"The Post Opposite El Paso del Norte", (El Paso 1849 ~ 1851)

Beginning on 02 February 1848, at the conclusion of the Mexican American War hostilities with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo, the United States assumed responsibility for the security of its newest possession - the American Southwest; comprising the present states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. To this end, General Order No. 58 (07 November 1848) was issued by the War Department declaring "the six companies of the 3rd Infantry Regiment now in Texas, will, as soon as the necessary reconnaissance can be made in the direction of El Paso, be put enroute to establish a post to protect the region."

Historically, the mission resulted in the establishment of "The Post Opposite El Paso del Norte", 1849 - 1851, by Major Jefferson Van Horne and his troops of the 3rd Infantry Regiment. The Post was later named "Bliss" in honor of Lieutenant Colonel William Wallace Smith Bliss - a former Assistant Adjutant General in the American-Mexican War, was located on six acres of land (now downtown El Paso) leased for $250 per month from Benjamin Franklin Coons, a local merchant in the area. With a new American settlement on the north bank and adjacent to the Post, the Mexican city on the south bank of the Rio Grande River, now comprised of several thousand people, became known as Cuidad Juarez.

The garrison of Fort Bliss, along with soldiers of Fort Selden and other Southwestern outposts, protected the recently-won territory from harassing Apaches and Comanches. With constant Indian raids in the northern areas, the garrisons of Fort Bliss had to be moved frequently to meet the shifting threats. In 1851, the companies of troops stationed in El Paso were moved 40 miles (64 km) north to the area of Fort Fillmore, New Mexico. Records indicate that for more than two years, there was none garrisoned at "The Post Opposite El Paso del Norte".

At the urging of citizens of Franklin, Texas, a new fortification at a third location, "The Post of El Paso", was established in January 1854 on leased property of Magofflin's Ranch, also known as Magoffsville.

Officers' Quarters, Concordia

In 1859 the surrounding areas outgrew the name of "Franklin" and thereafter became known by its logical name "El Paso", taken from the natural geographical surroundings. With the beginning of the Civil War, the Army evacuated, and the fort was used as an assembly point and base for the Confederate invasion of Mexico in 1862. After failure of that venture, the fort was burned and the Confederates withdrew. Following the war, the Army returned and temporally took quarters at the old fort and attempted to restore it.

On November 1867, orders were received to move to a fourth location and a new facility was constructed on a hundred acres of property leased from the Concordia Ranch. Magoffsville was not vacated until March 1868 when Camp Concordia was completed. Camp Concordia had three large adobe buildings that straddled three major roads. In addition there was six officers' quarters, plus a tree lined parade ground. In March 1869 Camp Concordia was redesignated as Ft. Bliss. Within the decade, tough economic times plagued the nation, and the government sought ways to reduce military expenditures. In part, even then, base closings were a means to save short term money. In January 1877, Ft. Bliss was closed.

El Paso, Texas - circa 1875 ~ 1880

On New Year's Day, January 1878 the fifth location of Ft. Bliss would rise again, like a Phoenix, by renting quarters in downtown El Paso which proved to be a poorly thought out plan. As the post needed better facilities than rented warehouses, a new site for the sixth Ft. Bliss was constructed in 1878 on 135 acres, known by many as Hart's Mill, upstream at the mouth of the Pass of the North, which had been purchased by the War Department. The site was in an excellent location which provided the Army easy access through the mountain passes.

Parade Ground, Ft. Bliss, TX. - Hart's Mill Location

It was so good that the railroads exercised their rights of "eminent domain" and laid their rails down through the middle of the parade grounds. The scheduling of drills, marches and ceremonies around the train schedules became too much of a headache. With financial support of the local citizens of Franklin, Texas, the Army purchased a thousand acres of land on the edge of La Noria Mesa, adjacent to the town of El Paso, TX which had experienced vigorous growth. Construction on the, seventh and final, site at La Noria Mesa began in August 1891 and continued over the next two years. The garrison layout centered around a parade ground that was situated along the curve of the mesa. The initial construction featured officers' quarters along the west side of the parade ground and barracks, a mess hall, and a hospital along the east side. Upon completion of construction, the Army abandoned, the Hart's Mill facility in 1893. The La Noria Mesa site remains as the permanent station for Ft. Bliss.

Pershing House, Ft. Bliss

Soon after the turn of the century, Ft. Bliss became the focus of activity to clear the Mexican border of marauders, cattle rustlers and thieves who took shelter in northern Mexico between raids. In January 1914, General "Blackjack" John Pershing arrived in El Paso to take command of Ft. Bliss and the Army Brigade that he had brought from the Presidio near San Francisco, California. At the time, the Mexican Revolution was underway in Mexico and the Brigade was assigned to patrol and guard the boarder between Serria Blanco, Texas and Columbus, New Mexico.

On August 26 of that year, Pershing hosted Mexican Constitutionalist Generals Pancho Villa and Alvaro Obregon. They met on a Rio Grande bridge, after which Pershing escorted his guests to a review at Fort Bliss, then to socialize at his home. A well-known photo Obregon, Villa and Pershing was taken while they were on the bridge at Nogales, AZ. Behind Pershing and to his left stands 1st Lt. George S. Patton, Jr. who served as one of Pershing's aides.

