The Air Defense Artillery Branch is the air defense branch of the United States Army, specializing in the use of anti-aircraft weapons (such as surface-to-air missiles) to conduct anti-aircraft warfare operations. In the U.S. Army, these groups are composed of mainly air defense systems such as the Patriot Missile System, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), and the Avenger Air Defense System which fires the FIM-92 Stinger missile.

The Air Defense Artillery branch descended from Anti-Aircraft Artillery (part of the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps until 1950, then part of the Artillery Branch) into a separate branch on 20 June 1968. On 1 December 1968, the ADA branch was authorized to wear modified Artillery insignia, crossed field guns with missile. The Branch Motto, "First To Fire", was adopted in 1986 by the attendees of the ADA Commanders' Conference at Fort Bliss. The motto refers to a speech given by General Jonathan Wainwright to veterans of the 200th Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft) stating they were the 'First to Fire' in World War II against the Empire of Japan.

Mission According to the Army's Field Manual 3-01, the mission of Air Defense Artillery is "to protect the force and selected geopolitical assets from aerial attack, missile attack, and surveillance along with much more to offer."

History On 10 October 1917 an Antiaircraft Service in the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) was created at Arnouville-Les-Gonesse where an antiaircraft school was established. The antiaircraft units were organized as serially numbered battalions during the war, as follows: 1st Antiaircraft Battalion through the 10th Antiaircraft Battalion (redesignated as numbered antiaircraft sectors in November 1918, all demobilized by January 1919)Rinaldi, pp. 166–168 1st AA Machine Gun Battalion through the 6th AA Machine Gun Battalion. These units were organized by Col. James A. Shipton and were demobilized January–May 1919.Rinaldi, p. 123

Coast Artillery role

The National Defense Act of 1920 formally assigned the air defense mission to the Coast Artillery Corps. In January 1923, the force structure of the National Guard was modified under a restricted manpower program, which left gaps in the numerical series of its units. Many of these gaps would be filled during the major expansion of the National Guard in 1939-1940 when new antiaircraft regiments were organized by the conversion of cavalry and infantry units.

Antiaircraft units based in the U.S. interior, particularly those from the National Guard, often had to travel out of state each year for live-fire training, as this was usually conducted over water so the rounds would fall harmlessly to earth. Most of the Organized Reserve Coast Artillery regiments were functional units and many were some of the most active and well-trained Reserve organizations in the Army.

Regular Army antiaircraft regiments 60th CA (AA) 61st CA (AA) 62nd CA (AA) 63rd CA (AA) 64th CA (AA) 65th CA (AA)

National Guard antiaircraft regiments 162nd CA (AA) - Pennsylvania Allotted but never organized; designation "213th" substituted in 1922 197th CA (AA) - New Hampshire 198th Coast Artillery (AA) - Delaware 199th CA (AA) - Pennsylvania Never organized; withdrawn from Pennsylvania in 1926 and the National Guard in 1927 200th CA (AA) - Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina Only Battery G (North Carolina) ever organized; redesignated Battery F, 252nd CA (HD) in 1926, with remainder of regiment demobilized 201st CA (AA) - Ohio and West Virginia Never organized; withdrawn from Ohio and West Virginia in 1926 and the National Guard in 1927 202nd CA (AA) - Illinois 203rd CA (AA) - Missouri 204th CA (AA) - Texas Never organized; withdrawn from Texas in 1926 and the National Guard in 1927 205th CA (AA) - California, Washington, and Oregon Never organized; withdrawn from respective states in 1926 and the National Guard in 1927 206th CA (AA) - Arkansas Designated 141st CA (AA) 1921-24 211th (AA) - Massachusetts 212th CA (AA) - New York 213th CA (AA) - Pennsylvania 214th CA (AA) - Kentucky Never organized; withdrawn from Kentucky in 1926 and the National Guard in 1927 251st CA (AA) - California 369th CA (AA) - New York

Expansion In 1938, there were only six active Regular Army and thirteen National Guard regiments, but by 1941 this had been expanded to 37 total regiments. New National Guard regiments were organized by the conversion of the National Guard's four cavalry divisions and other units.

