3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment

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3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery battalion of the United States Army. It is part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division and is based at Fort Hood, Texas. The battalion carries the lineage of Battery C, 16th Field Artillery Regiment. Its nickname is Rolling Thunder and its motto is Macte Nova Virtute (Go Forth With New Strength). The unit includes a headquarters and headquarters battery (HHB), three cannon batteries (A, B, and C), and has an attached Forward Support Company and Company F, 15th Brigade Support Battalion.

History in brief
- The unit was constituted on July 1, 1916, as Battery C, 16th Field Artillery, and organized on May 21, 1917, at Camp Robinson, Wisconsin. In World War I it was assigned to the 4th Division.
- It went through several reorganizations and redesignations between the World Wars, including a 1941 reorganization as Battery C, 16th Field Artillery Battalion, and a 1942 redesignation as Battery C, 16th Armored Field Artillery Battalion in the 9th Armored Division.
- The battalion was activated in Europe in World War II and again after the war, with multiple changes of assignment and designation.
- In 1957, it became Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 16th Artillery, and later reorganized in Germany and the United States, including a period in the 8th Infantry Division in Germany.
- In 1995 the unit was activated as 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery at Fort Hood and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. It later became part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and then the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
- The battalion has a long combat history, with campaigns in World War I, World War II, and Vietnam, and later service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In Iraq the unit supported various operations and helped stabilize areas around Baqubah and Najaf. It has undergone modularity changes to become a “fires” battalion under its brigade, including the addition of a Support Company.

Campaigns and decorations
- World War I campaigns: Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Champagne 1918, Lorraine 1918.
- World War II campaigns: Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe.
- Vietnam campaigns: Multiple Counteroffensive phases, Tet Counteroffensive, Sanctuary Counteroffensive and related actions.
- Decorations include the Presidential Unit Citation (for the Remagen Bridgehead), the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm (Vietnam 1969–1970 and 1971), and the Valorous Unit Award (for Quang Tin Province, with Battery A earning an additional claim). The unit has also been recognized by a Belgian Army citation for action at St. Vith.

Key actions and losses
- In Operation Iraqi Freedom, the battalion served as part of Task Force Thunder, providing artillery fires and coordination to support ground forces. Its units operated over areas near Baqubah, Balad, and Najaf.
- The battalion has suffered casualties in combat, including several soldiers killed during the Iraq War—highlighted events in 2003–2006 and later, with multiple personnel lost in support of convoy operations and combat patrols.

Notes
- The Rolling Thunder battalion is historically linked to the 4th Infantry Division and 8th Infantry Division at different times and has connections to the 16th Field Artillery Regiment’s broader lineage.
- The unit’s insignia and history reflect its long-standing relationship with fire support and its role in shaping combined arms operations within the brigades it has supported.