The 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment is a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...

military unit. Posted at

Fort Hood, Texas Fort Hood is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. Named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, it is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarter ...

, it was activated in 1972 and is a subordinate unit of the 1st Cavalry Division.

History

In 1943, at the height of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the 1st Cavalry Division disposed of its remaining horses. The Horse Cavalry Detachment was activated 29 years later, in 1972. It is one of seven horse-mounted units remaining in the U.S. Army. In 2014 the first woman to lead the detachment,

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Elizabeth R. Rascon, assumed command. Horse Detachment - U

Mission

The mission of the Horse Cavalry Detachment is to support the 1st Cavalry Division and Fort Hood by participating in ceremonies and other events; to support the U.S. Army in its public relations and recruiting efforts; and to preserve and maintain the standards of drill and traditions of the U.S. Cavalry during the 1800's. The detachment has primarily

public duties Public duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role. Armenia Since September 2018, the Honour Guard Battalion of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia has ...

functions. It participates in change of command and medal ceremonies, the U.S. presidential inauguration, and represents the 1st Cavalry Division in parades, riding demonstrations, and civic events. In addition to official state and military ceremonies, it has participated in the

Rose Parade The Rose Parade, also known as the Tournament of Roses Parade (or simply the Tournament of Roses), is an annual parade held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, United States, on New Year's Day (or on Monday, January 2 if N ...

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions events in the United States and Canada, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the National F ...

rodeos, and U.S. Army recruiting events. Finally, a weekly mounted drill demonstrating

equestrian vaulting Equestrian vaulting, or simply vaulting, is most often described as gymnastics and dance on horseback, which can be practiced both competitively or non-competitively. Vaulting has a history as an equestrian act at circuses, but its origins stre ...

and cavalry tactics, such as sabre charges, is held for the public by the detachment every Thursday morning at Fort Hood. The Horse Cavalry Detachment's mounted drills are drawn from the U.S. Army's 1883 ''Manual of Cavalry Tactics''.

Equipment

Armaments and vehicles

The 40-soldier unit is equipped with 33 dark brown

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

s with minimal white markings which are outfitted with Model 1885 McClellan riding saddles that are hand-made by cavalry troopers in an on-site leather shop maintained at the unit's stables. Each of the unit's mounts are trained for approximately one year before being put into action. It additionally deploys 4

mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two pos ...

s, a

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

dog (Sergeant Buddy), a Model 1878 supply wagon, and a M1841 Light Mountain Howitzer. Individual soldiers are equipped with the 1873 Springfield Carbine Trap Door (Breech Lock) Model Caliber 45-70, 1873 Colt Single Action Caliber .45 Revolver, and the 1860 Light Cavalry Saber.

Uniforms

The Horse Cavalry Detachment is designated by the U.S. Army as a "special ceremonial unit" which allows it to wear specialized, unit-specific uniforms not part of standard Army issue.

References