Generals Alvaro Obregon, Pancho Villa and John S. Pershing Background Right: 1st Lt. George S. Patton, Jr., 8th Cavalry Regiment

On 15 March 1915, Pershing led an expedition into Mexico to capture Pancho Villa. Although there had been talk of war on the border for years, no steps had been taken to provide for the handling of supplies for such an expedition. Despite this and other hindrances, such as the lack of aid from the former Mexican government, and their refusal to allow American troops to transport troops and supplies over their railroads, Pershing organized and commanded the Mexican Punitive Expedition, a combined armed force of 10,000 men that penetrated 350 miles into Mexico and routed the revolutionaries of Pancho Villa severely wounding the bandit himself.

Evolution of a Division

In the early 1800s, the phrase Manifest Destiny was coined to describe the philosophy shared by many that the United States had a divine right to become a transcontinental nation. To that end, the 1830s began a rapid territorial exploration and expansion that extended the domination of the United States into the far southern, western and northern regions of the North American continent. The most significant and noteworthy exploitations of these new areas was brought about by the establishment of a number of key, well traveled, overland routes. Some of the more notably famous were The Oregon, Overland, Santa Fe, California, Boseman and Cherokee Trails. These routes, a result of the perceived "manifest destiny", extended the control of the United States into the far reaches of a largely unsettled, hostile territory. As their use continued, more and more wagon trains loaded with settlers, rolling west, were being attacked by Indians.

The Army, having the charter to explore the large areas of land masses and protect the growing number of people who moved into the new territories, established a number of military posts at strategic locations throughout the Southwest, West and Northwest. These "frontier outposts" were staffed with a fast, mobile and high spirited striking force of cavalry troops to provide protection along the arteries of emigration and commerce. These territorial missions in the 1800s and early 1900s, and the first overseas assignments brought about by the Spanish-American War, sharpened the skills of the independent, highly maneuverable cavalry regiments.

Map Of The Western Frontier Regions

In 1866, soon after the end of the Civil war, Congress initiated action to expand the number of cavalry regiments. The sound of the bugle and the cry of "Charge" sent the thundering hooves of the U.S. Cavalry troopers to protect the western bound settlers in an era when Indians roamed the western frontier and pioneering settlers clung to their land with determination. The 1st, 7th, 8th and 10th Cavalry Regiments, which in the future would form the nucleus of the 1st Cavalry Division, clashed with the Sioux, Comanche, Arapaho, Apache and the Indian Nations during the Indian Wars. Led by colorful characters like Colonel George Armstrong Custer, the next ten years were more eventful than the Civil War.

On 04 April 1921 the Army established a permanent Cavalry Division Table of Organization & Equipment. It authorized a Square Division organization of 7,463 Officers and Men, organized into a Headquarters Element (34); two Separate Cavalry Brigades (2,803 each); an Engineer Battalion (357); a separate Ambulance Company (63); a Field Artillery Battalion (790); a Division Quartermaster Trains Command (276); and a Special Troops Command (337).

Each Cavalry Brigade was organized into a Headquarters and Headquarters Troop (101); two Cavalry Regiments (1,155 each); and a separate Machine Gun Squadron (392). Each Cavalry Regiment was organized into a Headquarters and Headquarters Troop (121); two Squadrons (428 each); a separate Supply Troop (127); and a Medical and Chaplain Detachment (51). Each Machine Gun Squadron was organized into a Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (47); three Line Troops (110 each); and a Medical and Chaplain Detachment (15). Each Cavalry Squadron was organized into a Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (35); and three Line Troops (131 each).

The Field Artillery Battalion was organized into a combined Headquarters and Headquarters Battery and Combat Trains Command (227); three Batteries (161 each); and a Medical and Chaplain Detachment (30). The Special Troops Command was organized into a Headquarters Element (11); the Division Headquarters Troop (161); a Signal Troop (78); an Ordnance Maintenance Company (36); a Veterinary Unit (38); and a Medical and Chaplain Detachment (13).

The Division Quartermaster Trains Command was a unitary structure that contained all of the Quartermaster Corps elements of the Division. At this time, all transportation was pack or animal-drawn (horse or mule), except for 14 automobiles, 28 trucks, and 65 motorcycles that were scattered throughout the various unit headquarters. Without the Trains Command, the 1st Cavalry Division occupied 6.5 miles of road if it moved in a "column of twos".

Subsequently on 20 August 1921 the 1st Cavalry Regiment, the first unit assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division, was preassigned to the 1st Cavalry Division nearly a month before the formal activation of the Division. On 13 September 1921, with the initiation of the National Defense Act, the 1st Cavalry Division was formally activated at Ft. Bliss, Texas and Major General Robert Lee Howze, a Texas native from Rusk County and seasoned veteran of the Frontier Indian Wars, Spanish American War, Philippines Insurrection, Mexican Expedition, World War I and recipient of the Medal of Honor, was selected as its first Division Commander.

