The 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an

air defense artillery The Air Defense Artillery Branch is the branch of the United States Army that specializes in anti-aircraft weapons (such as surface to air missiles). In the U.S. Army, these groups are composed of mainly air defense systems such as the Patrio ...

regiment of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

, first formed in 1821 as a

field artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the early 20t ...

unit.2d Air Defense Artillery Regiment Lineage and Honors (29 November 1996)
/ref> Battery A-2nd ADAR THAAD (Battery A, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense)A-2 THAAD successfully intercepts missile target ''Fort Bliss Bugle'' (20 July 2017)
accessdate=2017-07-20 of the 11th Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Brigade successfully intercepted an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile which was launched near Hawaii on 11 July 2017. The soldiers used the procedures of an actual combat scenario at the Pacific Spaceport on

Kodiak Island Kodiak Island (Alutiiq: ''Qikertaq''), is a large island on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. The largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago, Kodiak Island is the second larges ...

, Alaska, and were not aware of the IRBM's launch time. On 19 October 2017, Battery D-2 ADAR THAAD (Delta Battery, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment) reflagged from the 11th ADA Brigade to the 35th ADA Brigade prior to the permanent change of station from Fort Bliss to South Korea. Capt. Jonathon Daniell (20 October 2017) THAAD battery reflags to align with 35th ADA Brigade in South Korea
/ref>

Lineage

Constituted 1 June 1821 in the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...

as the 2nd Regiment of Artillery and organized from existing units with headquarters at Baltimore, Maryland. The lineages of some of the units that initially made up the 2nd U.S. Artillery include campaign credit for the War of 1812. The 2nd U.S. Artillery took part with distinction in the Mexican War, with Captain James Duncan receiving three brevets–major, lieutenant-colonel, and colonel—for his actions in the war. Twelve batteries of the 2nd US Artillery served throughout the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, and Battery M fired the first shot of the Union Army at the First Battle of Bull Run. At the time, the battery was commanded by 2LT

Peter Conover Hains Peter Conover Hains (July 6, 1840 – November 7, 1921) was a major general in the United States Army, and a veteran of the American Civil War, Spanish–American War, and the First World War. He is best known for his engineering efforts, such a ...

, who later became the last veteran of the Civil War to serve on active duty, being recalled from retirement with the outbreak of the First World War to serve as commander of the Eastern District of the Corps of Engineers from 1917-1918. Hains had retired originally in 1904 as a brigadier general of the Corps of Engineers, and in 1916 was promoted to major general on the retired list. Order of battle information shows that batteries of the regiment deployed outside the U.S. in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

of 1898. However, no battle honors for this war are on the regiment's official lineage and honors certificate dated 29 November 1996. Batteries A and F deployed to Cuba. Regiment was broken up on 13 February 1901, and its elements reorganized and redesignated as separate numbered companies and batteries of the

Artillery Corps Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications dur ...

. Reconstituted 1 July 1924 in the Regular Army as the 2nd Coast Artillery at

Fort Sherman Fort Sherman is a former United States Army base in Panama, located on Toro Point at the Caribbean (northern) end of the Panama Canal, on the western bank of the Canal directly opposite Colón (which is on the eastern bank). It was the primary d ...

in the Harbor Defenses of Cristobal on the Caribbean side of the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...

. Batteries E, G, and H concurrently reorganized and redesignated from existing units in the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...

. The regiment was organized by redesignating the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th companies of the

Coast Artillery Corps The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an Corps#Administrative corps, administrative corps responsible for coastal defence and fortification, coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft Seacoast defense in the United States, defense of the United S ...

(CAC). Batteries B, C, D, E, H, I, K, and L carried the lineage and designations of the corresponding batteries in the old 2nd Artillery.Gaines, p. 5 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions and Batteries E, G, and H were activated with the regiment. 4th Battalion constituted 22 April 1929 as an inactive component, never activated. Battery C activated 30 April 1926 in the Canal Zone; Battery G concurrently inactivated in the Canal Zone. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions and Batteries C, E, and H inactivated 15 April 1932 in the Canal Zone and transferred, less personnel and equipment, to Fort Monroe, Virginia. Regimental headquarters and Batteries C, E, and H activated 30 April 1932 at

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...

, Virginia in the Harbor Defenses of Chesapeake Bay with personnel from inactivated 12th Coast Artillery. Battery E was activated at

Fort Story Joint Expeditionary Base-Fort Story, commonly called simply Fort Story is a sub-installation of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek–Fort Story, which is operated by the United States Navy. Located in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Vi ...

