History of:
USAWOA
Warrant Officer Corps.
172nd Infantry Brigade
2nd
Stryker Cavalry Regiment
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2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment
The mission of the 2nd
Stryker Cavalry Regiment is to conduct ARFORGEN Operations to
restore combat capacity in order to support Seventh US Army and
future Central Command contingency operations. Prior to its
reorganization as a Stryker unit of action, the Regiment's
mission was to, upon receiving orders, rapidly deploy and
execute reconnaissance and security operations anywhere in the
world and be prepared to fight upon arrival and win.
The 2d
Armored Cavalry Regiment had the distinction of being the
"Longest Active Serving Cavalry Regiment in the United States
Army." The 2nd Stryker Cavalry was first constituted on 23 May
1836 as the 2nd Regiment of Dragoons to fight in the Florida
Seminole Indian Campaigns. The Dragoon, a mounted infantryman,
was deemed the most capable to defeat the agile and elusive
Seminole. Following action against the Seminole, the Regiment
went on to serve in the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, the
Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, the Punitive
Expeditions in Mexico, the First World War and the Second World
War. Following the end of World War II, what had become the 2nd
Armored Cavalry Regiment remained in Germany, where it would be
stationed for almost a half century.
During the Cold War era,
what was then the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment was responsible
for surveillance of 731 kilometers along the Iron Curtain. Its
section included 375 kilometers of the border separating West
and East Germany, as well as the entire 356 kilometers of the
West German-Czechoslovakian border. From a distance the border
area appeared deceptively peaceful and scenic. Closer inspection
however revealed the Iron Curtain's massive and deadly barrier
system. Its series of metal mesh fences topped with barbed wire
and equipped with sensitive warning devices, guard towers with
interlocking fields of observation, and concrete walls similar
to those found in Berlin were an imposing deterrent to those on
both sides. Only a few legal crossing points existed and these
were heavily guarded and fortified.
The former East German
and Czech border commands consisted of hand picked individuals
who were considered politically reliable and were well-trained
in marksmanship and surveillance skills. The low number of
successful escapes from East Germany, normally about 25 a year
in the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment sector, testified to the
deadly efficiency of the barrier system. The Walt Disney feature
film "Flight to Freedom" depicted a successful escape by a
family from East Germany into the Regiment's border region.
To conduct continuous
border surveillance in sector, the Regiment operated 6 border
camps in addition to the home garrisons of the squadrons. Camp
Harris located in the town of Coberg, Kingsley Barracks in Hof,
Camp Gates in Brand, Camp Pitman in Weiden, Camp Reed in Rosts,
and Camp May in Regen. From the border camps, 2nd Armored
Cavalry Regiment units patrolled their border sectors both by
vehicle and on foot. Helicopters from the 4th Squadron assisted
from the air. At each border camp, a reaction force was kept on
standby around the clock and could clear the camp within minutes
of the alert horn sounding.
The Regiment also worked
closely with the German border agencies, the BGS
(Bundesgrenzshutz) and BBP (Bavarian Border Patrol), and the
ZOLL (customs) Police, sharing intelligence information and
conducting joint patrols. The mission of the Regiment demanded
the constant vigilance and dedication of all the soldiers
stationed along the wall.
In
November of 1989, the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment witnessed the
opening of the Iron Curtain. With the fall of the communist bloc
in Eastern Europe, regular border patrols were discontinued on 1
March 1990, ending the Cold War phase of the Regiment's history.
On 8 November 1990, the
Regiment was in the process of redefining its post-Cold War
mission when it was alerted for deployment to Saudi Arabia. On
11 November 1990, what had been VII Corps' initial instructions
to "move no earlier than 20 November" became "begin movement
tomorrow."
Leading the VII Corps
deployment to Saudi Arabia, the Regiment occupied assembly areas
deep in the Saudi desert by mid-December. There, intensive
training and planning for the ground offensive took place for
several months. The 210th Artillery Brigade, AH-64A Apache
helicopters of the 2-1st Aviation, the 82nd Engineer Battalion,
and other assets were added to form the 8,500 strong "Dragoon
Battle Group."
This battle group, which
had worked together in Europe, continued to train and to provide
security for the Corps through the commencement of hostilities.
The Regiment, commanded by Colonel Leonard D. "Don" Holder, the
65th Colonel of the Regiment, was given the following mission:
"At G-day, H-hour, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment attacks through
the western flank of the enemy defenses and conducts offensive
cover operations in order to develop the situation for VII
Corps." On 23 February 1991, artillery fire prepped the area and
the Regiment attacked, breaching the Iraqi-Saudi border berm and
moving north into Iraq. It was the first time the Regiment had
seen combat in over 45 years.
