The Battalion’s lineage reaches as far back a 1893 where its parent unit constituted the Hawaii National Guard’s 1^st Regiment. Subsequent organizations inherent to the 1^st Battalion, 487^th Field Artillery also includes the 1^st Hawaiian Infantry, 1918; 298^th Infantry, 1924; assigned to the 25^th Infantry Division, 1941; and 24^th Infantry Division, 1942; reorganized as the 298^th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, 1957.
Converted to the 487^th Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1^st Battalion, an element of the 29^th Separate Infantry Brigade, 1965. On 13 May 1968, the unit was inducted into active Federal service, and reverted back to State control on 12 December 1968. Reorganized as the 487^th Field Artillery on 1 May 1972.

As of 2014, the unit was reorganized and designated as the 1^st Battalion, 487^th Field Artillery, a Fires Battalion in its current organization as follows: Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Battery A, Battery B, Battery C, and Company F (FSC), 29^th Brigade Support Battalion. Campaign participation credit includes: World War II, Central Pacific, two deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF III and OIF VIII), and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel including the Meritorious Unit Commendation award.

Unit Insignia