, Virginia. The 2nd Coast Artillery provided training support for the Coast Artillery School at Fort Monroe, 1932–41. The regiment trained the

Organized Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 2020 ...

harbor defense units assigned to the Harbor Defenses of Chesapeake Bay 1932–41. Reserve officers assigned to the regiment conducted summer training with the regiment at Fort Monroe. Responsible for the support and administration of the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

(CCC) District 4,

Third Corps Area Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hig ...

, 1933–39. Battery A activated 1 September 1935 at Fort Monroe; Battery H concurrently inactivated at Fort Monroe. Batteries B and D activated 1 November 1938 at Fort Monroe. Battery F activated 1 February 1940 at Fort Monroe. Remainder of 1st and 2nd Battalions activated 1 August 1940 at Fort Monroe as a Type B harbor defense regiment.Stanton, p. 455 Battery G activated 1 March 1941 at Fort Monroe. Regiment upgraded to Type A in 1941. Remainder of regiment including 3rd Battalion activated 30 April 1942 at Fort Monroe). Battery K activated at

Fort Moultrie Fort Moultrie is a series of fortifications on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The first fort, formerly named Fort Sullivan, built of palmetto logs, inspired the flag and n ...

, South Carolina with personnel and equipment of Battery D, 263rd Coast Artillery. Battery H sent to

Fort Macon A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, North Carolina July 1942. In September, Battery K and one platoon from Battery N were assigned to Fort Macon. In 1942 batteries from 2nd Battalion posted at Forts Moultrie, Monroe, & Macon, and at Little Creek Mine Base, VA. Regiment changed from Type A to Type C 21 April 1942. Batteries at Temporary Harbor Defenses of Beaufort manned the 5-inch gun battery on Cape Lookout and Fort Macon's 6-inch guns. Regiment broken up 1 October 1944 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows: :Headquarters and Headquarters Battery and Batteries A, B, C, G, H, and I as the 2nd Coast Artillery Battalion (2nd Coast Artillery Battalion inactivated 1 April 1945 at Little Creek Mine Base, Virginia; activated 1 August 1946 at

Fort Winfield Scott Fort Point is a masonry seacoast fortification located on the southern side of the Golden Gate at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. It is also the geographic name of the promontory upon which the fort and the southern approach of the Golden Gat ...

, California; inactivated 25 November 1946 at Fort Winfield Scott, California). :Batteries D, E, and F as elements of the 175th Coast Artillery Battalion (inactivated 1 April 1945 at Fort Story, Virginia). Former elements of the 2nd Coast Artillery reconstituted and/or consolidated 28 June 1950 to form the following units: :Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 2nd Coast Artillery Battalion, consolidated with Headquarters Battery, 2nd Antiaircraft Artillery Group (see ANNEX 1), and consolidated unit designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Antiaircraft Artillery Group. :Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 2nd Coast Artillery, reconstituted in the Regular Army and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion; concurrently Battery A, Harbor Defenses of Chesapeake Bay (formerly Battery A, 2nd Coast Artillery Battalion), Batteries B and C, 2nd Coast Artillery Battalion, and Battery F, Harbor Defenses of Chesapeake Bay (formerly Battery A, 175th Coast Artillery Battalion), redesignated as Batteries A, B, C, and D, 2nd Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, respectively. :Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Coast Artillery, reconstituted in the Regular Army and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 12th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion; concurrently Batteries B, C, D, and E, Harbor Defenses of Chesapeake Bay (formerly Batteries E, F, G, and H, 2nd Coast Artillery), redesignated as Batteries A, B, C, and D, 12th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, respectively; battalion concurrently consolidated with the 136th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion (see ANNEX 2), and consolidated unit designated as the 12th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. :Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Coast Artillery, reconstituted in the Regular Army; concurrently consolidated with Battery F, 2nd Coast Artillery Battalion, Battery E, 175th Coast Artillery Battalion, and the 42nd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (active) (see ANNEX 3), and consolidated unit designated as the 42nd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, an element of the 9th Infantry Division. After 28 June 1950 the above units underwent changes as follows: :Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Antiaircraft Artillery Group, activated 10 June 1951 at

Camp Edwards Camp Edwards is a United States military training installation which is located in western Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. Originally the Massachusetts Military Reservation (which was another name for it until 2013) acquired in Se ...

, Massachusetts. :Reorganized and redesignated 20 March 1958 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Artillery Group. :Inactivated 15 December 1961 at

Lockport Air Force Station Lockport may refer to: Places ;In Canada: * Lockport, Manitoba, an unincorporated community * Lockport, Newfoundland and Labrador, an abandoned fishing village ;In the United States: * Lockport, Illinois, a city ** Lockport Historic District * ...

