The 3rd Cavalry Regiment, formerly 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment ("Brave Rifles")
is a regiment 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, cla ...
currently stationed at
Fort Hood, Texas
Fort Hood is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. Named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, it is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarter ...
.
The regiment has a history in 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, cla ...
that dates back to 19 May 1846, when it was constituted in the
Regular Army as the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen at
Jefferson Barracks,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
. This unit was reorganized at the start of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
as the 3rd U.S. Cavalry Regiment on 3 August 1861. In January 1943, the regiment was re-designated as the 3rd Cavalry Group (
Mechanized). Today they are equipped with
Stryker vehicles. The 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment was the last heavy armored cavalry regiment in the U.S. Army until it officially became a Stryker regiment on 16 November 2011. It will retain its lineage as the 3rd Cavalry Regiment.
Under various names it has seen action during eleven major conflicts: the
Indian Wars, the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
, 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 ...
, World War I, World War II, the
Persian Gulf War,
SFOR in Bosnia,
Operation Iraqi Freedom
{{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 ...
, Operation New Dawn,
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...
, Operation Freedoms Sentinel, and most recently
Operation Inherent Resolve
Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) is the U.S. military's operational name for the International military intervention against IS, including both a campaign in Iraq and a campaign in Syria, with a closely-related campaign in Libya. Throu ...
.
Twenty-three of the regiment's troopers received the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
, all awarded for gallantry in action between 1871 and 1898. The list includes
William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, whose award was rescinded in 1916 for not being a member of the military. Cody's medal was reinstated in 1989.
Most of the regiment was deployed to Afghanistan from 2016- February 2017.
Structure
![3rd US Cavalry Rgt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/3rd_US_Cavalry_Rgt.png)
The 3rd Cavalry Regiment's structure before
#Change of Mission consisted of seven squadrons. Each squadron is divided into four cavalry troops/batteries/companies. The regiment also controls four independent companies/troops: There is a Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 4 Cavalry Squadrons, a Field Artillery Squadron, a Regimental Engineer Squadron and a Support Squadron.
* Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Troop (RHHT) (Remington)
* 1st Squadron 3rd Cavalry Regiment (Tiger)
** HHT (Roughrider)
** A Troop (Apache Troop) – Infantry Troop
** B Troop (Bandit Troop) – Infantry Troop
** C Troop (Crazyhorse Troop) – Infantry Troop
** D Troop (Dragon Troop) – Squadron Support Troop
* 2nd Squadron 3rd Cavalry Regiment (Sabre)
** HHT (Rattler)
** F Troop (Fox Troop) – Infantry Troop
** E Troop (Eagle Troop) – Infantry Troop
** G Troop (Grim Troop) – Infantry Troop
** H Troop (Heavy Troop) – Squadron Support Troop
* 3rd Squadron 3rd Cavalry Regiment (Thunder)
** HHT (Havoc Hounds)
** I Troop (Ironhawk Troop) – Infantry Troop
** K Troop (Killer Troop) – Infantry Troop
** L Troop (Lightning Troop) – Infantry Troop
** M Troop (Maddog Troop) – Squadron support Troop
* 4th Squadron 3rd Cavalry Regiment (Longknife)
** HHT (Headhunters)
** N Troop (Nomad Troop) – Reconnaissance Troop
** O Troop (Outlaw Troop) – Reconnaissance Troop
** P Troop (Predator Troop) – Reconnaissance Troop
** Q Troop (Quicksilver Troop) – Heavy weapons troop consisting of Mobile Gun System and Anti-Tank Guided Missile Stryker variants. Frequently task organized to reconnaissance and infantry troops.
** R Troop (Renegade Troop) – Squadron Support Troop
* Field Artillery Squadron 3rd Cavalry Regiment (Steel)
** Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB) (Brimstone)
** A Battery (King) –
M777
** B Battery (Lion) – M777
** C Battery (Regulator) – M777
** Service Battery (Caisson) – Squadron Support Battery
* Regimental Engineer Squadron RES (Pioneer)
** HHT (Railsplitter)
** Alpha Troop(Ares)- Engineer Troop
** Bravo Troop (Brawler)- Engineer Troop
** Charlie Troop (Centurion)- Signal Troop
** Delta Troop(Ghostrider , MICO)- Military Intelligence Troop
** Sustainment Troop (Tomahawk, FST) – Squadron Support Troop
* Support Squadron 3rd Cavalry Regiment (Muleskinner)
** HHT (Bullwhip)
** Supply and Transportation Troop (Packhorse)
** Maintenance Troop (Blacksmith)
** Medical Troop (Scalpel)
Origins
The Regiment of Mounted Riflemen was authorized by an Act of Congress on 1 December 1845 and was formed at
Jefferson Barracks,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
. The president signed the bill in law on 19 May 1846 and COL
Persifor F. Smith
Persifor Frazer Smith (November 16, 1798May 17, 1858) was a United States Army officer during the Seminole Wars and Mexican–American War. As commander of U.S. forces in California, he was one of the last California interim government, 1846–18 ...
was placed in command. Thus came into existence a new organization in the United States Army: a regiment of riflemen, mounted to provide greater mobility than the infantry and equipped with
Model 1841 percussion rifles to provide greater range and more accurate firepower than the infantry's muskets or the dragoon's carbines. The Mounted Riflemen were considered a separate branch of service at the time and wore green piping with a trumpet for the branch insignia.
When the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen was organized pursuant to the act of Congress in 1846, the first companies filled were A, B, C, and D. They would not be designated as troops until 1883 and would later make up the core of 1st (Tiger) Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment. Companies C and F were recruited from the mountains of
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
,
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 ar ...
, and
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
, I Company was formed in
, and the rest of the regiment was recruited from
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
,
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 to ...
, and
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
.
"Bandit Troop" (then B Company) is the regiment's senior troop. It was organized 1 August 1846, and consisted of 1-
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
, 1-
1st Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...
, 1-
2nd Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
, 1-Brevet 2Lt, and 75 enlisted men. "Crazyhorse Troop" (then C Company) was organized next on 1 September 1846, with Captain
Samuel H. Walker
Samuel Hamilton Walker (February 24, 1817 – October 9, 1847) was an American army officer. He served as a Texas Ranger Division, Texas Ranger captain and officer of the Republic of Texas and the United States Army, United States armies. Walker ...
as its commander. He is listed as being "on detached service at
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 on ...
, obtaining equipment and recruits for Company" until 21 May 1847. No doubt the "equipment" he was obtaining was the shipment of 1,000
Colt-Walker revolvers he had co-designed with
Samuel Colt
Samuel Colt (; July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862) was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company (now Colt's Manufacturing Company) and made the mass production of r ...
. "Apache Troop" (then A Company) completed its organization 1 October 1846. Captain
William Wing Loring was the first Commander of A Company, and would later become the regiment's 2nd colonel, before resigning his commission to serve the Confederacy. "Dragon Troop" (then D Company) was organized 4 October 1846 with 3 officers and 61 enlisted. Captain Henry Pope was the first commander of D Company.
Mexican–American War
![3acrmotto](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/3acrmotto.JPG)
Originally formed to provide security for travelers on the
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and Westward Expansion Trails, emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what ...
, the regiment was immediately rerouted southwards when the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
began. The Mounted Riflemen lost most of their horses in a storm during the voyage across the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
, forcing them to fight dismounted. Once the regiment landed at
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
on 9 March 1847, they would go on to serve in six campaigns of the Mexican War. On 17–18 April, the regiment was engaged in fierce hand-to-hand fighting during the
Battle of Cerro Gordo
The Battle of Cerro Gordo, or Battle of Sierra Gordo, was an engagement in the Mexican–American War on April 18, 1847. The battle saw Winfield Scott's United States troops outflank Antonio López de Santa Anna's larger Mexican army, driving ...
and were soon engaged again in the
Battle of Contreras
The Battle of Contreras, also known as the Battle of Padierna, took place on 19–20 August 1847, in one of the final encounters of the Mexican–American War, as invading U.S. forces under Winfield Scott approached the Mexican capital. Americ ...
on 19 August. On 20 August 1847, General
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
, Commander of American Forces in Mexico, made a speech from which the first sixteen words have become important to the regiment. The regiment was bloodied and exhausted from the fierce fighting at Contreras, but even so, each man stood at attention as Scott approached. The General removed his hat, bowed low, and said: "Brave Rifles! Veterans! You have been baptized in fire and blood and have come out steel!" This accolade is emblazoned on the regimental coat of arms, and is the source of the regimental motto, "Blood and Steel" and nickname, "Brave Rifles."
The Mounted Riflemen were soon after sent to engage in desperate fighting in the
Battle of Churubusco
The Battle of Churubusco took place on August 20, 1847, while Santa Anna's army was in retreat from the Battle of Contreras or Battle of Padierna during the Mexican–American War. It was the battle where the San Patricio Battalion, made up ...
later that day.
Today, all enlisted personnel are required to loudly challenge all officers in the 3rd Cavalry Regiment with the portion of the regimental accolade given to the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen during the Mexican–American War. When an enlisted trooper is preparing to render military courtesy upon contact with an officer he will yell out "Brave Rifles" whereupon the officer will reply "Veterans."
On 8 September 1847, as US forces continued the drive to
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, intelligence was received that a cannon foundry and a large supply of gunpowder was believed to be at
Molino del Rey
Los Pinos (English: ''The Pines'') was the official residence and office of the President of Mexico from 1934 to 2018. Located in the Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Forest) in central Mexico City, it became the presidential seat in 1934, wh ...
, 1,000 yards east of
Chapultepec Castle
Chapultepec Castle ( es, Castillo de Chapultepec) is located on top of Chapultepec Hill in Mexico City's Chapultepec park. The name ''Chapultepec'' is the Nahuatl word ''chapoltepēc'' which means "on the hill of the grasshopper". The castle has s ...
. MAJ
Edwin V. Sumner
Edwin Vose Sumner (January 30, 1797March 21, 1863) was a career United States Army officer who became a Union Army general and the oldest field commander of any Army Corps on either side during the American Civil War. His nicknames "Bull" or "Bul ...
took 270 Riflemen to screen the American flank as the
attack on Molino del Rey began. 4,000 Mexican cavalrymen were poised to attack the US flank, but Sumner's men navigated a deep ravine (considered impassable by the Mexican cavalry), charged, and defeated the vastly superior force.
The climax to the regiment's participation in the Mexican War came on 13 September 1847 when the brigade the regiment belonged to was ordered to support the
assault on the fortress of Chapultepec, the site of the
Mexican National Military Academy. A pair of hand-picked, 250-man storming parties were formed, including a large number of Mounted Riflemen under CPT
Benjamin S. Roberts
Benjamin Stone Roberts (November 18, 1810 – January 29, 1875) was an American lawyer, civil engineer, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Early life
Roberts was born in Manchester, Vermont. He graduated from the Unite ...
. During the charge, a party of
US Marines
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
began to falter after their officers were lost, so LT
Robert M. Morris
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
of the regiment quickly took charge and led them to the top.
While the fortress was being stormed, other elements of the regiment captured a Mexican artillery battery at the bottom of the castle. Leading the American forces, the regiment stormed into Mexico City at 1:20 pm. At 7:00 am on 14 September 1847, Sergeant James Manly of F Company and Captain Benjamin Roberts of C Company raised the National Colors over the
National Palace Buildings called National Palace include:
*National Palace (Dominican Republic), in Santo Domingo
*National Palace (El Salvador), in San Salvador
*National Palace (Ethiopia), in Addis Ababa; also known as the Jubilee Palace
*National Palace (Guatema ...
while Captain Porter, commander of F Company, unfurled the regimental standard from the balcony.
For the remainder of the regiment's tenure in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, they would conduct police duty and chase stubborn guerrillas. However, they also took part in the battles of
Matamoros on 23 November 1847,
Galaxara on 24 November, and Santa Fe on 4 January 1848. The Regiment of Mounted Riflemen earned a reputation among Army leaders as a brave and tough unit; General Winfield Scott said "Where bloody work was to be done, 'the Rifles' was the cry, and there they were. All speak of them in terms of praise and admiration."
During the Mexican War, 11 troopers were commissioned from the ranks and 19 officers received brevet promotions for gallantry in action. Regimental losses in Mexico were approximately 4 officers and 40 men killed, 13 officers and 180 wounded (many of whom would eventually die), and 1 officer and 180 men who died of other causes. The Rifles finally departed Mexico on 7 July 1848 and arrived in New Orleans on the 17th. Their ship, the ''Aleck Scott'', sailed them up the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
back to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri.
