1ST BN 81 FIELD ARTILLERY PERSHING MISSILE

The 1st Battalion, 81st Field Artillery (1-81 FA) was a key U.S. Army Pershing missile unit during the Cold War. Activated in Germany, the battalion was equipped with the Pershing nuclear-capable ballistic missile, serving as part of NATO's forward-deployed deterrent against the Soviet threat. Throughout its service, the 1-81 FA played a pivotal role in maintaining strategic readiness and participating in numerous field exercises to demonstrate missile launch capabilities. The battalion was ultimately inactivated in the late 1980s following the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and the elimination of Pershing missiles from Europe.