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The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment ("Blackhorse Regiment") is a unit of the
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, ...
garrisoned at the
Fort Irwin National Training Center Fort Irwin National Training Center (Fort Irwin NTC) is a major training area for the United States military in the Mojave Desert in northern San Bernardino County, California. Fort Irwin is at an average elevation of . It is located northeast ...
in
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. Although termed an armored cavalry regiment, it is being re-organized as a multi-component heavy brigade combat team. The regiment has served in the
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...
, the
Pancho Villa Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the p ...
,
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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
,
Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
and
Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
. The 11th ACR serves as the opposing force (OPFOR) for the Army and
Marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...
task forces, and foreign military forces that train at Fort Irwin. The OPFOR trained U.S. Army forces in mechanized desert warfare following a Soviet-era style threat until June 2002, when the OPFOR and the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment changed to portraying an urban/
asymmetrical warfare Asymmetric warfare (or asymmetric engagement) is the term given to describe a type of war between belligerents whose relative military power, strategy or tactics differ significantly. This is typically a war between a standing, professional arm ...
style of combat U.S. soldiers are facing in operations abroad. From June to December 2003, members of the 11th ACR deployed to Afghanistan, where they helped to develop and train the armor and mechanized infantry battalions of the
Afghan National Army Afghan may refer to: *Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia *Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity ** Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...
. These specialized units would defend the Afghan capital during the country's constitutional convention. In January 2004, the 11th ACR deployed to Iraq. The 11th ACR was not reorganized under the
U.S. Army Combat Arms Regimental System The Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), was the method of assigning unit designations to units of some of the combat arms branches of the United States Army, including Infantry, Special Forces, Field Artillery, and Armor, from 1957 to 1981. ...
, but has been reorganized under the U.S. Army Regimental System.


History


11th Cavalry Regiment

The regiment was constituted on 2 February 1901 in the
Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a standin ...
as the 11th Cavalry Regiment, and was organized on 11 March 1901 at
Fort Myer Fort Myer is the previous name used for a U.S. Army post next to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Founded during the American Civil War as Fort Cass and Fort Whipple, ...
, Virginia. The regiment participated in the 1916
Pancho Villa Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the p ...
under the command of William Jones Nicholson. For an operational history of the regiment, see the separate squadron histories below. At the start of World War II, the 11th Cavalry was stationed at the
Presidio of Monterey The Presidio of Monterey (POM), located in Monterey, California, is an active US Army installation with historic ties to the Spanish colonial era. Currently, it is the home of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLI-FLC). ...
in California. They moved to
Fort Ord Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...
in stages from 16 to 27 January 1940 and again to Camp Clayton on 15 April to 15 May 1940 for temporary training. They participated in maneuvers at Fort Lewis in Washington from 4 to 29 August 1940, and returned to the Presidio of Monterey on 31 August 1940, where they were detached from the 2nd Cavalry Division, and resumed its status as a separate regiment. They next moved to Camp Seeley in California on 7 November 1941, and again to Live Oaks, California on 24 July 1941; they then returned to Camp Seeley on 17 September 1941, and to
Camp Lockett Camp Lockett was a United States Army military post located in Campo, California, east of San Diego, and north of the Mexico – United States border, Mexican border. Camp Lockett has historical connections to the Buffalo Soldiers due to the 10 ...
on 10 December 1941. They were next assigned to the United States Army Armored Force on 12 June 1942, and relocated to
Fort Benning Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama– Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employee ...
in
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
on 10 July 1942, where they prepared to be inactivated and reorganized. The 11th Cavalry Regiment was deactivated on 15 July 1942 at
Fort Benning Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama– Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employee ...
, Georgia; personnel and equipment concurrently transferred to the 11th Armored Regiment, with concurrent development of the 11th Cavalry Group, and the 11th Tank Group. The remainder of 11th Cavalry was disbanded on 26 October 1944.


11th Armored Regiment

11th Armored Regiment was constituted on 11 July 1942 in the national army, assigned to the 10th Armored Division, and organized at Fort Benning on 15 July 1942 from the personnel and equipment of the 11th Cavalry Regiment. The motto on the unit insignia is "Allons", which means "Let's Go" in French. The regiment moved to
Murfreesboro, Tennessee Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropol ...
on 22 June 1943, and then
Fort Gordon Fort Gordon, formerly known as Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established in October 1941. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps, United States Army Cyber Command, and the Cyber Center of Excellence. ...
on 5 September 1943. 11th Armored Regiment was broken up on 20 September 1943, and its elements were distributed as follows: * HHC-11th Armored Regiment, and 1st and 2nd Battalions were reorganized as the 11th Tank Battalion in the 10th AD. * 3rd Battalion, 11th Armored Regiment was reorganized and redesignated as the 712th Tank Battalion, and relieved from assignment to the 10th AD. 712th Tank Battalion was inactivated at
Camp Kilmer Located in Central New Jersey, Camp Kilmer is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service ...
,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
on 27 October 1945, and redesignated the 525th Medium Tank Battalion on 1 September 1948. It was activated on 10 September 1948 at Fort Lewis,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. 525th Medium Tank Battalion was redesignated as 95th Tank Battalion on 4 February 1950, assigned to 7th Armored Division, and activated at
Camp Roberts, California Camp Roberts is a California National Guard post in central California, located on both sides of the Salinas River in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties, now run by the California Army National Guard. It was opened in 1941 and is named af ...
on 24 November 1950, and inactivated there on 15 November 1953. Reconnaissance Company was reorganized and redesignated as Troop E, 90th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, which maintained a separate history thereafter. Maintenance and Service Companies were disbanded.


11th Tank Battalion

As part of the 10th Armored Division, 11th Tank Battalion shipped out from the
New York Port of Embarkation The New York Port of Embarkation (NYPOE) was a United States Army command responsible for the movement of troops and supplies from the United States to overseas commands. The command had facilities in New York and New Jersey, roughly covering the ...
on 13 September 1944, and landed in France on 23 September 1944. The battalion participated in the
Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...
,
Ardennes-Alsace The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...
, and
Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...
Campaigns, and was located at
Schongau, Bavaria Schongau is a town in Bavaria, near the Alps. It is located along the Lech, between Landsberg am Lech and Füssen. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. Schongau has a well-preserved old wall around the center. Local history The origin of Schonga ...
, Germany on 14 August 1945. The battalion returned to the
Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation was the Army command structure and distributed port infrastructure in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia supporting movement of personnel and cargo overseas. It had been activated as the Newport News Port of Emb ...
on 13 October 1945, was inactivated at
Camp Patrick Henry Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...
,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
on the same day, and was relieved from assignment to the 10th AD.


11th Cavalry Group (Mechanized)