Frontier duty
The regiment returned to Jefferson Barracks,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, on 24 July 1848, where its veteran troopers were permitted to muster out, and new recruits were trained. On 10 May 1849, it began the grueling march to the
Oregon Territory to accomplish the mission for which it was originally organized. Along the way, Companies C and E remained to garrison
Fort Laramie and Companies B and F garrisoned
Fort Hall
Fort Hall was a fort in the western United States that was built in 1834 as a fur trading post by Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth. It was located on the Snake River in the eastern Oregon Country, now part of present-day Bannock County in southeastern Ida ...
on the
Snake River
The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake ...
. The remaining companies arrived at
Oregon City
)
, image_skyline = McLoughlin House.jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption = The McLoughlin House, est. 1845
, image_flag =
, image_seal = Oregon City seal.png
, image_map ...
in November 1849. In May 1851, The Mounted Riflemen were ordered to return to Jefferson Barracks. All the horses and Troopers were transferred to the
1st Dragoons
The Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons) was a heavy cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1661 as the Tangier Horse. It served for three centuries and was in action during the First and the Second World Wars. It was amalgama ...
in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, and the officers and NCOs traveled by ship to
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
. After crossing the
Isthmus, they boarded another ship and returned to the regiment's birthplace, arriving on 16 July 1851. For the next six months, the regiment recruited, re-equipped, and re-trained.
[''Blood and Steel!'', p. 6.]
In December 1851, the regiment was ordered to
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. By January 1852, the regiment arrived at
Fort Merrill
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
, where for the next four years it operated against the Indian tribes living in the area. Patrols, skirmishes, guard, and escort duty were all part of the daily routine. In 1853, the regiment was redesignated as the First Regiment of Mounted Riflemen because the Army was considering raising another mounted rifle regiment. This did not happen, and the unit remained the only Regiment of Mounted Riflemen.
J. E. B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a United States Army officer from Virginia who became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of ...
served for a year in the regiment in 1854 as a Lieutenant after he graduated from the
US Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
.
In 1856, Indian troubles in the
New Mexico Territory
The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of ''Santa Fe de Nuevo México ...
required additional troops and the regiment moved further West.
Fort Union became their home base, and the regiment's companies were spread out across a vast area stretching from
Denver, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, to the
Mexico–United States border
The Mexico–United States border ( es, frontera Estados Unidos–México) is an international border separating Mexico and the United States, extending from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border traver ...
, and from
West Texas
West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Del Rio.
No consensus exists on the boundary betwee ...
to
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, and
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
. In Texas, they were replaced by the newly created
2nd Cavalry Regiment (later designated the 5th Cavalry Regiment when the 2nd Dragoons were redesignated as the 2nd Cavalry). Service in New Mexico was constant and most exacting, and the various companies of the 1st Mounted Rifles were widely scattered and the number of troops available was wholly inadequate for the task of patrolling such a large area.
[Blood and Steel!, p. 7.]
American Civil War
![William W](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/William_W._Loring.jpg)
In April 1861, the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
broke out and 13 officers left the regiment to join the cause of the
Confederacy, including future generals
Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler,
William W. Loring
William Wing Loring (December 4, 1818 – December 30, 1886) was an American soldier who served in the armies of the United States, the Confederacy, and Egypt.
Biography
Early life
William was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, to Reuben a ...
,
Dabney H. Maury
Dabney Herndon Maury (May 21, 1822 – January 11, 1900) was an officer in the United States Army, instructor at West Point, author of military training books, and a major general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.
E ...
,
William H. Jackson,
George B. Crittenden
George Bibb Crittenden (March 20, 1812 – November 27, 1880) was a career United States Army officer who served in the Black Hawk War, the Army of the Republic of Texas, and the Mexican–American War, and later resigned his commission to serv ...
, and
John G. Walker. Not a single enlisted man left the regiment.
At the outbreak of the war, a
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
force of about 3,000 Texans began a campaign at
Fort Bliss, Texas, to seize the territories of New Mexico and
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 t ...
. The Regiment of Mounted Riflemen was one of the few Regular Army units in the region available to oppose them. On 25 July 1861, detachments of Companies B and F were involved in a
hard fight at Mesilla under MAJ Isaac Lynde. Here, they charged the Confederate lines but were driven back after the attack faltered from accurate return fire, and the men retired to
Fort Fillmore, where it was later surrendered on 26 July.
Prior to the Civil War, the US Army fielded five mounted regiments; the 1st Dragoons, 2nd Dragoons, the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen, the 1st Cavalry, and the 2nd Cavalry. On 3 August 1861, all mounted regiments of the U.S. Army were classified as "cavalry", and the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen was re-numbered the 3rd U.S. Cavalry Regiment, headquartered at
Fort Thomas, third in precedence in the Regular Army.
Due to attrition, the regiment dwindled in size, and the troopers from Companies A, B, and H were transferred to other commands, leaving the 3rd Cavalry Regiment no larger than a battalion. Regardless, Companies C, G, and K defeated a Rebel cavalry unit near
Fort Thorn, New Mexico Fort Thorn or Fort Thorne, originally Cantonment Garland, was a settlement and military outpost located on the west bank of the Rio Grande, northwest of present-day Hatch, and west of Salem in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. It was ...
, on 26 September 1861. On 21 February 1862, Companies C, D, G, I, and K under MAJ
Thomas Duncan fought in the
Battle of Valverde
The Battle of Valverde, also known as the Battle of Valverde Ford, was fought from February 20 to 21, 1862, near the town of Val Verde at a ford of the Rio Grande in Union-held New Mexico Territory, in what is today the state of New Mexico. It ...
, the largest land battle of the Civil War west of the Mississippi River.
The battle occurred at a strategically important ford across the
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio G ...
north of
Fort Craig,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
. The
Union forces
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
, under General
Edward Canby, attempted to hold off the Confederates under General
Henry Hopkins Sibley
Henry Hopkins Sibley (May 25, 1816 – August 23, 1886) was a career officer in the United States Army, who commanded a Confederate cavalry brigade in the Civil War.
In 1862, he attempted to forge a supply route from California, in defiance ...
but were outflanked. During the fighting, an officer from E Company, 3rd Cavalry, CPT
Alexander McRae, commanded a battery of artillery and inflicted heavy damage upon the attacking enemy, but were eventually charged and destroyed. CPT McRae was from
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
, and was ostracized by his family for continuing to fight for the Union. During the battle, he and his provisional battery held off several waves of Confederate attacks until they were overrun. McRae was killed in the fighting, and
Fort McRae
Fort McRae was a Union Army post, established in 1863, then a U.S. Army post from 1866 and closed in 1876, in what is now Sierra County, New Mexico. The post was named for Alexander McRae (1829–1862) a slain hero of the 1862 Battle of Valverde.
...
, New Mexico, was named in his honor. He was one of two officers of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment killed in action in the Civil War.
After the Battle of Valverde, Companies C and K engaged in a fight with the Indians at Comanche Canyon while Company E was assisting with the evacuation of
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
and
Santa Fe through 4 March. On 26 March 1862, Company C was engaged at Apache Canyon by Confederate forces, this proved to be the opening skirmish of the
Battle of Glorieta Pass
The Battle of Glorieta Pass (March 26–28, 1862) in the northern New Mexico Territory, was the decisive battle of the New Mexico campaign during the American Civil War. Dubbed the " Gettysburg of the West" by some authors (a term described ...
. During this battle, the 3rd Cavalry troopers and other Union forces defeated the Confederates, and a unit of Colorado volunteers destroyed the enemy supply train, forcing them to abandon all ambitions of taking New Mexico or Colorado.
As the Confederate forces retreated back to Texas, they were pursued by the 3rd Cavalry, who caught up with them at
Peralta. During this battle, Companies D, E, G, I, and K skirmished with the enemy and forced them to retreat, ending the
New Mexico Campaign. E Company pursued the retreating Confederates all the way back to Texas until 22 April. Following this action, the regiment traveled to Jefferson Barracks on 23 November, then to Union occupied
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, in December, where it remained until October 1863.
Between October and December 1863, the 3rd Cavalry participated in operations on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad and fought in skirmishes at various locations such as
Barton Station, Cane Creek, and Dickinson's Station, Alabama. It was then tasked by General
William T. Sherman to perform various reconnaissance missions as part of his army's advance guard. During the
Knoxville Campaign, the regiment scouted and screened the advance of the relief expedition. Elements of the regiment also skirmished with Confederate units at
Murphy, North Carolina and
Loudon, Tennessee
Loudon is a city in and the county seat of Loudon County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 6,001 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is located in East Tennessee, s ...
.
From May 1864 until the end of the war, the 3rd Cavalry Regiment was stationed in
Little Rock, Arkansas
(The Little Rock, The "Little Rock")
, government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager
, leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_ ...
. Their duties included "preventing the organization of enemy commands, capturing guerrilla bands and escorting trains."
During one patrol from Little Rock to
Benton, Arkansas on 21 August 1864, the troopers were ambushed by Confederate guerrillas and forced to flee. The resulting confusion and rapid escape came to be known as the "Benton Races."
When the Civil War ended, the 3rd Cavalry remained in Little Rock until April 1866 during the
Reconstruction Era
The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...
. They had lost two officers and thirty enlisted men who were either killed in action or died of wounds and three officers and 105 enlisted men who died of disease or other non-combat causes.
[''Blood and Steel!'', p. 11.]
Indian Wars
Company E, traveling on the
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...
, suffered 13 troopers killed, 9 injured, and 12 missing when the steamship ''Miami'' catastrophically exploded on 28 January 1866. In April 1866, Companies A, D, E, H, and L were sent to
Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks is a United States Army facility located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The site of the U.S. Army War College, it is the nation's second-oldest active military base. The first structures were built in 1757, during the French and In ...
, Pennsylvania to be brought back up to strength, and the regiment was once again ordered to the New Mexico territory to campaign against the Indians. In 1868–1869 many fights against
Mescalero Apache
Mescalero or Mescalero Apache ( apm, Naa'dahéńdé) is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan–speaking Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation, located in south-cen ...
, and also
Jicarilla Apache
Jicarilla Apache (, Jicarilla language: Jicarilla Dindéi), one of several loosely organized autonomous bands of the Eastern Apache, refers to the members of the Jicarilla Apache Nation currently living in New Mexico and speaking a Southern Athab ...
,
Navajo
The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States.
With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...
and
Ute Indians
Ute () are the Indigenous people of the Ute tribe and culture among the Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. They had lived in sovereignty in the regions of present-day Utah and Colorado in the Southwestern United States for many centuries un ...
involved detachments of the regiment between the Rio Grande and the
Pecos River
The Pecos River ( es, Río Pecos) originates in north-central New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, New Mexico ...
. On 9 July 1869, Companies G and I were attacked by a force of Navajo warriors near
Fort Sumner, New Mexico. One soldier died from an arrow wound and four men were wounded severely enough to be dismounted from their horses. When the remainder of the unit retreated, these men were set upon and killed by the Indians. Five men were killed and four others were wounded. Beginning in February 1870, most of the companies of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment began moving individually to the Arizona Territory, but the regimental headquarters and Company I moved to
Camp Halleck, and Company D to
Camp McDermit, both in northern Nevada. Late in 1871, the regiment was transferred north to the
Department of the Platte
The Department of the Platte was a military administrative district established by the U.S. Army on March 5, 1866, with boundaries encompassing Iowa, Nebraska, Dakota Territory, Utah Territory and a small portion of Idaho. With headquarters in Om ...
, which included what are now the states of
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
,
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
,
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
,
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
, and
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
. The 3rd Cavalry became the main cavalry force for department operations in the
Black Hills
The Black Hills ( lkt, Ȟe Sápa; chy, Moʼȯhta-voʼhonáaeva; hid, awaxaawi shiibisha) is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black Elk P ...
region.
During the summer of 1876, the regiment participated in the
Little Big Horn Campaign against the
Sioux
The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota language, Dakota: Help:IPA, /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribes and First Nations in Canada, First Nations peoples in North America. The ...
and
Cheyenne
The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...
