3rd msl bn btry d

**3rd Missile Battalion, Battery D** (often rendered as 3rd MSL BN, BTRY D) was a unit designation used by the United States Army Air Defense Artillery during the Cold War era. Originally formed as part of the Army’s efforts to field Nike missile systems, Battery D served as a subordinate element within the 3rd Missile Battalion, which was tasked with the defense of key strategic locations against potential Soviet bomber attacks. The battery operated Nike Ajax and later Nike Hercules surface-to-air missiles, maintaining a high state of readiness during periods of heightened tension. The unit was eventually inactivated as technological advances and strategic changes led to the decommissioning of the Nike missile program in the late 1960s and early 1970s.