A press release from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. — The Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division Artillery is preparing to move permanently to South Korea following a color-casing ceremony, Sept. 8, 2021, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
HHB, DIVARTY, a headquarters unit that includes approximately 100 Soldiers, will be relocated to Camp Humphreys, South Korea, as part of a larger realignment of forces within the U.S. Army. There, the unit will maintain its mission as the force field artillery headquarters for the 2nd Infantry Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Division.
“As we approach our 104th anniversary as a DIVARTY later this month, it is fitting we return this storied unit to the peninsula to celebrate,” said Col. David Pasquale, 2nd ID DIVARTY commander, during the color-casing ceremony. “While our teammates on JBLM are many and our memories plentiful, we turn the page to the next chapter. So, let us celebrate the closing of this chapter as the DIVARTY goes marching along to its new home, where new teammates, new memories, and new challenges await.”
HHB, DIVARTY will assist with command and control of forces and continue defense capabilities of the ROK-U.S. Alliance. The re-stationing does not increase the amount of U.S. artillery pieces on the Korean Peninsula.
The 2nd ID DIVARTY, placed under the 7th Infantry Division at JBLM since its reactivation in 2014, is steeped in rich combat history. The organization saw combat action in Europe during both World War I and World War II, and again in Korea during the Korean War. In 1965, the brigade moved permanently to South Korea to deter North Korean aggression where it remained until its inactivation in 2006.
Re-stationing the DIVARTY is expected to be complete, Sept. 16, 2021, when the unit uncases its colors in Korea.