. On 17 March, elements of the 3rd Cavalry fought alongside the
2nd Cavalry Regiment at the
Battle of Powder River
The Battle of Powder River, also known as the Reynolds Battle, occurred on March 17, 1876, in Montana Territory, United States. The attack on a Cheyenne Indian encampment by Colonel Joseph J. Reynolds initiated the Great Sioux War of 1876. Althou ...
. During this fierce engagement, PVT Lorenzo E. Meyers of M Company was wounded, and saddler
Jeremiah J. Murphy
Jeremiah J. Murphy (February 2, 1858 – May 12, 1932), was a United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor. His award came for gallantry during the American Indian Wars.
Early life
Jeremiah J. Murphy was born on February 2, 1858, in ...
of F Company and blacksmith
Albert Glawinski
Albert Glawinski (or Glavinski) (born 1852) was a United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor. His award came for gallantry during the American Indian Wars.
Life
Albert Glawinski was born in 1852 in Germany, and joined the Unit ...
of M Company attempted to rescue him. The wounded man was cut limb from limb by the vengeful Indians, but Murphy and Glawinski were awarded the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
for their gallant rescue attempt. US forces were forced to withdraw after frostbite crippled their ranks; 66 troopers suffered from this condition. The 3rd Cavalry sustained three men killed and one wounded in this battle. On 17 June 1876, ten companies of the 3rd Cavalry fought in the
Battle of Rosebud Creek
The Battle of the Rosebud (also known as the Battle of Rosebud Creek) took place on June 17, 1876, in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and its Crow and Shoshoni allies against a force consisting mostly of Lakota Sioux and Nort ...
.
This was the largest battle between the Army and the Indians in the history of the American West, with 1,400 friendly Indians and troopers opposing more than 1,500 hostile Indians.
[''Blood and Steel!'', p. 12.] Despite the US forces being stymied by the Indians, during the battle, "three battalions of the 3rd Cavalry under Captains Mills, Henry and Van Vliet, performed gallant, heroic, and outstanding service.
" CPT Henry was shot in the face, lost an eye, and eventually became the 12th colonel of the regiment. Four 3rd Cavalry troopers received the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
for bravery in this battle. Their names were: Trumpeter
Elmer A. Snow
Elmer is a name of Germanic languages, Germanic Culture of the United Kingdom, British origin. The given name originated as a surname, a medieval variant of the given name Aylmer, derived from Old English ''æþel'' (noble) and ''mær'' (famous). ...
of Company M, 1SG
Joseph Robinson of Company D, 1SG
Michael A. McGann
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
of Company F, and 1SG
John H. Shingle
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
of Company I.
![Lt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Lt._Schwatka%27s_charge_at_Slim_Buttes.png)
After
General Custer
George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars.
Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, b ...
's infamous defeat at the
Battle of Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota people, Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lako ...
,
General Crook
George R. Crook (September 8, 1828 – March 21, 1890) was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. During the 1880s, the Apache nicknamed Crook ''Nantan ...
led an expedition to punish the perpetrators of the massacre. Assembling a force of infantry, cavalry, and native scouts, Crook set out without bringing enough rations. Thus began one of the darkest chapters of 3rd Cavalry history; the
Horsemeat March The Horsemeat March of 1876, also known as the Mud March and the Starvation March, was a military expedition led by General George Crook in pursuit of a band of Sioux fleeing from anticipated retaliation for their overwhelming victory over George ...
. Cavalrymen were forced to eat their slain mounts, their shoes, and anything else they could get their hands on. The march came to end near
Slim Buttes, South Dakota. Here the troopers caught up with the Sioux and defeated them soundly. Under CPT
Anson Mills
Anson Mills (August 31, 1834 – November 5, 1924) was a United States Army officer, surveyor, inventor, and entrepreneur. Engaged in south Texas as a land surveyor and civil engineer, he both named and laid out the city of El Paso, Texas. Mills a ...
, the 3rd Cavalry launched an attack on Chief
American Horse
American Horse ( lkt, Wašíčuŋ Tȟašúŋke) (a/k/a "American Horse the Younger") (1840 – December 16, 1908) was an Oglala Lakota chief, statesman, educator and historian. American Horse is notable in American history as a U.S. Army Indian S ...
's village, LT
Frederick Schwatka
Frederick Gustavus Schwatka (29 September 1849 – 2 November 1892) was a United States Army lieutenant with degrees in medicine and law, and was a noted explorer of northern Canada and Alaska.
Early life and career
Schwatka was born in Galena ...
led a charge to scatter the Indians' horses and LT
Emmet Crawford set up a skirmish line and engaged the enemy at range. When the battle was won, the village was ransacked, and the troopers got their first real food since they departed. On 25 November 1876, Companies H and K fought alongside elements of the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Cavalry Regiments in the
Dull Knife Fight. Chief
Dull Knife
Morning Star (Cheyenne: ''Vóóhéhéve''; also known by his Lakota Sioux name ''Tȟamílapȟéšni'' or its translation, Dull Knife) (1810–1883) was a great chief of the Northern Cheyenne people and headchief of the ''Notameohmésêhese'' ("N ...
offered stiff resistance, but was defeated and his village was ransacked by the cavalry. After this battle, the 3rd Cavalry continued patrolling and keeping peace on the western frontier until trouble brewed in Arizona.
With the
Apache uprising
''Apache Uprising'' is a 1965 American Technicolor Western Techniscope film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Max Lamb and Harry Sanford. The film stars Rory Calhoun, Corinne Calvet, John Russell, Lon Chaney Jr., Gene Evans, Richar ...
in the spring of 1882, the regiment was ordered to return to Arizona, and on 17 July, the 3rd and 6th Cavalry Regiments defeated renegade
Apaches in the
Battle of Big Dry Wash
The Battle of Big Dry Wash was fought on July 17, 1882, between troops of the United States Army's 3rd Cavalry Regiment and 6th Cavalry Regiment and members of the White Mountain Apache tribe.The location of the battle was called "''Big Dry Was ...
. This battle quelled the last Apache uprising in Arizona and also marked the end of the regiment's participation in the
Indian Wars. This action resulted in the award of two more Medals of Honor, to 1SG
Charles Taylor of Company D and Lieutenant
George H. Morgan
George Horace Morgan (January 1, 1855 – February 14, 1948) was an American cavalry officer and Medal of Honor recipient.
Early life
George Horace Morgan was born in St. Catharines, Canada West, on January 1, 1855, to the Civil War general Geo ...
of Company K.
The year 1883 would see the term company changed to troop in the mounted service and in 1885 the red and white guidon replaced the 1863 stars and stripes pattern adopted at the beginning of the Civil War.
In 1885, the regiment was ordered back to Texas, where it remained until 1893. Between 1893 and 1897, the 3rd Cavalry traveled around the USA engaging in garrison, training, and ceremonial duties in the
East and
Widwest. In July 1897, the regimental Headquarters and four troops were stationed at
Fort Ethan Allen
Fort Ethan Allen was a United States Army installation in Vermont, named for American Revolutionary War figure Ethan Allen. Established as a cavalry post in 1894 and closed in 1944, today it is the center of a designated national historic distric ...
,
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
, and the rest returned to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri.
During the Indian Wars the regiment adopted its second motto "Ai-ee-yah" the Sioux word for "Attack".
Spanish–American War
In April 1898, the regiment was assembled at
Camp George H. Thomas
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, located in northern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee, preserves the sites of two major battles of the American Civil War: the Battle of Chickamauga and the Siege of Chattanooga. A detailed ...
in Chickamauga National Park and assigned to a brigade in a provisional cavalry division when the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
erupted.
[''Blood and Steel!'', p. 14.]
On 13 May 1898, the regiment arrived in
Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
. On 8 June, the regiment, minus four troops, embarked, dismounted, on the transport ''Rio Grande'' for
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 Caribbea ...
. Three provisional squadrons were formed; 2nd Squadron was commanded by MAJ
Henry W. Wessels Jr.
Henry may refer to:
People
* Henry (given name)
* Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portuga ...
and consisted of Troops C, E, F, and G. 3rd Squadron, under CPT Charles Morton, consisted of Troops B, H, I, and K. The four troops that were left in camp (Troops A, D, L, and M) in Tampa took care of the animals and regimental property and instructed recruits. The regiment landed at
Daiquirí
Daiquirí () is a small village, 14 miles east of Santiago de Cuba. It became a focal point of the United States invasion of Cuba in the Spanish–American War.
Overview
Spain, Spanish General Arsenio Linares y Pombo ordered the area from Daiquir ...
, Cuba but were forced to leave behind most of their horses.
One of the Army's objectives was to seize the
Spanish positions on the high ground around the landward side of the city of
Santiago de Cuba, a Cuban seaport. This would force the
Spanish warships in the harbor to sail out to face the
U.S. Navy. The cavalry division, of which the regiment was a part, was one of three divisions assigned the mission of assaulting these hills, known as the
San Juan Heights
San Juan Hill is a series of hills to the east of Santiago, Cuba, running north to south. The area is known as the San Juan Heights or in Spanish ''Alturas de San Juan'' before Spanish–American War of 1898, and are now part of Lomas de San Jua ...
. The 3rd Cavalry was one of five regular U.S. cavalry regiments engaged there.
Three troops of 3rd Squadron crossed over
Kettle Hill and on to the Spanish positions around what was known as the
San Juan Hill. Despite a lack of water, the men charged the fortified Spanish positions on foot. Despite being forced to advance uphill and across a river, the troopers' movements were partially screened by the dense foliage. SGT Andrews, carrying the regimental standard, fell from a bullet wound, but it was quickly recovered and the advance resumed. Troop B advanced to the enemy's line at the
San Juan Blockhouse (different from the San Juan House) where the regiment's U.S. Flag, carried by Sergeant Bartholomew Mulhern of Troop E, was the first to be raised at the point of victory. 2nd Squadron, held in reserve on Kettle Hill, joined the 3rd Squadron on
San Juan Hill that evening. On 23 July, 1LT
John W. Heard
John William (or Wilkinson) Heard (March 27, 1860 – February 4, 1922) was a United States Army Brigadier General who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for valor in action on July 23, 1898, near Bahia Honda, Cuba.
Early life and educa ...
, the regimental quartermaster, was directing several troopers unloading supplies from the ''Wanderer'' near Bahia Honda when they were set upon by a force of 1,000 Spanish cavalrymen. After two men were shot and the ship was disabled, Heard led the defense and repelled the enemy attack. For this action, he would receive the Medal of Honor. The regiment stayed in Cuba until 6 and 7 August 1898 when they sailed for
Montauk Point, New York.
The 3rd Cavalry's casualties were three Troopers killed, six officers and forty-six Troopers wounded. 1LT
John W. Heard
John William (or Wilkinson) Heard (March 27, 1860 – February 4, 1922) was a United States Army Brigadier General who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for valor in action on July 23, 1898, near Bahia Honda, Cuba.
Early life and educa ...
, Regimental Quartermaster, was awarded a Medal of Honor for most distinguished gallantry in action and Certificates of Merit were awarded to five Troopers. These certificates were the forerunner of the
Silver Star Medal
The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an en ...
.
The 3rd Cavalry did not remain together for very long. In February and March 1899, two troops were assigned to
Fort Sheridan, Illinois, two troops to Jefferson Barracks, four troops and the band to
Fort Myer, Virginia, while the remainder of the regiment stayed at Fort Ethan Allen.
[Blood and Steel!, p. 15.]
Old Bill
![Old Bill](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Old_Bill.png)
In 1898, the American artist
Frederic Remington
Frederic Sackrider Remington (October 4, 1861 – December 26, 1909) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in the genre of Western American Art. His works are known for depicting the Western United State ...
was visiting the camp of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry in Tampa, Florida, where the regiment was preparing for the invasion of Cuba during the Spanish–American War. During his visit, Remington's attention was drawn to one of the troop's NCOs. Sergeant John Lannen struck the artist as the epitome of the cavalryman and he made several rough sketches of Lannen. From those rough sketches Remington later executed the now famous drawing portraying a trooper astride his mount with a carbine cradled in his arm, depicted here. At some point in the past this drawing became known as Old Bill. This drawing represents a trooper, a unit, and a branch of service and has come to symbolize mobile operations in the US Army.
Unfortunately, SGT Lannen contracted
yellow fever
Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...
, as did so many other Americans in the war, and died in Santiago after almost 30 years of national service.