HHT, 11th Cavalry Regiment was redesignated on 19 April 1943 as HHT, 11th Cavalry Group, and was activated at
Camp Anza Camp Anza was a United States Army installation, in what is now Riverside, California, during World War II. Construction began on July 3, 1942, and was completed on February 15, 1943. The camp was named after Juan Bautista de Anza, an early explor ...
, California on 5 May 1943. At that time, the 36th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron and 44th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron were attached. The group was then moved to
Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cu ...
on 31 January 1944, and again to
Atlantic Beach, Florida Atlantic Beach is a city in Duval County, Florida, United States and part of the Jacksonville Beaches communities. When the majority of communities in Duval County consolidated with Jacksonville in 1968, Atlantic Beach, along with Jacksonville B ...
on 15 March 1944 for amphibious training. They then moved to
Camp Gordon Fort Gordon, formerly known as Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established in October 1941. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps, United States Army Cyber Command, and the Cyber Center of Excellence. It ...
on 1 June 1944 and then departed the
New York Port of Embarkation The New York Port of Embarkation (NYPOE) was a United States Army command responsible for the movement of troops and supplies from the United States to overseas commands. The command had facilities in New York and New Jersey, roughly covering the ...
on 29 September 1944, and arrived in England on 10 October 1944, and landed in France on 26 November 1944. They moved to the Netherlands on 8 December 1944, went into the line in Germany on 12 December 1944, and protected the
Roer River The Rur or Roer (german: Rur ; Dutch and li, Roer, , ; french: Rour) is a major river that flows through portions of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. It is a right (eastern) tributary to the Meuse ( nl, links=no, Maas). About 90 perc ...
sector; they recrossed into the Netherlands on 3 February 1945, and re-entered Germany on 27 February 1945 on the left flank of the U.S. 84th Infantry Division. The group then held a defensive line along the
Rhine River ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , source ...
near
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in ...
on 12 March 1945 under the XIII Corps, and crossed the Rhine at
Wesel Wesel () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district. Geography Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine. Division of the city Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrigho ...
on 1 April 1945, screened XIII Corps' northern flank, and saw action during the Battle of Munster and the seizure of the Ricklingen Bridge over the Leine River. During the campaign in northwestern Europe, Troop B of the 44th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron served as a mechanized escort and security force for the headquarters of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces. In August 1945, 11th Cavalry Group headquarters was located at Gross
Ilsede Ilsede is a municipality in the district of Peine, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Fuhse, approx. 7 km south of Peine, and 20 km west of Braunschweig. Ilsede in its present borders was formed in 2015 by merging th ...
, Germany. HHT, 11th Cavalry Group was converted and reorganized as HHT, 11th
Constabulary Constabulary may have several definitions: *A civil, non-paramilitary (police) force consisting of police officers called constables. This is the usual definition in the United Kingdom, in which all county police forces once bore the title (and som ...
Regiment on 1 May 1946. During this period, the regimental headquarters was located in
Regensburg Regensburg or is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers. It is capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the state in the south of Germany. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the ...
. As a constabulary unit, the 11th Constabulary Regiment patrolled occupied Germany and performed law enforcement and keeping of the public order missions. HHT 11th Constabulary Regiment was further reorganized and redesignated as HHC, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment on 30 November 1948.


11th Tank Group

HHT, 11th Tank Group was constituted on 19 July 1943 in the National Army. It was activated at
Camp Campbell Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astride the Kentucky–Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky and Clarksville, Tennessee (post address is located in Kentucky). Fort Campbell is home to the 101st Airborne Divi ...
,
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
on 28 July 1943 as a separate group. It was reorganized and redesignated as HHC, 11th Armored Group on 5 December 1943. During the war, armored groups such as the 11th were used as administrative headquarters for the numerous independent tank battalions fielded in the European Theater of Operations. HHC, 11th Armored Group was converted and redesignated HHT, 1st Constabulary Regiment on 1 May 1946. HHT, 1st Constabulary Regiment was inactivated on 20 September 1947 in Germany.


11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

Reassembly and organizing of 11th ACR was completed on 30 November 1948 by reconstitution and reorganization of elements of the 11th Cavalry Regiment and HHT, 1st Constabulary Regiment. HHT-1st Constabulary Regiment was converted, redesignated and consolidated into 11th ACR as HHT, 3rd Battalion, 11th ACR on 30 November 1948. 11th Tank Battalion was consolidated into 11th ACR on 8 January 1951. 95th Tank Battalion was consolidated into 3rd Battalion, 11th ACR on 1 October 1958. Air Troop inactivated 20 March 1972 in Vietnam; 2d Squadron inactivated 6 April 1972 in Vietnam; Air Troop and 2d Squadron activated 17 May 1972 in Germany. Around 1984, Air Troop was enlarged and became the 4th Squadron (''Thunderhorse''), also known as the Combat Aviation Squadron. Placed 17 June 1986 under the
United States Army Regimental System The United States Army Regimental System (USARS) is an organizational and classification system used by the United States Army. It was established in 1981 to replace the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) to provide each soldier with continu ...
Inactivated 15 October 1993 – 15 March 1994 in Germany Activated 16 October 1994 (less 3d and 4th Squadrons; the Air Defense Artillery Battery; and the Howitzer Batteries, 1st and 2d Squadrons) at
Fort Irwin, California Fort Irwin National Training Center (Fort Irwin NTC) is a major training area for the United States military in the Mojave Desert in northern San Bernardino County, California. Fort Irwin is at an average elevation of . It is located northeast o ...


West Germany (1957–64)

As part of the
Gyroscope A gyroscope (from Ancient Greek γῦρος ''gŷros'', "round" and σκοπέω ''skopéō'', "to look") is a device used for measuring or maintaining orientation and angular velocity. It is a spinning wheel or disc in which the axis of rot ...
unit rotations, the 11th ACR was sent to West Germany in March 1957 for another round at the border surveillance mission along the
Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its ...
, replacing the 6th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Regimental headquarters and 1st Squadron were located in
Straubing Straubing () is an independent city in Lower Bavaria, southern Germany. It is seat of the district of Straubing-Bogen. Annually in August the Gäubodenvolksfest, the second largest fair in Bavaria, is held. The city is located on the Danube for ...
while the 2nd Squadron was stationed in
Landshut Landshut (; bar, Landshuad) is a town in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also ...
and the 3rd Squadron in
Regensburg Regensburg or is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers. It is capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the state in the south of Germany. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the ...
. The regiment's border surveillance mission was along the German-Czech frontier. In 1964, the 11th ACR returned to the United States and would be bound for Vietnam within two years.


South Vietnam (1966–72)

Home now for the regiment was
Fort Meade, Maryland Fort Meade is a census-designated place (CDP) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 9,327 at the 2010 census. It is the home to the National Security Agency, Central Security Service, United States Cyber Command and t ...
where the "Blackhorse" engaged in operational training and support activities like participation in the Presidential Inauguration and support for
ROTC The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in al ...
summer training. With the war in South Vietnam escalating, the Blackhorse Regiment was alerted for assignment to Southeast Asia on 11 March 1966. The regiment began specialized training for combat in a
counterinsurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionari ...
environment. Modifications were made to the organization and equipment ( MTOE) with emphasis on the use of modified M113 armored personnel carriers (APCs). Two M-60 machineguns with protective gun shield were mounted at the port and starboard rear of the vehicle, and a combination circular & flat frontal gun shield(s) were added around the
.50 caliber machine gun The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, w ...
located at the commander's hatch. This combination produced a M-113 Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle, or, in Vietnam more simply referred to as an ''ACAV'' by GIs, a name coined by 11th Armored Cavalrymen. The regiment's modifications emphasized the use of ACAVs instead of the ''Patton'' medium tank and completely replaced the M-114 found in reconnaissance platoons, which may have existed in European and
CONUS ''Conus'' is a genus of predatory sea snails, or cone snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conidae.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2015). Conus Linnaeus, 1758. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species a ...
areas of operation. The M114 had been deployed to Vietnam in 1962, but withdrawn in 1964 due to its unsatisfactory, and often disastrous performance. Throughout the war, the tank companies, with their
M48 Patton The M48 Patton is an American first-generation main battle tank (MBT) introduced in February 1952, being designated as the 90mm Gun Tank: M48. It was designed as a replacement for the M26 Pershing, M4 Sherman, M46 and M47 Patton tanks, and w ...
tanks, remained the same in each squadron. In 1968,
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
George S. Patton IV George Smith Patton IV (December 24, 1923 – June 27, 2004) was a major general in the United States Army and the son of World War II General George S. Patton Jr. He served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Military career Patton was ...
(son of World War II
General Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...
), commander of the 11th ACR in South Vietnam recommended to General Creighton Abrams that one squadron from a
division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
and the other from theater command be issued the army's new aluminum tanks (Sheridans) for combat testing. General Abrams concurred, and in January 1969,
M551 Sheridan The M551 "Sheridan" AR/AAV ( Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle) was a light tank developed by the United States and named after General Philip Sheridan, of American Civil War fame. It was designed to be landed by parachute and to ...
s were issued to the 3rd Squadron 4th Armored Cavalry and the 1st Squadron 11th Armored Cavalry. Due to differences between the organization of regimental cavalry squadrons and divisional cavalry squadrons, in 1st Sqdn 11th ACR, the Sheridans were issued to the ACAV troops, replacing three M113 ACAVs in each platoon (the squadron's one tank company remained intact); in 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, the Sheridans replaced M48A3 tanks throughout. Although the 3/4 Cavalry met near disaster with their Sheridans within a month of receiving them (one destroyed by a mine), the 1/11 Cavalry had just the reverse in luck, killing nearly 80 enemy soldiers during an engagement on 23 February 1969.Starry p. 144 All things considered, the army was satisfied with the Sheridan tank, and by the end of 1970 alone, well over 200 M551s would be in South Vietnam. While nearly all US armored cavalry squadrons were equipped with the M551 by 1970, the 11th ACR ''tank companies'', as well as the three US Army armor battalions (''1/69th, 2/34th, and 1/77th Armor'') in country, all retained their 90mm gun M48A3 Patton tanks. Only the M48s, as well as the Australian Centurions, and
ARVN The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN; ; french: Armée de la république du Viêt Nam) composed the ground forces of the South Vietnamese military from its inception in 1955 to the Fall of Saigon in April 1975. It is estimated to have suffe ...
M41 Walker Bulldog The M41 Walker Bulldog, officially 76-mm Gun Tank, M41, was an American light tank developed for armed reconnaissance purposes. It was produced by Cadillac between 1951 and 1954 and marketed successfully to the United States Army as a replaceme ...
light tanks could effectively and safely conduct "thunder runs"; the firing of all tank weapons while driving down the highway or road. While ACAVs did not have a cannon, the Sheridan's high recoil from its 152mm main gun negated it from firing excessive broadsides while moving down a road. Thus the most favored tanks for clearing highways with "thunder runs"Starry p. 80 on a daily basis, most often fell to the M48s of the 11th ACR and accompanying armor units.


