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Hi Folks!

Per Army Magazine, May 2006 issue, page 76.
"The 1st Stryker BCT, 25th Infantry Division (Light) has begun its tranfer from Fort Lewis, Wash., to Germany, where it will be reflagged as the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in June."

"An advanced party of 300 soldiers departed Fort Lewis in late March."

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the 2nd Cav Regt at Ft. Lewis?

OK, they send their colors to Germany. Do they then pick up the colors of the 1st BCT, 25th Infantry Division?

Somehow I get the feeling that the way the Army is reflaging units this time around, that someone is trying to break any connection to passed unit history's with future unit history's. Having been part of a reflaging during my time and seen the piles of photos, awards, and letters thrown into the trash because that wasn't who we were anymore. Maybe it's just me, but in looking back at that reflagging, it seamed like a major link in the history of the 1/63 Armor had been broken.

Spot Report!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the 2nd Cav Regt at Ft. Lewis?

I thought it was at Ft. Polk? My old unit certainly has got around since I was in it last.

Moved from Polk to Lewis last year after they returned from Iraq.

Its transitioning from a Light ACR into a Stryker Brigade Combat Team. It may actually turn into a mostly infantry / cavalry unit - the same way all the 1st Cav Division's infantry battalions are "cavalry" units.

Neil

- Neil_Baumgardner

Moved from Polk to Lewis last year after they returned from Iraq.

Its transitioning from a Light ACR into a Stryker Brigade Combat Team. It may actually turn into a mostly infantry / cavalry unit - the same way all the 1st Cav Division's infantry battalions are "cavalry" units.

Neil

Which raises a question that first came to me when I attended the G Troop, 2/11th ACR dinner last month and noticed the high proponderance of infantry in the unit...

Is "cavalry" basically morphing into what historically met most of the criteria for "mechanized infantry"? Not that I have anything against the 11B's, but wondered if the traditional cavalry is being dissolved or redefined with as little "notice" as possible. G Troop had a platoon of tankers attached to them in Iraq, but they didn't bring their tanks...operated from M1114's, IIRC. Is this redefinition of cavalry mission/deployment (read: Iraq) specific, or is it a wider trend throughout the Army?

1-25th, wasn't that the second Stryker brigade to rotate into Iraq? Relieved the... um... 3-2nd I believe, inherited their old vehicles in-country. Out of the original batch of 310 vehicles sent over I think I read something like 20 were lost and maybe twice as many needed a major rebuild. Those stats were on this site some time ago.

Hi Doug! Hi Folks!

- Doug_Kibbey

Which raises a question that first came to me when I attended the G Troop, 2/11th ACR dinner last month and noticed the high proponderance of infantry in the unit...

Is "cavalry" basically morphing into what historically met most of the criteria for "mechanized infantry"? Not that I have anything against the 11B's, but wondered if the traditional cavalry is being dissolved or redefined with as little "notice" as possible. G Troop had a platoon of tankers attached to them in Iraq, but they didn't bring their tanks...operated from M1114's, IIRC. Is this redefinition of cavalry mission/deployment (read: Iraq) specific, or is it a wider trend throughout the Army?

The old type Corps normally had a Regiment of Cavalry. That is NOW gone.
The old type Divisions had a Squadron of Cavalry. That is NOW gone.
The old/old type Brigade Headquarters didn't have any recon units of it's own.
A few years back, the old type Brigade Headquarters picked up a Cavalry Troop working directly for the Brigade Commander.
Each Tank and Infantry Battalion had a Scout Platoon which is NOW gone. (I think, maybe wrong on this one ).

What is left?
That Brigade Cavalry Troop has expanded into a Squadron size unit with all kinds of different types of intell units that in the passed where at Division, Corps, or Army level.

Heavy Cavalry as we knew it, IS GONE. All that is left is a weaker version of the old Cavarly Troop found in the Division Cavalry Squadrons.

As for the title Cavalry, that has very little relationship in many units today other that a weak link to the pass history of the unit.

Any one remember a few years ago, a thread ran on the old site started by individual who was thinking everyone should be crossed trained in infantry, tanks, and artillery. The way units are being deployed to Iraq today, it reminds me of a lot of that individual's ideas.

A unit's current TOE has very little to do with how it is used or equiped in Iraq. There are airborne infantry units conducting patrols mounted in Hummers. Tankers, Artillery and Engineers conducting house to house searchs like Infantry.

I know of a local Army Reserve Smoke (M-58 Wolf) Battalion that is being called up. No they are not taking their M-58s (M-113 mounting a M56 Coyote Smoke-Generation System), they are being 'attached' to medium truck battalion and are being trained as truck drivers for the up coming deployment. So far, their MOS will not be changing, just learning a secondary MOS.

My take on what is happiening to Scouts and Cavalry.
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Thanks Roy...I think. Sounds like I better lock up my Stetson before someone shows up at the door to seize it....

Hi Doug! Hi Folks!

- Doug_Kibbey

Sounds like I better lock up my Stetson before someone shows up at the door to seize it....

Just wait until you are around some troopers from the 1st Cavalry Division. They are still wearing them during special events.

Spot Report.
Sgt, Scouts Out!

- Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Doug! Hi Folks!

- Doug_Kibbey

Sounds like I better lock up my Stetson before someone shows up at the door to seize it....

Just wait until you are around some troopers from the 1st Cavalry Division. They are still wearing them during special events.

Spot Report.
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Roy

I still have my Stetson and spurs, hanging up on the 'Love Me' wall.

I pride myself as having,....'Lived the Legend' as a 2nd Generation CAV Trooper.

Don

Mike, you are correct; the 1st Brigade, 25th was the second Styker Brigade and did replace the 3rd Brigade, 2nd ID in Iraq.