Preview Of Comming Attractions

This first set of video clips provides the basis for appreciation of the of the role formalized and continually executed by the 1st Cavalry Division since its organization and activation. From the beginning and throughout all of its history, the 1st Cavalry Divison has met the ever changing challenges of the defense needs of the United States. The narratives of this and the contuning Organizational Legacy setions of the 1st Cavalry Division and its assigned, attached and legacy commands and subordinate units describes the historical combat encounters that brought about the evolutiuon of the 1st Cavalry Division's warring capability.

Upon activation, the 7th, 8th and 10th Cavalry Regiments were assigned to the new Division. With almost a century of service behind the oldest of its regiments and sixty five years of service for its youngest, the units that had already ridden and fought its way into the pages of history were organized into the newly formed divisional structure. The four regiments were now to fight side by side. Other units initially assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division in 1921 included the 1st and 2nd Machine Gun Squadrons, Weapons Troops, 10th Light Tank Company, 13th Signal Troop, 15th Veterinary Company, 27th Ordnance Company, 43rd Ambulance Company, 82nd Field Artillery Battalion (Horse) and the 1st Cavalry Quartermaster Trains which later was redesignated as the 15th Replacement Company.

Consolidation of these units into the 1st Cavalry Division and its specialized support functions, along with new tactical equipment training and developments enabled the Division to evolve into the modern, highly trained, mission ready, assault and support force of today. As such, it is well staffed and equipped to execute any on-order mission to deploy by land, sea or air to any part of the world on short notice and at once engage the threat and neutralize, suppress or destroy the enemy.

Newly Organized 1st Cavalry Division Passes In Review

The 1st Cavalry Division was assigned to the VIII Corps Area and its Division Headquarters and 2nd Brigade Command along with its units were assigned to Ft. Bliss, Texas. The 1st Brigade Command and its units were assigned to Camp Harry J. Jones in Douglas, AZ. Later, the 5th Cavalry Regiment was assigned on 18 December 1922, relieving the 10th Cavalry Regiment. It would not be until 03 January 1933 that the 12th Cavalry Regiment, organized in 1901, would join the 1st Cavalry Division, relieving the 1st Cavalry Regiment.

In early September 1921. the first venture of the 1st Cavalry Division into the aviation environment was in cooperation with the 12th Observation Squadron, one of the oldest Unites States Air Force Squadrons, that operated out of Ft. Bliss. The Air Corps furnished the plane and pilot for observation of artillery fire while the field artillery furnished the observer. Doctrine specified that such observation planes should be attached to corps and from there allotted to Cavalry Units on a mission-by-mission basis as the situation dictated. The coordination process between Cavalry requirements and Squadron fulfillment became a major obstacle in its implementation. The General Staff officers of the Cavalry were often out of touch with the requirements of modern aerial warfare that their chief complaint about air personnel was the disrespectful manner in which flying officers flouted regulations by refusing to wear their cavalry spurs while flying airplanes. The joint venture experiment ended in June 1926.

The Line Of March Covered The Harsh Terrain Of The "Big Bend" District

In the fall of 1923 the 1st Cavalry Division assembled at Camp Marfa, Texas to stage its first divisional-level maneuvers since its organization. The maneuvers were held in the Marfa-Shafter-Alamito area of the Big Bend District, Texas. The line of march was Fabens, Ft. Hancock, Sierra Blanca, Hot Wells, Lobo Flats, and Valentine. The wagon trains, all drawn by four mules (no motorized vehicles yet), seemed endless. Terrain covering an area of 900 square miles was obtained through the generosity and public spirit of ranch owners. The enormous tract was mapped and marked by a detachment from the 8th Engineer Battalion.

The actual maneuvers consisted of both one-sided and two-sided problems with brigade against brigade and included the entire division as a whole. The 12th Obvervation Squadron participated in maneuvers with the Division. The use of aircraft allowed the maneuvers, in every detail, to conform with actual war conditions. (It was during this period, from 1922 to 1923, that Captain Claire Chennault, of later "Flying Tiger" fame, served with the 12t has aviation engineer officer.) Since this was the first major United States Army training exercise since WW I, the maneuvers were attended by representatives of several foreign governments.

Early Cavalry Maneuvers - Marfa

This video clip of the 1st Cavalry Division, conducting a day of field maneuver training in 1923, was filmed in the open, rough, desert terrain surrounding Marfa, Texas. This historic document begins with a scene of the 7th Cavalry Regiment deploying for the attack. As soon as the Regiment establishes its "attack" starting location, and before the exercises started, troopers from the supporting 82nd Field Artillery Battalion drove their mobile "French" 75mm (rapid fire) field artillery pieces to a strategic sighting and fire location.

Published results of the exercises of the 1st Cavalry Division attracted the interest of other cavalry organizations, nationally and international, which placed emphasis on the incorporation of additional realism in successive exercises. From a Time Magazine article dated Monday, 10 October 1927: "Not since the Civil War had US cavalry engaged in maneuvers on the scale of those conducted last week on 120 square miles of terrain in and about Marfa, Texas. Some 280 officers, 4,000 men, 3,200 horses and 1,500 mules were deployed over gulches, hillocks and sagebrush plains - the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Fort Bliss) playing "Brown" army to the "White" army of the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Fort Bliss) and 1st Cavalry Regiment (Marfa). Tanks, cannon, airplanes, Red Cross ambulances and every appurtenance of real war, right down to hot weather, secrecy and red tape, accompanied the show."