Arrival in country

The Blackhorse Regiment arrived in
Vũng Tàu Vũng Tàu (''Hanoi accent:'' , ''Saigon accent:'' ) is the largest city of Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu province in southern Vietnam. The city area is , consists of 13 urban wards and one commune of Long Sơn Islet. Vũng Tàu was the capital of the p ...
, South Vietnam on 7 September 1966 and was commanded by Col. William W. Cobb. Operation Hickory (7–15 October 1966) produced the first enemy casualties inflicted by the 3rd Squadron and elements of the 919th Engineer Company in the vicinity of Phu Hoa.


Blackhorse Base Camp

Operation Atlanta was the code name for the establishment of Blackhorse Base Camp—the new home of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam. Blackhorse Base Camp was located approximately south of the village of Xuan Loc on Route 2 and approximately southeast of the village of Long Goia. Saigon is approximately to the west along Rt. 1. The operation began on 20 October and concluded on 3 November 1966.
Stanton's Vietnam Order Of Battle
lists the following locations for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment's headquarters in Vietnam: *
Bien Hoa Bien may refer to: * Bien (newspaper) * Basic Income Earth Network * Bień, Poland {{disambiguation ...
September 1966 – November 1966 * Long Binh December 1966 – February 1967 *Blackhorse Base Camp/Xuan Loc March 1967 – January 1969 *
Lai Khê Lai Khê (Lai Khê hamlet, Lai Hưng commune, Bến Cát, Bình Dương Province) (also known as Lai Khê Base) was a former Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and U.S. Army base, located along Highway 13 to the northwest of Saigon and about ...
February 1969 * Long Giao March 1969 – September 1969 *Bien Hoa October 1969 – June 1970 *
Di An Di or DI may refer to: Arts and media Music * Di, a tone in the solfège ascending chromatic scale existing between Do and Re * dizi (instrument) or di, a Chinese transverse flute * ''D.I.'' (band), a punk band from Southern California ** ''D ...
July 1970 – March 1971


Operation Cedar Falls

From January until 18 May 1967, the regiment conducted three major search and destroy operations. These operations would later be known as reconnaissance in force (RIF) operations. The first of these operations commence on 8 January 1967 and was known as " Operation Cedar Falls". It continued until 24 January 1967. The 1st and 2nd Squadrons operated in the infamous "Iron Triangle" region near
Ben Cat Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( he, ...
employing search and destroy tactics, screening and blocking, and security in attacks on successive objectives.


Operation Junction City

Operation Junction City Operation Junction City was an 82-day military operation conducted by United States and Republic of Vietnam (RVN or South Vietnam) forces begun on 22 February 1967 during the Vietnam War. It was the first U.S. combat airborne operation sinc ...
I and II involved the 1st and 3rd Squadrons. It began on 18 February 1967 and ran through 15 April 1967. This operation took these squadrons to the headquarters of the Central Office South Vietnam (
COSVN Central Office for South Vietnam (abbreviated COSVN ; vi, Văn phòng Trung ương Cục miền Nam), officially known as the Central Executive Committee of the People's Revolutionary Party from 1962 until its dissolution in 1976, was the Ameri ...
) believed to be located in Bình Dương Province with the objective of destroying this important headquarters. This joint mission conducted with the
1st Australian Task Force The 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) was a brigade-sized formation which commanded Australian and New Zealand Army units deployed to South Vietnam between 1966 and 1972. 1 ATF was based in a rubber plantation at Nui Dat, north of Bà Rịa ...
secured lines of communication and fire support bases (FSB). Extensive RIF operations were conducted as well.


Operation Manhattan

Commencing on 23 April 1967 the third operation titled
Operation Manhattan Operation Manhattan was an operation conducted by the 1st and 2nd Brigades, 25th Infantry Division and the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division in the Ho Bo Woods/ Bến Củi area, lasting from 23 April to 7 June 1967. Background The objective ...
was a thrust into the
Long Nguyen Secret Zone The Long Nguyen Secret Zone was a geographical area of the Republic of Vietnam, a heavily-forested area located between Highway 13 and the Michelin Rubber Plantation about northwest of Saigon, in Binh Duong Province that served as a Viet Cong di ...
by the 1st and 2nd Squadrons. This zone was a long-suspected regional headquarters of the
Viet Cong , , war = the Vietnam War , image = FNL Flag.svg , caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green. , active ...
. In a series of
reconnaissance in force In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmishers, ...
operations 60 tunnel complexes were uncovered. 1884 fortifications were destroyed. 621 tons of rice was evacuated during these operations. Operation Manhattan ended on 11 May 1967.


Operation Kittyhawk

Beginning in April 1967 and running through 21 March 1968, the regiment was tasked to secure and pacify
Long Khánh District Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music mensu ...
. This year-long mission was called Operation Kittyhawk. It achieved three objectives: Viet Cong (VC) were kept from interfering with travel on the main roads, Vietnamese were provided medical treatment in
civic action program A civic action program also known as civic action project is a type of operation designed to assist an area by using the capabilities and resources of a military force or civilian organization to conduct long-term programs or short-term projects. ...
s like MEDCAP and DENTCAP and finally, RIF operations were employed to keep the VC off balance, making it impossible for them to mount offensive operations.


1967

From the summer of 1967 until the winter the regiment was led by Col. Roy W. Farley. Operation Emporia I & II was a road clearing operation with limited RIF missions by the 1st and 3rd Squadrons in
Long Khánh District Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music mensu ...
. Operation Valdosta I & II was a regimental size operation. Its purpose was to provide security at polling places during elections and to maintain reaction forces to counter VC agitation. As a result of the operation 84.7% of eligible voters cast ballots in Long Khánh District in the first general election and 78% in the second.


Operation Quicksilver

Operation Quicksilver involved the 1st and 2nd Squadrons of the 11th Armored Cavalry. Its purpose was to secure routes that moved logistical personnel of the
101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...
between Binh Long and Tây Ninh Provinces. Cordon, search and RIF missions were also performed.


Operation Fargo

Operation Fargo ran from 21 December 1967 until 21 January 1968. This regimental size operation conducted RIFs in Binh Long and Tây Ninh Provinces and opened Route 13 to military traffic for the very first time.


The Tet Offensive

The early part of 1968 was marked by the most ambitious and embolden offensive attack coordinated by the VC and NVA in the history of the war. The Tet Offensive was designed to coincide with the Vietnamese New Year.


Operation Adairsville

Operation Adairsville began on 31 January 1968. Word was received by the II Field Force HQs to immediately re-deploy to the Long Binh/Bien Hoa area to relieve installations threatened by the Tet Offensive. At 1400 hours (2:00 pm) the 1st Squadron was called to move from their position south of the
Michelin Rubber Plantation Michelin Rubber Plantation was located near Dầu Tiếng District in Bình Dương Province, 72 km northwest of Saigon. The plantation was established by the Michelin company in 1925 and at it was the largest rubber plantation in Vietnam. T ...
to the II Field Force headquarters. The 2nd Squadron moved from north of the plantation to III Corps POW Compound were enemy soldiers were sure to attempt to liberate the camp. The 3rd Squadron moved from An Lộc to III Corps Army, Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) headquarters. It took only 14 hours and 80 miles to arrive in position after first being alerted.


