| 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment |
Shopping Cavalry |
Website Links For 2nd |
Information About2d Armored Cavalry Regiment |
The 2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment ('''2d SCR''') is a military unit within the United States Army . It can trace its lineage back to the early part of the 19th century. The 2d SCR has the distinction of being the longest continuously serving unit in the United States Army. BETWEEN 1808-1815 In 1808, there was 1 Regiment of Dragoons and during the . EARLY ORGANIZATION The precursor organization was originally established by President Andrew Jackson on May 23 , 1836 , as the Second Regiment of Dragoons of the U.S. Army. Two squadrons were originally raised, one in Florida and one at Jefferson Barracks , Missouri , to combat the Seminole Indians . It saw its first combat during the Seminole Wars , then served on the Texas Frontier under Col. David Twiggs . The regiment fought in the Mexican-American War and the early frontier Indian Wars . Reorganized as the Second Cavalry, the unit was trained at Jefferson Barracks . Most of its early leadership later gained fame in the American Civil War — William S. Harney ; David E. Twiggs ; Philip St. George Cooke ; Thomas John Wood ; Wesley Merritt and Theophilus Rodenbough . {Note: the 2nd Dragoons whoose name was changed to 2nd US Cavalry in 1861 should not be confused with the 1855-1861 formation of the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment which was renamed the U.S. 5th Cavalry Regiment in 1861}. At the onset of the Civil War in 1861, it was recalled to the Eastern Theater . For much of the war, it was a key part of the "Reserve Brigade" or "Regular Brigade" of the Army Of The Potomac and served in numerous campaigns and battles. During the Battle Of Gettysburg , the 2d U.S. Cavalry served under Wesley Merritt and engaged the Confederates south of Gettysburg on the Third Day . INDIAN WARS
SPANISH AMERICAN WAR, WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II The 2d Cavalry deployed during the War With Spain to Cuba , joining Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders , fighting at El Canay, San Juan Hill , Aquadores, and Santiago. The Regiment remained in Cuba on pacification duty for the next three years. From Cuba, the Regiment deployed to the Philippines , participating in the Cavite Campaign as well as fighting the Moro in 1911 and 1912. During World War I , the Regiment 'saddled up' again, this time under General Pershing in Europe , participating in several battles, including the Aisne - Marne Offensive. Troops B, D,F, and H became the last elements of the Regiment to ever engage the enemy as mounted horse cavalry. During World War II , the Regiment (this time under the designation of '2d Cavalry Group, Mechanized') landed in France in July 1944, becoming part of General Patton 's Third Army . During this period, the Regiment became known as the 'Ghosts of Patton's Army' due to their ability to conduct Reconnaissance , materializing at will behind German lines. The Regiment made the deepest penetration of the war, arriving in Czechoslovakia before finally linking up with Soviet forces heading west. Under the leadership of Col. Charles H. Reed, the Regiment conducted a raid behind Soviet lines to rescue the famous Lipizzaner Stallions . At the end of the war, the unit was redesignated, yet again, as the 2nd Constabulary Regiment, and eventually the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment in 1948. COLD WAR AND 1990S During the Cold War , the Regiment was responsible for guarding the Iron Curtain , acting as a tripwire for the long expected but never materializing, Warsaw Pact invasion of Western Europe . The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe meant the Regiment had to now redefine its role. During this process, the Regiment was alerted for deployment to Saudi Arabia in response to the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq . The regiment spearheaded the VII Corps end-run deep into Iraq during the Persian Gulf War . Returning from the Gulf, the Regiment was relocated from Germany to Fort Lewis , Washington . The Regiment's ground squadrons were converted into a light cavalry unit consisting of Humvees mounted with TOW launchers, MK-19 grenade launchers, .50 caliber machine guns and squad assault weapons (SAW). The 2d ACR "light" was then sent to Ft Polk, LA in 1992. From here, the Regiment deployed in support of Peace enforcement operation in Haiti during 1995 to 1996. 3d Squadron "Wolfpack" was the first ground unit to deploy and operated under the 25th Infantry Division in Port au Prince, Haiti. After 6 months in Haiti, 1st Squadron arrived to replace 3d Squadron. BOSNIA SERVICE In April 1997, the Regiment received orders to be prepared to deploy to Bosnia And Herzegovina . Following the first Mission Rehearsal Exercise held at the JRTC in June, the unit moved to Germany to begin integration with the 1st Armored Division . Meanwhile, all its equipment was shipped to the Intermediate Staging Base at Tazar, Hungary. The Regiment's participation in Operation Joint Guard began when the Second and Third Squadrons moved across the Sava River into Bosnia in August 1997 to augment the First Infantry Division (Forward) in support of Bosnia-Herzegovina's first free municipal elections. The Regiment's air cavalry, the Fourth Squadron and the Regimental Support Squadron also moved into the country. The Regiment's separate companies - the 502nd Military Intelligence Company, 84th Engineer Company, H-159th Aviation Maintenance Company, and the Air Defense Battery - completed the Regimental troop list. While the ground squadrons were in Bosnia, the Regimental headquarters deployed to Germany to train with the First Armored Division Headquarters in preparation for assuming command in Bosnia. During August and September, the Regiment was spread across five countries on two continents, and was under the direct command and control of three different general officer commands. This period included another first for any army unit during a 12-month period: The Regiment participated in major training exercises at all three of the Army's Combat Training Centers: The National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, and the Combined Maneuver Training Center (CMTC) at Hohenfels, Germany. In October the remainder of the Regiment rode into theater, assuming responsibility for the American sector of Multinational Division (North), which stretched from the war-torn bridge at Brcko in the north to the shattered city of Srebrenica in the south. The first major action of the Regiment in Bosnia was the seizing of Serbian radio-television towers to prevent the broadcast of inflammatory propaganda into the Republika Srpska . Other significant operations that the Regiment conducted include: the restructuring of the Republika Srpska Specialist Police; the creation of the first multiethnic police department, in the city of Brčko ; security for the announcement of the Brcko Arbitration Decision (an effort to resolve the status of this Serb -dominated city within Bosnia); institution of common license plates and currency in Bosnia, and the opening of the Bosnian rail system. In conducting operations in sector, the Regiment executed an estimated 12,500 patrols and 480 weapon storage site inspections, supervised the removal of over 12,000 mines, and oversaw 350 training exercises for the former warring factions. The Regiment served one of the longest tours then most military units there. THE 21ST CENTURY After returning from Bosnia, the Regiment relocated once again, this time to Fort Polk , Louisiana where the unit remained until deployed again to the Gulf, this time for Operation Iraqi Freedom , remaining for a total of 16 months. On its return from combat operations, the Regiment found itself heading back to Fort Lewis in Washington in December 2004. In April 2005, the Regiment was redesignated the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and began reorganizing into the Army's newest Stryker Brigade Combat Team. On June 1, 2006 at Fort Lewis, Wash., the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and the 1st Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division conducted a joint reflagging and casing ceremony. The 2nd CR was reflagged as the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker). The 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division cased its brigade colors and was reflagged as the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. The Army restationed the 2nd SCR to Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany -- the Regiment's Cold War home -- as of September 15, 2006. With a foundation of Infantry-based tactics and the mobility of the Stryker Vehicle, the Stryker brigade has become more of a hybrid unit, filling the gap between pure, light infantry and the mechanized, heavy infantry. On May 8th, 2007, the Department of Defense announced that the 2nd SCR will deploy to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in August 2007. They are scheduled for up to a 15 month tour. MOTTO AND PATCH
ALLIANCES
EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|