For the next twenty years, units of the Division, remained stationed at the home base of Ft. Bliss with elements occasionally temporally based at Camp Marfa and Ft. Clark, all located in Texas. The early missions of the Division were comprised of rough riding, patrolling the Mexican border, and constant training. Operating from horseback, the cavalry was the only viable force capable of piercing the harsh terrain of the desert to halt the band of smugglers that operated along the desolate Mexican border.

On 02 July 1926, when the Army Air Corps was created by Act of Congress, it began to develop specialized types of aircraft to perform its several functional needs. Although the helicopter (still in its early stages of development) was recognized for its ability to operate out of rough terrain - such as the cavalry operated, it became clear that the fixed wing aircraft was the device to develop for its operations. Various operational needs of the cavalry were studied and the Army began to develop specialized types of aircraft to perform its several functions. For observation - a tandem two-seater, open cockpit biplane was generally used. Rather heavy, it required a hard surface runway or its near equivalent.

1st Aero Squadron In Formation

In 1927 the 1st Cavalry Division carried out the second divisional field maneuvers and readiness testing in the Marfa area. Following the maneuvers in October, the Division added the capability of aerial observation by the assignment of the 1st Aero (Observation) Squadron, US Army Air Corps, a unit that had previously been with General Pershing, in 1916, on the Punitive Expedition into Mexico. The unit, a component squadron of the 9th Observation Group, remained with the Division until the end of its subsequent organizational changes in February 1929. Today, its predecessor unit, the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Reconnaissance Wing operates the high altitude SR-71 (YS-12) Reconnaissance Aircraft and continues to play a vital role in the defense of America.

In 1929 the 1st Cavalry Division carried out its third divisional field maneuvers, reflecting organizational changes that occurred earlier. In 1928 the Chief of Cavalry, in an early bid to increase the firepower of the cavalry division while at the same time having to remove personnel, reorganized the four cavalry regiments of the Division. Aside from redistributing the machine guns by giving them to each regiment, he authorized the addition of an Armored Car Squadron.

Ready For Field Maneuvers

The "Portee Cavalry" concept employed during the tactical exercise were given high marks for strategic mobility, but were valued little for their tactical mobility. During the regimental phase of the maneuvers the platoon conducted reconnaissance ten miles forward of the main body and across a five-mile front. Radio sets mounted in the vehicles allowed them to send reports every two hours. The platoon was generally successful in delaying the opposing force with the tactical use of ambushes and effective long-range machine gun fire. Opposing forces learned to get off the roads and using their own towed anti-tank weapons as a supporting base of fire, maneuvered to the flanks of the armored cars.

The history of Fort Bliss up to World War II essentially paralleled that of the 1st Cavalry Division. But in a larger sense, the fortunes of the post reflected the interplay of three factors. 1st and most important), the revolution and resultant instability in Mexico determined the degree to which the southern border needed protection. 2nd) the interwar years were characterized by severe budget restrictions of the Army, a situation that did not begin to improve until the military buildup of the late 1930s. 3rd and last), the role of the horse cavalry as a combat arm in modem warfare continued to decline.

By the mid-1930s even the most diehard cavalrymen at Fort Bliss could not have been overly optimistic about the future of the cavalry. But the 1st Cavalry Division was determined not to go out of existence with a whimper. In spite of the lack of ample funding and the limited availability of new equipment, priorities were placed on readiness preparation and evaluations by conducting extensive field maneuvers. To this end, the large expanse of land in the Marfa-Shafter-Alamito area of the Big Bend District, south of Ft. Bliss, was used to stage its many divisional-level maneuvers.

Maneuvers near Toyahvale, Texas

During the fall of 1937, the 1st Cavalry Division, along with other troops stationed at Ft. Bliss engaged in the Provisional Infantry Division (PID) Tests at Ft. Sam Houston and Camp Bullis, Texas. The PID Tests developed the partially motorized triangular division that was employed in World War II. Following the completion of the tests, the Division returned to Ft. Bliss for a brief period to rehabilitate the horses. In the early spring of 1938, the Division moved out again and, against the background of growing international tensions, began its fourth divisional maneuvers staged in the mountainous and desert areas near Balmorhea and Toyahvale, Texas. In these maneuvers, the 1st Cavalry Division conducted tests and evaluated the many organizational recommendations for a Provisional Cavalry Division made by the Modernization Board.

On the eve of the United States' entry into World War II, the authorized strength of the 1st Cavalry Division was now 10,110. By 1940 the 1st Cavalry Division had constructed the Logan Heights Cantonment area (temporary living accommodations) for four National Guard Units (20,000 troops) and had made significant improvemets in the facilities at Biggs Airfield, the Ft. Bliss air terminal. Additional training and preparation for involvement in the anticipated World War was carried out at the national level by the 1st Cavalry Division by their participation in the first 3rd Army maneuvers held in the summer of 1940 at Camp Polk, Louisiana. By Executive Order No 8594, issued on 16 November, 1940, the 56th Cavalry Brigade of the Texas National Guard was federalized and integrated into the 1st Cavalry Division for intensive field training.