Operation Alcorn Cove

The security operation in the Long Binh/Bien Hoa area and the area around Blackhorse Base Camp by the 1st and 2nd Squadrons is continue under Operation Alcorn Cove which began on 22 March 1968. This combined mission with the ARVN 18th Division and 25th Division was a twofold operation of security and RIFs. Operation Toan Thang was an extension of "Alcorn Cove". That combined operation involved the
1st First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
and 25th Infantry Divisions. From April 1968 to January 1969, the 11th Cavalry was commanded Colonel (later Major General)
George S. Patton IV George Smith Patton IV (December 24, 1923 – June 27, 2004) was a major general in the United States Army and the son of World War II General George S. Patton Jr. He served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Military career Patton was ...
, the son of General
George S. Patton Jr. George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...


"Workhorse" The 3rd Squadron

K Troop was part of the 3rd Squadron and known as "Killing K Troop". 3rd Squadron's nickname was "Workhorse". Shortly after its arrival in Vietnam, the 3rd Squadron engaged the Viet Cong for the first time. The squadron was awarded a
Meritorious Unit Citation The Meritorious Unit Citation is a collective group decoration awarded to members of Australian military units. It recognises sustained outstanding service in warlike operations. The Meritorious Unit Citation was created in 1991, along with the ...
for this period. The
Tet Offensive The Tet Offensive was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. It was launched on January 30, 1968 by forces of the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) against the forces o ...
of 1968 gave the squadron a chance to fight the enemy's troop formations in open combat. In
Bien Hoa Bien may refer to: * Bien (newspaper) * Basic Income Earth Network * Bień, Poland {{disambiguation ...
the 3rd Squadron drove the enemy forces from the area near III Corps headquarters. Its action was crucial in smashing the enemy's offensive. On 20 October 2009 President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
presented a Presidential Unit Citation to troop commander Captain
John B. Poindexter John B. Poindexter is an American businessman and former soldier. He is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of J.B. Poindexter & Co., Inc. (dba JB Poindexter & Co) and owner of Cibolo Creek Ranch. Early life and education Poin ...
and all veterans of A Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Cavalry for their heroism along the
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
n border on 26 March 1970. Brigadier General John Bahnsen, a recipient of the
Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) *Distinguished Service Cross (U ...
, served with the 11th ACR in Vietnam, commanding first the regiment's Air Cavalry Troop, and later its 1st Squadron.


Return to West Germany, Fulda Gap

The 11th Cavalry Group Mechanized was redesignated as the 11th Constabulary Regiment on 3 May 1946 in order that the regiment could fulfill its occupation duties, and was restored as the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and inactivated in November 1948. Blackhorse was brought back into active status 1 April 1951 at Camp Carson, Colorado. In 1954, the regiment transferred to Fort Knox, Kentucky to complete its training in armored tactics. The Blackhorse Regiment rotated to southern Germany in May 1957, relieving the 6th ACR, and assumed the mission of patrolling the German-Czechoslovak border until its return to the United States in 1964. The Blackhorse arrived in Vietnam on 7 September 1966. Second Squadron spearheaded Operation Fish Hook into Cambodia on 1 May 1970, surrounding a North Vietnamese logistics center. During the drawdown of U.S. forces in Vietnam in early 1972, the 11th ACR was inactivated in stages (Air Troop inactivated 20 March 1972 in Vietnam; 2d Squadron inactivated 6 April 1972 in Vietnam) and subsequently reactivated in Germany (Air Troop and 2d Squadron activated 17 May 1972 in Germany) by reflagging the
14th Armored Cavalry Regiment The 14th Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the United States Army. It has two squadrons that provide reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition for Stryker brigade combat teams. Constituted in 1901, it has served in conflicts ...
. The unit, based at Downs Barracks, had the mission of patrolling the East-West German border at OP ALPHA. During the late 1980s the 11th's 4th Squadron (Air) operated the first air assault school in Europe, known as the Blackhorse Air Assault School, based in
Fulda Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival. Histor ...
. After the Soviet Union dissolved in December 1991 the regiment ended its seventeen-year station along the Iron Curtain. The Blackhorse Regiment deployed an aviation task force on 10 April 1991 to Turkey for
Operation Provide Comfort Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations initiated by the United States and other Coalition nations of the Persian Gulf War, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurdish refugees fleeing their homes in northern I ...
, an operation to support the Kurdish relief effort. One month later, the three maneuver squadrons (1st, 2d and 3d) along with the regiment's support squadron, deployed to Kuwait for Operation Positive Force, an operation to secure Kuwait so it could rebuild from the war. By October, the regiment had completed its missions in Turkey and Kuwait and returned to Fulda. As the need for US forces in Europe decreased, the Blackhorse Regiment was inactivated in a ceremony on 15 October 1993, and the remaining troops departed Germany in March 1994.


Training the force

Reactivated again on 16 October 1994, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment now serves as the Army's Opposing Force at the National Training Center. The regiment portrays a determined opposing force that trains US forces in the basic principles of army operations and challenges all the battlefield operating systems. As the 2nd Brigade Tactical Group, the squadron trains brigade and battalion task forces during ten rotations a year at the National Training Center.


