The Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 112th Field Artillery Regiment, which has been given the official Special Designation of “First New Jersey Artillery,” was originally approved for the 112th Field Artillery Regiment, New Jersey National Guard (NJNG). Since then it has been redesignated several times as the unit underwent organizational changes. In August 1951, it was designated for the 695th Armored Field Artillery Battery, NJNG; in October 1961 for the 112th Artillery Regiment, NJNG; and on 19 June 1972 for the unit’s current designation in the New Jersey Army National Guard.
A OUTRACE, the unit motto, is Latin for “To The Utmost. The red background on the shield portion of the insignia indicates the unit’s designation in the Artillery branch. A gold bend (diagonal bar) holds images of two Gatling guns, recalling a period when the unit had companies manning the early machine gun. A fleur-de-lis in the upper right of the shield commemorates service in France during World War I, and a cactus in the lower left denotes service along the Mexican border prior to the First World War.
Distinctive Unit Insignias are worn by all Soldiers (except General Officers) in units that have been authorized to be issued the device. It is worn centered on the shoulder loops of the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU) and the blue Army Service Uniform (ASU, Enlisted only) with the base of the insignia toward the outside shoulder seam. Full guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1,
Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia."
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Originally organized in April 1917 as the 1st Battalion, Field Artillery in the New Jersey National Guard from new and existing units (one of which, Battery D, fought in eight Civil War campaigns), the unit was reorganized and expanded with the new designation of 1st Field Artillery, source of the unit’s Special Designation. By the time it was assigned to the 29th Division for deployment in World War I, it had become the 112th Field Artillery. Assigned to the 54th Field Artillery Brigade, it earned an uninscribed World War I campaign streamer before returning to the U.S., where it was demobilized on 11 May 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey. (Two Batteries, HQ and Battery A, 3rd Battalion, are also entitled to credit for action in the World War I campaigns at Meuse-Argonne and Alsace 1918 and a Presidential Unit Citation apiece for World War II service).
Inducted into Federal service on 27 January 1941 as the 112th Field Artillery, the Regiment was broken up on 1 May 1943, with the resultant multitude of organizational changes made to the various components far too complicated to discuss here. Those units that remained in the Regiment’s lineage (or were added to it through annexation) were credited with participation in five campaigns in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater; additionally, Battery B, 3rd Battalion was awarded a French Croix de Guerre World War II embroidered MOSELLE RIVER.
The Regiment has undergone several redesignations since World War II, which marked its last combat action. After receiving its current designation as 112th Field Artillery Regiment, New Jersey Army National Guard on 1 October 2005, the unit was reorganized to consist solely of the 3rd Battalion, an element of the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, on 1 March 2008.
3rd Battalion, 112th Field Artillery Regiment is headquartered in Morristown and commands four Batteries (including the HQ and HQ Battery) located in Morristown, Toms River, and Flemington, as well as a Detachment from the Battalion’s Headquarters and Headquarters Battery based in Freehold.