Philippine–American War
When the United States defeated
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
in the Spanish–American War, 400 years of Spanish rule in Cuba,
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
,
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
, and the
Philippine Islands came to an end. The United States, as a new world power, saw the Philippines as the perfect location for a naval facility to support a new Pacific fleet. 3rd Cavalry units had barely arrived at their new duty stations in the U.S. when, on 22 July 1899, the regimental headquarters and Troops A, C, D, E, F, K, L, and M were ordered to
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
. From Seattle, this force embarked for the Philippine Islands to operate against the insurgents who were trying to prevent the United States from taking control. Meanwhile, Troops B, G, H, and I were ordered to assemble at Fort Myer.
[''Blood and Steel!'', p. 16.]
The deploying troops landed in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
in October 1899, with the remaining four troops following from Fort Myer in 1900. The 3rd Cavalry remained on the island of
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
until 1902, fighting sixty-two engagements during that time. The fighting was often fierce with no quarter asked and none given. This would be the first time the U.S. Army would fight in a jungle environment, and the first time it would fight a
counterinsurgency, but it would not be the last. The regiment returned to the United States in detachments between April and November 1902. The Headquarters, band, and Troops A, D, I, K, L, and M were stationed in
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
, Troops B and C in
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
, Troops G and H in
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, Troop E in
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
and Troop F in
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
.
The 3rd Cavalry Regiment remained in the United States until December 1905, when it was again ordered to the Philippines for peacetime occupation duty. It remained there until 1908, when it was ordered home and stationed in Texas. The following nine years were spent in garrison and patrolling the Mexican border. On 21 Oct 1915 ten men of Troop G made up half a US garrison in the last of the United States/Mexican Border raids at
Ojo de Agua Raid
Ojo may refer to:
*Ōjō, a Japanese Buddhist term referring to rebirth in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha
*Ojo, a curious red bear cub who has a wild imagination and is good friends with Treelo on ''Bear in the Big Blue House''
* ''Ojo'' (comi ...
.
World War I
On 17 March 1917, the entire 3rd Cavalry Regiment was transferred to
Fort Sam Houston, Texas
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.
"Fort Sam Houston, TX • About Fort Sam Houston" (overview),
US Army, 2007, webpageSH-Army.
Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the U.S. Senator from Texas, U.S. Represen ...
, and one month later, the United States of America entered the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
on the side of the
Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
. The regiment was one of the first units to arrive in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in November of that year, and immediately began their duties; the operation of three major horse remount depots. The three squadrons were charged with the purchase of horses,
mule
The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two pos ...
s and forage, the care, conditioning, and training of remounts before issue, and the distribution and issue of remounts to the
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...
.
The only 3rd Cavalry unit to see action in World War I was K Troop, detached from 3rd Squadron, the Troop served in
I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to:
France
* 1st Army Corps (France)
* I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Arm ...
during the
Aisne-Marne Offensive
The United States campaigns in World War I began after American entry in the war in early April 1917. The American Expeditionary Force (AEF) served on the Western Front, under General John J. Pershing, and engaged in 13 official military ca ...
(18 July – 6 August 1918), and in
III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to:
France
* 3rd Army Corps (France)
* III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of th ...
on the
Vesle Front (7-17 August), the
Oise-Aisne Offensive (18 August – 9 September), and the
Meuse-Argonne Offensive (14 September – 11 November).
Troop K also served as part of the Army of Occupation. The occupation forces' first order of business was to continue training and to be prepared to implement a contingency plan in case
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
refused to sign the armistice or hostilities were resumed. Troop K participated in the
March to the Rhine and served in the American Sector of the Army of Occupation from 15 November 1918 – 1 July 1919, when it prepared to sail home.
After the
Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
, the regiment was ordered to sell the remaining animals to French civilians. 345,580 animals were sold, and $52,000,000 was recovered for the Army. The 3rd Cavalry Regiment departed
Brest, France
Brest (; ) is a port city in the Finistère department, Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of the peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French mi ...
and arrived home in
Boston, Massachusetts on the
Fourth of July, 1919.
Inter-War period
![3rd Cavalry Regiment Honor Guard](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/3rd_Cavalry_Regiment_Honor_Guard.png)
3rd Cavalry Regiment were also involved in the so-called Red Summer of 1919. See the article by Patrick Sauer
www.smithsonianmag.com/history/one-hundred-years-ago-four-day-race-riot-engulfed-washington-dc-180972666
Upon arrival in the US, Headquarters was moved to
Fort Ethan Allen
Fort Ethan Allen was a United States Army installation in Vermont, named for American Revolutionary War figure Ethan Allen. Established as a cavalry post in 1894 and closed in 1944, today it is the center of a designated national historic distric ...
, Vermont, and 3rd Squadron was stationed in
Fort Myer, Virginia. 2nd Squadron, along with Troops A and C were inactivated, and 3rd Squadron was redesignated as the 2nd Squadron. Because 2nd Squadron's posting was so close to Washington D.C. and
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
, the troopers were frequently called upon to serve as honor guards and escorts for distinguished visitors, and as funeral escorts for distinguished citizens and military personnel.
2-3 Cavalry became known as the "President's Own" because of these duties. On 11 November 1921, the 3rd Cavalry Regiment provided the cavalry escort for the interment of the Unknown Soldier and the dedication of the
Tomb of the Unknowns
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a historic monument dedicated to deceased U.S. service members whose remains have not been identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, United States. The World War I "Unknown" is a re ...
in Arlington National Cemetery. SSG Frank Witchey, the regimental bugler, sounded
Taps at the ceremony, and this
bugle and
tabard are on display in the regimental museum in
Fort Hood, Texas
Fort Hood is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. Named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, it is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarter ...
. The 3rd Cavalry provided the Tomb's
honor guard until 1941. During this period, the regiment became well known throughout the Eastern USA for its horse shows and stunt-riding teams.
![Evictbonusarmy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Evictbonusarmy.jpg)
In July 1932, MAJ
George S. 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 ...
was made the executive officer of the 3rd Cavalry, which was ordered to Washington by Army Chief of Staff, General
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
. Patton took command of the 600 troops of the 3rd Cavalry, and on 28 July, MacArthur ordered Patton's troops to advance on protesting veterans known as the "
Bonus Army
The Bonus Army was a group of 43,000 demonstrators – 17,000 veterans of U.S. involvement in World War I, their families, and affiliated groups – who gathered in Washington, D.C., in mid-1932 to demand early cash redemption of their servic ...
" with tear gas and bayonets. Patton was dissatisfied with MacArthur's conduct, as he recognized the legitimacy of the veterans' complaints and had himself earlier refused to issue the order to employ armed force to disperse the veterans. Patton later stated that, though he found the duty "most distasteful", he also felt that putting the marchers down prevented an insurrection and saved lives and property. He personally led the 3rd Cavalry down
Pennsylvania Avenue, dispersing the protesters.
World War II
When the United States entered
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
after the
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
on 7 December 1941, the 3rd Cavalry was still a horse-mounted unit in an age of mechanized warfare. 21 February 1942 marked the end of an era as the troopers turned in their horses for armored vehicles. They began their training at
Fort Benning, Georgia and in January 1943, the regiment was reorganized as follows; the 3rd Cavalry Regiment was redesignated the 3rd Mechanized Cavalry Group (MCG), 1st Squadron became the 3rd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, and 2nd Squadron became the 43rd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. At
Camp Gordon, Georgia the Group began conducting mechanized operations and participated in combined arms maneuvers in
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
and
Fort Jackson, South Carolina before sailing to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
Arriving in England in June 1944, the 3rd MCG began preparing for combat in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. They landed in
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
on 9 August and were assigned to be the covering force of
XX Corps of Patton's
Third Army. While conducting screening, reconnaissance, and covering missions, the 3rd MCG was the first unit of the Third Army to reach the
Meuse River
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
and the
Moselle River
The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becom ...
, and were also the first to enter the city of
Thionville.
On 31 August 1944, the 1st platoon of B Troop, 3rd Cavalry
Reconnaissance
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 (skirmisher ...
Squadron, with 30 men, 6
Jeep
Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...
s armed with
.50 cal
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, wh ...
MG, and three M-8 armored cars with 37 mm guns made a raid behind enemy lines to
Thionville, France, in a desperate attempt to prevent the bridge across the Moselle from being destroyed by the Germans.
The platoon conducted the raid behind enemy lines as US Forces advanced slowly towards the
Moselle River
The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becom ...
to effect a crossing on its push toward the German "West Wall". Troop commander Captain James D. Jackson succeeded in crossing the river to the eastern approach to the bridge and cut the wires leading to the demolition charges, and was wounded in the attempt. An enemy sniper then killed Sgt. T Baker when he assumed command, at that time Pvt. Lawrence Webb manned the .50 cal machine gun atop one of the Jeeps and fired upon the sniper until he was wounded himself. Sgt. Baker was the only fatality among the raiders.
Their mission accomplished, the platoon crossed the
dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germa ...
-laden bridge to rescue Jackson before falling back, fighting their way out. In so doing, they were no doubt the first American troops to cross the Moselle in WWII. The platoon suffered 6 casualties and 2 Jeeps lost. Captain Jackson was awarded 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 ...
, and the bridge over the Moselle was temporarily saved from destruction. The remainder of the Army did not reach and cross the Moselle until 12 September at
Arnaville
Arnaville () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in northeastern France.
Geography
The village lies on the left bank of the Rupt de Mad, which flows southeast through the middle of the commune, then flows into the Moselle, which for ...
, France.
On 3 November 1944, the 135th Engineer Combat Battalion, the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion, and the 40th Field Artillery Group were attached to the unit. Because of these attachments, the 3rd MCG was renamed "Task Force Polk" after COL
James H. Polk
James Hilliard Polk (December 13, 1911 – February 18, 1992) was a United States Army four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Army Europe from 1967 to 1971. He was one of the last senior commanders in the army to have s ...
, the 32nd colonel of the regiment.
Task Force Polk grew and shrunk throughout the war, and its max strength was roughly 5,000 men when the 5th Ranger Battalion was attached as well. On 17 November, TF Polk crossed the Moselle and possibly became the first US troops to enter
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Covering the advance of the
10th Armored Division, TF Polk was heavily engaged in the
Battle of Metz
The Battle of Metz was a battle fought during World War II at the city of Metz, France, from late September 1944 through mid-December as part of the Lorraine Campaign between the U.S. Third Army commanded by Lieutenant General George Patton and ...
, where it fought dismounted in fierce urban combat.
During the
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...
, cavalrymen held their positions and conducted active defensive operations around the Moselle River, and maintaining contact with other US units. Probing German defenses and dissipating minor German thrusts along the line ensured more American troops were not needlessly pulled away from the fighting around
Bastogne
Bastogne (; nl, Bastenaken, ; german: Bastnach/Bastenach; lb, Baaschtnech) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes, Belgium.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Bastogne, ...
. Once the German counteroffensive had been stymied, TF Polk began its move to the
Siegfried Line
The Siegfried Line, known in German as the ''Westwall'', was a German defensive line built during the 1930s (started 1936) opposite the French Maginot Line. It stretched more than ; from Kleve on the border with the Netherlands, along the west ...
and the
Rhine River
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, sourc ...
. Crossing the Rhine on 29 March 1945, the troopers made a three-day dash over 150 miles to capture
Bad Hersfeld, north of
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.
History ...
. In April and early May 1945, with the end in sight, TF Polk was sent south into
Upper Austria
Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, a ...
to link up with elements of the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
.
On 5 May 1945, the 3rd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron entered the small village of
Ebensee, Austria
Ebensee am Traunsee ( Central Bavarian: ''Emsee'') is a market town in the Traunviertel region of the Austrian state of Upper Austria, located within the Salzkammergut Mountains at the southern end of the Traunsee. The regional capital Linz lies ...
and came face to face with the
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
's "
Final Solution".
KZ Ebensee on the edge of the town contained about 16,000 prisoners, who hadn't been fed for about 3 days and who were dying at the rate of 400 per day. First on the scene, the squadron's first priority shifted from combat to care for the prisoners. The town's bakeries were put on round-the clock baking status. Bakers, who at first refused, found an
M-8 or
Sherman
Sherman most commonly refers to:
*Sherman (name), a surname and given name (and list of persons with the name)
** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General
*M4 Sherman, a tank
Sherman may also refer to:
Places United St ...
gun muzzle pointed into their shop.
