The 4th Battalion was originally constituted on 5 July 1918 in the National Army as Battery D, 42nd Field Artillery, an element of the 14th Division (United States).

Serving in one campaign of the First World War, Alsace 1918, the unit returned to Camp Custer, Michigan where it was demobilized on 7 February 1919.

After the war, Battery A, 42nd Field Artillery Battalion was inactivated on 16 February 1946, at Camp Butner, North Carolina.

[3] The battalion was equipped with the M109A6 Paladin Self Propelled Howitzer, which fires a 155mm family of munitions, and is the most technologically advanced cannon in the Army inventory.

The battalion moved north to the Tikrit area, leaving Battery B at Taji in support of Task Force Gunner until approximately October 2003.

The battalion (less B Btry until fall) was stationed at FOB Arrow near the village of Ad-Dawr, slightly to the southeast of Tikrit along the Tigris River, with various fire support elements attached to 1-22 Infantry, 1-10 Cavalry, 1-66 and 3-66 Armor, as far south as Samarra and north past Tikrit.

The Straight Arrow battalion was given the task of providing security for Camp Taji and maintaining a presence on Highway 1.

Once they redeployed and uncased their colors, the battalion changed commanders in June 2009 and immediately moved to Fort Carson, Colo. July and August 2009 were spent standing up the battalion at Fort Carson, establishing systems, conducting reset operations and building combat power.

The Straight Arrows finalized the fielding of their howitzers from PMHBCT during the week of Thanksgiving and then immediately conducted Table VIII certification.

The training provided soldiers an excellent environment with temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees and several inches of snow.

In January 2010, 4–42 FA deployed in similar weather conditions to provide indirect fires in support of Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger training on Fort Carson ranges.

Then the Straight Arrow battalion, as a member of the 1st (Raider) Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, deployed to the Joint Readiness Training Center for counterinsurgency training, in April 2010, with the battalion conducting maneuver operations as a battlespace operator.

The battalion also completed deployment preparations, conducted final training for theater requirements and executed torch and advance party operations to Afghanistan.

The battalion completed its rotation to Afghanistan as part of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division's deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Constituted 5 July 1918 in the National Army as the 42d Field Artillery and assigned to the 14th Division Organized 10 August 1918 at Camp Custer, Michigan Demobilized 7 February 1919 at Camp Custer, Michigan Reconstituted 1 October 1933 in the Regular Army as the 42d Field Artillery Redesignated 1 October 1940 as the 42d Field Artillery Battalion, assigned to the 4th Division (later redesignated as the 4th Infantry Division), and activated at Fort Benning, Georgia Inactivated 16 February 1946 at Camp Butner, North Carolina Activated 15 July 1947 at Fort Ord, California A Gold color metal and enamel device 1+1⁄16 inches (2.7 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, two bendlets between four shells, two in chief and two in base, all Or.