For the next 72 hours the
2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment spearheaded the VII Corps' attack
as it advanced into southern Iraq. On 26 February 1991, the
Regiment fought a series of fierce engagements with elements of
4 Iraqi divisions, 3 of them armored or mechanized. Best known
was the "Battle of 73 Easting" in which G, E, and I Troops
destroyed an entire armored brigade. By the end of its covering
force mission, the Regiment had broken the defensive line of the
Republican Guard's Tawakalna Division and led 3 heavy divisions
into the fight. During the 100-hour war, the Regiment moved over
250 kilometers, captured over 2000 prisoners, and destroyed 159
enemy tanks and 260 other fighting vehicles. Its actions against
the Iraqi divisions have become textbook examples of modern tank
warfare. The Battle Group had limited its casualties to 7
soldiers killed in action and 19 wounded.
After the cease-fire, the
Regiment moved into Kuwait, and then back into Iraq, occupying a
position along the demarcation line south of the Euphrates
River. From there, it monitored the border for compliance with
the cease-fire and provided humanitarian aid to thousands of
Iraqi refugees escaping the ravages of the conflict.
The Regiment was relieved
on the demarcation line on 7 April 1991, and returned to Saudi
Arabia for redeployment to the Federal Republic of Germany. The
Regiment earned 2 more tan colored streamers for the Regimental
standard and the red with blue streamer of the Valorous Unit
Award for actions in Southwest Asia.
As part of the draw-down
of forces in Europe after the Cold War, the Regiment relocated
to Fort Lewis, Washington, in 1992. The unit was redesignated as
the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (Light) and tasked with
developing a new organizational structure for a lethal, yet more
rapidly deployable cavalry.
In the
summer of 1993 the Regiment moved again to Fort Polk, Louisiana.
The Second Dragoons became the cavalry regiment for the XVIII
Airborne Corps, serving as part of a rapid deployment force able
to move quickly anywhere around the globe. In addition, the
Regiment played an important part in cultivating the war
fighting skills of the Army's light forces through its continual
support of the Joint Readiness Training Center. By augmenting
both opposing and friendly forces, the Dragoons helped to
provide the light soldiers with the most realistic training they
can receive.
In January 1995, the
Regiment was called upon to reinforce American foreign policy
through the aptly named and highly successful United Nations
mission "Operation Uphold Democracy." The Second Dragoons were
an essential part of a multinational force that helped the
Haitians reestablish democracy. The soldiers of the Regiment
provided security for legislative and presidential elections and
ensured the first democratic transition of power in that
country's history.
The Regiment rotated
Headquarters Troop and all 3 of its maneuver squadrons to the
fledgling democracy between January 1995 and March 1996, with
the Support Squadron providing logistical support. While in
Haiti, the troopers of the Second Dragoons operated in a variety
of roles. They guarded humanitarian relief convoys filled with
food for the Haitian people and served as the United Nations
Quick Reaction Force (UNQRF). By assisting in the seizure of
illegal weapons and conducting security patrols, the Regiment
helped to restore civil order to the capital of Port-Au-Prince
and throughout the Haitian countryside. They provided protection
not only to the Haitian president, but also to the US president
and vice president on their state visits. In all of these
missions, the Second Dragoons displayed the professionalism and
dedication to duty that have characterized the Regiment since
its inception.
In April of 1997 the
Regiment received a Warning Order to be prepared to deploy to
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Following the first Mission Rehearsal
Exercise held at the JRTC in June 1997, 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 2nd and
3rd Squadrons moved across the Sava River into Bosnia in August
1997 to augment the 1st Infantry Division (Forward) in support
of Bosnia-Herzegovina's first free municipal elections. The
Regiment's aircavalry squadron, the 4th Squadron and the
Regimental Support Squadron also moved into the country. The
Regiment's separate companies, the 502d Military Intelligence
Company, 84th Engineer Company, H Company (Aviation
Maintenance), 159th Aviation Regiment, 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 1st Armored Division Headquarters
in preparation for assuming command in Bosnia. During August and
September 1997, the Regiment was spread across 5 countries on 2
continents, and was under the direct command and control of 3
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 1997, 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 Republic of Srpska. Other significant
operations that the Regiment conducted included: the
restructuring of the Republic of Srpska Specialist Police; the
creation of the first multiethnic police department, in the city
of Brcko; 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's
redeployment to Fort Polk, Louisiana marked the end of its
eighth operational overseas deployment in the service of the
country. It returned home to reassume its mission as the armored
cavalry regiment of the XVIII Airborne Corps and to await the
call to service.
B Troop,
1st Squadron, deployed to Southwest Asia on 13 April 2002 in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the Global War on
Terrorism. There, the unit served in Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and
Djibouti providing port and site security. The unit was relieved
by L Troop, 3rd Squadron, in October 2002.
With deployments
beginning in April 2003, the Regiment deployed as a whole to
Iraq in May 2003. The 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment spent a year
in the eastern part of Baghdad, helping the people of that city
rebuild their lives and regain their livelihood. When the
Regiment received orders to move south, they assumed
responsibility for the city of Najaf.
An increase in the number
of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED's) found in November 2003
was a clear indicator that the enemy was getting frustrated with
2nd Armored Cavalry's success and sought to interrupt the
ongoing progress to rebuild the post-Saddam Iraq. The Regiment
continued to conduct combat operations to capture or destroy the
enemy. The unit came to face a different environment with the
start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. As a command, the
unit focused on this important holiday season for the Iraqi
people in an effort to gain more cultural awareness. With
increasing unrest among the local Shiia leaders resulting in
increasing violence in the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment's zones
the men and women of the Regiment faced severe challenges and
rose to the occasion.