Current organization


1st Squadron

First Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry, "Ironhorse", was activated as a horse squadron at
Fort Myer, Virginia Fort Myer is the previous name used for a U.S. Army post next to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Founded during the American Civil War as Fort Cass and Fort Whipple, ...
in 1901. It has served in the Philippines, Mexico, Europe, and Vietnam. It is now organized as a combined arms battalion, and comprises one of the two maneuver elements of the 11th ACR. It is organized around a Headquarters and Headquarters Troop (HHT), and four line troops (two infantry, two armor), with a total authorized strength of 720 soldiers. It is equipped with the OPFOR Surrogate Vehicle, an
M901 ITV The M901 ITV (Improved TOW Vehicle) is an American armored vehicle introduced into service in 1979, and designed to carry a dual M220 TOW launcher. It is based on the ubiquitous M113 Armored Personnel Carrier chassis. The M901 ITV is no longer ...
highly modified with an
M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) is a tracked armoured fighting vehicle platform of the United States developed by FMC Corporation and manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments, formerly United Defense. It is named after U.S. General Omar ...
turret to represent the
BMP-2 The BMP-2 (''Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty'', , literally "combat machine/vehicle (of the) infantry") is an amphibious infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s in the Soviet Union, following on from the BMP-1 of the 1960s. Development hist ...
armored personnel carrier, and the OSTV (OPFOR Surrogate Tank Vehicle) a vehicle based on the OPFOR Surrogate Vehicle which can simulate a wide spectrum of threat tanks. Using this equipment and configuration, the squadron performs the first of its two primary missions, acting as a non-permissive opposing force (OPFOR) during ten FORSCOM combat training rotations each year. The squadron's second mission is to deploy and fight as a combined arms battalion for various contingency operations throughout the world. In order to support this mission, the squadron must also maintain, operate and remain proficient on the M1A1 Abrams Tank and M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Hennisse, the approximately 400 men of the squadron trained nine months before becoming the first squadron to leave for the regiment's inaugural deployment, to the Philippines. Arriving in January 1902, Troops A and D patrolled
Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...
, where they fought the regiment's first engagement. In 1905, the regiment relocated to Fort Des Moines, Iowa. In 1906, the 1st Squadron remained in Des Moines while the rest of the regiment deployed to
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...
as part of
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
's Army of Pacification. In 1909, the 1st Squadron rejoined the rest of the regiment in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. On 12 March 1916, the regiment received orders to join General John J. Pershing as part of the
Mexican Punitive Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the p ...
to pursue
Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa (, Orozco rebelled in March 1912, both for Madero's continuing failure to enact land reform and because he felt insufficiently rewarded for his role in bringing the new president to power. At the request of Madero's c ...
. Nine days later, the 1st Squadron led the way, arriving in Mexico on 21 March. Later, the 1st Squadron rode 22 hours straight to the rescue of United States forces besieged in Parral. The 11th ACR was not deployed during World War I. During this period, 1st Squadron conducted port operations in
Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the U ...
. After the Armistice, the regiment, with its predominantly black horses, was stationed at the
Presidio of Monterey The Presidio of Monterey (POM), located in Monterey, California, is an active US Army installation with historic ties to the Spanish colonial era. Currently, it is the home of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLI-FLC). ...
, in California. The Army reorganizations for World War II eliminated the horse cavalry in 1940 and 1st Squadron traded in "saddles and hooves" for "tracks and steel". The regiment was inactivated 15 July 1942. The personnel and equipment of the former 1st and 2nd Squadrons was combined to form the newly designated 11th Tank Battalion, which later fought at the
Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...
. On 1 April 1951, the regiment was reactivated as the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, as part of the build-up for the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
. The regiment served in Fort Carson,
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
and
Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold re ...
,
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
until deploying to Germany to replace the 6th ACR along the
Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...
n border. In July 1964, 1st Squadron, along with the regiment, transferred to Fort Meade, Maryland. In 1966, the regiment deployed to Vietnam. The 1st Squadron earned the
Valorous Unit Award The Valorous Unit Award (VUA) is the second highest United States Army unit decoration which may be bestowed upon an Army unit after the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). The VUA is awarded by the United States Army to units of the United State ...
s (twice), the
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry ( vi, Anh-Dũng Bội-Tinh) is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal w ...
(three times), and the Presidential Unit Citation. It was during the Vietnam War that the 11th ACR was granted authorization to wear its distinctive unit patch. President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
awarded Alpha Troop of the 1st Squadron the Presidential Unit Citation on 20 October 2009, in recognition of a rescue mission 26 March 1970. In February 1971, 1st Squadron was inactivated, then reactivated in May 1972, at Downs Barracks in
Fulda Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival. Histor ...
, Germany. During the Southwest Asia Campaign, Ironhorse operated Camp Colt, a scout training camp for reservists reporting to active duty. Following Desert Storm, the regiment deployed to
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...
in support of Operation Positive Force from June 1991 to September 1991. 1st Squadron, along with the rest of the regiment, was inactivated at
Fulda Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival. Histor ...
, Germany in March 1994. The 1/63rd Armored Regiment, Fort Irwin, California was reflagged 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in October 1994 with the mission of Opposing Forces for the National Training Center and continues to do so today. On 30 January 2005, 1st Squadron left Fort Irwin for Iraq. After spending about three weeks in
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...
, the squadron moved to
Camp Taji Camp Taji , also known as Camp Cooke, is a military installation used by Iraqi and Coalition forces near Taji, Baghdad Governorate, Iraq. The camp is located in a rural region approximately north of the capital Baghdad. Saddam era Al-Taji air ...
on the outskirts of
Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
. The squadron was assigned the task of patrolling the
Adhamiyah Al-Adhamiyah ( ar, الأعظمية, ''al-aʿẓamiyyah''; BGN: ''Al A‘z̧amīyah''), also Azamiya, is a neighborhood and east-central district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. It is one of nine administrative districts in Baghdad. Adhamiyah n ...
sector of Baghdad, a suburb of Baghdad just north of
Sadr City Sadr City ( ar, مدينة الصدر, translit=Madīnat aṣ-Ṣadr), formerly known as Al-Thawra ( ar, الثورة, aṯ-Ṯawra) and Saddam City ( ar, مدينة صدام, Madīnat Ṣaddām), is a suburb district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. ...
. The squadron was also assigned the task of training
Iraqi Army The Iraqi Ground Forces (Arabic: القوات البرية العراقية), or the Iraqi Army (Arabic: الجيش العراقي), is the ground force component of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It was known as the Royal Iraqi Army up until the coup ...
units to ultimately take over control of the sector. On 21 May 2005, the squadron left Camp Taji for
Camp Liberty Camp Liberty is a former United States military installation in Baghdad, Iraq. The installation was used from 2012 to September 2016 to house members of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI, also called MEK), who had been forcibly evicted from ...
, one of the many camps that encircle
Baghdad International Airport Baghdad International Airport , previously Saddam International Airport ( ar, مطار بغداد الدولي, Maṭār Baġdād ad-Dawaliyy) is Iraq's largest international airport, located in a suburb about west of downtown Baghdad in th ...
. Their new task was to patrol the
Abu Ghraib Abu Ghraib (; ar, أبو غريب, ''Abū Ghurayb'') is a city in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq, located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000 (2003). The old road ...
sector just west of Baghdad and to provide perimeter security for
Abu Ghraib prison Abu Ghraib prison ( ar, سجن أبو غريب, ''Sijn Abū Ghurayb'') was a prison complex in Abu Ghraib, Iraq, located west of Baghdad. Abu Ghraib prison was opened in the 1950s and served as a maximum-security prison with torture, weekly exe ...
. While in the Abu Ghraib sector, 1/11 ACR participated in Operation Thunder Cat along with the 256th Infantry Brigade of the Louisiana Army National Guard. The operation focused on disrupting IED cells in and around the
Abu Ghraib Abu Ghraib (; ar, أبو غريب, ''Abū Ghurayb'') is a city in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq, located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000 (2003). The old road ...
sector, west of Baghdad. During this operation, 1/11 ACR uncovered five separate weapons caches, detained four suspected insurgents and uncovered $2,200 in US currency. The squadron redeployed to Fort Irwin on 22 January 2006 where it resumed its opposing forces mission for the National Training Center. During its deployment, the Nevada Army National Guard's 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry, the 11th's former official roundout unit, took over the duty of OPFOR.


2nd Squadron

The 2nd Squadron is part of the Army's Opposing Force at the National Training Center, conducting battle operations in accordance with published doctrine and combat instructions. While in its role as the 801st Brigade Tactical Group, the Eaglehorse Squadron portrays an opposing force (OPFOR) that trains US forces in the basic principles of combined arms maneuver (CAM) and wide area security (WAS). The regiment trains brigade and battalion task forces during ten rotations a year at the National Training Center, Ft. Irwin, California. Additionally between rotations, the squadron conducts realistic, live-fire based training at the platoon and Bradley crew level. The 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 52d Infantry was inactivated on 26 October 1994 and the 2d Squadron was reactivated in its place by reflagging the existing unit. The 2d Squadron ("Eaglehorse") was activated on 2 February 1901 at Fort Myer, Virginia, and its military campaign geographic areas include the Philippines, Mexico, Europe, Vietnam, and support in Southwest Asia. 2nd Squadron deployed with the regiment to the Philippines to suppress insurgent forces during November 1901. This deployment was commemorated by the bolos becoming part of the Blackhorse crest. The Blackhorse Regiment settled in Fort Des Moines,
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
in 1905. The 2nd Squadron deployed to
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...
, 16 October 1906, as part of President
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
's Army of Pacification. Their mission was to patrol and be a show of force. Eaglehorse joined with the General J. Pershing
Pancho Villa Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the p ...
in a punitive action against Mexico, with orders to pursue Pancho Villa, on 12 March 1916. Major Robert L. Howze, Commander, 2nd Squadron, led the "last mounted charge" on 5 May 1916, placing the Eaglehorse Squadron action as a milestone in military history. The Blackhorse Regiment patrolled the U.S.-Mexican border from 1919 through 1942. The regiment received the name "Blackhorse" and a distinctive coat of arms while stationed at the
Presidio of Monterey The Presidio of Monterey (POM), located in Monterey, California, is an active US Army installation with historic ties to the Spanish colonial era. Currently, it is the home of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLI-FLC). ...
.


World War II

The regiment inactivated as a "horse regiment" on 15 July 1942 at
Fort Benning Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama– Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employee ...
, Georgia. The Headquarters and Headquarters Troop was redesignated on 19 April 1943 as the Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 11th Cavalry Group Mechanized. The former squadrons of the 11th Cavalry were sent to fight with the 10th Armored Division and the 90th Infantry Division overseas. The new HHT, 11th Cavalry Group Mechanized drew new squadrons, the 36th and 44th, and also received an Assault Gun Troop (Howitzer Battery). After guarding the US southeastern coast from March 1944 until 1 June 1944, the group moved to Camp Gordon, Georgia to begin training for overseas deployment, The regiment arrived in the United Kingdom on 10 October 1944. The regiment entered France on 23 November 1944. Moving through France and Germany, the Blackhorse was assigned to the Ninth US Army and attached to XIII Corps, whose flank the Blackhorse screened during the corps' sweep from the Roer to the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , source ...
.


