138th Field Artillery Brigade

This is the official webpage of the 138th FAB.

Constituted Jan. 21, 1839 in the Kentucky Militia as the Louisville Legion and organized at Louisville. The unit mustered into federal service May 17, 1846 as the first Kentucky Volunteer Infantry and mustered out of federal service May 17, 1847 at New Orleans, Louisiana. May 7, 1860 the unit reorganized in the Kentucky State Guard as the 1st Infantry Regiment (Louisville Legion) to consist of the Louisville Battalion and the Marion Rifle Battalion. 1st Infantry Regiment reorganized in July 1861 at Camp Joe Holt. Indiana, ‘with men of Union sympathy’ as the 3rd Kentucky Volunteer Infantry (Louisville Legion). Sept. 9, 1861 the unit mustered into federal service as the 5th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry (Louisville Legion) and mustered out of federal service Sept. 14, 1864 at Louisville. Between 1864 and 1904 the unit reorganized three separate times to fit the changing needs of the unit.

The Kentucky State Guard re-designated March 19, 1912 as the Kentucky National Guard. Under the name change the unit was called into federal service June 18, 1916 for service on the Mexican border and mustered into federal service June 25, 1916 at Fort Thomas. From 1968 to 1969, Kentucky Thunder served a 12-month tour in the Vietnam War. The unit has participated in every major conflict to date since 1839. The unit’s campaign participation includes Mexican War, Monterey, Buena Vista, Civil War (Union service), Shiloh, Murfreesborough, Chickamauga, Atlanta, West Virginia 1861, Mississippi 1862, Kentucky 1862, Tennessee 1862, Louisiana 1862, Indiana 1863, Tennessee 1863, Kentucky 1864, South Carolina 1865, Civil War (Confederate service), Henry and Donelson, War with Spain, Puerto Rico, World War I, Streamer without inscription, World War II, New Guinea, Leyte (with arrowhead), Luzon, Ryukyus, Algeria-French Morocco (with arrowhead), Tunisia, Sicily (with arrowhead), Naples-Foggia (with arrowhead), Anzio (with arrowhead), Rome-Arno, Normandy, Northern France, Southern France (with arrowhead), Rhine Land, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, OEF and OIF. The unit headquarters is currently located in Lexington.

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138th FA BDE NEWS

103rd Brigade Support Battalion Headquarters gets new leadership
March 8, 2014 — Capt. Douglas Curdie took command of the Kentucky Army National Guard’s Headquarters and Headquarters’ Company, 103rd Brigade Support Battalion, 138th Fires Brigade, March 8, 2014, at a small ceremony in Harrodsburg, Ky. Curdie, a former Marine and current guardsman residing in Barbourville, Ky., assumed Command from Capt. Anthony Travis of Elizabethtown, Ky. Travis commanded the 103rd Headquarters for a period of 29 months, a time in which the 103rd earned the distinction of being recognized by the Department of the Army as the finest brigade support battalion in the entire Army National Guard... MORE

Curdie, a former Marine and current Kentucky Army National Guardsman residing in Barbourville, Ky., assumed Command from Capt. Anthony Travis of Elizabethtown, Ky.

Kentuckians honor the cost of freedom on Labor Day weekend
September 6, 2013 — Mattingly and his wife , both longtime residents of Harrodsburg, Ky., decided to begin a massive undertaking to bring the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall to Harrodsburg after seeing the Wall years earlier. The effort, which culminated in a holiday weekend from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2, 2013 that teemed with emotional tributes to American heroes, involved numerous dedicated local volunteers and generous donors... MORE

Mattingly and his wife , both longtime residents of Harrodsburg, Ky., decided to begin a massive undertaking to bring the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall to Harrodsburg after seeing the Wall years earlier. The effort, which culminated in a holiday weekend from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2, 2013 that teemed with emotional tributes to American heroes, involved numerous dedicated local volunteers and generous donors.