, New York. :2d Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion redesignated 27 February 1951 as the 2nd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion and assigned to the 1st Armored Division. :Activated 7 March 1951 at

Fort Bliss Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in New Mexico and Texas, with its headquarters in El Paso, Texas. Named in honor of William Wallace Smith Bliss, LTC William Bliss (1815–1853), a mathematics professor who was the son-in-law of President ...

, Texas. :Consolidated 20 March 1951 with the 434th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (see ANNEX 4), and consolidated unit designated as the 2nd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion. :Redesignated 20 May 1953 as the 2nd Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. :Inactivated 15 February 1957 at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and relieved from assignment to the 1st Armored Division. :12th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion redesignated 13 March 1952 as the 12th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion. :Activated 8 April 1952 at Fort Hancock, New Jersey. :Redesignated 15 May 1953 as the 12th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. :Inactivated 20 December 1957 at New York, New York. :42nd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion redesignated 25 May 1954 as the 42nd Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. :Inactivated 1 December 1957 at

Fort Carson Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso, Pueblo, Fremont, and Huerfano counties, Colorado, United States. The developed portion of Fort Carson is located near the City of Colorado Springs i ...

, Colorado, and relieved from assignment to the 9th Infantry Division. Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Artillery Group; 2nd, 12th, and 42nd Antiaircraft Artillery Battalions; and the 2nd Field Artillery Battalion (organized in 1907) consolidated, reorganized, and redesignated 15 December 1961 as the 2nd Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System. 2nd Artillery (less former 2nd Field Artillery Battalion) reorganized and redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 2nd Air Defense Artillery, a parent regiment under the

Combat Arms Regimental System The Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), was the method of assigning unit designations to units of some of the combat arms branches of the United States Army, including Infantry, Special Forces, Field Artillery, and Armor, from 1957 to 1981. A ...

(former 2nd Field Artillery Battalion concurrently reorganized and redesignated as the 2nd Field Artillery – hereafter separate lineage). Withdrawn 16 January 1989 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the

United States Army Regimental System The United States Army Regimental System (USARS) is an organizational and classification system used by the United States Army. It was established in 1981 to replace the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) to provide each soldier with continu ...

Annex 1 (2nd AAA Group)

Constituted 5 August 1942 in the

Army of the United States The Army of the United States is one of the four major service components of the United States Army (the others being the Regular Army, the United States Army Reserve and the Army National Guard of the United States), but it has been inactive si ...

as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Group (or 2nd Coast Artillery Group (Antiaircraft)).Stanton, p. 435 Activated 17 August 1942 at

, Texas. Redesignated 26 May 1943 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Antiaircraft Artillery Group. Departed the United States 5 September 1943, arrived in England 18 September 1943. Landed at

Utah Beach Utah, commonly known as Utah Beach, was the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), during World War II. The westernmost of the five code-named la ...

, France on 12 July 1944; crossed into Belgium 24 September 1944 and into Holland 29 October 1944. Entered Germany 3 March 1945; returned to

New York port of embarkation The New York Port of Embarkation (NYPOE) was a United States Army command responsible for the movement of troops and supplies from the United States to overseas commands. The command had facilities in New York and New Jersey, roughly covering the ...

in October 1945. Inactivated 26 October 1945 at

Camp Kilmer Located in Central New Jersey, Camp Kilmer is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service ...

, New Jersey.

Annex 2 (136th AAA-G Bn)

Constituted 25 February 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 136th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion. Activated 15 June 1943 at

, Massachusetts. Departed New York port of embarkation 26 July 1944, arrived in England 6 August 1944. Arrived in France 27 August 1944, served in the European Theater of Operations. Returned to the US at the

Boston Port of Embarkation The Boston Port of Embarkation (BPOE) was a United States Army command responsible for the movement of troops and supplies from the United States to overseas commands. In World War I it was a sub-port of the New York Port of Embarkation. During ...

11 December 1945. Inactivated 12 December 1945 at

Camp Myles Standish Camp Myles Standish was a U.S. Army camp located in Taunton, Massachusetts during World War II. It was the main staging area for the Boston Port of Embarkation, with about a million U.S. and Allied soldiers passing through the camp on their wa ...

, Massachusetts.

Annex 3 (795th AAA-AW Bn, 42nd AAA-AW Bn)

Constituted 25 February 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 795th Coast Artillery Battalion (Antiaircraft) (Automatic Weapons).Stanton, p. 508 Activated 20 April 1943 at

Camp Stewart Fort Stewart is a United States Army post in the U.S. state of Georgia. It lies primarily in Liberty and Bryan counties, but also extends into smaller portions of Evans, Long and Tattnall counties. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census. ...