The squadron remained in the area caring for the prisoners until medical units relieved them. After
VE Day, the troopers were ordered to cross the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
into
Northern Italy
Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative regions ...
to keep an eye on the various factions vying for power in postwar
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
, but returned to Austria shortly afterwards. During the Second World War, the 3rd MCG (TF Polk included) moved 3,000 miles in 265 days (117 days of continuous combat without rest), and accounted for 43,000 enemy killed, wounded, and captured. The 3rd Squadron returned stateside to a 30-day furlough before reporting 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 Cum ...
to begin training for "
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the proposed Allied plan for the invasion of the Japanese home islands near the end of World War II. The planned operation was canceled when Japan surrendered following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, th ...
" – the invasion of the
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese home islands. Their training was canceled when
Japan surrendered on 14 August 1945.
Cold War
After the war the regiment was posted to
Fort George G. Meade. During this time troopers of the regiment were filmed at Ft. Meade for sequences in the science fiction film ''
The Day the Earth Stood Still
''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (a.k.a. ''Farewell to the Master'' and ''Journey to the World'') is a 1951 American science fiction film from 20th Century Fox, produced by Julian Blaustein and directed by Robert Wise. It stars Michael Renn ...
'' in 1950. The first time the 3rd Cavalry served on 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 s ...
was in August 1955, when it replaced the
2nd Cavalry as part of the Army's Gyroscope plan that rotated entire units between Germany and the U.S. In February 1958, the cycle repeated and the troopers of the 3rd Cavalry returned to the States as the 2nd Cavalry resumed their former mission. The 3rd Cavalry, though, would not remain stateside for long.
When 3rd Cavalry returned to the United States from Germany in February 1958, and was once again stationed at Fort Meade. The regiment became part of the
Strategic Army Corps (STRAC) and, from 1958 to 1961, it was the recipient of four STRAC streamers, awarded for superior readiness and training.
In November 1961, the regiment was deployed to Germany once again in response to the
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
threat during the
Berlin Crisis. The troopers were stationed in Kaiserslautern but the unit soon found itself once again patrolling the border. Cavalry Troops within the regiment were soon attached on a monthly, rotating basis to 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 ...
to assist with patrols in the 3/14 ACR sector. Additionally, the 1st and 2nd Squadrons relieved units of the 14th Cavalry for two one-month periods during 1962 and 1963. During 1964, though, the regiment played a larger role in border operations.
Since the
11th Cavalry was scheduled to return to the U.S. in the summer of 1964, a unit was needed to fill the gap along the Iron Curtain in southeastern
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
. To meet this requirement, the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry, was re-designated as the 1st Squadron, 11 ACR, and rotated back to the states with the 11th Cavalry. At the same time, the 11th Cavalry's 1st Squadron stationed in Straubing was re-designated as 2nd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry, and conducted border operations under the regimental colors of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. The unit conducted border operations from its two border camps until March 1965 when it was relieved by
2/9th Cavalry of the
24th Infantry Division. The regiment remained in Germany until July 1968 when it moved to Fort Lewis, Washington. The 3rd Armored Cavalry regiment participated in
the Return of Forces to Germany (REFORGER) exercise 1 during 1968 and REFORGER 2 during July and August 1971.
In July 1972, the 3rd Cavalry received orders to move to
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in New Mexico and Texas, with its headquarters in El Paso, Texas. Named in honor of William Wallace Smith Bliss, LTC William Bliss (1815–1853), a mathematics professor who was the son-in-law of President ...
, Texas, and subsequently participated in REFORGERs during 1975, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1983, and 1988.
Gulf War
![M3 Bradley Operation Desert Shield](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/M3_Bradley_Operation_Desert_Shield.JPEG)
On 7 August 1990, the regiment was alerted to move overseas in defense of
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
. In September 1990, the regiment arrived in country as part of the
XVIII Airborne Corps, and moved into defensive positions north of the TAPLINE Road near the town of Al-Nairiyah. The regiment served as covering force for the Corps' defense of Saudi Arabia during DESERT SHIELD. See the
Order of battle of the Gulf War ground campaign
This is the order of battle for the ground campaign in the Gulf War between U.S. and Coalition Forces and the Iraqi Armed Forces between February 24–28, 1991. The order that they are listed in are from west to east. Iraqi units that were not ...
for other units in the Corps. During deployment of the
2nd Cavalry Regiment from Germany to Saudi Arabia in December 1990, the 3rd Cavalry's officers hosted their counterparts from the 2nd Cavalry in a traditional "Lucky" conference, this one known as a "Lucky 5."
In January 1991, the regiment moved to the west as part of the Coalition Forces "left hook" maneuver and took up positions along the Iraqi border in the area known as the Neutral Zone. On 22 January 1991, elements of I Troop led by the 63rd Colonel, Colonel Douglas Starr, engaged in the first ground combat of the XVIII Airborne Corps. The regiment's attack was successful in destroying an Iraqi Army outpost. On 24 February 1991, the 2nd "Sabre" Squadron led the regiment across the berm into Iraq. In 100 hours, the regiment moved over 300 kilometers, and left remnants of three Iraqi
Republican Guard
A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...
divisions in its wake. The regiment was task organized with over 7,000 soldiers for Desert Storm. The former regimental deputy commander, 2007–2009 LTC(R) Nathan E. Hines III, was the regimental scout platoon leader during the assault into Iraq. At the time of OIF 07-09 he was one of only three soldiers in the 5,000 soldier regiment who served with them in Operation Desert Storm.
The regiment deployed back to the U.S., arriving 5 April 1991. The regiment fielded new combat systems and conducted the first National Training Center rotation for a combat proven unit. The regiment deployed to NTC 11–91 and defeated the OPFOR during regimental force on force operations; the culmination battle for the rotation. In the fall of 1995, the 3rd ACR began its relocation to Fort Carson with the regiment fully standing up in the Spring of 1996 (The 4th Infantry Division was relocated from Fort Carson to Fort Hood, Texas).
Four years after the return from Operation Desert Storm in April 1996, the regiment completed its move to its new home at
Fort Carson
Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso, Pueblo, Fremont, and Huerfano counties, Colorado, United States. The developed portion of Fort Carson is located near the City of Colorado Springs i ...
,
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 t ...
. During this historic period the regiment was led by COL Douglas Starr, 63rd colonel of the regiment, COL Robert Ivany, 64th colonel of the regiment, COL Robert Young, 65th colonel of the regiment, COL Robert Wilson, 66th colonel of the regiment, and COL
Martin Dempsey
Martin “Marty” Edward Dempsey (born March 14, 1952), is a retired United States Army general who served as the 18th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2011 until September 25, 2015. He previously served as the 37th chief o ...
, 67th colonel of the regiment.
Bosnia peacekeeping
In August 1998, the regiment was notified that it would participate in the
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
n peace-keeping mission as part of Stabilization Force 7 (
SFOR 7). This would be a unique deployment because the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (less 1st Squadron), would be under the operational control of the
Texas National Guard's
49th Armored Division
The 49th Armored Division —nicknamed the "Lone Star"— was an armored division of the Texas Army National Guard during the Cold War.
Active from 1947, the division formed part of the Texas Army National Guard together with the 36th Infantr ...
. SFOR 7 was the first time that a National Guard organization would have command authority over active component units as well as a multinational force, known as Task Force Eagle. 3rd ACR troopers had to stand down from a more aggressive war-fighting posture to act as neutral observers. They trained at Brcko, a simulated Bosnian village built by Fort Carson to provide a realistic training environment. After taking part in sustained training exercises conducted by other units stationed at Ft. Carson, those members of the regiment slated for the deployment completed a rigorous exercise at Ft. Polk, Louisiana designed to test their readiness for the SFOR mission. While the SFOR units were to be involved in the peacekeeping operations in Bosnia, Task Force Rifles (TFR) was activated back at Fort Carson. Composed of Tiger Squadron and all regimental units remaining at Fort Carson, TFR was tasked with post red cycle duties as well as maintaining the many vehicles that were not taken to Bosnia.
[''Blood and Steel!'', p. 30.]
When the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment deployed, beginning in February 2000, it represented 75% of the American contribution to the Multinational Division North (MND-N) and constituted the bulk of the American maneuver element.
The Troopers of Saber Squadron helped facilitate the elections that began a new era of democracy for the Bosnian state. There were no major incidents or violent demonstrations in their area of responsibility during the six-month deployment. Thunder Squadron occupied Camp Dobol and its area of responsibility on 27 March 2000. Thunder Squadron Troopers provided security for more than 3,000 Bosnian widows and mourners who returned to the Serb-dominated town of
Potacari.
[''Blood and Steel!'', p. 31.]
For the first time, a U.S. Army artillery unit conducted patrols as part of the peacekeeping operations for MND-N when the troopers of Regulator Battery assumed peacekeeping responsibility for
Banovici and
Zivinici. Other activities included weapons storage site inspections, removal of roadblocks, and confiscation of illegally cached weapons. Thunder Squadron also conducted joint patrols with
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n,
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
n,
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
,
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
, and
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
troops.
Long Knife Squadron was paired with the 49th Aviation Brigade of the Texas National Guard to form the Joint Aviation Brigade for the SFOR 7 rotation. Long Knife aviators supported reconnaissance, security, and air movement missions with both American and international units flying missions not only for MND-N, but also for Multi-National Divisions Southwest and Southeast. The aircrews of 4th Squadron flew almost 5,000 sorties for over 2,000 missions, logging more than 12,000 hours.
Members of TFR were tasked to perform the Wild Land Fire Fighting mission, by preparing to deploy to any fires east of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. Tiger Squadron conducted a Level I gunnery and a Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise before preparing to receive regimental units returning from Bosnia.
[''Blood and Steel!'', p. 32.]
TFR also represented the regiment at Fort Hood during CPX Ulchi Focus Lens. This exercise simulated the deployment of the regiment to
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. Before the troopers of Task Force Eagle could return to Fort Carson, they had to train their replacements to assume the peacekeeping mission. Once this was accomplished, the various units began returning to Fort Carson and the last unit closed on 7 October 2000.
Exercise Bright Star
Beginning in September 2001, Tiger Squadron, with elements of the regimental headquarters, Longknife and Muleskinner Squadrons, deployed to Egypt to participate in exercise
Bright Star 01/02 as part of a Combined Forces Land Component command (CFLCC) coalition. The coalition included elements from the
U.S. Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through comb ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
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 the nort ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, and the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
.
[''Blood and Steel!'', p. 33.]
The 3rd ACR Troopers took part in field training and live fire exercises while in Egypt. They also conducted training on nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare, night warfare, and the use of smoke on the battlefield. Static displays and briefings on air defense artillery capabilities were also provided. Aviation support was provided for the exercise by Longknife Troopers in the form of medical evacuation and personnel transport, while the Muleskinners of Support Squadron established and operated a logistics support system.
In addition, members of Tiger Squadron and the regimental staff conducted affiliation training with their Egyptian counterparts to teach them to function as observer/controllers (OC) for the forces involved in ground tactical operations, as well as establishing and maintaining communications and command and control between the various multinational OC forces. The terrorist attacks against the U.S. on
11 September
Events Pre-1600
* 9 – The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends: The Roman Empire suffers the greatest defeat of its history and the Rhine is established as the border between the Empire and the so-called barbarians for the next four hun ...
was ironically the pre-selected day they were briefed on terrorism as they prepared for the mission. The Pentagon considered sending these troops and assets directly to
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
upon the completion of the historical mission. It was later revealed that a treaty prohibited this action.
Operation Iraqi Freedom I: 2003–2004
![IraqAlAnbar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/IraqAlAnbar.png)
In support of the global
War on Terror
The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international Counterterrorism, counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campa ...
,
Coalition forces
' ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies = Afghanistan
, opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, command ...
invaded Iraq in March 2003. The 3rd ACR received a deployment order for movement to the CENTCOM
AOR on 14 February 2003. Equipment was prepared and moved by rail from Fort Carson to the port at
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a coastal city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat, seat of government of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, metropo ...
. The advance party, consisting of Fox Troop and other key leaders from Regimental HQ, arrived 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 the nort ...
on 2 April and the remainder of the regiment arrived in Theater by the middle of the month.
[''Blood and Steel!'', p. 34.] The first elements of the regiment crossed the border into Iraq on 25 April 2003 and were immediately tasked to perform an economy of force mission to secure and stabilize
Al Anbar Governorate
Al Anbar Governorate ( ar, محافظة الأنبار; ''muḥāfaẓat al-’Anbār''), or Anbar Province, is the largest governorate in Iraq by area. Encompassing much of the country's western territory, it shares borders with Syria, Jordan, ...
in the western part of the country.
