The prestigious history of the 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment traces back to the earliest Artillery in Virginia including the "Norfolk Light Artillery Blues" originally organized in 1828, now Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 111th FA, and the "First Company Richmond Howitzers" originally organized in 1859, now Alpha Battery. After the Civil War, the unit’s lineage continued in the Virg
inia volunteer militia until it’s formal designation as the 1st Battalion of Artillery in 1877 with Headquarters at Richmond, Virginia. In 1891, the 1st Battalion added the “Portsmouth Light Artillery”, which originally organized in 1809 and saw service in Hampton Roads during the Battle of Craney Island in the War of 1812. The Virginia volunteer militia were first designated as the Virginia National Guard in 1916 and the 1st Battalion was called to service on the Mexican border from 1916 to 1917. Following service on the border, the 1st Battalion again answered the call to federal service during World War I initially assigned a security mission at the Newport News Shipyard. Following assignment to the newly established 29th (BLUE AND GRAY) Infantry Division, the 1st Battalion arrived in Cherbourg, France in July 1918. Due to complications from Spanish Influenza Pandemic, the 1st Battalion’s arrival at the front occurred as the Armistice came into effect in November 1918. After serving as part of the occupation forces in Germany, the 1st Battalion returned to the United States, mustering out of federal service in June 1919 at Camp Lee, Virginia. Between World War I and World War II, the 1st Battalion remained part of the 29th Division and re-stationed its headquarters to Norfolk, Virginia. During World War II, the 1st Battalion spearheaded the invasion at Normandy, France, where it landed on Omaha Beach to support the 116th Infantry Regiment. After losing all but one of its howitzers in the rough seas and under intense enemy machine gun and artillery fire, 1st Battalion’s Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Thornton Mullins of Richmond, famously proclaimed “To hell with our artillery mission, we’ve got to be infantry now.” The 1st Battalion earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation and the French Croix de Guerre for the D-Day landings and saw intense action throughout the remainder of the war in Europe.
1st Battalion was again activated for federal service in support of the Global War on Terror. In 2003, 1st Battalion mobilized in support of Operation Noble Eagle by providing force protection for Military District of Washington installations including Fort A.P. In 2007, the 1st Battalion provided substantial forces to the 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry as part of Task Force SABER’s reconnaissance and security mission in Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom. In addition to federal mobilizations and deployments, the 1st Battalion has been activated for a myriad of response missions in the Commonwealth of Virginia to include hurricane response, winter storms and support of numerous gubernatorial inaugurations. Most recently, the Soldiers of the Battalion answered the call of duty in Washington, D.C. following the events of January 6th, and in support of the 2021 Presidential Inauguration to assist civilian law enforcement with security operations. Over 200 Soldiers of the 1st Battalion provided perimeter security and response for the Library of Congress and U.S. Capitol Grounds and were among the first Soldiers quartered in the Capitol since the Civil War. This Battalion has and continues to contribute much to the military strength and development of our Commonwealth and Nation. The Citizen-Soldiers of the unit are truly proud of their unit’s heritage and accomplishments, and stand ready to respond to the next call to duty at home or abroad. As Task Force Thunder, our motto remains “Never Unprepared”