Ft Bliss and Logan Heights - 1940

Early in 1941, the Division consolidated all its subornate units on Fort Bliss. The 12th Cavalry Regiment arrived from Camps Ringgold and Brown, and the border patrols that had so long been a critical mission were discontinued after Mexico declared war on Germany. In 1941 the Texas National Guard Unit was replaced by the 1st Cavalry Brigade, previously stationed at Harry J. Jones in Douglas, AZ. As America was poised to enter World War II, only two active cavalry posts remained - Fort Riley, a cavalry post by tradition and Fort Bliss, the last to have a strategic cavalry mission.

In 1941, the 1st Cavalry Division then staffed to approximately seventy percent of their authorized strength, began planning for participation in the second 3rd Army field readiness maneuvers that were to be held in the vicinity of Leesville, Louisiana. The maneuvers would become a severe test for the men, their equipments and horses. For the initial movement of the 1st Cavalry Division, railroad cars were assembled from all over west Texas at El Paso, Texas. In anticipation of extended marches over gravel roads in rural Louisiana, each horse was provided with a spare set of shoes. Material and horses were shipped by rail while the men and their personal gear were transported by motor convoy to the maneuver areas.

From 10 August to 04 October 1941, the 1st Cavalry Division participated in the second 3rd Army field readiness maneuvers that were held in the vicinity of Leesville, Louisiana. The Division covered approximately 900 miles in the maneuver area in the 60 day period. The "Blue" and the "Red" Armies that were selected for this set of LOUISIANA MANEUVERS were the finest and best equipped this country could then field. They represented a small part of the US Army Military Establishment of about a quarter million, in total, who would soon form the strong backbone of a mighty army in excess of thirteen million under arms, so called today as "The Greatest Generation,

The Beginning Of A Training Day

This second video of the 1st Cavalry Division preparing for a day of field maneuver training was filmed in 1942 at Fort Bliss, Texas. This historic document begins with the troopers leaving the stable barns carrying their saddles, saddle blankets and saddle bags. The troopers prepared for a long, strenuous, training day starting with tending their horses in the stable yards and carefully saddling them and adjusting equipment straps. Mounted, they assemble in an orderly formation of a column of twos. As they move toward the assembly area of the parade grounds, the street background scenes provide a brief look and the barracks and base housing with trees and mountains in the horizon.

Assembling on the parade grounds, the mounted troops move out toward the surrounding training areas of open desert terrain, closely followed by the training supply, support vehicles and weapon carriers that will also competitively participate in the field exercises. Passing by buildings and the landmark water tower of Fort Bliss, the rough and rugged terrain of the forever present Franklin Mountains are seen in the background.

Field Maneuver Training Exercises

This third video of the 1st Cavalry Division conducting field maueuver training exercises is a continuation of the video clip above, was filmed in the desert training grounds surrounding Fort Bliss, Texas. This historic document begins with the troopers traversing the sagebrush laden, rugged, open desert in a penetrating, galloping "group charge". Note that several of the mounted troops are also leading, alongside, a pack mule that carries support equipment and ammunition. This training exercise also included the integration of jeeps, scout cars and weapons carriers in order to evaluate their ability to maneuver rapidly over and through the rough desert terrain as well as the mounted cavalry units.

Although the Division was anxious for immediate combat, its first wartime mission was to continue border surveillance as a component of the Southern Land Frontier and the Southern Defense Command. They patiently served on border patrol and participated in the third 3rd Army LOUISIANA MANEUVERS which were held near Mansfield, Louisiana from 04 August to 19 September, 1942.

Although the Louisiana maneuvers provided invaluable data on modernizing the Regular Army, the nation was actually more vulnerable when the maneuvers ended than it had been before they started. Even as the Army's two improvised Corps sparred along the Calcasieu River, across the Atlantic ten German panzer divisions spearheaded a stunning assault that shattered the French Army and drove the British expeditionary force out of the continent.

However, even with the advantages of terrain mobility, the deployment of the cavalry divisions proved to be a thorny problem. The cavalry units remained unpopular with theater commanders because their horses and equipment required shipping space and logistic support far more than that of other units. As a result, the need for units in the Southwest Pacific led General McArthur to accept the 1st Cavalry Division on the condition that they be dismounted.

New Addition - Cavalry Scout Cars

The period following the LOUISIANA MANEUVERS became an extension of field exercises and unit testing which continued throughout the winter as rumors of deployment possibilities circulated around the post. In February 1943 the entire 1st Cavalry Division was alerted for an overseas assignment and it began the historic transition to an Augmented Leg Infantry Division. In a compressed schedule, the Division trained the troopers in a mobile environment while beginning staging for movement to the Southwest Pacific theater as infantry foot solders with the support of mechanized vehicles; tanks, armored cars, trucks and scout cars.