TF Rifles successfully performed many missions ranging from offensive operations to civil affairs operations. Daily activities include reconnaissance, security patrols, escort duty, static security, and presence patrols. Killing or capturing former regime loyalists, securing mass grave sites, as well as restoring law and order by assisting
Iraqi National Police
The Iraqi Police (IP) is the uniformed police force responsible for the enforcement of civil law in Iraq. Its organisation, structure and recruitment were guided by the Coalition Provisional Authority after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and it is ...
was also accomplished by TF Rifles. The 3rd ACR was focused on securing weapons caches between
Lake Tharthar
Lake Tharthar (also Therthar), and known in Iraq as Buhayrat ath-Tharthar ( ar, بحيرة الثرثار), is an artificial lake opened in 1956, situated 100 kilometers (62 mi) northwest of Baghdad between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers.
H ...
and the
Euphrates River
The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...
, and managed to detain several high-value targets on the
Defense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is an intelligence agency and combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense, specializing in defense and military intelligence.
A component of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the I ...
blacklist. TF Rifles also assisted in training the
Iraqi Civil Defense Corps
The Iraqi Civil Defense Corps was an Iraqi armed formation created by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) which existed in 2003–2004. The ICDC was controlled by Combined Joint Task Force 7. The idea originated from the 101st Airborne Divisi ...
(ICDC), and managed to train over 3,000 recruits.
![3d ACR Commander](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/3d_ACR_Commander.JPG)
Significant operations conducted by the 3rd Cavalry included
Operation Rifles Blitz
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
on the volatile Syrian border town of Al Qaim and
Operation Rifles Fury
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
(a.k.a. Operation Santa's Claws) on the insurgent strongholds of Rawah and Anah. The 3rd Cavalry also was responsible for Iraq's border with
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
during the
Hajj
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...
of 2003 and 2004, when thousands of Iraqis had to be searched and processed before they could leave for and return from
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
.
By the end of August, the Task Force had confiscated 1,080 122 mm artillery rounds, 928 mortar rounds, 8,991 23 mm rounds, 2,828 AK-47s, two pistols, ten anti-tank missiles, forty-five anti-tank mines, eight surface-to-air missiles, four kegs of gunpowder, 300 130 mm high explosive rounds, three boxes of hand grenades, twenty high explosive anti-tank rounds, 125 100 mm tank gun rounds, 134 rocket-propelled grenades, two sniper rifles, thirty 37 mm anti-aircraft rounds, one improvised explosive device, and one SA-7 surface to air guided missile system.
Various units of the Task Force found themselves managing a large number of projects to rebuild the infrastructure and restore basic services, efforts aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. Many schools in Iraq were found to have been turned into munitions storage facilities, because the regime knew Coalition forces would not attack schools. These schools were cleared, renovated and returned to use.
Longknife Squadron established aerial border qualification standards and became the first aviation unit in theater to operate well inside the five-kilometer buffer zone established by
U.S. Central Command
The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Tas ...
. The success of the program resulted in its adoption by CJTF-7 as the theater standard.
[Blood and Steel!, p. 40.]
Over twenty forward operating bases (FOB) were established in order to provide the best possible living conditions for Task Force personnel, and from which combat, security, and sup-port operations could be conducted throughout a 140,000-square-kilometer area. The various FOBs established by the task force became nodes in a massive logistical network.
For its service in the Operation Iraqi Freedom I, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment received the Valorous Unit Award. Approximately 400 citations for valor were also awarded. 33 officers and troopers of the 3rd ACR were killed in action, and 18 more from TF Rifles, and 233 more were wounded.
First loss
Shortly after entering Iraq, the 2nd Squadron of the 3rd ACR was tasked with protecting several abandoned enemy ammunition supply points (ASP) and the Air force base located in Al Habbaniyah. On 1 May 2003, after days of responding to reports of arson fires and the looting of ammunition, an M1 Abrams tank crew from H(Heavy) Company patrolling near the Euphrates River, discovered a group of Iraqis deliberately setting fires. This group was seen fanning the flames with a powder that was later discovered to be the propellant from artillery powder bags. These Iraqis attempted to direct the fire toward the troops to get the troops to displace from the area making it possible for them to steal ammunition buried in caches placed along the river and around the abandoned buildings near the company's makeshift compound. While in pursuit of the Iraqis, the fire intensified with high flames surrounding the M1 Abrams. In an attempt to evade the fire, the Tank climbed a berm that quickly gave way forcing the heavy M1 Abrams to plunge nose first into a canal. The Tank quickly took on water and as a result, PFC Jesse Givens, the driver, drowned and became the first 3rd ACR soldier lost in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
CPT David M. Rozelle
Capt. David M. Rozelle is the first amputee to return to U.S. military duty in a combat zone.
Capt. Rozelle deployed to the town of
Hit, Iraq
Hīt, also spelled ''Heet'' ( ar, هيت), ancient name ''Is'', is an Iraqi city in Al-Anbar province. Hīt lies northwest of Ramadi, the provincial capital.
Straddling the Euphrates River, the city of Hīt was originally a small walled town sur ...
as the commander of the 3rd ACR's K Troop ("Killer"). During operations in Hit, Rozelle's Humvee ran over an anti-tank mine which destroyed both the Humvee and Rozelle's right lower leg. This resulted in the amputation of Rozelle's foot and ankle.
After being given an artificial leg, Capt. Rozelle returned to duty as commander of the 3rd Cavalry's Headquarters Troop. He then redeployed to Iraq with the 3rd ACR on their third tour in Iraq. Since his injury, Rozelle has completed the New York Marathon and written the book, ''Back in Action: An American Soldier's Story of Courage, Faith and Fortitude''.
"Steve-O"
Known as "Steve-O" to protect his identity, this 13-year-old boy was one of the 3rd Cavalry's most helpful informants.
Steve-O's father was once an army captain in the Republican Guard, and led a 40-man insurgent group after the Coalition invasion. Forced to fight alongside his father against the Americans and severely beaten by his father, Steve-O walked to a 3rd Cavalry check-point to turn in his father.
After turning in his father, Steve-O turned in a number of other insurgents. Often riding in the back of a Humvee, Steve-O would simply point out people he saw at the meetings of insurgents his father used to take him to. However, with Steve-O's father arrested and his mother killed by insurgents in retribution, Steve-O had nowhere left but to live on Forward Operating Base "Tiger" with the troopers of the 3rd Cavalry.
After the 3rd Cavalry returned from their year-long deployment to Iraq, Steve-O continued to live on post with the
Marines
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
that replaced the cavalry. Eventually, 1SG Daniel Hendrex was able to arrange for Steve-O to leave Iraq and come to the United States.
Steve-O's story came to public attention when he and the troopers responsible for his successful move to the United States appeared on an episode of ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
''.
Operation Iraqi Freedom III: 2005–2006
The 3rd Cavalry only remained stateside for less than a year, before returning to Iraq for a second tour. The 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom 04–06 in February 2005. The regiment served from South Baghdad province to Western Ninewa Province in Northwestern Iraq until March 2006. The 2nd Battalion of the
325th Airborne Infantry Regiment
The 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment is a light infantry parachute insertion fighting force of the United States Army. The subordinate units of the regiment constitute the bulk of the infantry elements assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Comba ...
(of the
82nd Airborne
The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops Magazine'', 25 November 2012. Archived from thorig ...
Division) served with the regiment in Iraq from September – December 2005. In September 2005, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment conducted 'Operation Restoring Rights' to defeat a terrorist stronghold in the city of Tal Afar.
In July 2005, the Army announced that the regiment would re-station to
Fort Hood within months of returning from
Operation Iraqi Freedom
{{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 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment officially departed Fort Carson, Colorado in July 2006.
Two elements of the regiment stayed behind at Fort Carson and were subsequently re-flagged. The regiment's aviation element was re-flagged as 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry, part of the
1st Infantry Division, while the other element was re-flagged as part of the
U.S. 4th Infantry Division
The 4th Infantry Division is a division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado. It is composed of a division headquarters battalion, three brigade combat teams (two Stryker and one armor), a combat aviation brigade, a divis ...
's 2nd Brigade Combat Team rear detachment.
Operation Restoring Rights
By the time 3rd Cavalry returned to Iraq in 2005, the northern city of Tal Afar had fallen entirely under the control of insurgents. Led by Colonel
H.R. McMaster
Herbert Raymond McMaster (born July 24, 1962) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the 25th United States National Security Advisor from 2017 to 2018. He is also known for his roles in the Gulf War, Operation Endurin ...
, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment focused first on pacifying the smaller surrounding cities and closing down the nearby Syrian border to prevent supplies and routes of escape to the insurgents occupying the city. The next stage was to build a massive earthen berm that enclosed Tal Afar, the berm was constructed by Alpha Company 113 Engineer Battalion stationed out of Indiana, as law-abiding residents were ordered out to evacuation camps. Operation Restoring Rights included forces from 1st Squadron, 2nd Squadron, Support Squadron, the Air Squadron (4th Squadron), and various US Special Forces formations. Additionally, Iraqi Army formations moved into the city en masse, consisting of 5,000 soldiers from the Iraqi Army 3rd Division (partnered with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment), 1,000 soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the 1st Brigade of the 2nd Iraqi Army Division (from Irbil and partnered with the US Special Forces), and Iraqi Special Forces commandos.
![Search for insurgents](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Search_for_insurgents.jpg)
Additionally, an Iraqi police brigade and Mosul Police units moved in to provide perimeter security. Operation Restoring Rights began in late August 2005 as 1st Squadron and its Iraqi Army Brigade moved into Tal Afar and began conducting focused raids on the Western part of Tall Afar, while 2nd Squadron and its Iraqi Army Brigade moved to isolate the enemy strongpoint in the Sarai District. Meanwhile, as the regiment moved to isolate the eastern portion of the city, the enemy put up an intense fight against 1st Squadron as they pursued them relentlessly through the western part of the city. Apaches attack and Kiowa scout helicopters from 4th Squadron tracked the enemy while ground forces pursued them into their safe haven, destroying them with direct fire from ground platforms and hellfire missiles from the air. Air Force munitions were used against especially hardened defensive positions.
As 2nd Squadron and an Iraqi Army battalion from the 2nd Iraqi Army Division moved into place, they received critical intelligence on the enemy battle positions and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that allowed them to destroy the enemy in detail with precision fires from the Apache and Kiowa helicopters and with USAF support. Over half of the enemy leadership was killed or captured in the days leading up to the assault on the Sarai. 2nd Squadron, 1st Squadron, and elements of Support Squadron manning checkpoints, captured over 1,200 enemy fighters as they tried to flee the city, some even hiding behind children and dressed as women. The regiment attacked into the Sarai and cleared it of the remaining enemy, finding a complex enemy training base within the ancient structures.
After the regiment returned from Iraq, Tal Afar Mayor Mayor Najim Abdullah al Jubori sent a letter to Gen.
George Casey, the senior U.S. commander in Iraq, thanking the 3rd Cavalry for liberating his town. The Mayor's letter became the subject of widespread media attention after U.S. President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
mentioned it during a speech in March 2006.
Post OIF 04-06
Following OIF 04–06, the regiment relocated from Fort Carson, Colorado to Fort Hood, Texas. The regiment officially completed its move in July 2006. On 29 June 2006, COL
H.R. McMaster
Herbert Raymond McMaster (born July 24, 1962) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the 25th United States National Security Advisor from 2017 to 2018. He is also known for his roles in the Gulf War, Operation Endurin ...
completed his command and officially gave the guidon to COL Michael Bills. The 3rd ACR began training for another tour in OIF right away, fielding new weapons systems (including new M1A2 Abrams tanks and M3A3 Bradley fighting vehicles) and re-build the organization following the move from Fort Carson. In July the regiment completed a successful NTC rotation 07–09.
