143rd Field Artillery Regiment
The 143rd Field Artillery Regiment is a combat arms regiment of the United States Army made up of soldiers from the California Army National Guard. Only the regiment's first battalion, a Composite fires battalion, equipped with M119A3 and M777A2 Howitzers, is still active. The 1st Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery's current mission is to shoot safely, accurately, and quickly in direct support of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Furthermore, the battalion trains to deploy, fight, and win on the battlefield and respond effectively to any state emergency.
| 143rd Field Artillery Regiment | |
|---|---|
143rd Field Artillery Regiment coat of arms | |
| Active | 1912 – present |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Field artillery |
| Part of | 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team |
| Garrison/HQ | Richmond, California (HQ) |
| Motto(s) | Facta Non Verba - Deeds Not Words |
| Equipment | M119 howitzer and M777 howitzer |
| Engagements | Spanish–American War Philippine–American War Mexican Expedition World War I World War II Korean War Iraq Campaign |
| Decorations | Presidential Unit Citation (Philippines) Presidential Unit Citation (Korea) |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | MAJ Jorge Reagan |
| Previous commander | LTC Valos Owen |
| 2d Previous commander | LTC Michael Leeney |
| Notable commanders | LTC Rob Wooldridge LTC E. Ian Falk LTC Jim Kennedy LTC Mike Sawyer |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive Unit Insignia | |
| U.S. Field Artillery Regiments | ||||
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The first battalion was most recently activated for federal service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2007 to 2008. The subordinate batteries of 1-143 FA executed force protection missions throughout central and northern Iraq.