The 17th Field Artillery Brigade was assigned to the 17th “Thunderbolt” Division only for a very brief period—from the last day in July 1918 until 8 February 1919—but the short association still led to it being the unit being nicknamed the “Thunderbolt Brigade” and assuming the “Thunderbolt” nickname.
The Division’s influence even extended to the design of the 17th Field Artillery Brigade Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, or unit patch, which feature a thunderbolt superimposed over a pair of saltirewise (crossed) lightning flashes. The thunderbolt, lightning flashes, and border are all rendered in yellow on a scarlet field and evoke the breathtaking firepower of artillery. It was approved on 19 July 1978, then redesignated it for the unit’s designation as the 17th Fires Brigade; the designation reverted back to the 17th Field Artillery Brigade in 2014.
In September 2021, the 17th Field Artillery Brigade received the final shipment of ground equipment—including a Battery Operations Center, four Transporter Erector Launchers, and modified trailers and trucks—necessary to deploy the nation’s first prototype hypersonic weapons system. Known as the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, the system aims to deter adversaries with extremely accurate, extraordinarily fast weapons that are both maneuverable and survivable, enabling the long-range, rapid defeat of time-critical, high-value targets.
Related Items
17th Field Artillery Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)
17th Field Artillery Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)