In February 1943, the entire 1st Cavalry Division was alerted for an overseas assignment. The 1st Cavalry Division was then converted with equipment as an Augmented Leg Infantry Division. In the meantime, the troopers continued to feed and water their horses until the Quartermaster assumed control of them. Many of the proud cavalrymen would rather turn their stripes, bars, or stars than trade in their saddles for a seat in any vehicle to become "cushion pounders".

1st Cavalry Division Dismount Ceremony, Ft. Bliss, Texas

Legacy of the Cavalry

On 28 February, each of the Mounted Regiments, 5th, 7th, 8th and 12th Cavalry held a dismount ceremony before they were stripped of their horses and with mixed emotions, began the process of turning in horses, saddles, and bridles. Rather than return the horses to the remount stations, the majority of them were auctioned, at bargain prices, to owners of the large ranches around the El Paso area. For many years following the end of WWII - many of the cavalry horses, identifiable by the Preston Brand (on the left shoulder), were still serving out their duty to the ranchers.

In June the overseas deployment from Ft. Bliss, Texas to Camp Stoneman, California was made in two echelons. The first body, elements of the 5th and 7th Cavalry Regiments, and the 8th Engineer Combat Squadron would be followed by the remaining units of the main body of the Division. Another twenty-eight years (in which the 1st Cavalry Division, served in the completion of the WW-II Pacific Campaigns, Occupation of Japan, The Korean War, Re-occupation of Northern Japan, security of the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the Vietnam War, Pursan Gulf War and 3 tours of duty in Iraq, fighting terrorism,) would pass before the any element of the Division would return to Fort Bliss, Texas in 2005.

On 26 March 1971, the First Team struck their "colors" at a Stand Down Ceremony at Bein Hoa marking their departure of the 1st Cavalry Division from Vietnam. With the simple but brief ceremony highlighted by the 1st Cavalry Division Band and the bright colors, their tour of duty came to a close. After sixty-six months "in country" and continuously in combat, the First Team and left the 3rd Brigade (Separate) to carry on. The new home base of the 1st Cavalry Division was designated to be located at Ft. Hood, Texas, not Ft. Bliss, Texas, their organizational home base.

Ft. Hood, Texas had begun its own long history beginning on 15 January 1942, when the War Department announced that a camp, to be a permanent station of the Tank Destroyer and Firing Center, would be built in the vicinity of Killeen, Texas. Orders were issued for the Real Estate Branch of the Engineer Corps to acquire 10,800 acres of land northwest of Killeen. On 17 February 1942, the Army announced that the camp would be named Camp Hood in honor of General John Bell Hood, the "Fighting General" of the famous "Texas Brigade" of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, who was later Commanding General of the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

On 05 May 1971, the colors of the 1st Cavalry Division, minus those of the 3rd Brigade (Separate), were moved from Vietnam to Ft. Hood, Texas and were passed to the commander of the former 1st Armored Division, Major General James C. Smith. After twenty-seven years of outstanding dedicated service, hardships and service overseas, the major organizational units of the 1st Cavalry Division were relocated back in the state of Texas where it had been organized a half century before.

TRICAP Ceremony - 05 May, 1971

Division Headquarters - 1971

In mid June 1972, the stand-down ceremony for the 3rd Brigade (Separate) was held in Bein Hoa, Vietnam and their colors were returned to the United States. The last trooper left from Tan Son Nhut on 26 June, completing the Division recall which had started on 05 May 1971. With the 3rd Brigade completing its withdrawal, the 1st Cavalry had become the first US Army Division to go to Vietnam and the last to leave.

On 21 February 1975, with the conclusion of the TRICAP test evaluations, the 1st Cavalry Division was once again reorganized, becoming the newest armored division in the Army. In the organizational structure of "armor", the Division was deployed overseas for four major Operations; the Persian Gulf War, Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM 1990 - 1991; the United Nations Bosnia peacekeeping mission, Operation JOINT FORGE 1998 - 1999; the SouthWest Asia for preparation and participation in the invasion of Iraq, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM 2003 and the occupation of Iraq, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM II 2004 - 2005. Following each of these deployments, changes in the tactical organizations and supporting equipments of the Division were made to improve its mission performance ability.

1st Cavalry Division Returns To Bliss

Upon its return from Operation IRAQI FREEDOM II in 2005, the 1st Cavalry Division was reorganized and aligned into the new Modular Force of the Army structure. With limited expansion areas for forces at Ft. Hood, Texas an element of the Division - the 4th Brigade Combat Team was organized and activated in a ceremony at Noel Field, Ft. Bliss, Texas on 18 November 2005, celebrating the return of the Division to western Texas sixty-two years after its overseas deployment to the Pacific Theater in World War II. A major reason for enabling the remote relocation of the Brigade is that the structure and organizational capability of the new brigades allows them to be deployed as a single, self sustaining, combat unit that replicates the war-fighting capabilities of the Division on a somewhat smaller scale.