3rd Squadron

Post-Vietnam, the 3rd Squadron ("Workhorse") was based at McPheeters Barracks in
Bad Hersfeld The festival and spa town of Bad Hersfeld (''Bad'' is "spa" in German; the Old High German name of the city was ''Herolfisfeld'') is the district seat of the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany, roughly 50 km southe ...
, Germany, about 40 kilometers north of Fulda. The 3rd Squadron was organized as an armored cavalry squadron like the 1st and 2nd Squadrons. HHT and I, K, and L Troops, Howitzer Battery, as well as M Company were organic to the squadron. Attached was the 58th Engineer Company. Bravo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery was also headquartered with the squadron. In the field, the attached units of the regiment like the 58th Engineer Company usually operated over a wide area, with smaller detachments dedicated to supporting the armored cavalry squadrons of the regiment.


4th Squadron

The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR) arrived in Viet Nam in September 1966, the Air Cavalry Troop (ACT), organic to the regiment, arrived in December of the same year with a complement of UH-1C Gunships and UH-1D Command and Control "slicks". Early in January 1967, ACT was flying combat support for the regiment's missions. It was after this time that ACT earned its nickname ''Thunderhorse'' because of the distinctive roaring sound of rotorwash over the rice paddies and the unit's distinctive Blackhorse insignia. In July 1968, Air Cavalry Troop was reorganized into Air Troop (AT), consisting of nine AH-1G Cobra gunships, designated "reds" and nine OH-6 light observation helicopters (LOH), designated "whites", which flew in pairs as target acquisition and destroy missions as "pinks" and an aerial rifle platoon (ARP) "Blues" with infantry/cavalry scouts transported in the venerable UH-1 "Huey" (officially designated Iroquois). Air Troop served with distinction, earning the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm "VIETNAM 24 February – 19 May 1971" (DAGO 42, 1972) and the 1st platoon of AT earned the Presidential Unit Citation "DUC HOA 12 Mar – 1 Apr 1969" (DAGO 69, 1969) in addition to the regiment's awards and streamers. In 1969, a Trooper from Air Troop, SFC Rodney J. T. Yano posthumously earned the Medal of Honor. The aviation assets of the regiment were deactivated on 20 March 1972 and left Viet Nam. The regiment was reactivated on 17 May 1972 to replace the inactivated 14th ACR and on 18 September 1972, the newly formed Command and Control Squadron was formed at Sickles Army Airfield near Fulda. The regiment's new C&C Squadron was given the task of providing aerial surveillance of the 385-kilometer "iron curtain", which separated East and West Germany. C&C Squadron consisted of its headquarters elements, as well as Air Troop (AT/AHT) with its 3 UH-1H, 21 AH-1S(MOD) and 13 OH-58A. Combat Aviation/Support Troop (CAT/ST AIR), with its 13 UH-1H, including an Aerial Mine Platoon (AMP) and 6 OH-58A, 58th Combat Engineer Company (CEC). The 340th Army Security Agency (ASA) and the 84th Army Band. A detachment of two each OH-58A were assigned to the 2nd Squadron at Bad Kissingen and the 3rd Squadron at Bad Hersfeld. In 1981, Air Troop, under the command of Major Joseph W. Sutton, won the Draper Cavalry Award; it was the first time an aviation unit had won the award. Later, under the command of Major Michael K. Mehaffey, Air Troop was recognized as the Army Aviation Association of America's (AAAA) Unit of the Year. On 1 June 1982, Command and Control Squadron was redesignated as Regimental Combat Aviation Squadron (RCAS) and officially as the Combat Aviation Squadron (provisional), 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and nicknamed "Lighthorse". In the spring of 1984, Air Troop was once again named AAAA Aviation Unit of the Year. On 14 June of the same year, under the guidance of the Department of the Army's "Cavalry 86" and the new " J-series" Modified Table of Organization and Equipment (MTOE), elements of AT and CAT were combined to form the new 11th Combat Aviation Squadron (11th CAS), named "Thunderhorse" to honor the history of those Air Cavalry Troopers who had served before. The new squadron consisted of a Headquarters, and a Headquarters Troop, to include an Aircraft Maintenance Platoon (AVUM), designated "Crazyhorse"; Alpha Troop which was assigned a combat support aviation role, was the last Aerial Mine Platoon in the Army. It used a Yosemite Sam, clad in a cavalry uniform for its mascot and was called the "Miners"; Bravo Troop, an Attack Helicopter Troop used the old cobra logo from AT and later a bull dog; Charlie Troop, called "Tankbusters", an attack helicopter troop used the silhouette of a Soviet T-62 in an AH-1 turret gun site; Delta Troop an air cavalry troop was known as the "Death Riders" and used a "Jolly Roger" type skull on a red and white background: Echo Troop, an air cavalry troop used a red and white logo which included a large letter E an AH-1 and OH-58 profile; F Troop, an air cavalry troop used a cartoon figure of an AH-1 punching a Soviet MI-24(HIND) with the motto "Grab 'em by the nose – kick 'em in the ass" and the 511th Military Intelligence Company (MI/CEWI) "Trojan Horse" which had replaced the 340th ASA. In 1984, three EH-1H were assigned to the 511th. The squadron's S-4 section was known as "Hobbyhorse". On 17 Jun 1986 the squadron aligned itself in accordance with the US Army Regimental System (USARS). Now flying UH-60's, OH-58C's and AH-1F's, the squadron eventually ended up as HHT, N, O, P, Q, R S and AVUM Troops. On 9 November 1989 the wall fell and by the first of March 1990, the squadron ceased border operations. Early on 10 April 1991 elements of the squadron were issued no notice deployment orders to self-deploy from Fulda to Diyarbakır, Turkey in support of Operation Provide Comfort. Task Force Thunderhorse deployed 15 UH-60 and five OH-58D along with crews and support personnel. During this period the 511th MI (CEWI) was recognized as the best company sized military intelligence unit in the Army. With the fall of the wall, and the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, the regiment on 15 October 1993 to 15 March 1994 began the deactivation process of the unit. The regiment, less the 3rd and 4th Squadrons, was reactivated in October 1994 at Fort Irwin California.