Harrodsburg locals prepare to honor fallen veterans
July 19, 2013 — These artillery pieces, provided by Lexington's 138th Fires Brigade, will serve to honor fallen veterans when the American Veterans’ Traveling Tribute Wall comes to Harrodsburg’s Anderson-Dean Park from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2, 2013, concluding with a 21-gun salute on the wall’s last day in town... MORE

In addition to the cannons being on display with traveling wall and other planned tributes, local soldiers will provide an honorary guard for the wall during its three-day stay in Harrodsburg.

'Morgan's Men' prepare for deployment to Jordan
December 16, 2012 — Soldiers of the 1/623rd will assume an advise and assist role in the training of Jordanian troops as part of a partner nation alliance in support of Operation Enduring Freedom... MORE

Soldiers sat with their families during the ceremony, part of the unit's "family is first" philosophy.

Kentuckians, multi-national force work to better roads in Africa
December 11, 2012 — The area was approximately one hundred meters wide by a quarter mile long and was littered with hundreds of empty plastic bottles, scrap metal, paper bags, and pieces of cardboard. As word spread around camp about the project more and more units began volunteering and it became clear that some major planning would be needed to coordinate all the moving parts. That job fell to Maj. Michael Woodson, Task Force Longrifles Plans Officer... MORE

Two groups started at opposite ends of the road, cleaning up debris and trash, working throughout the day.

A Thanksgiving feast
November 22, 2012 — t was quite the feast! Numerous meats, sides and desserts! The Thanksgiving decorations were fantastic, ranging from autumn colored leaves to huge ginger bread homes, and even the staff dressed up as Pilgrims and Native Americans. Keeping with tradition, staff officers from Task Force Longrifles donned their food service uniforms and dished out the amazing smorgasbord to hungry Soldiers waiting in line... MORE

A Lasting Impact
November 17, 2012 — A small group of soldiers from Charlie Battery 2-138th Field Artillery Regiment out of Bardstown, Ky., have the distinct privilege of serving in one of the most beautiful and mountainous countries in Africa. It is the American equivalent to Colorado and Kentucky could fit into its borders nearly 11 times... MORE

HOA deployment is home to this Soldier
November 9, 2012 — Pfc. Ismaila Pam, a Automated Logistical Supply Specialist from the 2138th Forward Support Company (FSC) of Louisville, Ky., was born in Mauritania, Africa, and grew up in Senegal. ... MORE

Ismaila Pam, a resident of Louisville, Ky.

Building a better environment: Kentucky’s ADT 4 works to improve living conditions in Afghanistan
May 3, 2012 — “They’re [ADT 5] going to have it made. With the three buildings that we have in mind right now, it’s going to be a huge boost for them because they’re not going to be so spread out,” said Master Sgt. John Black, a 45-year-old Frankfort, Ky., native, residing in Lawrenceburg, Ky. “Everything’s going to be in close proximity and everybody’ll be working pretty much side-by-side… not like us, all spread out everywhere.”... MORE

The member of the Kentucky National Guard's Agribusiness Development Team 4was helping build hardened structures to make life more comfortable for ADT 4, and eventually ADT 5 as well.

138th Fires Brigade conducts newly implemented resiliency training
February 6, 2011 — Approximately 750 soldiers participated in the training, which is now an annual requirement. While most mandatory training soldiers receive is field-related soldiering skills, the new resiliency training is geared towards making today’s soldier a more well-rounded individual... MORE

Members of the 138th Fires Brigade attentively absorb information, pertaining to financial planning during Resiliency training at Fort Knox, Ky., Feb. 6.

138th FA BDE Organization

138th Field Artillery Brigade (Lexington)

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2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery (Lexington)
https://www.facebook.com/TaskForceLongrifles

1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery HIMARS (Glasgow)

103rd Brigade Support Battalion (Harrodsburg)
https://www.facebook.com/103RDBSB/

138th Field Artillery Brigade

138th FA BDE NEWS

138th FA BDE Organization

138th Field Artillery Brigade (Lexington)

Kentucky National Guard Links