In celebration, the Horse Cavalry Detachment of the 1st Cavalry Division, with sabers raised high and pistols blazing in a traditional charge, concluded the ceremony with a reenactment of the famous "Cavalry Charge" across the field that was named in 1928 after Lt. Paul A. Noel, 1st Armored Cavalry Troop, 82nd Field Artillery Battalion, a famed polo player, who learned his skill as a horseman while in the 1st Cavalry Division. The cavalry had come home !! The 4th Brigade Combat Team remained remotely located at Ft. Bliss until 2008 when it returned from its second deployment to Iraq and was reunited with the Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

On 07 July 2006, in anticipation of redeployment to Iraq for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM IV, the 15th Support Brigade Sustainment Brigade (SB) and their Special Troops Battalion (STB) cased their colors in a ceremony at the parade grounds of Coopers Field, Ft. Hood, Texas. Their departure, on 29 July, marked the start of the scheduled return of the Division to Iraq over the coming months which culminated on 15 November, when the 1st Cavalry Division took the reigns for the Multi-National Division in a Transfer Of Authority Ceremony at Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq. In order to accommodate the accelerated build-up of troops in Iraq ("the surge"), the deployment of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM IV, which was originally planned to be for one year, was extended to a total of 15 months in the combat zone. During the deployment, with an influx of the Division's resources on the ground patrolling the streets, bomb attacks decreased 73 percent as well as the number of explosive devices identified and detected before they could detonate and cause causalities.

On Wednesday, 27 February 2008, having completed their Transfer Of Authority for operations in northern Iraq to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, returned to Ft. Bliss and refreshed from their block leaves, thousands of the 4th Combat Brigade Team, 1st Cavalry Division Troops marched through the downtown streets of El Paso, Texas. in a "Welcome Home Heroes Parade".

4th Brigade Combat Team Marches Through Downtown El Paso

The majority of the operations of the 4th Combat Brigade were in northwestern Nineveh Province of Iraq. However, some of the soldiers served in the Iraq capital city of Baghdad. They had deployed to Iraq in November 2006 and after 14 months, the last soldiers returned the day before Christmas, 2007.

Capitalizing on the "Lessons Learned" from the most recent deployment in Iraq, several reconstitutional changes were studied, considered and implemented in the retraining processes of each unit in order to be more prepared and ready when called for their next deployment. In an accelerated effort all of the changes were incorporated by mid year and on 23 June 2008, approximately 200 Soldiers of the advance staging party, 4th "Long Knife" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division arrived at Tallil Airbase, Iraq to begin their 15-month deployment in support of Operation IRAQ - VI (Rotation 08-10).

On 01 May 2009, the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, the last Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division closed out its deployment departure schedule in support of Operation IRAQ - VI (Rotation 08-10).

However it was not long before Ft. Hood began to be repopulated with returning 1st Cavalry members as soon as 04 May, the "Torch Party" of almost 30 from the 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, began their rotation of return deployments as they came back to hundreds of cheering family members, fellow Soldiers and other guests at Cameron Field, located near the 4th ID Headquarters.

0n 13 January 2010, the 1st Cavalry Division closed out its responsibilities of Operation IRAQ - VI (Rotation 08-10), formally "Multi-National Division Forces - West and Baghdad" by executing a Transfer Of Authority to the commander of the incoming division (now designated as "USD - Center") of control, the 1st Armored Division. The next day, 14 January, the flight of the trail party of the 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters Soldiers arrived at Ft. Hood, Texas and as they gathered at the homecoming ceremony at Coopers Field to greet their family and friends, the Colors of the 1st Cavalry Division were uncased, signifying the return of the Division from the combat operations of Operation IRAQ - VI (Rotation 08-10).

1st Cavalry Division Uncases Its Colors On A Rainy And Cold Evening

On 17 March, the advanced party of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, the last organizational unit of the 1st Cavalry Division scheduled to leave IRAQ - VI (Rotation 08-10), began its return to Ft. Hood as 150 soldiers were welcomed back from Iraq at Cooper Field. Soldiers from across the Brigade made up the advance party that will prepare for the arrival of the rest of the Brigade in April.

01 September, 2010 marked the official end to Operation IRAQI FREEDOM and combat operations by United States forces in Iraq. The transition to Operation NEW DAWN. During Operation NEW DAWN, the remaining 50,000 US service members serving in Iraq will conduct stability operations, focusing on advising, assisting and training Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). Operation NEW DAWN, a compromise of the Republican and Democrat Parties to vacate the Iraqi operation by mid 2010, also represents a shift from a predominantly military US presence to one that is predominantly civilian, as the Departments of Defense and State work together with governmental and non-governmental agencies to help build Iraq’s civil capacity.

"Long Knives" Stand In Formation

4th Brigade Cases Its Colors

Also on 01 September, in a symbolic ceremony that took place for the 4th Combat Team - 1st Calvary Division held their colors casing ceremony at Ft. Hood for the beginning of an historic mission that will start as they deploy this month in support of Operation NEW DAWN.The 4th Brigade will be the first unit of the 1st Cavalry Division to leave specifically in support of the new mission.

1st Cavalry TOA In Afghanistan

On 19 May, 1911, in continuing to expand its role in the mid-eastern theater of operations, the 1st Cavalry Division unfurled the unit's new colors in a transfer of authority ceremony with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. During a pivotal time in the war on terror and in Afghanistan’s history, The command authority of the Regional Command East shifted from Combined Joint Task Force-101 to CJTF-1.