Operation Iraqi Freedom 2007–2009
On 25 October 2007, the regiment began its third tour in Iraq. 1st and 3rd Squadrons are deployed in the Ninawa Province, 2nd Squadron was deployed to eastern Diyala province until OCT when it rejoined the regiment in Mosul. 1st Squadron in Qayarrah, and 3rd Squadron in Mosul. Because Mosul is the most violent major city in Iraq, Heavy Company, Eagle Troop and 43rd Combat Engineer Company (2/3 ACR) were attached to 3rd Squadron to help with increased insurgent activity. A platoon from 43rd Combat Engineer Company 3rd PLT (heavy blue) was attached to Heavy Company also 3rd Platoon Heavy Company attached to Lightning Troop, becoming Lightning 5th Platoon, "Gold Platoon" in order to help bear the largest, and most dangerous area of the city. 4th Squadron is served in Baghdad. Thunder Squadron was part of several major operations in order to clear the city of insurgents, including Operations Lions Roar, which was praised as one of the turning points in the war on terror.
1st Squadron's King Battery (attached to 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Div., and then 1/25th SBCT) firing artillery and is split between three FOBs (Warhorse, Normandy & Diyala Media Center), which allows the Battery to cover the entire Diyala Province. Firing over 7,700 rounds in eleven months, King Battery has destroyed the previous record which was set by a battalion size element.
2nd Squadron minus, composed of Grim Troop, Fox Troop, Lion Battery and the Squadron Headquarters and Headquarters Troop spent the bulk of the deployment at FOB Caldwell in Eastern Diyala Province, where it was responsible for 62% of the battle space of 4/2 ID. During the deployment 2nd Squadron passed from the operational control of 4/2 ID to 2nd SCR where they remained until they rejoined 3rd ACR in OCT 2008. 2nd Squadron conducted several major operations during its time in Diyala including Operation Raider Harvest, which removed the most of the last pockets of organized resistance in Diyala in the vicinity of Muqdadiyah. 2nd Squadron also spearheaded Operation Sabre Tempest, the largest combined Iraqi Army–U.S. Army air assault mission of OIF. This operation and several follow-on operations cleared and secured Diyala Province from Baqubah to the Iranian border. Having completed its mission in Diyala, 2nd Squadron rejoined the rest of 3rd ACR in Mosul in OCT 2008 where it assumed an area of responsibility between 1st and 3rd Squadrons. On rejoining the regiment, Grim Troop, from 2nd Squadron was awarded the Draper Award for Leadership Excellence. 2nd Squadron held this area and in combined operations with Iraqi security forces destroyed numerous caches and detained more than 50 insurgents before the squadron's redeployment to Fort Hood in January 2009.
Post OIF 07-09
![US 3rd Armored Division Regimental Colors Casing Aug10-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/US_3rd_Armored_Division_Regimental_Colors_Casing_Aug10-1.jpg)
On 3 April 2009, Reginald E. Allen became the 73rd colonel of the regiment, the first African-American to command a United States cavalry regiment, and Jonathan J. Hunt, the XVIIIth Regimental Command Sergeant Major. The new command team immediately focused on the reception of equipment from the post-deployment reset program, the integration of newly arrived personnel, and the continuation of individual training. The Squadrons concentrated on weapons qualification, combat life saver training, and mandatory classes and schools through the summer until they began to receive their combat vehicles back from reset. As each unit's tanks and Bradleys arrived, the crews conducted communications and live fire tests as well as driver's training to certify new operators on their equipment. Soldiers also attended refresher training on new equipment and upgrades made during the reset process. With all of their vehicles and weapons finally back from reset, the squadrons accelerated their training pace to prepare for the next deployment to Iraq.
In the fall of 2009 the regiment received orders to deploy to Iraq again the following summer. This time period also marked the beginning of a series of field training exercises that gradually increased in intensity as the squadrons moved into the collective phase of training. Platoon and troop-level situational training exercises (STX) challenged junior leaders to assess their surrounding and decide on a course of action when faced with various tactical scenarios. These exercises also offered the first opportunity to test the new company intelligence support teams (COISTs) that had been selected and trained throughout the summer. The COISTs emphasized the bottom-up development and refinement of intelligence that is fundamental part of counterinsurgency operations in the contemporary operating environment. COIST members practiced debriefing patrols after simulated combat missions and developing an intelligence pictures for the company-level commander to drive future operations. This new capability will provide units with an increased understanding of the environment in their areas of responsibility in their next deployment.
On 5 November 2009, the regiment was called upon again, not to face an overseas threat, but to help protect the members of its own community when
a lone attacker opened fire on Soldiers and civilians at Fort Hood's Soldier Readiness Center. Sabre Squadron, the installation's designated crisis reaction battalion at the time of the incident, was alerted to deploy back from training in the field and assist Fort Hood Emergency Services with cordoning the crime scene while the police searched for additional suspects. Joined by Soldiers from Tiger, Thunder, and Muleskinner, Sabre Squadron manned entry control points around the post to systematically search vehicles leaving the installation later that evening and the continued to secure the gates for several days after the attack. When President Obama visited Fort Hood on 10 November to help memorialize the twelve soldiers and one civilian who died in the attack, the regiment teamed with the Directorate of Emergency Services again to secure the route for the official convoy from the airfield to the III Corps headquarters.
In December, the squadrons took to the field for two more weeks of collective training to prepare for the National Training Center rotation scheduled for the following spring. Troops occupied patrol bases outside simulated Iraqi villages across Fort Hood and spent several days developing intelligence, training Iraqi security forces, and conducting reconnaissance operations. These Squadron-level exercises tested the units on the techniques and procedures they had developed throughout the fall and simulated the types of operations they would conduct at the National Training Center the following spring. After a short block leave for the winter holidays, the regiment's troopers began to prepare in earnest for what would likely be the 3rd ACR's last heavy stabilized gunnery beginning at the end of January. The Chief of Staff of the Army directed the regiment to convert to a Stryker regiment after the next deployment to Iraq. The announcement came out in the fall but the decision was not final until early 2010. This last stabilized gunnery helped train a new generation of tankers and scouts, many of whom had never fired a formal gunnery due to the high tempo of operational deployments.
As part of the planned Stryker transformation, the regiment also received word that Longknife Squadron would be deactivated in 2010 and reflagged as part of a new combat aviation brigade (CAB) that would be formed at Fort Lewis, but the squadron would remain at Fort Hood until 2012 as part of the new split-based CAB. The aviation squadron continued its training and crew certification program throughout this time period, including two deployments to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk supporting other deploying brigades and then supporting the regiment with attack and lift capabilities at a mission readiness exercise at the NTC in May/June 2010.
The regiment's NTC rotation 10–07 at Fort Irwin set the conditions for the regiment's pending deployment. Because of the extensive training and extended dwell, the regiment entered the rotation at higher training level than most units and as such was able to ramp up the training faster using less situational training exercise (STX) days and spending more days fully exercising all systems in the regiment.
Operation New Dawn: 2010–2011
The regiment's fourth deployment in seven years would be very different from the previous three but no less challenging or dangerous as an advise and assist regiment/brigade (AAB) in support of Operation New Dawn. On 30 Sep 2010 the regiment conducted a transition of authority with 3rd BDE, 3rd ID and assumed responsibility for the five northern provinces of United States Division-South under MG Vincent Brooks and the 1st Infantry Division. Later in the deployment the regiment was under the operational control of the Texas Army National Guard's 36th Infantry Division.
![3d ACR & ISF Base Transfer Ceremony](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/3d_ACR_%26_ISF_Base_Transfer_Ceremony.jpg)
The regiment's area of operations included the Iraqi provinces of Babil, Karbala, Najaf, Diwaniyah (Qadisiyah), and Wasit; an area roughly the size of South Carolina. After assuming operational authority as the first AAB deployed during Operation New Dawn, 3rd ACR's mission was to conduct stability operations in support of the United States Department of State provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) and to advise, train, and assist Iraqi security forces (ISF) of the 8th Iraqi Army (IA) Division and the 3rd and 5th Directorates of Border Enforcement (DBE) Regions. 3rd ACR's geographical terrain was the largest operational environment (OE) in the United States Forces-Iraq OE, encompassing approximately 64,700 square kilometers of desert, agricultural fields and urban terrain. Within this diverse area, the human terrain of OE Rifles included the cultural fault line between the Shi'a population in southern Iraq and the Sunni population in central Iraq.
Executing more than 12,000 dismounted and mounted patrols, 76 named operations, 3,500 operations in partnership with various Iraqi security force counterparts, more than 1300 key leader engagements (KLEs), and training more than 14,000 ISF personnel, 3rd ACR Troopers maintained a consistently high tempo of operations, intelligence gathering and analysis, and stability support and development during the year long deployment. In conjunction with Department of State personnel, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment also completed more than 200 civil projects with a value of $49.7M.
Change of Mission
On 16 November 2011, COL Reginald Allen, 73rd colonel of the regiment,
cased the colors of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and uncased the colors of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment while handing over command to COL John B. Richardson IV, 74th colonel of the regiment. This transition marked a change of mission from conducting Corps-level reconnaissance and security, to a combined arms
Stryker regiment able to conduct decisive action missions in support of unified land operations anywhere in the world. The regiment's size expanded as well, and a Fires Squadron was added, and 4th Squadron (Longknife) was made a ground reconnaissance unit. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Squadrons were reorganized as Stryker infantry formations, and a Signal and Anti-Armor Troop were added as well. The attached 89th Chemical Company was inactivated, however. In effect, the 3rd Cavalry Regiment had returned to its roots as the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen.
Despite concerns from the ranks, COL Richardson assured that the 3rd Cavalry would always keep its history, lineage, and traditions despite changes in organizational structure.
War in Afghanistan
Members of the 3rd Cavalry state that between 2014 and 2015, the sun never set on the regiment. It had subordinate units all across the globe and was engaged in training, combat deployments, and stability missions worldwide.
Operation Enduring Freedom; June–October 2014
In 2014, the regiment received its first orders to
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. While the 3rd Cavalry had been engaged in the Iraq War from 2004 to 2011, this was the first time the regiment would be deployed in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...
. At the same time as the main body of the 3rd Cavalry would deploy to Afghanistan, 4th Squadron was tasked with assisting peacekeepers in the
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai (now usually ) (, , cop, Ⲥⲓⲛⲁ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a l ...
alongside 13 other nations in the
Multinational Force and Observers
The Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) is an international peacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. The MFO generally operates in and around the Sinai peninsula, ensuring free navigation through ...
security mission. Here, the globally important
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
is safeguarded by potential hostile action between
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
.
Meanwhile, C (Crazy Horse) Troop would deploy to
Guantánamo Bay
Guantánamo Bay ( es, Bahía de Guantánamo) is a bay in Guantánamo Province at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the largest harbor on the south side of the island and it is surrounded by steep hills which create an enclave that is cut off ...
, Cuba to assist the
Joint Detention Group
Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO) is a U.S. military joint task force based at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba on the southeastern end of the base. JTF-GTMO falls under US Southern Command. Since January 2002 the command has ...
in securing the strategic site. This would be the second time that 3rd Cavalry troopers deployed to Guantanamo Bay; the first time was in 1898 during the Spanish–American War. While serving simultaneously in Afghanistan, the Sinai Peninsula, Guantanamo Bay, and Fort Hood, the sun never set on the 3rd Cavalry Regiment.
In Afghanistan, the Brave Rifles' first priority was to prepare for the US withdrawal of the country, and shrink the US footprint in Regional Command East (RC East). They partnered with
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 ...
,
Afghan Border Police
The Afghan Border Force (ABF) was responsible for security of Afghanistan's border area with neighboring countries extending up to into the interior and formed part of the Afghan National Army. In December 2017, most of the Afghan Border Police ...
, and
Afghan National Police units on nearly all their missions and helped transition security operation fully to the Afghan security forces. The regiment started its deployment working with the ANA's
203rd Corps, which was responsible for security in
Logar Province,
Khost Province,
Paktia Province,
Maidan Wardak Province,
Ghazni Province
Ghazni (Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in southeastern Afghanistan. The province contains 19 districts, encompassing over a thousand villages and roughly 1.3 million people, making it the 5th most populous province. The ...
,
Bamyan Province, and
Paktika Province
Paktika (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000, mostly ethnic Pashtuns. The town of Sharana ...
. The regimental HQ and 1st Squadron (Tiger) occupied
FOB Lightning near
Gardez
, settlement_type =City
, image_skyline =gardez_paktya.jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption =The Bala Hesar fortress in the center of Gardez City
, image_flag =
, flag_size =
, image_sea ...
in Paktya Province, and worked with Afghan troops from 203rd Corps out of FOB Thunder nearby. Here, the troopers assisted and advised the Afghan troops from the individual to Corps level and mentored the Afghan National Police Paktya Regional HQ, Afghan Border Police Zone 402, and the
Afghan National Civil Order Police
The Afghan National Civil Order Force (ANCOF), formerly known as the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP), was an Afghan National Army (ANA) force responsible for civil order and counterinsurgency. In March 2018, most of the ANCOP personnel ...
