2nd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment

2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment
319th AFAR distinctive unit insignia
Active	1917–present
Country	United States
Branch	Army
Type	Airborne field artillery
Garrison/HQ	Fort Bragg
Nickname(s)	Black Falcons
Equipment	M119A3/M777A2 howitzer
Insignia
319th AFAR coat of arms
Unit flash

The 2nd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment ("2-319 AFAR") is the field artillery battalion that is assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. Nicknamed "Black Falcons", 2–319 AFAR has participated in battles from World War I to the current day.

Under the U.S. Army Regimental System, the battalion traces its lineage to Battery B, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, which was originally constituted 5 August 1917 and assigned to the 82nd Division. It was organized and activated 9 September 1917 at Camp Gordon, Georgia and arrived in France in late 1917. The 319th Field Artillery participated in three major campaigns during World War I. At the conclusion of the war, the 82nd Division returned home and was demobilized on 18 May 1919.

The battalion was reorganized and redesignated the 319th Field Artillery Battalion (FAB) in 1942 and was ordered into active federal service on 25 March 1942. On 15 August 1942, the 319th FAB was reorganized and redesignated as the 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion (GFAB). The 319th GFAB participated in all six World War II campaigns of the 82nd Airborne Division, including assault landings in Normandy and the Netherlands. The 319th GFAB was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations and two French Croix de Guerre with palm.

Under the Pentomic organization from 1957 to 1964, B/319 served as a direct support battery in the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery.

2-319 deployed to Vietnam with the 101st Division Artillery during Operation Eagle Thrust from 3 December 1967 to 18 December 1967. Battery C, 2-319 fired the Division Artillery's first round on 5 December. The battalion immediately occupied and integrated into base camp fire plans while undergoing a 30-day in-country training program and base camp development. The battalion fired 13,807 rounds in December, and 15,713 in January. On 12 January, 3rd Brigade, with 2-319 in direct support, began Operation Manchester. Battery A conducted an airmobile assault with 1-506 Infantry to FSB Keene and Battery B with 2-506 Infantry to FSB Dave. Operation Manchester continued through 18 February 1968, with a series of movements as the brigade attempted to destroy the VC Dong Nai Regiment. February began with 2-319 batteries at FSBs Meene, Nashua and at Phước Vĩnh. On 9 February 1968, the battalion was issued FADACs and selected personnel received five days of training from the 1st Infantry Division Artillery at Phu Loi 17–23 February.