, Georgia. Redesignated 30 April 1943 as the 795th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion. Departed Boston port of embarkation 7 April 1944; arrived in England 16 April 1944. Arrived in France 18 July 1944, served in the European Theater of Operations. Inactivated 31 December 1945 in Germany. Redesignated 25 June 1948 as the 42nd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion and assigned to the 9th Infantry Division. Activated 12 July 1948 at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Annex 4 (434th AAA-AW Bn)

Constituted 31 January 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 434th Coast Artillery Battalion (Antiaircraft) (Automatic Weapons).Stanton, p. 498 Activated 1 March 1942 at

Camp Hulen Camp Hulen was a military training camp near Palacios, Texas, United States that operated from 1925 until 1946, and at one time supported the largest concentration of troops for field training in the United States military. Camp Palacios was establ ...

, Texas. Departed New York port of embarkation 4 August 1942; arrived in Scotland 17 August 1942 and in England two days later. Moved to North Africa 19 January 1943, and Italy 10 October 1943. Redesignated 5 December 1943 as the 434th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (Self-Propelled). Disbanded 14 January 1945 at Montecatini, Italy, assets to 1st Battalion, 473rd Infantry Regiment. Reconstituted 20 March 1951 in the Regular Army.

Campaign participation credit

* War of 1812: Canada. * Indian Wars: Florida, Seminoles. * Mexican War: Palo Alto; Resaca de la Palma; Monterey; Vera Cruz; Cerro Gordo; Contreras; Churubusco; Molino del Rey; Chapultepec; Tamaulipas 1846; Puebla 1847. *

: Bull Run; Peninsula; Antietam; Fredericksburg; Chancellorsville; Gettysburg; Wilderness; Spotsylvania; Cold Harbor; Petersburg; Shenandoah; Appomattox; Florida 1861; Florida 1862; Virginia 1861; Virginia 1862; Virginia 1863; Virginia 1865; Maryland 1863. * World War II: Tunisia; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; England 1944. * Vietnam: Counteroffensive, Phase II; Counteroffensive, Phase III; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase IV; Counteroffensive, Phase V; Counteroffensive, Phase VI; Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase VII. * Southwest Asia: Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Decorations

*Meritorious Unit Commendation, streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1967-1968 (5-2nd ADAR) *Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, streamer embroidered KOREA 1978–1981 (1-2nd ADAR) *Army Superior Unit Award for 1990–1991

Current configuration

Active Units: * 3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (3-2nd ADAR) * A Battery, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (A-2nd ADAR) * B Battery, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (B-2nd ADAR) * D Battery, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (D-2nd ADAR) Inactive Units: * 1st Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (1-2nd ADAR) * 2nd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (2-2nd ADAR) * 4th Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (4-2nd ADAR) * 5th Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (5-2nd ADAR)5th Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Lineage
/ref>

Coat of arms

Shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of a ...

Paly of fifteen, gules and argent, two Indian arrows saltirewise or, behind a serpent vert, lipped and eyed of the third, coiled around and above a prickly pear cactus proper. * Crest On a wreath of the colors, argent and gules, an eagle close or sitting on and at the intersection or a saltire azure fimbriated argent. * Motto Fidus Ultra Finem (Faithful Beyond the End).

Symbolism

* Shield The shield is scarlet for artillery. The fifteen stripes, representative of the United States national flag of 1814, allude to the battle of Fort McHenry in which a company of the regiment participated. The snake and cactus commemorate service in the Mexican War. The arrows refer to the Indian Wars. * Crest The American eagle, centered on the saltire from the battle flag of the Confederacy, depicts the defense of Fort Pickens, the only fort south of Fort Monroe that remained loyal to the federal government throughout the Civil War.

Distinctive unit insignia

The distinctive insignia is an adaptation of the crest and motto of the coat of arms.

References

*
Gaines, William C., Coast Artillery Organizational History, 1917-1950, ''Coast Defense Journal'', vol. 23, issue 2
*

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:002

002 002, 0O2, O02, OO2, or 002 may refer to: Fiction *002, fictional British 00 Agent *''002 Operazione Luna'', *1965 Italian film *Zero Two, a ''Darling in the Franxx'' character Airports *0O2, Baker Airport *O02, Nervino Airport Astronomy *1996 ...

Military units and formations established in 1971 Military units and formations established in 1821 1821 establishments in Maryland