Support Squadron

Support Squadron, 11th ACR provides combat support/combat service support to the 11th ACR and NTC Opposing Force and conducts deployment, survivability and MOS sustainment training IOT ensure the success of the regiment, OPFOR, and squadron. "Packhorse", was activated in Germany under the command of LTC Ronald Kelly on 17 September 1985 to support the Blackhorse as it patrolled the East-West German border along the Fulda Gap. The squadron's official name at that time was Combat Support Squadron (CSS). The nickname "Packhorse" is derived from the early days of the U.S. Cavalry, when soldiers went on campaigns accompanied by
packhorse A packhorse, pack horse, or sumpter refers to a horse, mule, donkey, or pony used to carry goods on its back, usually in sidebags or panniers. Typically packhorses are used to cross difficult terrain, where the absence of roads prevents the use of ...
s, additional horses and/or mules that carried all their essential supplies. Everything from food to gunpowder to horseshoes were transported in this manner. Initial organization included five units—Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, Maintenance Troop, Supply and Transportation Troop, Medical Troop, and the attached 54th
Chemical A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., w ...
Detachment. The squadron also operated the Regimental Material Management Center which had the responsibility for the overall logistics state of the regiment. Elements of the squadron were based at both Fulda and Wildflecken. The squadron was large for a battalion-sized unit, as the Maintenance Troop alone had some 400 soldiers assigned. The Packhorse provided logistical support during both the frequent regimental maneuvers of the Cold War and at gunnery exercises at Grafenwoehr, where the squadron operated for weeks at a time while the cavalry troops and tank companies rotated through the firing ranges. Squadron vehicles during the Cold War included 3/4-ton M1009 CUCV's, 1&1/4-ton M1008 and M1010 pickup trucks that often carried special-purpose shelters mounting communications, medical, or maintenance equipment, HEMTT's, M88's, tanker trucks, and trucks carrying chemical decontamination equipment. A pair of M934 5-ton Expansible Vans ("Expando-vans")Discussion of expando-vans
/ref> housed the squadron headquarters in the field. The squadron was also capable of highly specialized functions such as the provision of potable water by filtering fresh water sources through purification units. On 3 October 1990, the two Germanys re-unified. By December 1991 the Soviet Union dissolved, ending squadron's six-year presence along the Iron Curtain. In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, prompting the United States to respond. On 16 May 1991, the Packhorse received orders to deploy to Kuwait to support the regiment as it secured the country while it struggled to rebuild after the war. By October, the regiment had completed its mission and the Packhorse returned to Fulda. As the need for U.S. forces in Europe decreased, the Packhorse was inactivated on 15 February 1994, followed by the Blackhorse on 15 March 1994. The 177th Forward Support Battalion was inactivated on 26 October 1994, becoming the Regimental Support Squadron, 'Packhorse' now carrying its new role with the U.S. Army's Opposing Forces at the National Training Center. Since its reactivation Support Squadron has been the Forces Command (FORSCOM) winner of the Philip A. Connelly award for garrison food service excellence in FY 1992, 1993 and 1994. The squadron also won this same competition at the Department of the Army (DA) level in FY 1993. The squadron played a part in the regiment's selection as the only Army unit in the Department of Defense for the Phoenix award for Maintenance Excellence in FY 1995, FY 1999 and FY 2000. Headquarters and Headquarters Troop was the winner of the DA Award for Maintenance Excellence for FY 1995 and FY 1996 in the Intermediate Equipment Density Category, the only unit to do so in the 16-year history of the program. Maintenance Troop was recognized as the Salute Magazine Unit of the Year for 1995; this competition included units from all branches of the service. The 58th Engineer Company placed 4th in FORSCOM in the DA Award for Maintenance Excellence in the Heavy Equipment Density Category in FY 1995, and were 3rd-place winners in FY 1996 and FY 1997. The 511th Military Intelligence Company placed 3rd in FORSCOM in the separate Company category for the Army Supply Excellence Award and was the Starry Award winner for being the best company in the regiment during 2000. The squadron also won the FY 2002 FORSCOM Competition for both the Supply Support Activity (SSA) and Squadron Supply Operations, the SSA also subsequently received Runner-up at DA Level for FY 2002. The squadron won the FORSCOM level in the Philip A. Connelly competition for best Field Feeding Crew of FY 2003. Supply/Trans and Maintenance Troops competed and won the Army Award for Maintenance Excellence in FORSCOM for FY 2003; both are competing at the DA level. The squadron also placed first in the FORSCOM level of Army Supply Excellence for FY 2004 in Squadron Supply Operations and the SSA; both are also competing at the DA level.


Headquarters and Headquarters Troop

Mission Provide personnel, administrative, and logistical support to the Regimental Support Squadron. Provide food service support to all NTC units in both the field and garrison. While providing this support, HHT will protect the force and provide superb quality of life for its troopers and families. Headquarters Platoon Headquarters Platoon's mission is to support the troop administration, logistics, and preparation for war. The platoon consists of the troop commander's staff. They are the orderly and training room, communications section, motor pool, NBC room, unit supply, and arms room. The orderly room supports the troop in administration. The training room schedules training and maintains the troop readiness status. The motor pool supports the troop in organizational level maintenance. The NBC room supports the troop in nuclear, biological, and chemical training, and the unit supply supports the troop in organizational supply and arms room. Also attached to the headquarters platoon are the cavalry scouts and mortar platoons. The cavalry scouts use high speed maneuvering and advanced optical equipment to identify targets. The mortar platoon uses the heavy 120 MM mortar system to provide long range indirect fire. Field regimental dining facility The Field Regimental Dining Facility (FRDF) Platoon supports 10 rotations per year. The mission is to provide Class I in the field for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Opposing Force (OPFOR) during all force-on-force rotations.


Horse Detachment

The 11th ACR Horse Detachment is a Special Ceremonial Unit tasked with preserving the history and traditions of the Regiment's original mounted Cavalry Troopers, and is 1 of only 6 Mounted Units left in the Active Duty U.S. Army. The Horse Detachment represents the 11th ACR, Fort Irwin, and the United States Army at official ceremonies, on-post and regional community relations events, and Army recruiting and community outreach objectives. They participate in the U.S. Cavalry Association's annual National Cavalry Competition against other Active Duty Mounted Units as well as civilian reenactors, and have won the Pulaski Trophy for Most Outstanding Military Unit 5 times: 2021, 2019, 2018, 2012, and 2009.


Maintenance Troop

Maintenance Troop's mission is to provide class IX support and conduct direct support maintenance for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment to ensure the Regiment's success on the NTC battlefield. While providing this support, Maintenance Troop will protect the force and provide improved quality of life for its troopers and families. MT 1st Platoon Headquarters Platoon consists of the commander's staff, motor pool, shop office, NBC room, orderly room, technical supply and unit supply. This is the largest platoon in the troop. The main mission of this platoon is to keep the troop ready for war at all times. The shop office is the backbone of direct support maintenance. The shop officer and the repair control sergeant direct all the maintenance support for the regiment. They order repair parts and track the parts from the time it is ordered, to the time the part is received. They also track all maintenance jobs from initial inspection to actual repair to final inspection and pick-up by the customer. Technical supply work 24-hour days, 7 days a week, providing Class IX repair parts to the OPFOR. They provide serviceable assets which include major assemblies, DLRs (Depot Level Reparables), Repairable Exchange Items and ASL stockage. The mission of NBC room is to provide nuclear, biological and chemical training to the troop. The training room is in charge of planning and executing training for the entire troop. The orderly room provides administrative support to the whole troop. The supply room provides organizational supply. The motor pool's mission is to provide organizational maintenance for all vehicles and commo equipment for the entire troop. MT 2nd Platoon Second Platoon is divided in 2 sections: Automotive, Armament, and Fuel & Electrical, which include 41C, 44B, 44E, 45B, 45E, 45G, 63G, 63H, and 63W MOSs. The mission of the above-mentioned personnel is to provide quality direct support in the areas of repair parts (generators, alternators and starters), recovery assistance, welding and machine shop assistance, and automotive repair. The Automotive section provides direct support maintenance to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and Allied units in support of the OPFOR's daily mission. This entails repairing and replacing transmissions, steering gears, transfers, fuel injector pumps, differentials, engines, axles and necessary gaskets and seals for various types of wheel vehicles. The above jobs are just a few of the tasks that the automotive section does to ensure that the OPFOR equipment returns to the battlefield as quickly as possible. The Fuel & Electric section provides support in the areas of repairing and replacing wiring harnesses, generators, alternators, starters, brake shoe linings and the resurfacing of brake drums. In addition the F&E section repairs and replaces fan towers, gear assemblies and shocks for the M551 tank. The Armament section provides support for the main turret, ballistic computers, laser ranger finders, and other armament controls for the M1A1 Abrams, main battle field tank, as well as the various small arms repair and aiming devices. MT 3rd Platoon Third platoon consists of Ground Support Equipment repair, Service and Recovery, and the Communications / Electronics shop, which include 35C, 35E, 35F, 35N, 52C, 52D, 63B and 63J MOSs. This platoon is usually referred to as '3rd shift, 3rd shop', because when mission calls they often work around the clock. The GSE section is tasked with the mission of repairing engineer equipment. GSE repairs and returns the equipment to the NTC battlefield. The Communication / Electronics shop works around the clock to repair the regiment's radios. The special electronics devices section of the 3rd platoon tirelessly maintains NVGs for the regiment. They also ensure that all chemical agent monitors and navigational satellite systems are maintained. The Service and Recovery section has a continuous mission of providing recovery to disabled vehicles for the post. They are trained to inspect a vehicle and if possible fix the vehicle on the spot so that it can continue its mission, but if that is not possible then they are trained to recover the vehicle with any available means. There are no manuals written on how to recover a damaged vehicle, the manuals that exist only talk about the principles of recovery and the capabilities of each recovery vehicle. It is only by experience on the job that the soldier decides on how a vehicle will be recovered. The section is composed of 91 E (Allied Trade Specialist) They are both a Welder and a machinist. They can manufacture a functional part from a piece of metal or they can fabricate anything within the limitation of the equipment they have. MT 4th Platoon Maintenance Support Team (MST) Platoon's mission is to provide dedicated direct support maintenance. The MST platoon is made up of 2 different MOS: 63W (wheel vehicle repairer) and 63Y (track vehicle mechanic).