New National Guard antiaircraft regiments

207th CA (AA) - New York Organized 1940 from the 107th Infantry 208th CA (AA) - Connecticut Organized 1940 from the 110th Cavalry and 21st Reconnaissance Squadron 209th CA (AA) - New York Organized new, 1940 210th CA (AA) - Michigan Organized 1940 from new units and the conversion of the 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment 214th CA (AA) - Georgia Organized 1939 from the 2nd Battalion, 122nd Infantry and the 264th CA Battalion (Harbor Defense) 215th, 216th, 217th CA (AA) - Minnesota Organized from the 205th and 206th Infantry Regiments, 92nd Infantry Brigade (separate)

World War II

In November 1942, 781 battalions were authorized. However, this number was pared down to 331 battalions by the end of the war. By late 1944 the regiments had been broken up into battalions and 144 "Antiaircraft Artillery Groups" had been activated; some of these existed only briefly.Stanton, pp. 434–481

The serially-numbered battalions in late World War II included the following types: Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion Antiaircraft Artillery Searchlight Battalion Barrage Balloon Battalion and in the 1950s: Antiaircraft Artillery Missile Battalion.

On 9 March 1942 Antiaircraft Command was established in Washington D.C. and 1944 the AAA school was moved to Fort Bliss.

Army Air Defense Command Army Air Defense Command ran from 1957 to 1974.

In 1991 the Patriot missile was heavily utilized during the Gulf War. After this short skirmish ended Air Defense has not been involved in any significant combat actions due to lack of enemy air assets and/or missile technology.

In 2010 the United States Army Air Defense Artillery School was moved from Fort Bliss to Fort Sill.

Air Defense Artillery Units The following lists all units that make up the Army's Air Defense Artillery Branch.

Army Air and Missile Defense Commands Command SSI Subordinate to Garrison or Headquarters 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (10th AAMDC) United States Army Europe Sembach, Germany 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command (32nd AAMDC) United States Army Forces Command Fort Bliss, Texas 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (94th AAMDC) United States Army Pacific Fort Shafter, Hawaii 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command (263rd AAMDC) South Carolina Army National Guard Anderson, South Carolina

Air Defense Artillery Brigades

Brigade SSI Subordinate to Garrison11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade (ADAB)32nd AAMDCFort Bliss, Texas30th ADABArmy Air Defense Artillery SchoolFort Sill, Oklahoma31st ADAB32nd AAMDCFort Sill, Oklahoma35th ADABEighth United States Army / 94th AAMDCOsan Air Base, South Korea38th ADAB94th AAMDCSagami General Depot, Japan52nd ADAB10th AAMDCSembach, Germany69th ADAB32nd AAMDCFort Hood, Texas 100th Missile Defense Brigade (MDB) Army Space and Missile Defense Command / Colorado Army National Guard Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado108th ADAB32nd AAMDCFort Bragg, North Carolina164th ADABFlorida Army National GuardOrlando, Florida174th ADABOhio Army National GuardColumbus, Ohio678th ADAB263rd AAMDCEastover, South Carolina