The Regiment continued to
take the fight to the anti-Coalition forces by conducting daily
patrols and raids to disrupt the terrorist cells operating in
our area of operations in Baghdad. Although progress continued
Baghdad was still a dangerous place. The first priority remained
conducting combat operations to capture or destroy the enemy.
Numerous raids in the Regiment's zone continued to result in the
capture of dangerous criminals/terrorists intent on disrupting
the transition of authority to the Iraqi people. In addition,
the Iraqi Civilian Defense Corps continued to play a larger and
more central role in Regimental operations. The Regiment, under
direction from higher headquarters, has continued to expand this
successful program.
In
January 2004, the Regiment received a visit by the senior
leadership from the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, which was
slated to replace 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment upon its
redeployment. The Regiment did everything in its power to take
care of them and to make the transition a smooth one.
In support of Army
initiatives to meet evolving security requirements, the Army
designated the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment to transform as an
element of the Interim Force to the 2nd Interim Cavalry
Regiment, a medium-weight force that was strategically
responsive and more rapidly deployable by air. In October 1999,
the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army
articulated a vision to posture the Army to meet the demands of
the 21st century: The Army Vision is about people, readiness,
and transformation.
Transformation addresses the need for change based on emerging
security challenges of the 21st century. Chief among these
challenges is the need to be able to respond more rapidly to
different types of operations requiring military action. Toward
these ends, the Army will field an Interim Force to address
strategic near-term capability gaps and to validate and develop
operational concepts on which subsequent transformation planning
and implementation activities can logically build. Ultimately,
the Army will field an Objective Force designed to render the
Army more responsive, deployable, agile, versatile, lethal,
survivable, and sustainable.
The Army announced on 23
July 2004, that a Brigade Combat Team Unit of Action (BCT/UA)
would be located at Fort Polk, Louisiana. This unit, the 4th
Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, was a new light infantry unit
that will be formed in 2005. The 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment,
then stationed at Fort Polk, would move to Fort Lewis,
Washington.
The Army announced on 14
May 2004 that 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (Light), would begin
the transformation to an Infantry-based Stryker Brigade upon its
return from Operation Iraqi Freedom. At that time the Army
signed a Record of Decision related to transformation of the 2nd
Armored Cavalry Regiment into a Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The
Army remained committed to taking care of its soldiers during
the transition. This decision supported Army efforts to
transform to meet existing and future challenges in the War on
Terror. The unit was expected to attain an initial operational
capability (IOC) as an infantry-designed SBCT by late 2006. The
conversion of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment to an
infantry-centric SBCT supported the Army's transition to
modularity, standardized the design for all 6 planned SBCTs, and
increased the number of Army infantry formations available to
combatant commanders worldwide to set the tempo of battle and
act decisively against enemy forces.
At a press conference on
13 August 2004, Acting Secretary of the Army Les Brownlee
pointed out that Fort Lewis, Washington as home of the first 2
Stryker Brigades, was well suited to support the 2nd Armored
Cavalry Regiment's transformation. Additionally, the stationing
of modular BCT/UAs was operationally imperative now to ensure
the Army was properly postured to fully support its strategic
commitments and to transform to a campaign-quality force with
joint and expeditionary capabilities that meet the demands of
the Combatant Commanders. The locations for BCT/UA were selected
based on existing capacities, available training space, and
existing locations of similar units. The Army would address
permanent stationing through the Base Realignment and Closure
(BRAC) 2005 analysis.
On
June 1, 2006 at Ft Lewis, WA, a large Army reflagging ceremony
occurred. The 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division's colors were
cased, the colors of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment were
transferred, and the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division colors
were uncased. Two respected military units conducted a joint
reflagging ceremony at Gray Army Airfield. The 1st Brigade, 25th
Infantry Division deactivated to be reflagged as 2nd Stryker
Cavalry Regiment, while the Regiment, in turn, joined the 2nd
Infantry Division, reflagging as the new 4th Brigade, 2nd
Infantry Division. In its history that began in 1917, 2nd
Infantry Division had never included a 4th Brigade. The former
2nd Cavalry Regiment would begin a fresh set of traditions as a
brand new Stryker brigade combat team in the Indianhead
Division.
The newly constituted 2nd
Stryker Cavalry Regiment completed its move to Germany in the
summer of 2006. There it joined US Army Europe (USAEUR) as part
of V Corps. This was part of the transformation of USAEUR to a
lighter, more agile force.
On 20 October 2009, the
Department of Defense announced additional planned Afghanistan
Deployments. The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne
Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment,
Vilseck, Germany; and 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry
Division, Iowa National Guard would begin deployment to
Afghanistan starting in Spring 2010.
The spring/summer
rotation of the 1st BCT, 101st Airborne Division (3,700
personnel) and the 2nd SCR (4,000 personnel) continued the U.S.
commitment to maintain the existing level of forces assigned to
the NATO-International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
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