Nick Whitacre

The 1st Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment (1-319th AFAR) traces its lineage to the 319th Field Artillery, which was constituted in 1917 and served in World War I as part of the 82nd Division. Reactivated during World War II, the unit provided critical airborne artillery support in major campaigns including Sicily, Normandy (D-Day), and the Battle of the Bulge. Throughout the Cold War and into the present, 1-319th AFAR has participated in numerous operations, such as Operation Just Cause in Panama, Operation Desert Storm, and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. As a key component of the 82nd Airborne Division, the battalion is renowned for its rapid deployment capability and excellence in providing fire support to airborne and ground forces.