Army Battalions

Unit SSI Subordinate to Garrison Equipment 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment (1-1st ADAR) 38th ADAB Kadena Air Base, Japan MIM-104 Patriot 2nd Battalion 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment (2–1st ADAR 35th ADAB Camp Carroll, South Korea MIM-104 Patriot 3–2nd ADAR 31st ADAB Fort Sill, Oklahoma MIM-104 Patriot 4–3rd ADAR 31st ADAB Fort Sill, Oklahoma MIM-104 Patriot 3–4th ADAR 108th ADAB Fort Bragg, North Carolina MIM-104 Patriot, AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, FIM-92 Stinger 5–4th ADAR 52nd ADAB Ansbach, Germany M-SHORAD 4–5th ADAR 69th ADAB Fort Hood, Texas MIM-104 Patriot 5–5th ADAR 31st ADAB Fort Sill, Oklahoma AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, C-RAM Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar 2–6th ADAR 30th ADAB Fort Sill, Oklahoma AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, C-RAM Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar 3–6th ADAR 30th ADAB Fort Sill, Oklahoma MIM-104 Patriot, THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense 1–7th ADAR 108th ADAB Fort Bragg, North Carolina MIM-104 Patriot 5–7th ADAR 52nd ADAB Baumholder, Germany MIM-104 Patriot 1–43rd ADAR 11th ADAB Fort Bliss, Texas MIM-104 Patriot 2–43rd ADAR 11th ADAB Fort Bliss, Texas MIM-104 Patriot 3–43rd ADAR 11th ADAB Fort Bliss, Texas MIM-104 Patriot 1–44th ADAR 69th ADAB Fort Hood, Texas MIM-104 Patriot 2–44th ADAR 108th ADAB Fort Campbell, Kentucky AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, C-RAM Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar 5–52nd ADAR 11th ADAB Fort Bliss, Texas MIM-104 Patriot 6–52nd ADAR 35th ADAB Suwon Air Base, South Korea MIM-104 Patriot, AN/TWQ-1 Avenger 1–56th ADAR 30th ADAB Fort Sill, Oklahoma Officer training 2–55th ADAR 108th ADAB Fort Bragg, North Carolina Stryker M-SHORAD 6–56th ADAR 1st Cavalry Division Fort Hood, Texas AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, Stryker M-SHORAD and "other systems." 1–57th ADAR 52nd ADAB Ansbach, Germany Stryker M-SHORAD 4–60th ADAR 1st Armored Division Fort Sill, Oklahoma Stryker M-SHORAD 1–62nd ADAR 69th ADAB Fort Hood, Texas MIM-104 Patriot 1–362 ADA Separate battalion Camp Atterbury, Indiana NASAMS, FIM 92 Stinger 1–346 ADA Separate battalion Fort Stewart, Georgia AN/TWQ-1 Avenger

Army Batteries Unit SSI Subordinate to Garrison Equipment A Battery, 2nd ADAR 11th ADAB Fort Bliss, Texas THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense B Battery, 2nd ADAR 11th ADAB Fort Bliss, Texas THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense D Battery, 2nd ADAR 35th ADAB Osan Air Base, South Korea THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense E Battery, 3rd ADAR 38th ADAB Andersen Air Force Base, Guam THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense A Battery, 4th ADAR 11th ADAB Fort Bliss, Texas THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense B Battery, 62nd ADAR 69th ADAB Fort Hood, Texas THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense E Battery, 62nd ADAR 69th ADAB Fort Hood, Texas THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense

National Guard Battalions Unit SSI Subordinate to Garrison Part of Equipment 49th Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Battalion 100th Missile Defense Brigade Fort Greely, Alaska Alaska Army National Guard Ground-Based Interceptor 1–174 Air Defense Artillery (ADA) 174th ADAB Cincinnati, Ohio Ohio Army National Guard AN/TWQ-1 Avenger 2-174 ADA 174th ADAB McConnelsville, Ohio Ohio Army National Guard AN/TWQ-1 Avenger 1–188 ADA Separate battalion Grand Forks, North Dakota North Dakota Army National Guard AN/TWQ-1 Avenger 1–204 ADA Separate battalion Newton, Mississippi Mississippi Army National Guard AN/TWQ-1 Avenger 2-263 ADA 678th ADAB Anderson, South Carolina South Carolina Army National Guard AN/TWQ-1 Avenger 1–265 ADA 164th ADAB Palm Coast, Florida Florida Army National Guard AN/TWQ-1 Avenger 3–265 ADA 164th ADAB Sarasota, Florida Florida Army National Guard AN/TWQ-1 Avenger 1–211 ADA 164th ADAB Sarasota, Florida Florida Army National Guard NASAMS, FIM 92 Stinger

Shipton award