Artillery Regiments were constituted on 8 March 1898, three weeks after the explosion of USS Maine in Havana, Cuba on 15 February 1898, as the United States' declaration of war on Spain and commencement of the Spanish–American War seemed imminent.
[1][2][3] Order of battle information shows that batteries of the regiment deployed outside the U.S. in the Spanish–American War of 1898.
[4] The regiment was broken up on 13 February 1901 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as separate numbered companies and batteries of the Artillery Corps.
At that time most regimental assets were absorbed by HD New York and the HHB was reassigned to XXII Corps, further transferring to Army Ground Forces on 13 March 1944.
[7] 1st Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery was activated on 13 September 1972 at Fort Bliss, Texas and was inactivated there on 16 June 1987.
On 21 December 1998, Headquarters United States Army Europe (USAREUR) announced plans to realign its air defense artillery units to comply with the Army's Patriot Standardization Plan.
Now the battalion was stationed in Kaiserslautern, Germany, subordinate to the 10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command with five batteries and a maintenance company.
On 1 October 2015, the 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery officially completed a unit move from Rhine Ordnance Barracks to Baumholder, Germany.
The move started in March 2015 and relocated all six units within the battalion to Smith Barracks in Baumholder.
[1] Departed the United States 21 October 1943, arrived in England 3 November 1943; landed in France 27 July 1944.
[1][8] Constituted 25 February 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 126th Coast Artillery Battalion (AA-Gun).
[9] Returned to Hampton Roads port of embarkation 3 January 1946; inactivated same day at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia.
[9] Constituted 25 February 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 784th Coast Artillery Battalion (AA-Auto Wpns).
[10] Redesignated 13 October 1948 as the 26th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion and allotted to the Regular Army.
[7][13] On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules a panther passant guardant, incensed Or, flames Proper.
[7][13] The panther is taken from the coat of arms of the Coast Defenses of Sandy Hook, where the regiment was organized on 1 July 1924.
[7][13] The coat of arms was originally approved for the 7th Coast Artillery Regiment on 28 July 1924.
It was restored and authorized effective 1 September 1971, for the 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment.
[13] The panther is taken from the coat of arms of the Coast Defenses of Sandy Hook, where the regiment was organized on 1 July 1924.
[13] The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 7th Coast Artillery Regiment on 31 July 1924.
It was restored and authorized effective 1 September 1971, for the 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment.