The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. The United States Cavalry was formally created by an act of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

on 3 August 1861 and ceased as a distinct Army branch in 1942.Price (1883) p. 103, 104 The name "cavalry" continues to be used as a designation for various specific United States Army formations and functions. This branch, alongside the

Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

and

Artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

branches, was formerly considered to be one of the "classic" combat arms branches (defined as those branches of the army with the primary mission of engaging in armed combat with an enemy force). From the

United States Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continen ...

and the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

onwards, mounted troops were raised ad-hoc by the United States as emergencies presented themselves and were disbanded as soon as these had passed. In 1833, Congress created the 1st U.S. Dragoons, followed by the 2nd U.S. Dragoons and the U.S. Mounted Riflemen 1836 and 1846 respectively.Price (1883) p. 12 The 1861 Act converted the U.S. Army's two regiments of

dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...

s, one regiment of mounted riflemen, and two regiments of cavalry into one branch of service. Immediately preceding

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

(1941–1945), the U.S. Cavalry began transitioning to a mechanized, mounted force. During the Second World War, the Army's cavalry units operated as horse-mounted, mechanized, or dismounted forces (infantry). The last horse-mounted cavalry charge by a U.S. Cavalry unit took place on the

Bataan Bataan (, , , ; ) , officially the Province of Bataan, is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula ...

Peninsula, in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

in early 1942. The 26th Cavalry Regiment of the allied

Philippine Scouts The Philippine Scouts ( Filipino: ''Maghahanap ng Pilipinas''/''Hukbong Maghahanap ng Pilipinas'') was a military organization of the United States Army from 1901 until after the end of World War II. These troops were generally Filipinos and ...

executed the charge against

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

forces near the village of Morong on 16 January 1942. In March 1942, the War Department eliminated the office of Chief of Cavalry and effectively abolished the horse cavalry. The cavalry name was absorbed into the Armor branch as part of the Army Reorganization Act of 1950 and the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

saw the introduction of helicopters and operations as a helicopter-borne force with the designation of Air Cavalry, while mechanized cavalry received the designation of Armored Cavalry. The term "cavalry", still remains in use in the U.S. Army for mounted (ground and aviation)

reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) squadrons are a type of unit in the United States Army. These are cavalry squadrons (though in IBCTs they typically contain at least one dismounted infantry troop), and act at the sq ...

(RSTA) units based on their parent

Combat Arms Regimental System The Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), was the method of assigning unit designations to units of some of the combat arms branches of the United States Army, including Infantry, Special Forces, Field Artillery, and Armor, from 1957 to 1981. A ...

(CARS) regiment. The 1st Cavalry Division is the only active division in the United States Army with a cavalry designation and maintains a detachment of horse-mounted cavalry for ceremonial purposes.

History

The United States Cavalry existed in various forms from 1775 to 1942. Its history dates back to the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, and every major subsequent war in which the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

was involved.

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

personally witnessed the effect that a small mounted force of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

's 17th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons had on his troops, panicking and scattering American soldiers at the

Battle of White Plains The Battle of White Plains took place during the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War on October 28, 1776, near White Plains, New York. Following the retreat of George Washington's Continental Army northward from N ...

. Appreciating the ability of the

5th Regiment of Connecticut Light Horse Militia Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth Avenue * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a cont ...

to gather intelligence during the subsequent retreat of American forces into

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, he asked the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

to approve the creation of a

light cavalry Light cavalry comprised lightly armed and body armor, armored cavalry troops mounted on fast horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the mounted riders (and sometimes the warhorses) were heavily armored. The purpose of light cavalry was p ...

force in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

. In late 1776, Congress authorized Washington to establish a mounted force of 3,000 men for service in the Continental army.

American Revolutionary War

On 12 December 1776, Congress converted the 5th Regiment of Connecticut Light Horse Militia into the Regiment of Light Dragoons. In March 1777, Washington established the Corps of Continental Light Dragoons consisting of four regiments of 280 men, each organized in six troops. Many problems faced the light dragoon regiments, including the inability of recruiting to bring the units to authorized strength, shortage of suitable cavalry weapons and horses, and lack of uniformity among troopers in dress and discipline. Congress appointed the Hungarian revolutionary and professional soldier

Michael Kovats Michael Kovats de Fabriczy (often simply Michael Kovats; ; 1724 – May 11, 1779) was a Hungarian nobleman and cavalry officer who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, in which he was killed in action. General Cas ...

and the Polish

Casimir Pulaski Kazimierz Michał Władysław Wiktor Pułaski (; March 4 or 6, 1745 October 11, 1779), anglicised as Casimir Pulaski ( ), was a Polish nobleman, soldier, and military commander who has been called "The Father of American cavalry" or "The So ...

to train them as an offensive strike force during winter quarters of 1777–78 at Trenton, New Jersey. Kazimierz Pulaski

Pulaski's efforts led to friction with the American officers, resulting in his resignation, but Congress authorized Pulaski to form his own independent corps in 1778. Pulaski's Legion consisted of dragoons, riflemen, grenadiers, and infantry. Another independent corps of dragoons joined Pulaski's in the Continental Line during 1778 when a former captain in Bland's Horse, "Light Horse Harry" Lee, formed Lee's Corps of Partisan Light Dragoons, which specialized in raiding and harassing supply lines. Colonel

Charles Armand Tuffin, marquis de la Rouërie Charles Armand Tuffin, marquis de la Rouërie (13 April 1751 – 30 January 1793) was a French army officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He was promoted to brigadier general after the siege of Yorktown and led Chouan rebels durin ...

("Col. Armand"), a French nobleman, raised a third corps of infantry in Boston, called the Free and Independent Chasseurs, which later added a troop of dragoons, becoming

Armand's Legion Armand's Legion was formed on June 25, 1778, at Boston, Massachusetts under the command of Colonel Charles Armand Tuffin of France, for service with the Continental Army. From French Army to American Armand had previously served in the French ...

. Although a reorganization in 1778 authorized expansion of the four regiments to 415 men each, forage difficulties, expiration of enlistments, desertions, and other problems made this impossible, and no regiment ever carried more than 200 men on its rolls, and they averaged 120 to 180 men between 1778 and 1780. In 1779, Washington ordered the 2nd and

4th Continental Light Dragoons The 4th Continental Light Dragoons, also known as Moylan's Horse, was raised on January 5, 1777, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for service with the Continental Army under Colonel Stephen Moylan. The regiment was known for taking the field in c ...

equipped temporarily as infantry, and deployed the

1st First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

and 3rd Continental Light Dragoons and

Pulaski's Legion Pulaski's Legion was a cavalry and infantry regiment raised on March 28, 1778 at Baltimore, Maryland under the command of Polish-born General Casimir Pulaski and Hungarian nobleman Michael Kovats de Fabriczy for their service with the Continen ...

to the South to join local militia cavalry and to ensure the area remained American during an unexpected counter-offensive. Battle engagements in South Carolina largely seriously attrited the 1st and 3rd Regiments in the spring of 1780, who amalgamated into a single unit. Following the capture of

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

on 12 May 1780, the remnants tried to regroup and reconstitute in Virginia and North Carolina. In August 1780, Armand's Legion was with General Gates at the disastrous

Battle of Camden The Battle of Camden (August 16, 1780), also known as the Battle of Camden Court House, was a major victory for the Kingdom of Great Britain, British in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War. On August 16, 1780, British forces ...

. The most significant engagement of the war involving Continental light dragoons was the

Battle of Cowpens The Battle of Cowpens was a military engagement during the American Revolutionary War fought on January 17, 1781, near the town of Cowpens, South Carolina. American Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot forces, estimated at 2,000 militia and reg ...

in January 1781. Southern theater commander General

Nathanael Greene Major general (United States), Major General Nathanael Greene (August 7, 1742 – June 19, 1786) was an American military officer and planter who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War. He emerge ...

reorganized part of Lee's Legion and elements of the amalgamated 1st and 3rd Light Dragoons in Charlotte and dispatched them on a series of raids against Loyalist forces in western Carolina. The dragoons joined the "flying corps" commanded by General

Daniel Morgan Daniel Morgan (c. 1736 – July 6, 1802) was an American pioneer, soldier, and politician from Virginia. One of the most respected battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War of 1775–1783, he later commanded troops during the sup ...

at the

, securing a crucial victory for the American forces in the early stages of the war. Later, the 3rd Legionary Corps participated in Greene's maneuvers across North Carolina and fought well against Cornwallis's army at

Guilford Courthouse The Battle of Guilford Court House was fought on 15 March 1781 during the American Revolutionary War, near Greensboro, North Carolina. A 2,100-man British force under the command of Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis defeated Major General Na ...

. In January 1781, the practice of the dragoons employing both mounted and dismounted troops resulted in their official reconfiguration as Legionary Corps, the mounted dragoons supported by dismounted dragoons armed as infantry, an organization that persisted until the war's end. In 1783, the Continental Army was discharged and the dragoons were released.

War of 1812

The first cavalry unit formed by the

Congress of the United States of America A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

(along with three new regular infantry regiments) was a squadron of light dragoons commanded by Major

Michael Rudolph Michael Rudolph (1758–1795) was an American military officer who served as acting Adjutant General and acting Inspector General of the U.S. Army in 1793. Background Rudolph was born in Elkton, Maryland of parents of German descent, and r ...

on 5 March 1792. Its four troops were assigned to each of the four sublegions of

Legion of the United States The Legion of the United States was a reorganization and extension of the United States Army from 1792 to 1796 under the command of Major General Anthony Wayne. It represented a political shift in the new United States, which had recently adop ...

, by September 1792. In 1796, the number of troops was reduced to only two, which were almagamated in 1798 with six newly raised troops to the Regiment of Regiment of Light Dragoons. This mounted force was short lived as well and saw its end in 1800. The oldest two "veterans" troops were retained until June 1802. Hence no regular mounted soldiers existed for the next six years. In 1798, during the

Quasi-War The Quasi-War was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in ...

with France, Congress established a three-year " Provisional Army" of 10,000 men, consisting of twelve regiments of infantry and six troops of light dragoons. By March 1799 Congress created an "Eventual Army" of 30,000 men, including three regiments of cavalry. Both "armies" existed only on paper, but equipment for 3,000 men and horses was procured and stored. The Congressional act of 12 April 1808 authorized a standing regiment of light dragoons consisting of eight troops. As war loomed, Congress authorized another regiment of light dragoons on 11 January 1812. These regiments were respectively known afterwards as the First and Second United States Dragoons. In 1813, Secretary of War John Armstrong Jr. granted Colonel

Richard Mentor Johnson Richard Mentor Johnson (October 17, 1780 – November 19, 1850) was an American lawyer, military officer and politician who served as the ninth vice president of the United States from 1837 to 1841 under President Martin Van Buren. He is ...

permission to raise two battalions of volunteer cavalry. Johnson recruited 1,200 men, divided into 14 companies. Congress combined the First and Second United States Dragoons into one Regiment of Light Dragoons on 30 March 1814. This was a cost-cutting measure; it was cheaper and easier to maintain one unit at full strength than two organizations that could not maintain a full complement of riders. The signing of the

Treaty of Ghent The Treaty of Ghent () was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. It took effect in February 1815. Both sides signed it on December 24, 1814, in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands (now in ...

at the end of the year ended the war. The regiment was disbanded on 3 March 1815, with the explanation that cavalry forces were too expensive to maintain as part of a standing army. The retained officers and men were folded into the Corps of Artillery by 15 June 1815, all others were discharged.

Westward expansion

The "plains cavalry" played an important role in extending American hegemony into western North America by forcefully subduing and displacing Native Americans from their lands during the western Indian Wars, thereby making way for colonists of primarily European descent. In 1832, Congress formed the Battalion of Mounted Rangers to protect settlers along the east bank of the Mississippi River and to keep the Santa Fe trail open. The battalion comprised volunteers organized into six companies of 100 men. To correct what was perceived as a lack of discipline, organization and reliability, Congress formed the United States Regiment of Dragoons as a regular force in 1833, consisting of 10 companies (designated A through K) with a total of 750 men. The Regiment fought against the Seminole nation in 1835, when Chief Osceola led warriors from his tribe in the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups of people collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Muscogee, Creek and Black Seminoles as well as oth ...

in protest to the

Treaty of Payne's Landing The Treaty of Payne's Landing (Treaty with the Seminole, 1832) was an agreement signed on 9 May 1832 between the government of the United States and several chiefs of the Seminole Indians in the Territory of Florida, before it acquired statehood. ...

. For a year, the established units had difficulty containing the Indians. Congress responded by establishing the 2nd United States Regiment of Dragoons in 1836.

War with Mexico

The First Dragoons served in the Mexican War, and Charles A. May's squadron of the Second Dragoons helped decide the

Battle of Resaca de la Palma The Battle of Resaca de la Palma was one of the early engagements of the Mexican–American War, where the United States Army under General Zachary Taylor engaged the retreating forces of the Mexican ''Ejército del Norte'' ("Army of the Nor ...

Civil War

Shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War, the Army's dragoon regiments were designated as "Cavalry", losing their previous distinctions. The change was an unpopular one and the former dragoons retained their orange braided blue jackets until they wore out and had to be replaced with cavalry yellow. The 1st United States Cavalry fought in virtually every campaign in the north during the American Civil War.

Indian wars

The U.S. Cavalry played a prominent role in the

American Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, was a conflict initially fought by European colonization of the Americas, European colonial empires, the United States, and briefly the Confederate States o ...

, particularly in the

American Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...

. Particularly notable were the 7th Cavalry, associated with General

George Armstrong 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 the United States Military Academy at West Point ...

and the

Battle of the 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 commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Si ...

, and the 9th and 10th Cavalry, the Buffalo Soldiers. Infantry units, called by the Indians "walkaheaps", were also involved and in some cases were the main force deployed. Infantry, when mounted, were called "mounted infantry"; they lacked training and skill in horsemanship and cavalry tactics. File:US Army Cavalry Sergeant 1866 (Bis).jpg, Company "A" 1st US Cavalry Sgt wearing

Hardee hat The Hardee hat, also known as the Model 1858 Dress Hat and sometimes nicknamed the " Jeff Davis", was the regulation dress hat for enlisted men in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The Hardee hat was also worn by Confederate soldier ...

, 1866 File:USCavalryFieldUniforms1876.gif, U.S. Army poster illustrating field uniforms circa 1876 File:RemingtonUSCavalryChristmasBeefRoast.jpg, Roasting the Christmas Beef,

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 Sta ...

, ''Harper's Weekly'', 24 December 1892

Spanish–American War

Several Cavalry regiments served in Cuba, the 1st, 2d, 3rd Cavalry Regiments along with the African-American 9th and 10th Cavalry and also the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry, the

Rough Riders The Rough Riders was a nickname given to the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish–American War and the only one to see combat. The United States Army was small, understaffed, and diso ...

. Of all the cavalry regiments, only the 3rd went to Cuba with their normal complement of horses. For the rest, only the officers' horses went as there was not enough room on the ship to bring all the horses to Cuba, and those that were not used by the officers were used to pull equipment. Likewise, all of the cavalry units except the mounted 3rd Cavalry were organized into two brigades that made up the Cavalry Division led by former Confederate cavalryman, General

Joseph Wheeler Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler (September 10, 1836 – January 25, 1906) was a military commander and politician of the Confederate States of America. He was a cavalry general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil ...

. Wheeler's Cavalry Division was part of the other 2 infantry divisions and independent brigade that made up the V Corps headed by General Shafter. Several other cavalry regiments from the West Coast were sent to Puerto Rico and the Philippines. Units of Wheeler's Cavalry Division fought at both the

Battle of Las Guasimas The Battle of Las Guasimas of June 24, 1898 was a Spanish rearguard action by Major General Antero Rubín against advancing columns led by Major General Joseph Wheeler, "Fighting Joe" Wheeler and the first land engagement of the Spanish–Ameri ...

on 24 June 1898 and the

Battle of San Juan Heights The Battle of San Juan Hill (), also known as the Battle for the San Juan Heights, was a major battle of the Spanish–American War fought between an American force under the command of William Rufus Shafter and Joseph Wheeler against a Span ...

on 1 July 1898.

World War I

The 15th Cavalry Division was created in February 1917 at

Fort Sam Houston Fort Sam Houston is a United States Army, 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 first president o ...

, Texas. Originally trained for deployment to Europe, its units were later converted into field artillery units. The division was deactivated on 12 May 1918.

Post-World War I

Proponents of horse cavalry argued that the lack of success of cavalry on World War I's static defensive lines had been an exception, and that cavalry still had a role to play in warfare, even as the U.S. Army's mechanization continued. The American Expeditionary Forces convened a Cavalry Board to consider the future of horse cavalry; this panel concluded that the employment of large cavalry units was probably obsolete, but that horse cavalry units of regiment size and below could be attached to infantry and armor units for reconnaissance and similar missions on an as needed basis. The Army accepted this recommendation, and continued to field horse cavalry units in the 1920s and 1930s. As part of the

National Defense Act of 1920 The National Defense Act of 1920 (or Kahn Act) was sponsored by United States Representative Julius Kahn (congressman), Julius Kahn, Republican Party (United States), Republican of California. This legislation updated the National Defense Act ...

, the Army created the Office of the Chief of Cavalry; the chief would be a temporary major general, and would be empowered to supervise cavalry activities, including personnel management, equipment development and fielding, and creation and implementation of tactics, doctrine, and training.

Willard Ames Holbrook Major General Willard Ames Holbrook (July 23, 1860 – July 18, 1932) was a United States Army officer who served for almost forty years. Coming from a family with long military tradition, he was the father of future Brigadier General Willard Am ...

was appointed as the first Chief of Cavalry, and he served until 1924.

Regular Army and Philippine Scouts

The personnel and assets of the 15th Cavalry Division were later used to form 1st & 2nd Cavalry Divisions. On 20 August 1921, as a result of lessons learned from World War I, the Army's Adjutant General, Major General Peter C. Harris, constituted the 1st and 2nd Cavalry Divisions to meet future mobilization requirements. However, the 2nd Cavalry Division was not subsequently activated, and remained in 'on-paper' organizational limbo for twenty years. In 1922 the

26th Cavalry Regiment (United States) The 26th Cavalry Regiment (Philippine Scouts) (26th CAV (PS)) was part of U.S. Army Forces Far East's Philippine Department, during World War II. The 26th engaged in the last cavalry charge in the history of the U.S. cavalry. The American Bat ...

, was formed in the Philippines. In 1927, the Adjutant General constituted the I Cavalry Corps (the headquarters of which was never fully activated), and the 3rd Cavalry Division, new Regular Army formations.

National Guard

In 1921, the 21st through 24th Cavalry Divisions were formed in the National Guard, with the

First First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

Second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...

, and Third Army Areas supporting the 21st, 22nd, and 24th, respectively. The 23rd was the nation's at-large cavalry division, supported by all army areas (Alabama, Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin Army National Guards). In a short time the divisions had the prescribed cavalry regiments and machine gun squadrons but not the majority of their support organizations. The 56th Cavalry Brigade was a separate cavalry brigade.

Organized Reserve

To create the Organized Reserve cavalry divisions, the War Department added the 61st, 62nd;

63rd 63rd may refer to: ;Metro stations *Ashland/63rd (CTA station), on the Green Line *East 63rd-Cottage Grove (CTA), on the Green Line *63rd (CTA Red Line), on the Red Line *63rd Street station (SEPTA Market–Frankford Line) on the Market-Frankford L ...

; 64th, 65th and 66th Cavalry Divisions to the rolls of the Army on 15 October 1921.

Segregated cavalry units

In the midst of the 1940 presidential campaign prominent black leaders complained bitterly to President Franklin D. Roosevelt about the limited number of black units. Under political pressure the Army activated the 2nd Cavalry Division at

Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Ge ...

, Kansas, on 1 April 1941, with one white and one black brigade. The black brigade, the 4th Cavalry Brigade was activated during February 1941 with the

9th Cavalry Regiment The 9th Cavalry Regiment is a parent cavalry regiment of the United States Army. Historically, it was one of the Army's four segregated African-American regiments and was part of what was known as the Buffalo Soldiers. The regiment saw combat d ...

and

10th Cavalry Regiment The 10th Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army. Formed as a segregated African-American unit, the 10th Cavalry was one of the original " Buffalo Soldier" regiments in the post–Civil War Regular Army. It served in combat during ...

, the " Buffalo Soldiers," as its cavalry regiments. In addition, a further black cavalry regiment, the 27th Cavalry Regiment (Colored), 2nd Cavalry Division, was also activated in April 1941.

Mechanization

During the interwar period, the Army commenced experimenting with mechanization and had partially mechanized some cavalry regiments. In 1940, the National Guard cavalry divisions were disbanded; some of their cavalry regiments partially retain horses as "horse-mechanized" regiments, while others were converted into other types of units, such as antiaircraft artillery or field artillery, or used to complete inactive parts of existing units. During the war, many of the Army's cavalry units were mechanized with tanks and reconnaissance vehicles, while others fought dismounted as infantry. Some units were converted into other types of units entirely, some of which made use of the cavalry's experience with horses. The "Mars Men" of the

China Burma India Theater China Burma India Theater (CBI) was the United States military designation during World War II for the China and Southeast Asian or India–Burma (IBT) theaters. Operational command of Allied forces (including U.S. forces) in the CBI was ...

give such an example.

World War II

Because of a shortage of men, on 15 July 1942, the 2nd Cavalry Division was inactivated to permit organization of the 9th Armored Division. White cavalrymen were assigned to the 9th Armored Division, and the all-black 4th Cavalry Brigade became a non-divisional formation. As part of a large-scale Army reorganization in March 1942, the Chief of Staff of the Army, General

George Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (31 December 1880 – 16 October 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army under pres ...

, abolished the position of branch chief in the ground arms, including for the Cavalry. The branch chiefs' functions were centralized within the new

Army Ground Forces The Army Ground Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Service Forces. Throughout their existence, Army Ground Forces were the la ...

headquarters as part of an effort to consolidate and streamline the integration of training and doctrine among the Army's different branches. Before World War II the 106th Cavalry was a National Guard unit based in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to World War I and the Spanish–American War it had been known as the 1st Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. The 106th underwent a number of different reorganizations until 1 September 1940, when it was redesignated the 1st Squadron, 106th Cavalry (Horse-Mechanized). On 25 February 1943 the 2nd Cavalry Division was (re)activated. The 27th Cavalry Regiment was attached to the 5th Cavalry Brigade (Colored) on 25 February 1943. It was deactivated 27 March 1944 and personnel later reorganized into the 6400th Ordnance Battalion (Ammo) (Provisional) 12 June 1944. The 28th Cavalry Regiment (Colored), 2nd Cavalry Division, activated February 1942 and attached to the 5th Cavalry Brigade (Colored) on 25 February 1943. It was deactivated 31 March 1944 and personnel later reorganized into the 6400th Ordnance Battalion (Ammo) (Provisional) 12 June 1944. United States World War II Cavalry Group Mechanized 1944 Structure

United States World War II Cavalry Group Mechanized 1944 Structure

26th Cavalry PI Scouts moving into Pozorrubio

The last horse

cavalry charge A charge is an offensive maneuver in battle in which combatants advance towards their enemy at their best speed in an attempt to engage in a decisive close combat. The charge is the dominant shock attack and has been the key tactic and decis ...

by a U.S. Army cavalry unit took place against Japanese forces during the fighting in the Bataan Peninsula, Philippines, in the village of Morong on 16 January 1942, by the 26th Cavalry Regiment of the Philippine Scouts. Shortly thereafter, the besieged combined United States-Philippine forces were forced to slaughter their horses for food and the 26th Regiment fought on foot or in whatever scarce vehicles were available until their surrender. The 10th Mountain Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop of the 10th Mountain Division, while not designated as U.S. Cavalry, conducted the last horse-mounted charge of any Army organization while engaged in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

in 1945. An impromptu pistol charge by the Third Platoon was carried out when the Troop encountered a machine gun nest in an Italian village/town sometime between 14 and 23 April 1945.

Mechanized cavalry

The principal reconnaissance element of an infantry division was a mechanized cavalry troop, whilst an armored division was provided with a full cavalry squadron. Several cavalry groups, each of two squadrons, were formed to serve as the reconnaissance elements for U.S. corps headquarters in the European Theater of Operations during 1944–45. M24 May 1945

Besides HQ and service elements, each cavalry troop comprised three cavalry platoons, each of which was equipped with six Bantam jeeps and three

M8 Greyhound The M8 light armored car is a 6×6 armored car produced by the Ford Motor Company during World War II. It was used from 1943 by United States and British forces in Europe and the Pacific until the end of the war. The vehicle was widely exported ...

armored cars. Three of the jeeps were mounted with a 60mm mortar manned by two soldiers; the other three had a bracket-mounted .30 caliber machine gun, manned by a soldier sitting in the front passenger seat – although sometimes the M1919 was replaced by a .50 caliber machine gun. To maximize speed and maneuverability on the battlefield, the Bantams were not given extra armor protection. The ''M8 Greyhound'' was a six-wheeled, light-weight armored car, mounting a 37 mm gun in a movable turret that could swing a full 360 degrees. It also featured a .30 caliber machine gun that could move independently of the turret. The M8 was equipped with powerful FM radios to enable battlefield communications. A cavalry squadron comprised a HQ Troop, three cavalry troops (four for those in armored divisions), a light tank company and an assault gun troop. The light tank company had 17 tanks; two in the company headquarters and three platoons of five tanks. Initially, the tanks were

M3 Stuart The M3 Stuart/light tank M3, was a US light tank of World War II, first entered service in the British Army in early 1941 and saw action in the North African campaign in July 1941. Later an improved version of the tank entered service as the ...

s, later M5 Stuarts; both of which were equipped with 37mm guns. The Stuart was capable of speeds of up to on the road. While fast and maneuverable, its armor plating and cannon were soon found to be no match for the German tanks. In February 1945 they were replaced with the

M24 Chaffee The M24 Chaffee (officially light tank M24) was an American light tank used during the later part of World War II; it was also used in post–World War II conflicts including the Korean War, and by the French in the Algerian War, War in Algeri ...

light tank, which was equipped with a 75 mm gun. The assault gun troop comprised three assault gun platoons (four for those in armored divisions), each with two M8 HMCs – M5 Stuarts with their turrets replaced by an open-turreted 75 mm howitzer – and two M3 Half-tracks; one for the platoon HQ, the other for the ammunition section. The experience gained in the use of the mechanized cavalry groups during World War II led to the eventual postwar formation of armored cavalry regiments to act as corps reconnaissance and screening elements.

Vietnam

The Vietnam War saw the first combat use of

air cavalry For much of history, humans have used some form of cavalry for war and, as a result, cavalry tactics have evolved over time. Tactically, the main advantages of cavalry over infantry were greater mobility, a larger impact, and a higher riding pos ...

warfare. Twenty armored and air cavalry units were deployed to Vietnam during the war. Armored cavalry units in Vietnam were initially equipped with the M48A3 Patton tank, armed with a 90 mm main gun, and the M113 Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle (ACAV). In January 1969, the cavalry began transitioning from the Patton tank to the

M551 Sheridan The M551 "Sheridan" AR/AAV (Reconnaissance vehicle, Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle) was a light tank developed by the United States and named after General (United States), General Philip Sheridan, of American Civil War fame. It ...

Armored Airborne Reconnaissance Assault Vehicle. By 1970, all armored cavalry units in Vietnam were operating the Sheridan except for the tank companies of the 11th ACR, which continued to use Patton tanks.

U. S. Armored Cavalry (Ground Cavalry Units) in the Vietnam War

*1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry; attached to the 23rd Infantry Division ( Americal), but remained assigned to the 1st Armored Division *Troop E, 1st Cavalry; assigned to 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division *2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry; attached to the 4th Infantry Division (Ivy Division), but remained assigned to the 2nd Armored Division *1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry; assigned to the 1st Infantry Division (

Big Red One The 1st Infantry Division (1ID) is a combined arms division of the United States Army, and is the oldest continuously serving division in the Regular Army. It has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917 during World War I. It w ...

) *3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry; assigned to the 25th Infantry Division (Tropical Lightning) *3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry; assigned to the 9th Infantry Division ( Old Reliables); 1971 attached to 1st Brigade 5th (Mech) Infantry Division (

Red Diamond A red diamond is a diamond which displays red color and exhibits the same mineral properties as colorless diamonds. Red diamonds are commonly known as the most expensive and the rarest diamond color in the world, even more so than pink or blue d ...

), in I Corps near

DMZ A demilitarized zone (DMZ or DZ) is an area in which treaties or agreements between states, military powers or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel. A DZ often lies along an established frontier or boundary ...

*1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry; assigned to the 4th Infantry Division *

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment ("Blackhorse Regiment") is a unit of the United States Army garrisoned at the Fort Irwin National Training Center in California. The regiment has served in the Philippine–American War, the Pancho Villa Expedi ...

; II Field Force. The 11th ACR (Blackhorse) was the only full Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam, consisting of 3 squadrons (1st, 2nd, and 3rd) and commanded by

WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

General Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (11 November 1885 – 21 December 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, then the Third Army in France and Germany after the Alli ...

's son Colonel George S. Patton Jr. *Troop A, 4th Squadron,

12th Cavalry The 5th Horse is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. It was previously known as the 5th King Edward's Own Lancers Probyn's Horse, which was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1921 by the amalgamation of ...

; assigned to 1st Brigade 5th (Mech) Infantry Division *Troop B, 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry; assigned to

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into hostile areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

(All American) *2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry; assigned to

101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division (military), division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault military operation, operations. The 101st is designed to plan, coordinat ...

(Screaming Eagle). December 1968 to June 1969 both 2/17 Cav and 101st Abn Div converted to

Airmobile Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, such as helicopters, to seize and hold key terrain that has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind enemy ...

units.Starry (1978) p. 230 *Troop D, 17th Cavalry; assigned to 199th Infantry Brigade (Light Brigade). Deactivated Oct 1970/reactivated Apr 1972 as an

Air Cavalry For much of history, humans have used some form of cavalry for war and, as a result, cavalry tactics have evolved over time. Tactically, the main advantages of cavalry over infantry were greater mobility, a larger impact, and a higher riding pos ...

Troop. *Troop E, 17th Cavalry; assigned to 173rd Airborne Brigade *Troop F, 17th Cavalry; assigned to 196th Infantry Brigade (Light Brigade), Americal Division *Troop H, 17th Cavalry; assigned to 198th Infantry Brigade (Light Brigade), Americal Division. Deactivated Oct 1971/reactivated Apr 1972 as an Air Cavalry Troop. During the Vietnam War U.S. Cavalry squadrons were normally assigned or attached to army divisions. Army brigades were only authorized one cavalry Troop, as was the case with "A" Troop, 4/12 Cavalry. When only the 1st Brigade of the 5th (Mechanized) Infantry Division deployed to the

Republic of South Vietnam The Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (PRG, ), was formed on 8 June 1969, by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) as an armed underground government opposing the government of the Republic of ...

(RVN), only one cavalry troop was assigned to the brigade, Troop A.

Contemporary cavalry and dragoons

Recent developments

The 1st Dragoons was reformed in the Vietnam era as 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry. Today's modern 1–1st Cavalry is a scout/attack unit, equipped with M1A1 Abrams tanks and M3 Bradley CFVs. Another modern U.S. Army unit informally known as the 2nd Dragoons is the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (Stryker). This unit was originally organized as the Second Dragoon Regiment in 1836 until it was renamed the Second Cavalry Regiment in 1860, morphing into the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in the 1960s. The regiment is currently equipped with the

Stryker The Stryker is a family of Eight-wheel drive, eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III. Stryker vehicles are produced by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C) for the United States Army in a plant in L ...

family of wheeled fighting vehicles. As equipped with the Stryker, the 2nd Cavalry once again can be accurately referred to as a "dragoon" force – mounted infantry.

Traditions

The cavalry, like any other military force, has its own unique traditions and history. These traditions include the Order of the Spur; Spurs are issued to cavalry soldiers in Gold, for the completion of a tour of combat service and in Silver for the completion of what is commonly called the "Spur Ride". The Cavalry traditions also include: the

Stetson Stetson is an American brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company. "Stetson" is also used as a generic trademark to refer to any campaign hat, particularly in Scouting. John B. Stetson gained inspiration for his most famous ...

, Stetson Cords,

Fiddler's Green Fiddler's Green is an after-life where there is perpetual mirth, a fiddle that never stops playing, and dancers who never tire. In 19th-century English maritime folklore, it was a kind of after-life for sailors who had served at least fifty ye ...

poem, and the Order of the Yellow Rose. Units in the modern Army with the armor and cavalry designation have adopted the black Stetson hat as unofficial semi dress headgear, recalling the black felt campaign hats of the American frontier era. Where as the Quarter-Cav still wears the brown felt Stetsons.

Cavalry designation

The distinct cavalry branch ceased to exist when it was absorbed into the Armor branch in 1951, during the Korean War. Other regiments of both armored and air cavalry exist in the Army. The patches on 1st Cavalry Division helicopters that served in Vietnam retained the symbol of a horse, symbolizing the mobility that characterized the original horse cavalry. In spite of the formal disbanding of the branch, however, the recognition of it continues on within the Army's armor and aviation branches, where some officers choose cavalry branch insignia over the very similar armor branch insignia or aviation "prop and wing" insignia. Chief, the last surviving tactical horse of the United States Cavalry, died in 1968, at the age of 36. There is one enlisted Army

military occupational specialty A United States military occupation code, or a military occupational specialty code (MOS code), is a nine-character code used in the United States Army and United States Marine Corps to identify a specific job. In the United States Air Force, a sy ...

in use in Cavalry units: 19D, armored cavalry reconnaissance specialist, or

cavalry scout Cavalry Scout is the job title of someone who has achieved the military occupational specialty of 19D Armored Reconnaissance Specialist in the Combat Arms branch of the United States Army. As with all enlisted soldiers in the United States Caval ...

. Officers are often branch detailed either from the Armor branch or the Infantry branch to lead Cavalry soldiers. The 1st Cavalry Division is the only presently existing division of the Army that retains the "cavalry" name and the division retains one detachment of ceremonial horse cavalry for morale and ceremonial purposes. In addition to a division headquarters and headquarters battalion, division artillery, and a sustainment brigade, the division is otherwise divided into three

armored brigade combat teams The brigade combat team (BCT) is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the U.S. Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its assigned support and fire units. A brigade is normally commanded by ...

and one combat aviation brigade. Both types of brigades contain subordinate units (armored cavalry squadrons and an attack/reconnaissance squadron, respectively) that perform traditional cavalry tasks.

Current units

Active units: :(number of active squadrons in brackets) * 1st U.S. Dragoons organized 1833. Redesignated 1st U.S. Cavalry 1861. * 2nd U.S. Dragoons organized 1836. Redesignated 2nd U.S. Cavalry 1861 *

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

Mounted Riflemen Mounted infantry were infantry who rode horses instead of marching. Unlike cavalry, mounted infantry dismounted to fight on foot. The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry. According to the ''Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Editio ...

organized 1846. Redesignated 3rd U.S. Cavalry 1861 * 1st Cavalry Regiment organized 1855.Price (1883) p. 17, 21 Redesignated

4th U.S. Cavalry The 4th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment, whose lineage is traced back to the mid-19th century. It was one of the most effective units of the Army against American Indians on the Texas frontier. Today, the regiment exis ...

1861. * 2nd Cavalry Regiment organized 1855. Redesignated 5th U.S. Cavalry 1861. * 3rd Cavalry Regiment (4), organized 4 May 1861. Redesignated 6th U.S. Cavalry 29 July 1861. *

4th Cavalry Regiment The 4th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment, whose lineage is traced back to the mid-19th century. It was one of the most effective units of the Army against American Indians on the Texas frontier. Today, the regiment exis ...

(5), organized 1861 *

5th Cavalry Regiment The 5th Cavalry Regiment ("Black Knights") is a historical unit of the United States Army that began its service on March 3, 1855, as the Second Cavalry Regiment. On August 3, 1861, it was redesignated as the 5th Cavalry Regiment following an ...

(2), organized 1861 *

6th Cavalry Regiment The 6th Cavalry ("Fighting Sixth'") is a regiment of the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry in the American Civil War. It currently is organized into aviation squadrons that are assigned to several different combat aviation ...

(4), organized 1861 *

7th Cavalry Regiment The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment formed in 1866. Its official nickname is "Garryowen", after the Irish air " Garryowen" that was adopted as its march tune. The regiment participated in some of the largest ba ...

(5), organized 1866 *

8th Cavalry Regiment The 8th Cavalry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army formed in 1866 during the American Indian Wars. The 8th Cavalry continued to serve under a number of designations, fighting in every other major U.S. conflict since, except Wor ...

(4), organized 1866 *

(3), organized 1866 *

(1), ( Buffalo Soldiers) ''Colored Regiment'', organized 28 July 1866 *

(2), organized 2 February 1901 *

12th Cavalry Regiment The 12th Cavalry is a cavalry regiment of the United States Army. It is currently stationed at Fort Cavazos. History On 2 February 1901, Congress authorized the organization of the Twelfth Regiment of Cavalry, Army of the United States. Under ...

(2), organized February 1901 * 13th Cavalry Regiment (2), organized 1901 *

14th 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 ...

(2), organized 1901 * 15th Cavalry Regiment, organized 1901

US Army Training and Doctrine Command The United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) is a major command of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is charged with overseeing training of Army forces and the development of operational doctrine. ...

unit * 16th Cavalry Regiment, organized 1916 US Army Armor School *

17th Cavalry Regiment The 17th Cavalry Regiment is a historical organization within the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry after the Pancho Villa Expedition. The unit was constituted on 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 17th Cavalry at Fort ...

(5), organized 1916. *

32nd Cavalry Regiment The 32nd Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry formation of the United States Army. From 1941 to 2000, it was an Armor Branch, armor formation. History The 32nd Armor Regiment was activated 15 April 1941 at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana as the 2nd Armo ...

(1) * 33rd Cavalry Regiment (1) E.T.H.O.G.A. Civilian G-Code regulators *

38th Cavalry Regiment The 38th Cavalry Regiment was a regiment of the United States Army first established in 1916. It was the regimental affiliate of three reconnaissance and surveillance squadrons (1st, 2nd, 3rd) that were part of battlefield surveillance briga ...

(3) part of Battlefield Surveillance Brigades * 40th Cavalry Regiment (1) cryptographic data team * 61st Cavalry Regiment (2) *

71st Cavalry Regiment The 71st Cavalry was originally constituted on 3 December 1941 in the Army of the United States as the 701st Tank Destroyer Battalion. History The unit was activated on 15 December 1941 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The unit saw action throughout Wo ...

(2), reestablished in 2004 *

73rd Cavalry Regiment The 73rd Cavalry Regiment is a Cavalry Regiment in the United States Army, first formed in 1941. Three squadrons of the 73rd Cavalry Regiment ("Airborne Thunder") provided reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition ( RSTA) to the Bri ...

(4) *

75th Cavalry Regiment The 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment (1-75 CAV) is an inactive United States Army cavalry squadron established in 2004. It was the Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron (RSTA) squadron of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team ...

(1) * 89th Cavalry Regiment (2) * 91st Cavalry Regiment (1) * 1st Cavalry Division organized 1921 Army National Guard: *

18th Cavalry Regiment The 18th Cavalry Regiment is a parent cavalry regiment of the United States Army. The 1st Squadron, 18th Cavalry Regiment, is the reconnaissance element of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the California Army National Guard. History ...

, CA ARNG * 2nd Squadron,

101st Cavalry Regiment ''This page is about the 101st Cavalry Regiment. The 101st Cavalry Group was its headquarters unit.'' The 101st Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the New York National Guard that has seen service in the American Civil War, the Spanish–American War ...

, 27th IBCT, NY ARNG *

102nd Cavalry Regiment The 102nd Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the United States Army first established in 1921. It has seen service in the Second World War, including in Normandy and at the Battle of the Bulge, in Iraq 2008–2009, in Jordan and Somali ...

, NJ ARNG (1) *

104th Cavalry Regiment The 104th Cavalry Regiment is a Regiment of the United States Army first established in 1921. Troop A, 1st Squadron is one of several Army National Guard and Active Regular Army Units with Colonial Roots, National Guard units with colonial roo ...

, PA ARNG * 105th Cavalry Regiment, WI ARNG *

106th Cavalry Regiment The 106th Cavalry Regiment (formerly organized as a group) was a mechanized cavalry unit of the United States Army in World War II recognized for its outstanding action. The group was organized in 1921 as part of the Illinois National Guard and ...

, reestablished in 2006 *

107th Cavalry Regiment The 107th Cavalry Regiment, Ohio Army National Guard, is a parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, with headquarters at Hamilton, Ohio. It currently consists of the 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry Regiment, part of the 37th Infa ...

, OH ARNG *

108th Cavalry Regiment The 108th Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the Georgia and Louisiana Army National Guards of the United States Army. Lineage The 108th Cavalry Regiment was constituted in the National Guard on 1 June 1921, allotted to the states of ...

, GA ARNG *

112th Cavalry Regiment The 112th Cavalry Regiment is a Texas National Guard regiment that served in several Pacific campaigns during World War II. Early history The 112th Cavalry Regiment was constituted in the National Guard in 1921, assigned to the 23rd Cavalry D ...

, TX ARNG *

113th Cavalry Regiment The 113th Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the Iowa National Guard, with history tracing back to the 19th century Indian Wars. It was heavily involved in fighting during World War II against German forces in France, Belgium, the Neth ...

, IA ARNG *

116th Cavalry Brigade The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team is the largest formation of the Idaho Army National Guard. It is headquartered at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. It has been reorganized into an Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) but remains the only unit to be ...

, ID ARNG * 124th Cavalry Regiment, TX ARNG * 1st Battalion/Squadron -142nd Cavalry Regiment BFSB, AL ARNG * 1st Battalion/Squadron-134th Cavalry Regiment Reconnaissance and Surveillance Squadron (1–134 Cavalry R&S)-- formerly 1–167th Cavalry RSTA,

67th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade The 67th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade is a maneuver enhancement brigade (MEB) of the Nebraska Army National Guard (NE-ARNG). It derives its lineage from the 67th Infantry Brigade (United States), 67th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized), previously a ...

Nebraska Army National Guard The Nebraska Army National Guard is a group of Army National Guard units in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Adjutant General for these units is Major General (United States), Major General Craig W. Strong, who assumed his new duties in July 2023. ...

(NEARNG) * 152nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Squadron in 76th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Squadron in 219th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, IN ARNG * 1–153rd Cavalry Squadron, FL ARNG * 158th Cavalry Regiment, MD ARNG * 163rd Cavalry Regiment, MT ARNG *

278th Armored Cavalry Regiment The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment (278th ACR, "Third Tennessee"), previously the 117th Infantry Regiment, is an armored brigade combat team of the Tennessee Army National Guard with headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is the only Nationa ...

, TN ARNG * 1–297th BFSB, AK ARNG * 299th Cavalry Regiment, HI ARNG * 303rd Cavalry Regiment, WA ARNG * 1/221 Cavalry Squadron, 11th ACR reconnaissance squadron, NV ARNG * 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th IBCT, VA ARNG

United States Army Chief of Cavalry

In 1920, the position of United States Army Chief of Cavalry was created. The Chief of Cavalry was responsible for supervising Army cavalry activities, including personnel management, equipment development and fielding, and creation and implementation of tactics, doctrine, and training. The individuals appointed to serve in this position were: *

, 1920–1924 *

Malin Craig Malin Craig (5 August 1875 – 25 July 1945) was a general in the United States Army who served as the 14th Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1935 to 1939. He served in World War I and was recalled to active duty during World War II ...

, 1924–1926 * Herbert B. Crosby, 1926–1930 * Guy V. Henry Jr., 1930–1934 *

Leon Kromer Leon Benjamin Kromer (June 25, 1876 – September 6, 1966) was a United States Army officer and American football coach. From 1934 to 1938, Major general (United States), Major General Kromer was the Chief of Cavalry (United States), U. S. Cava ...

, 1934–1938 * John Knowles Herr, 1938–1942

Heraldry

Cavalry in United States military

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...

is represented in a number of ways: * Branch insignia: *: Two crossed sabers in scabbards, cutting edge up, 11/16-inch in height, of gold color metal. The cavalry insignia was adopted in 1851. Officers and enlisted personnel assigned to cavalry regiments, cavalry squadrons or separate cavalry troops are authorized to wear the cavalry collar insignia in lieu of their insignia of branch when approved by the MACOM commander. Some of the armor and aviation units are designated cavalry units. * Branch plaque: *: The plaque design has the Cavalry insignia and rim in gold. The background is white and the letters are scarlet. * Regimental insignia: *: Personnel assigned to cavalry units affiliate with a specific regiment of their branch or cavalry unit and wear the insignia of the affiliated regiment. * Regimental coat of arms: *: There is no standard cavalry regimental flag to represent all of the cavalry regiments. Each cavalry regiment has its own coat of arms that is displayed on the breast of a displayed eagle. The background of all cavalry regimental flags is yellow, and they have yellow fringes. * Branch colors: *: Yellow is the Cavalry branch color. In March 1855, two regiments of cavalry were created and their trimmings were to be "yellow". In 1861, the designation of dragoon and mounted rifleman disappeared, all becoming troopers with "yellow" as their colors. Yellow was continued as the color for armor and cavalry units subsequent to disbanding as a branch. Although the regimental flags for cavalry units are yellow, the troop guidons are red and white without an insignia on the guidon.

