The lineage of the 133rd Field Artillery Regiment starts with the organization of the Border Rifles in the Texas Volunteer Guard at El Paso on 20 September 1899. But in reality its roots extended back some twenty years earlier and the creation of an Artillery battery originally designated the Queen City Guards and then as Battery A, Field Artillery, Texas National Guard, or the Dallas Battery or Dallas Artillery Company for short. Over the years, the unit underwent a seemingly unending series of reorganizations, redesignations, activations/inactivations, and consolidations with other units (there are three Annex entries in its lineage describing each of their histories).
As of Summer 2023, the Regiment is represented by three Battalions—the 1st, 3rd, and 4th—all assigned to units of the 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard:1st Battalion is assigned to the 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Battalion is part of the 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and the 4th Battalion is a component of the 136th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Also known as a unit crest or DUI, a Distinctive Unit Insignia is 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 (ASU, 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.133rd Field Artillery Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia pays homage to the Regiment’s beginning. The design for the unit crest was initially approved on 24 May 1937 for the 133rd Field Artillery Regiment, but it was later redesignated for the 133rd Field Artillery Battalion (October 1942) and the 155th Field Artillery Battalion (February 1943), the first of several redesignations that only culminated with the insignia being assigned to the 133rd FA Regiment on 18 January 1989.
The bend dexter in blue is actually taken from the Dallas family coat of Arms, which is acknowledgment of the Regiment’s one-time designation as Queen City Guards and/or the Dallas Artillery Company. A sombrero, of course, is a reminder of the region’s close proximity to the Mexican border, while the fleur-de-lis represents the unit’s service in France during World War II. The Regimental motto, "Dum Spiramus Tuebimur," translates to, "While we breathe, we shall defend."
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.