Supply and Transportation Troop ("Stallions")

The Supply & Transportation Troop, Regimental Support Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, California, provides support to the Opposing Force (OPFOR) soldiers of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. While supporting the soldiers of the OPFOR with Class I (food), II (heaters, chemlights), III (fuel), and IV (construction material) as well as all the transportation requirements needed on the NTC battlefield, S&T Troop will also provide a better quality of living for its soldiers and their families. There are four platoons (Headquarters/Supply, Maintenance, Petroleum, and Transportation). The unit is responsible for the direct support of Class I (Ration Break Point), Class III (Bulk and Aviation fuel), Class IV (lumber), Class VII (major items), field services, and direct transportation support with light, medium, and heavy capability assets. Also, it is responsible for maintaining and issuing civilian vehicles in support of the OPFOR to replicate the presence of civilians on a battlefield (COBs). Supply Platoon S&T's Supply Platoon mission includes the Class I breakdown for each rotation, the issuing of COB-Vs prior to rotations and the issuing of Allied Fleet Vehicle prior to rotation. The Supply Platoon consists of four 6K forklifts, over 50 COB-Vs and over 25 Allied Fleet vehicles. In addition to all this the Supply Platoon is the housing and issuing point for all regimental CL IV. Transportation Platoon The S&T Transportation Platoon missions consist of transporting Class I, II, IV, V, and Class IX. In addition to hauling that the Transportation Platoon is often tasked to haul tracked vehicles with their 8
Heavy Equipment Transport System Heavy Equipment Transporter System (HETS) is the name of a U.S. Army logistics vehicle transport system, the primary purpose of which is to transport the M1 Abrams tank. It is also used to transport, deploy, and evacuate armored personnel carriers, ...
s. Along with the 8 HET systems the Transportation Platoon has 4 PLS systems, 14 M931 tractors, 5 XM 1098 3000 gallon water tankers and 22 M871 flat bed trailers. Fuel & Water Platoon S&T's Fuel & Water platoon mission consists of providing CL III (B) support for the regiment. This includes forward area resupply point (FARP) and Refuel On the Move (ROM) capabilities in order to support rotational CL III requirements. The platoon consists of two M978 HEMTT 10-ton, 2500 gal. Fuel Servicing trucks; eight M969 5000 gallon semitrailer tankers; ten M931 5-ton truck tractors; and a 300K forward area refueling point system. Maintenance Platoon S&T's Maintenance Platoon's mission is to ensure that all of S&T's vehicles are fully mission capableand able to be utilized to execute all missions tasked down to S&T. This means that the Maintenance Platoon must maintain the operational readiness of eight Heavy Equipment Transport systems ( M1070/M1000 HET), 25 5-Ton truck tractors (M931s), 22 M871 trailers, five XM1098 3000 gallon water tankers, eight M969 5000 gallon semitrailer tankers, four Palletized Loading Systems (M1074/1075), four 6,000 pound forklifts, and other vehicles in the S&T fleet.


Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Task Force Palehorse

Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Task Force Palehorse, provides world class Observer-Controller/Trainer's (OC/T's) for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Task Force Palehorse works directly with Operations Group at the National Training Center to assist in meeting the training requirements for the Rotational Training Unit (RTU). All permanent party members of Task Force Palehorse spend countless hours in training and are required to be subject matter experts (SME) in combined arms maneuver (CAM), wide area security (WAS) operations, the respective combination of CAM/WAS, Unified Land Operations and global insurgency tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP's). Task Force Palehorse provides invaluable feedback to units through professional After-Action Reviews and written reports in support of ten National Training Center rotations a year. On order, Task Force Palehorse deploys as military advisors to foreign nations to aid with military training, organization, combat operations and other various military tasks. Task Force Palehorse has earned an Army wide reputation for developing and producing highly lethal and top tier leaders. The name Palehorse has its genesis in Revelation 6:8 "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death.." Leaders are hand picked from throughout the Army to fill the ranks of the Task Force all of which are combat proven, highly motivated and masters of the profession. Because of this, per capita, Task Force Palehorse has the highest concentration of Combat Infantry Badges (CIB), Combat Action Badges (CAB) and prestigious awards for service in combat than any other unit within the Regiment.


Current order of battle

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment * 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Combined Arms Squadron) * 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Combined Arms Squadron) * 1st Battalion, 144th Field Artillery Regiment ( CA ARNG) * Support Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment


Campaign participation credit


Gallery

File:11ACR memorial.jpg, Memorial stone to the 11th ACR at the former Downs Barracks,
Fulda Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival. Histor ...
, Germany. File:M114.jpg, M114 scout vehicle, used by cavalry platoons in the 1960s and 1970s. File:11ACRCambodia1970.jpg, Advancing into Snuol, Cambodia, May 1970. File:Us army bundesgrenzschutz.jpg, Working with German border police, 1979. File:Hersfeld kaserne haupt.jpg, McPheeters Barracks, Bad Hersfeld, home of the 3rd Squadron from 1944 until 1992. File:US Army 53343 E Troop leads the way as IA.jpg, Acting as OPFOR at Fort Irwin. File:Soldiers at Fort Irwin.jpg, Soldiers of the 2nd Squadron training at Fort Irwin. File:DSC02751 Gedenkstein.jpg, Memorial in Hesse


See also

*
Observation Post Alpha ''Observation Post Alpha'', ''OP Alpha'', or ''Point Alpha'' was a Cold War observation post between Rasdorf, Hesse, in what was then West Germany and Geisa, Thuringia, then part of East Germany. The post overlooked part of the "Fulda Gap", ...


Notes


References

# Bonsteel, F. T. ''The Eleventh Cavalry, 1901 to 1923''.
Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under b ...
: 1923 # Cobb, William W. ''11th U.S. Cavalry Report''; Armor, LXXXVI, No. 2 (March–April 1967). # Fitfield, Robert W., et al. ''11th U.S. Cavalry, California-Mexican Border, 1941''. Los Angeles, California: 1941. # Haynes, George L. Jr. and James C. Williams. ''The Eleventh Cavalry From the Roer to the Elbe, 1944–1945''.
Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
, Germany. # Herr, John K., and Edward S. Wallace. ''The Story of the U.S. Cavalry''.
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, Massachusetts:1953. # # Tricoche, George Nestler. ''La vie militaire a l'etranger. Notes d'un engage voluntaire au 11th United States Cavalry''. Paris, France: 1897. # Unit Members. ''11th Armored Cavalry''.
Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold re ...
,
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
: 1956. # ____________. ''11th Armored Cavalry, Germany, 1958''. Germany: 1958. # Blumenson, Martin. ''Breakout and Pursuit''. 1961. #https://web.archive.org/web/20081007045140/http://www.calguard.ca.gov/1-144fa/Pages/default.aspx #John Albright, "Convoy Ambush on Highway 1, 21 November 1966", in John A. Cash et al. ''Seven Firefights in Vietnam.'' Reprint. New York: Dover, 2007, pages 49–70. #Pelini, Marc E., '11th ACR Destroys Terror Cell, Find Weapons and Cash', 14 August 2005, DVIDS, http://www.dvidshub.net/news/2718/1-11th-acr-destroys-terror-cell-find-weapons-cash


External links


11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Home Page



2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Cold War Germany

11th Cavalry in Vietnam



K Troop, 3rd. Sqd. 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Vietnam 19 66–1972

Photo gallery of M Troop / Company


{{DEFAULTSORT:011 Military units and formations established in 1901 Armored cavalry regiments of the United States Army Military units and formations of the United States in the Philippine–American War 011th Armored Cavalry Regiment Cavalry regiments of the United States Army