5th Brigade operating in the 203rd Corps AOR. FOB Lightning was signed over to Afghan troops on 1 October 2014.
The regiment then assumed another important duty; escorting ballot boxes from across their seven provinces and ensuring they return safely to
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Fires Squadron all contributed to escorting the ballots safely, and helped shape the future of Afghanistan as President
Ashraf Ghani emerged as the victor. 2nd Squadron (Sabre) and the Regimental Support Squadron (Muleskinner) occupied FOB Shank in Logar Province. Muleskinner ran a Level II treatment facility there and conducted critical logistics operations. 2nd Squadron worked closely with the 4th Brigade of the 203rd Corps to conduct security operations until FOB SHank was goven to the Afghans on 23 October 2014.
3rd Squadron (Thunder) also advised the Afghan 4th Brigade of the 203rd Corps out of FOB Airborne in Wardak Province. Thunder turned over the FOB to the ANA on 5 September 2014 and was subsequently sent to FOB Dwyer in RC South to assist the 1st Cavalry Division in stability and security operations. During this time, the 1st Battalion,
504th Infantry Regiment
The 504th Infantry Regiment, originally the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (504th PIR), is an airborne forces regiment of the United States Army, part of the 82nd Airborne Division, with a long and distinguished history. The regiment was f ...
, "Red Devils," of the 82nd Airborne Division was attached to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment and conducted security operation in Ghazni Province until September 2014.
Operation Resolute Support; October 2014 – March 2015
After the Brave Rifles had completed their operations in southeast Afghanistan, they moved northeast to
Laghman Province and
Nangahar Province. Replacing the 2nd Brigade (Strike) 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 ...
at Tactical Base Gamberi and nearby
Operational Base Fenty, they took over security for the region, including
Jalalabad Airfield, the last US operated airfield in eastern Afghanistan. During this time, 2nd Squadron was sent to
Bagram Airfield in central Afghanistan and took over security there, and 3rd Squadron (as stated previously) was sent to join units of the 1st Cavalry Division.
Operation Resolute Support
Resolute Support Mission (RSM) or Operation Resolute Support was a NATO-led multinational mission in Afghanistan. It began on 1 January 2015 as the successor to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which was completed on 28 Decem ...
began on 1 January 2015, and signified the end of Operation Enduring Freedom, and the change of responsibility from Coalition to Afghan Forces. Regional Commands North, South, East, and West were renamed Train, Advise, and Assist Commands North, South, East, and West.
The Afghan security forces were now fully responsible for their country's security, and only 9,800 US troops remained in country to act as advisers. Around 1,000 of these belonged to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, now present in TAAC-East, TAAC-South, and Bagram Airfield. Brave Rifles HQ coordinated with the Afghan
201st Corps to secure the
Afghanistan-Pakistan border
The Durand Line ( ps, د ډیورنډ کرښه; ur, ), forms the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, a international land border between Pakistan and Afghanistan in South Asia. The western end runs to the border with Iran and the eastern end to th ...
out of TB Gamberi. The Brave Rifles completed their mission of training and advising on 15 February 2015, and turned over responsibility to the 3rd Brigade (Rakassans), 101st Airborne Division. The 3rd Cavalry arrived safely back in Texas by the end of March 2015.
The regiment suffered the last two casualties of OEF, with the death of a platoon sergeant and his gunner, both members of Sapper company.(43d Combat Engineer Company)
Afghanistan 2016–2017
3rd CR was deployed to numerous locations in Afghanistan from the spring of 2016 to mid-February 2017. Tasked with stabilization, training the ANA, and security in Paktia, Helmund province and JBAD. serving on missions known as “fly to advise” and assisting in the fight against the Taliban and ISISK.
Operation Inherent Resolve 2018–2019
![3rd Cavalry Artillery Squadron in Iraq](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/3rd_Cavalry_Artillery_Squadron_in_Iraq.jpg)
In 2018 the Army reported 3rd Cavalry Regiment assumed the mission of 3rd Brigade Combat Team "Patriots,"
10th Mountain Division
The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is a light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. Formerly designated as a mountain warfare unit, the division was the only one of its size in the US military to re ...
in Iraq in support of
CJTF-OIR. 3rd Cavalry Regiment supported the operation by working and training with Iraqi Security Forces and coalition partners to defeat ISIS in designated areas of Iraq and
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. Units from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment oversaw the security of remote firebases and tactical areas that conducted cross-border firers during the fight against remnants of
ISIS
Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...
. The Field Artillery Squadron fired over 5,000 rounds of 155mm ordinance during their deployment.
In June 2019 Regimental Sergeant Major Adam Nash reported that 3rd Cavalry Regiment "had a squadron headquarters and some elements in Syria that were providing force protection and conducting some operations there."
The unit did not report any casualties during the deployment. The unit did engage in combat operations in support of the operation as the unit did report that they had awarded
Combat Infantryman's Badges and
Combat Action Badges.
Killing of Vanessa Guillen
Vanessa Guillén Vanessa may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Vanessa'' (Millais painting), an 1868 painting by Pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais
* ''Vanessa'', a 1933 novel by Hugh Walpole
* ''Vanessa'', a 1952 instrumental song written by Bernie ...
was a 20-year-old
U.S. Army soldier who was assigned to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment's engineer squadron, as a
91F, Small Arms and Artillery Repairer. Guillen was murdered on 22 April 2020, by another enlisted soldier assigned to the regiment's engineer squadron, Aaron David Robinson, age 20. Initially, Guillen was declared missing on 23 April 2020. Her disappearance quickly made national news as foul play was suspected. Guillen's remains were discovered on 30 June 2020 by contractors working on a construction project near
Leon River
The Leon River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. It has three primary forks - the North, Middle, and South Leon Rivers, which meet near Eastland and then run for around until it meets with the Lampasas River and the Salado Creek to form ...
several miles from Fort Hood. Aaron Robinson fatally shot himself on 1 July 2020 when law enforcement attempted to apprehend him in
Killeen, Texas.
Cecily Anne Aguilar, whom authorities said was Robinson's girlfriend, was alleged to have assisted Robinson in disposing of Guillén's body. On 2 July, she was charged with one federal count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence.
On 10 July 2020,
Secretary of the Army
The secretary of the Army (SA or SECARMY) is a senior civilian official within the United States Department of Defense, with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, insta ...
Ryan D. McCarthy
Ryan D. McCarthy (born 1973 or 1974) is an American business executive and former U.S. Army Ranger who served as the 24th United States Secretary of the Army, from 2019 to 2021. He previously held the office in an acting capacity in 2017 and 20 ...
announced that he would order a "full independent review" of the case. Results of that review were addressed by Secretary McCarthy on 8 December 2020, during a
Pentagon
In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°.
A pentagon may be simpl ...
press conference. During the conference, McCarthy announced that disciplinary action would be taken against 14 leaders and Soldiers assigned to Fort Hood. Among those affected were the 3rd Cavalry Regiment's commander
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 of ...
Ralph Overland and
Command Sergeant Major
A command sergeant major (CSM) is a non-commissioned rank and position of office in the United States Army. The holder of this rank and position is the most senior enlisted member of a color-bearing Army unit (battalion or higher). The CSM is ap ...
Bradley Knapp, both of whom were relieved of their duties. Other Fort Hood senior leaders impacted by the review included
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Scott Efflandt, III Corps deputy commander, who was also relieved of his duties and
1st Cavalry Division commander Major General
Jeffery Broadwater
Jeffery D. Broadwater (born 1967) is a United States Army Major general (United States), major general who serves as deputy commanding general of V Corps (United States), V Corps. He previously served as commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Divi ...
and Command Sergeant Major Thomas C. Kenny. Both Broadwater and Kenny were suspended from their duties, pending a final investigation of the 1st Cavalry Division's command climate and program for preventing and responding to sexual harassment and assault.
Honors
Unit decorations
Heraldry
Motto: "Brave Rifles! Veterans! You have been baptized in fire and blood and have come out steel."
[ ]
The regiment's original green facings on the uniform is shown by the color of the shield. The unit's first engagement was the capture of Vera Cruz, and it continued with especially distinguished service throughout the campaign of 1847 to the capture of Mexico City. Upon entering the city, it hoisted the Stars and Stripes over the national palace and displayed the regimental standard from the palace balcony, which drew from General Scott the statement, "Brave Rifles! Veterans! You have been baptized in fire and blood and have come out steel." The campaign is shown by the cross for Vera Cruz and the tower in green (the Mexican color) for fortified Mexico City, the first and last engagements thereof. The chief, taken from the arms of Lorraine, commemorates the regiment's World War I service.
The regiment's original gold trumpet insignia is shown on the crest of the coat of arms.
The coat of arms was originally approved for the 3d Cavalry Regiment on 7 May 1921. It was redesignated for the 3d Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized on 28 February 1945. The insignia was redesignated for the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment on 18 December 1951. It was amended to revise the symbolism on 27 June 1960. It was redesignated effective 16 November 2011, for the 3d Cavalry Regiment.
Lineage
The
United States Army Center of Military History
The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...
summarizes the regiment's lineage as follows:
* Constituted 19 May 1846 in the Regular Army as the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen.
* Organized 12 October 1846 at
Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. Redesignated 3 August 1861 as 3rd United States Cavalry.
* Inactivated 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 employees ...
, Georgia; personnel and equipment transferred to 3rd Armored Regiment.
* Redesignated 18 January 1943 as 3rd Cavalry, Mechanized.
* Activated 15 March 1943 at
Camp Gordon, Georgia.
* Regiment broken up 3 November 1943 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Cavalry Group, Mechanized and the 3rd and 43rd Reconnaissance Squadrons, Mechanized.
* Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Cavalry Group, Mechanized, inactivated 22 December 1945 at
Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
* Activated 26 February 1946 at
Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.
* Redesignated 5 November 1948 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment; organization of the remainder of 3rd Armored Cavalry completed 3 November 1948 by redefinition of elements of 3rd and 43rd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons, Mechanized and by reconstruction, redefinition, and activation of certain other elements of the 3rd Cavalry which had been inactivated or demobilized 1921–1928.
* 3rd, 777th, and 21st Tank Battalions consolidated with 3rd Armored Cavalry 8 January 1951. (Battalions and Companies redesignated Squadrons and Troops, 1 June 1960).
More on the regiment's lineage as follows:
* Relocated in 1972 from Ft. Lewis, Washington to Ft. Bliss, Texas
* Relocated to Ft. Carson, Colorado in 1996
* Relocated to Ft. Hood, Texas on 13 July 2006
* Redesignated 16 November 2011 as 3rd Cavalry Regiment and reorganized as a Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
See also
*
List of United States Regular Army Civil War units {{Short description, none
The following is a list of the units of the United States Regular Army during the American Civil War.
Infantry
* 1st Infantry Regiment
* 2nd Infantry Regiment
*3rd Infantry Regiment
* 4th Infantry Regiment
* 5th Infantry ...
Notes
References
*
*
*
External links
* , includin
regimental history
The Mounted Rifleman, an official publication of the 3rd ACR
From Iraq, troops see parallels in Katrina a September 2005
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
article about 3rd ACR activities in
Ninawa
Nineveh (; akk, ; Biblical Hebrew: '; ar, نَيْنَوَىٰ '; syr, ܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ, Nīnwē) was an ancient Assyrian city of Upper Mesopotamia, located in the modern-day city of Mosul in northern Iraq. It is located on the eastern ba ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:3rd Cavalry Regiment (United States)
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*1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen
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003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to:
*003, fictional British 00 Agent
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*1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen
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003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to:
*003, fictional British 00 Agent
*003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986)
*1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen
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*''O03 (O2)'' and other related ...
003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to:
*003, fictional British 00 Agent
*003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986)
*1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen
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003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to:
*003, fictional British 00 Agent
*003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986)
*1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen
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003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to:
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003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to:
*003, fictional British 00 Agent
*003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986)
*1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen
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Military units and formations of the Great Sioux War of 1876
Comanche campaign
003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to:
*003, fictional British 00 Agent
*003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986)
*1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen
* OO3 gauge model railway
*''O03 (O2)'' and other related ...
1846 establishments in the United States
Cavalry regiments of the United States Army