The 3rd Field Artillery Regiment was officially constituted in 1907, but the lineage of the Battalions that have been subordinate to it over the course the decades goes back as far as 1798, with campaign participation in almost every conflict starting with the War of 1812 through World War II. Since then, its units have taken part in the First Gulf War and have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
As of 2018, the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment comprises two Battalions. The 5th Battalion was constituted in 1798 as the 2nd Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers, while the 2nd Battalion was formed in 1812 as a company in the 2nd Regiment of Artillery. Fort Bliss, Texas is the current home of the 2nd Battalion, which is assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, while the 5th is a component of the 17th Field Artillery Brigade under command of I Corps.
The 3rd Field Artillery Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI), sometimes referred as the Regiment’s unit crest, was originally approved in 1922, but underwent several redesignations; the current version with attendant symbolism was approved in 1971.
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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 (Enlisted only) with the base of the insignia toward the outside shoulder seam. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
For Enlisted personnel, the insignia is centered on a shoulder loop by placing it an equal distance from the outside shoulder seam to the outside edge of the shoulder-loop button. Officers (except Generals) wearing grade insignia on the shoulder loops center the DUI by placing it an equal distance between the inside edge of the grade insignia and the outside edge of the button.
Full guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1,
Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia" and 21–3(d) and (e),
"Beret" and
"Garrison Cap," respectively.