Notable U.S. Army cavalrymen

* Henry R. Adair *

Henry Tureman Allen Major General Henry Tureman Allen (April 13, 1859 – August 29, 1930) was a senior United States Army officer known for exploring the Copper River in Alaska in 1885 along with the Tanana and Koyukuk rivers by transversing of wilderness, a ...

Creighton Abrams Creighton Williams Abrams Jr. (15 September 1914 – 4 September 1974) was a United States Army General (United States), general who commanded military operations in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1972. He was then Chief of Staff of the United Sta ...

Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. (April 1, 1888 – September 12, 1969) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. Allen was a decorated World War I veteran, where he commanded an infantry ba ...

* Ralph E. Haines, Jr. *

Lucius Banks Lucius Banks, Jr. (May 1, 1886 – February 1955) was an American professional rugby league player who played in the 1910s. He played in England for Hunslet in Hunslet, Leeds in 1912 and, is thought to be the first black athlete to compete in ...

Robert C. Richardson, Jr. Robert Charlwood Richardson Jr. (27 October 1882 – 2 March 1954) was a decorated United States Army general whose career spanned the first half of the 20th century, including service in the Philippine insurrection, World War I, and World War ...

* James M. Bell * John Bigelow Jr. *

John Buford John Buford Jr. (March 4, 1826 – December 16, 1863) was a United States Army cavalry officer. He fought for the Union Army, Union during the American Civil War, rising to the rank of brigadier general. Buford is best known for his actions in th ...

* Alfred Moody *

Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American writer, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best known for creating the characters Tarzan (who appeared in ...

* Louis H. Carpenter * Leslie D. Carter * Samuel P. Carter * Adna R. Chaffee Jr. * Adna R. Chaffee *

Harry Chamberlin Harry Dwight Chamberlin (May 19, 1887 – September 29, 1944) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Moro Rebellion, Pancho Villa Expedition, World War I, and World War II, he attained the rank of brigadier gene ...

Elijah Churchill Elijah Churchill (September 5, 1755 – April 11, 1841) was a soldier for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Early life Elijah Churchill was born on September 5, 1755, in Newington, Connecticut. His father was named Gil ...

William Cody William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), better known as Buffalo Bill, was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. One of the most famous figures of the American Old West, Cody started his legend at the young age o ...

Lemuel Cook Lemuel Cook (September 10, 1759 – May 20, 1866) was one of the last verifiable surviving veterans of the American Revolutionary War. Early life and education Cook was born on September 10, 1759, in Litchfield County, Connecticut, to Henry Cook ...

* Will Cook *

Thomas Custer Thomas Ward Custer (March 15, 1845 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and two-time recipient of the Medal of Honor for bravery during the American Civil War. A younger brother of George Armstrong Custer, he served as his aide at ...

William Donovan William or Bill(y) Donovan may refer to: Sports * Bill Donovan (1876–1923), pitcher and manager in Major League Baseball * Bill Donovan (Boston Braves pitcher) (1916–1997), pitcher in Major League Baseball *Billy Donovan (born 1965), American b ...

* Harry A. "Paddy" Flint * Charles H. Gerhardt * George Grunert * Paul D. Harkins * Hamilton S. Hawkins III * John Knowles Herr * Wild Bill Hickok * Stephen W. Kearny * Oscar Koch * Henry Lee III * Robert E. Lee * John P. Lucas * Ranald Mackenzie * Halley G. Maddox * Francis Marion * Charles A. May * H.R. McMaster * Wesley Merritt * John Montgomery (equestrian), John Montgomery * Hal Moore * William Jones Nicholson * Nicholas M. Nolan * George S. Patton * John J. Pershing * Fay B. Prickett * Edwin Ramsey * George Windle Read Jr. * Ronald Reagan * Gordon Byrom Rogers * Theodore Roosevelt * Charles L. Scott (U.S. Army general), Charles L. Scott * Phillip Sheridan * Luke Short * William Renwick Smedberg Jr. * Samuel H. Starr * James Ewell Brown Stuart * Lucian Truscott * Forrest Tucker * Daniel Van Voorhis * William Washington * Charles Willeford

Historical units

* First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry also called Philadelphia Light Horse, mustered into federal service. Now Troop A, 1st Squadron,

, Pennsylvania Army National Guard. (Founded in 1774.) ; Dragoons * 1st Continental Light Dragoons * 2nd Continental Light Dragoons also (Sheldon's Horse) * 3rd Continental Light Dragoons *

(1778–1780) *

(1778–1783) * Lee's Legion, also Lee's Partisan Corps * Ottendorf's Corps ; Cavalry * 106th Cavalry Regiment * 5th Cavalry Brigade HHT (Colored), 2nd Cavalry Division, activated 25 February 1943 and reorganized as 6400th Ordnance Battalion (Ammo) (Provisional) 12 June 1944. * 31st Cavalry Regiment (United States), 31st Cavalry Regiment, deactivated 2005

References

Works cited

*Grant, Ulysses S. (2009) ''The Complete Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant''. Seven Treasures Publications *Johnson, Swafford. (1985) History of the U.S. Cavalry. Bison Books ISBN 0-517-460831 *Price, George F., compiled by Captain Fifth Cavalry, U.S. Army. (1883) ''Across The Continent with the Fifth Cavalry.'' New York, D. Van Nostrand, Publisher, 23 Murray Street and 27 Warpen Street *Smith, Gustavus, Woodson. (2001) ''Company "A" Corps of Engineers, U.S.A., 1846–1848, in the Mexican War.'' Edited by Leonne M. Hudson, The Kent State University Press * Donn A. Starry, Starry, Donn A., General. "Mounted Combat In Vietnam." Vietnam Studies; Department of the Army; First printing 1978

External links

Society of the Military Horse

5th and 2/12th US Cavalry, Vietnam

CavHooah.com

117th Cavalry Association
{{Authority control Cavalry Branches of the United States Army, Cavalry American frontier