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38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade History

38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade

July 12, 2020 | 5:08

On Oct. 16, 2018, the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade reactivated after nearly 37 years. The unit holds a rich history in the United States Army and took part in major conflicts spanning across three Army branches.

The 38th Brigade originally formed as a Coastal Artillery Brigade in August of 1918 as the command unit of three artillery regiments; 48th, 49th, and 50th Coastal Artillery Corps. The brigade served during World War I, supporting three subordinate units from Brest, France. The unit demobilized Feb. 28, 1919 when its Soldiers returned home and was recognized for its service with the World War I streamer with inscription.

The brigade reconstituted from an "Artillery Brigade, Coastal Artillery Corps," to the moniker "Coast Artillery Brigade." The 1930s were referred to as, "a period of retrenchment,” as many of the coast artillery units were wholly or partially, deactivated. The unit did not officially reactivate until Feb. 10, 1941 as the 38th Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade. The brigade deployed in support of Third Army at Avranches. It was responsible for defensive actions while awaiting the full operational capacity of Third Army and received participation credit in five of the seven campaigns in the European Theater of Operations. The unit received recognition with the Normandy 1944, Northern France 1944, Rhineland 1944 to 1945, Ardennes-Alsace 1944 to 1945, and Central Europe 1945 campaign streamers with inscriptions. The 38th remained in Germany following the end of the war until June 30, 1946 when it inactivated.

The unit activated again March 14, 1951 during the Korean War. Though the unit had no participation in the direct activities of the war, the occupants of the unit would transfer to the first guided missile groups of the Army. The personnel and equipment transferred to the 1st Guidance Missile Group (Surface-to-Air) and 2nd Guidance Missile Group (Surface-to-Surface) when the unit inactivated again May 11, 1953.

The brigade re-designated March 20, 1961 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 38th Artillery Brigade. The unit's reactivation occurring five days later in the Republic of Korea. While stationed in Korea, the unit was under the operational control of the U.S. Air Force stationed at Osan Air Base. The brigade re-designated one more time to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade March 15, 1972. The unit continued to serve under the Air Force command until its inactivation July 31, 1981. The 38th ADA Brigade was the recipient of the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award ex post facto March 18, 1982.
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 38th ADA Brigade, reactivated Oct. 16, 2018 at Sagami General Depot, Japan in support of the joint air and missile defense of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, and U.S. Army Japan.

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