The 56th Artillery Command is a two-star command of the United States Army that serves as the Force Field Artillery Headquarters for U.S. Army Europe and Africa, with a mission to synchronize, integrate, and control fires and effects in support of the theater land component. The unit was originally formed on September 14, 1942, as the 56th Coast Artillery Brigade and has been reorganized and redesignated several times until its inactivation on June 30, 1991, following the reunification of Germany and the end of the Cold War.
United States Army Europe and Africa conducted the reactivation ceremony for the 56th Artillery Command on November 8, 2021, at Lucius D. Clay Kaserne, Wiesbaden, Germany. The 56th Artillery Command's headquarters in located in Mainz-Kastel and is commanded by Brigadier General Andrew C. Gainey.
History
56th Coast Artillery Brigade
The 56th Coast Artillery Brigade was organized in the Army of the United States on September 14, 1942, and over six months later, it was activated at Camp Stewart, Georgia on April 10, 1943. The unit was reorganized and redesignated as the 56th Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade on May 28, 1943 and deployed to the European Theater for operations in World War II. The 56th deployed from England to Belgium and played a crucial role in the defense of the Allies’ most important port, Antwerp Harbor, from October 1944 to March 1945. The 56th defended the port from V-1 and V-2 rockets, conducting 24 hour operations during a 175-day bombardment. For the Defense of Antwerp Harbor, the Headquarters Battery earned two Belgian Army Order of the Day citations and the Belgian Fourragère. During World War Two, the 56th earned campaign participation credits for the Northern France, the Rhineland, and the Central Europe campaigns before participating in the occupation of Germany. Headquarters & Headquarters Battery is entitled to permanently display the Belgian Fourragère from the spearhead of its guidon.
The 56th was inactivated December 3, 1945 at Camp Shanks, New York.
56th Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade
On February 10, 1951, the 56th Antiaircraft Artillery (AAA) Brigade was reactivated at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts and assigned to the United States First Army. On November 5, 1951, The 56th AAA Brigade transferred from Camp Edwards to Fort Devens, Massachusetts and was assigned to the Eastern Army Antiaircraft Command. They were then transferred to Fort Totten, New York on 24 January 1953. The unit transferred back to Fort Devens on 15 July 1956. They were redesignated as the 56th Air Defense Artillery Brigade on 20 March 1958.
The 56th Artillery Brigade was inactivated on December 24, 1964, in Coventry, Rhode Island.
56th Artillery Group/Brigade
On April 18, 1963, the 56th Artillery Group was activated in Schwäbisch Gmünd, West Germany commanded by Col. Douglas C. France, Jr. The group prepared for the deployment of the new weapons system, the Pershing 1 nuclear missile. Headquarters & Headquarters Battery (HHB) was initially stationed at Hardt Kaserne (formerly Adolf Hitler Kaserne) and moved to Bismarck Kaserne in November 1968.
In 1965, the 56th Artillery Group assumed the critical role of a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) force and was required to maintain an element of each unit at the highest level of combat readiness. These elements were designated to react within seconds of verified orders, and the entire command was to be fully operational within 2 hours of any alert activation. The increased requirements of the QRA mission necessitated some modifications to upgrade the Pershing missile system and caused the Army to increase the number of launchers at each battalion from four to 36.
The 56th Artillery Group was redesignated as the 56th Artillery Brigade on August 17, 1970. The brigade was authorized an increased level in command positions in the firing units. Platoon leaders were captains, battery commanders were majors, battalion commanders were lieutenant colonels and the brigade commander was a colonel.
With the split of the Artillery Branch into Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery, the brigade was redesignated as the 56th Field Artillery Brigade on March 15, 1972.