMARS identity in the war in Afghanistan. The brigade was the only airborne field artillery brigade in the United States Army with 1st Battalion (Airborne), 321st Field Artillery Regiment providing the majority of the support for the 18th Fires Brigade's airborne mission.
During the 1990s the Brigade had a single M198, 155mm battery (initially Battery C, 5th Battalion, 8th Field Artillery; later Battery C, 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment) assigned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in support of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). This made for a healthy rivalry with the other two batteries of the Battalion that were assigned in support of the 82nd Airborne Division. It allowed for the entire Battalion to train together at both Fort Campbell and Fort Bragg.
1st Battalion (Airborne), 321st Field Artillery Regiment maintained a full capacity to provide 155mm howitzer fires anywhere in the world within 18 hours in support of the 82d Airborne Division and while supporting other global responsibilities.
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