BASIC COMBAT TRAINING

FIELD ARTILLERY TRAINING CENTER

434th FIELD ARTILLERY BRIGADE

The history of the Field artillery Training Center goes back to the Field Artillery Replacement Center, which was established at Fort Sill in 1950 to fulfill the need for replacements during the Korean War. With the war’s end, this organization was deactivated and the Artillery Training Center was formed at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas.

It was not until 23 April 1959 that Fort Sill became the permanent home for Artilleryman; on this date, the Field Artillery Training Center was established with the activation of the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 7th Battalions.

During the period of 1959-1975, the Field Artillery Training Center underwent several changes in both organization and size. During this period FATC was assigned to the IS Army Field Artillery School and Brigade.

On 1 July 1975, the Artillery Training center was reestablished as a separate major command at Fort Sill. In February 1976 a new era began as FATC began the One Station Unit Training (OSUT) concept. Soldiers conducted both Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training in the same unit. Initially, only 13B, Cannon Crewman were training in the OSUT methodology.
In 1978, five other MOSs (13E, 13F, 15D/13N, 15E and 82C) were also training in the OSUT format. In 1984, FATC added 13M, Multiple Launch rocket System Crewman.

The Field Artillery Training Center has trained hundreds of thousands of Soldiers, and has taken pride in providing the US Field Artillery with the best Gunners, Forward Observers, Surveyors and Rocketeers in the world. On 17 April 2007, the Field Artillery Training Center became by reflagging as the 434th Field Artillery Brigade history, American Soldiers will continue into the future.

The unit was constituted on 21 November 1942 in the United States Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Tank Destroyer Brigade. It was activated on 24 November 1942 at Camp Hood, Texas.

On 22 January 1944, the 1st Tank Destroyer Brigade sailed abroad HMS Queen Mary, from NY Port of Embarkation, arrived Greenock, Scotland 28 January 1944. On 11 July 1944 the Brigade landed on Utah Beach, France.

On 2 August 1944 Field Order #10, HQ, VIII Corps designated 1st TD Brigade as HQ for Task Force “A” commanded by Gen Herbert Ernst, consisting of the 15th Cav Group, the 705th TD Battalion, 6th TD Group, 509th Engineer Co, and 159th Engineer BN. Their mission was to attack from Avranches to Morlaix, to assist in clearing the Brittany Peninsula and to assist in the capture of Brest. TF A captured 1,679 Enemy Prisoners of War and inflicted heavy damage to enemy personnel and equipment.

On 17 April 1947, the Brigade was re-designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 434th Field Artillery Group and allotted to the organized reserves. On 1 June 1978, it was re-designated as Headquarters and Headquarters, 434th Field Artillery Brigade. The Brigade was inactivated on 31 December 1990 in Chicago, Illinois.

On 17 April 2007, the 434th Field Artillery Brigade was re-activated at Fort Sill, OK as an Army Training Center responsible for the training of the Army’s newest warriors. As the Army transforms to meet the challenges of the future, we can be certain that the 434th Field Artillery Brigade will continue to be the premier training center in the United States Army, transforming volunteers into Soldiers.

BASIC COMBAT TRAINING (BCT)

RECEPTION AND PROCESSING