A History of Battery A, 214th Field Artillery Regiment

By Maj. William Carraway

Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

 

 An M109A6 Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzer assigned to the Georgia Army National Guard’s Battery A, 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery sends a 155 mm 
projectile down range during annual training at Fort Stewart, Ga. March 15, 2016. Photo by Capt. William Carraway

Battery A, 214^th Field Artillery Regiment was organized and federally recognized in Hartwell, Ga. as Battery C, 950^th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (Automatic Weapons, Mobile).[1] It was the 110^th unit of the Georgia Army National Guard to be organized as part of the post-World War II reestablishment of the National Guard. The battery’s first 18 Soldiers were sworn in as charter members of the unit in the Hart County Courthouse which served as the temporary headquarters for the unit until the Hartwell Armory was completed in 1962.[2]

 

The original 18 members of the Batterh C, 950th AAA are sworn in at the Hart County Court House. Georgia National Guard Archives. 

On May 1, 1956, the 950^th AAA was reorganized and equipped with 75 mm guns whereupon Battery C was reorganized as Battery D.[3] As part of a major reorganization of the Georgia Army National Guard July 1, 1959, the unit was reorganized as Battery B, 4^th Gun Battalion (Skysweeper) 214^th Artillery.[4] In May 1962, the unit was redesignated Battery B, 1^st Howitzer Battalion, 214^th FAR and equipped with 105 mm howitzers.[5]

Sweeping the Fort Stewart skies from their emplaced position deep within the armor and antiaircraft training center, this battery of Guardsmen from Hartwell's
Battery B, 4th Gun Battalion point the muzzle of their 75 mm "Skysweeper" towards the approaching aircraft in a practice field exercise. The Guardsmen,
part of the 108th Artillery Brigade, trained at Fort Stewart from June 26 to July 10, 1960. Georgia National Guard Archives.

 A major reorganization of the Ga. ARNG April 16, 1963[6] created the 648^th Maintenance Battalion. The Hartwell unit was redesignated Company B of the newly created 648^th MB. This designation lasted less than five years as the inactivation of the 48^th Armor Division Jan. 1, 1968 prompted another state-wide reorganization. The Hartwell company was redesignated 2^nd and 3^rd Engineer Platoons of Company C, 105^th Engineer Battalion.[7] Redesignation as Detachment 1, Company C, 148^th Support Battalion followed Dec 1, 1973.[8] The unit received its current designation as Battery A 1-214^th FAR Dec.1, 1976.[9]  Through most of its existence, Battery A, 1-214^th has called Hartwell home; however, the unit was temporarily assigned to Winder from 2011 to 2014.[10]

 

On March 15, 2003, the 1-214^th FAR was activated for service in support of Operation Noble Eagle. Soldiers of Battery A also participated in the 1-214^th ONE mission in 2004 and supported a company-size element of 1-214^th Soldiers that mobilized to Iraq in 2006 in support of the 34^th Infantry Brigade.[11]

The 1-214^th FAR was assigned to the 648^th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade upon its activation in 2009; however, in 2010, the 1-214^th FAR was transferred back to the 78^th Troop Command.[12] The following year Battery A relocated to Winder, Ga. In 2013, the 1-214^th returned to the 648^th MEB.[13]

Battery A deployed with the 214^th FAR to Afghanistan in 2013 and returned to the United States the following year. In 2014, the Ga. ARNG completed a one-million-dollar renovation of the Hartwell Armory.

Soldiers of Battery A participated in Exercise African Lion 2021 in Morocco. Battery A has also supplied personnel to support the United States Customs and Border Patrol mission on the Southwest border.

An M109A6 Paladin howitzer assigned to the Hartwell-based Alpha Battery, 1-214th FAR moves to a loading dock May 10, 2021, in Jacksonville, Florida.
The self-propelled howitzer was one of over 200 Georgia Army National Guard vehicles that deployed to Morocco for participation in
exercise African Lion 21. Photo by Capt. Bryant Wine.

 

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[1] “Btry C, 950^th Bn, Activated in Hartwell. The Georgia Guardsman. Jan-Feb 1956, 4

[2] “Four New Armories Dedicated 27-28 Nov in Marietta, Calhoun, Lavonia and Hartwell.” The Georgia Guardsman. Sept-Dec 1962, 2.

[3] NG-AROTO 325.4 April 12, 1956.

[4] RA 73-59 June 10, 1959.

[5] RA 47-62 April 16, 1962

[6] RA 57-63 March 21, 1963

[7] RA 7-167 Dec. 14, 1967

[8] RA 153-73 Nov. 23, 1973

[9] RA 236-76 8 Nov. 1956

[10] Ga. ARNG PO 181-017 1 Sept. 2011 and NGB OA 436-14 Nov. 18, 2014.

[11] Georgia Department of Defense. The Georgia Department of Defense Annual Report, 2006.

[12] Georgia Department of Defense. The Georgia Department of Defense Annual Report, 2010, 15.

[13] Georgia Department of Defense. The Georgia Department of Defense Annual Report, 2013, 15.