157th Field Artillery Regiment

The regiment was originally constituted on 8 February 1879 in the Colorado National Guard as the 1st Infantry Battalion.[2] It was organized on 29 December 1881, with headquarters in Denver. It was expanded and redesignated on 22 March 1883 as the 1st Regiment, Infantry, and was reduced and redesignated on 2 April 1889 as the 1st Infantry Battalion. On 15 April 1893, it was expanded and redesignated as the 1st Infantry Regiment, Colorado National Guard. The regiment was consolidated with the 2nd Infantry Regiment (organized 27 May 1887) and mustered into Federal service 1–8 May 1898 at Denver as the 1st Colorado Volunteer Infantry, and was mustered out of Federal service on 8 September 1899 at San Francisco, CA reverting to state status as the 1st Infantry Regiment.

The 1st Colorado was expanded in 1900 as the 1st and 2nd Infantry. The 1st and 2nd Infantry were consolidated on 5 June 1916 and designated as the 1st Infantry. Two battalions were mustered into federal service from 26 June to 29 July 1916 for service on the Mexican border as the 1st and 2nd Separate Battalions, Colorado Infantry. The entire regiment was drafted into Federal service for World War I on 5 August 1917, being reorganized and redesignated on 24 September 1917 as the 157th Infantry Regiment, an element of the 40th Division. On 13 October 1917, the 1st Colorado Cavalry (organized in 1880) was consolidated with the 157th Infantry. Demobilized 29 April 1919 at Fort D.A. Russell (Wyoming)

The 157th was attached to the 45th Infantry Division "Thunderbirds" throughout WWII

The former Infantry elements were reorganized and redesignated on 28 February 1921 in the Colorado National Guard as the 177th Infantry Regiment, with headquarters federally recognized on 26 October 1921 at Denver. On 16 November 1921, the 177th Infantry Regiment was redesignated as the 157th Infantry Regiment, an element of the 45th Division, subsequently the 45th Infantry Division – the "Thunderbirds". Inducted into federal service 16 September 1940 at home stations. Inactivated 3 December 1945 at Camp Bowie Texas. Relieved 10 May 1946 from assignment to the 45th infantry Division. Reorganized and federally recognized 8 January 1947 with headquarters at Buckley Field. Location of headquarters changed 3 September 1947 to Denver. The regiment was broken up on 1 August 1955, and elements were converted and redesignated as follows;

• Headquarters and the 1st Battalion as the 144th Field Artillery Battalion.
• Headquarters company as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 169th Field Artillery Group;
• Headquarters and headquarters company, 2nd Battalion and Companies E, K, and L as headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Service Battery, and Batteries A, and B, 142nd Field Artillery Battalion;
• Companies F, and H as Batteries A, and B 137th Field Artillery Battalion;
• Company G as Battery B 168th Field Artillery Battalion;
• Headquarters and Headquarters Company 3rd Battalion, Company M, Medical Company, and Tank Company as Service Battery, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, and Batteries C, and B, 183rd Field Artillery Battalion;
• Company I, and Service Company as Service Battery B 169th Field Artillery Battalion;
• Heavy Mortar Company as Battery A, 188th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion

The 144th Field Artillery Battalion was consolidated on 1 February 1959 with the 168th Field Artillery Battalion, the 183rd Field Artillery Battalion, and the 188th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, and the consolidated unit was reorganized and redesignated as the 157th Artillery, a parent Regiment under the U.S. Army Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Howitzer Battalions. Reorganized 1 January 1968 to consist of the 1st and 2nd Battalions. Redesignated 1 March 1972 as the 157th Field Artillery. Withdrawn 1 June 1989 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System.