2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery

Active	1916-present
Country	United States
Branch	Army
Type	Field artillery
Garrison/HQ	Schofield Barracks, HI
Nickname(s)	"On Time"
Equipment	M119A2 M777A2
Engagements	World War I World War II Korean War Vietnam War Operation Iraqi Freedom
Website	http://www.25idl.army.mil/2bct/2_11/command.htm
Commanders
Battalion Commander	LTC Daniel D. Blackmon
Command Sergeant Major	CSM Danford M. Elliott
Notable commanders	General J.H. Binford Peay III, 1975-1977 Major General Kenneth R. Dahl, 1998-2000
Insignia
Identification symbol

The 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment ("On Time") is the field artillery battalion assigned to the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. The battalion's missions statement is: "2-11 FAR rapidly deploys by land, air, or sea throughout the Pacific AOR to integrate and deliver lethal and non-lethal fires in order to enable joint and maneuver commanders to dominate their operational environment across the spectrum of operations."

The 11th Field Artillery Regiment (11th FA) was constituted in the Regular Army on 1 July 1916 and was activated on 1 June 1917 at Camp Harry J. Jones, Douglas, Arizona utilizing personnel of the 6th Field Artillery Regiment. The present 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery (2-11 FA) traces its lineage to Battery B, 11th FA (B/11 FA). The 11th FA was originally organized as a horse-drawn heavy artillery regiment equipped with the 4.7 inch howitzer. In November 1917 the 11th FA was as assigned to the 6th Field Artillery Brigade of the 6th Division and then reorganized in January 1918 as a tractor-drawn, 155mm howitzer regiment consisting of three battalions of two batteries each. Each battery was authorized four howitzers. After training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, the 11th FA arrived in France on 2 August 1918.

Upon arrival, the regiment was issued French 155mm Schneider Howitzers with a rapid fire capability and a range of seven miles. After intensive training at a French artillery post near the Swiss border, the 11th FA was attached to the 58th Field Artillery Brigade (FA BDE) supporting the 89th Division on 25 October 1918. On 21 October 1918, the 58th FA BDE, including the 11th FA, was transferred north by train to the Argonne Forest area. There on 26 October 1918 the 11th FA went into firing positions east of the Argonne Forest near the village of Avocourt and fired its first rounds into German positions in preparation for the last phase of the Meuse-Argonne campaign that had begun in September.

At 0330 hours 1 November 1918, the massive Allied assault against German positions began with rolling artillery barrages, followed by the 89th Division's infantry brigades jumping off at 0530. The artillery fires were so effective in destroying German positions that by 3 November 1918 the infantry had advanced beyond the range of the artillery. The 11th displaced forward as necessary in support of the advancing infantry during the period of 4–10 November 1918, culminating with the 1st and 2nd Battalions firing in general support of the 89th Division's crossing of the Meuse River at Pouilly during the night of 10 November 1918.

Meanwhile, Battery E of 3rd Battalion had gone into position on 6 November 1918 near Laneuville where it placed effective interdicting fires on the Metz-Sedan Railway, a critical German transport and supply line. On the morning of 11 November 1918, word was passed to the regiment that a cease fire would go into effect at 11:00. That morning a colonel from GHQ arrived at Battery E and directed that in recognition of the battery's neutralization of the Metz-Sedan Railway despite heavy German counter-battery fire, Battery E would have the honor of firing the last officially recorded American shot of the war at 10.59.59. The crew for the howitzer named Calamity Jane was chosen to fire the round; the target was not identified but probably was the Metz-Sedan Railway. The regimental motto "On Time" alludes to this action.

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