The new mission of the 1st Cavalry Division takes the control of eight US, French and Polish task forces and 14 provinces that, combined, provide safety and security in an area populated by approximately 7.5 million Afghans. The Area of Command consists of 43,000 square miles and shares 450 miles of border with Pakistan.

Long Knives Begin Iraq Return

2nd Echelon Of 4th Brigade Returns

(Upper Left) On 17 August, in the first flight of 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, more than 150 soldiers arrived at Robert Gray Army Airfield, signaling the conclusion of their year long deployment to Iraq. These soldiers, an advance party of troopers from units across the Brigade, were home to help the rear detachment prepare for the return of their peers. After greetings, some paperwork and checking in weapons, they were welcomed home in a ceremony held at Cooper Field.

(Upper Right) On 25 August, more that 200 Soldiers from the 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division arrived at the Robert Gray Army Airfield at Ft. Hood after a year long deployment to Iraq. The Squadron was stationed in Mosul, working with the Iraqi army at the Al Ghuzlani Training Center. The flight marked the second battalion within the Brigade to uncase its colors and return home.

On 06 September, Soldiers, mostly from the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment were greeted with a hug from Elizabeth Laird, Ft. Hood's Hug Lady, and checked in their weapons. From there, soldiers were bused to Cooper Field, where family and friends awaited them. During a colorful ceremony, the 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division uncased its colors. The uncasing ceremony marked the official stateside return of the 4th AAB, 1st Cavalry Division, "Long Knife" Brigade after a year long deployment to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn.

Back In Loving Hands

On 29 October, a flight from Kuwait brought home 55 soldiers, in what is known as the advanced party, from the various battalions in the 3rd (Greywolf) Brigade. Approximately another 1,200 will follow in the coming week, and the entire Brigade is estimated to be back by the end of the year. This group is the first personnel from three brigades that the 1st Cavalry Division will bring home early from Iraq, alongside several other units across Ft. Hood. In total, about 12,000 Ft. Hood soldiers will be returning home over the next two and a half months.

On 02 November, just shy of a year-long deployment in Iraq, the "Warhorse" Soldiers with the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division made their final stop at Ft, Hood and rightfully saying "mission complete." The excitement and anticipation could be felt all over Cooper Field as families reunited with one another after months of waiting.

Although the deployment of "Warhorse" Soldiers may have been long, it ended with the Iraqi forces patrolling their own streets. Halfway through the unit's deployment, they had to begin considering plans for the year-end draw-down. As the Iraqi forces conducted more of their own operations, the Warhorse Soldiers and command were allowed to concentrate more on redeploying. While this group of Warhorse Soldiers begin their reintegration process at home, the command will continue to work on bringing everyone else home before the beginning of the new year.

11 November - Veterans' Day

11 November marks the anniversary of the end of World War I hostilities of the Allied Nations and Germany. They signed the terms of armistace at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The anniversary date is also, by Congressional action, the day that we give thanks, respect and honor to all veterans for their service to the United States of America.

On 27 November, the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division returned from its fourth deployment to Iraq and uncased its colors on Cooper Field. The battalion deployed in May to northern Iraq, knowing they could be one of the last units to leave the country and that the mission could change.

A Date "which will live in infamy,"

Today, 07 December, 2011 marks the 70th anniversary of the date "which will live in infamy." There was a moment of silence in Hawaii (and in other locations) at 7:55 AM to remember the 2,390 Americans who died when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. While Americans have remembered this day with solemn tributes since 1941, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day became an official national day of remembrance in 1994.

It was 7:55 AM local time when the attack began - a strike that would push America into World War II. As explosions sounded and battleships burned, brave service members fought back fiercely with everything they could find. Unknown amoung these selfless individuals, the sacrifices endured on that infamous day would galvanize America and come to symbolize the mettle of a generation. Taken by surprise, the base was bombarded for two hours, leaving more than 2,000 Americans dead, eight battleships destroyed and the course of American and world history changed forever.

In response to this hostile action, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the Congress and delivered his "a day which will live in infamy" war message. The following day, Congress declared war on Japan and the United States entered World War II. In the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the crippling of our Pacific Fleet, there were those who declared the United States had been reduced to a third-class power. But rather than break the spirit of our Nation, the attack brought Americans together and fortified our resolve. Patriots across our country answered the call to defend our way of life at home and abroad. They crossed oceans and stormed beaches, freeing millions from the grip of tyranny and proving that our military is the greatest force for liberty and security the world has ever known.

2nd BCT Uncases Colors

On 15 Decenber, exactly eight months to the day they cased their colors, Soldiers with the 2nd "Black Jack" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division assembled again on Cooper Field and uncased their colors, marking one of the last units to leave Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn and allowing Soldiers to be home just in time for the holidays. The Brigade had operated primarily in the Northern Iraqi Joint Operations area.

Being home for the holidays came as a surprise to the Black Jack Soldiers. They didn't know until a couple of weeks ago that they would be back before the Christmas holiday, and they were very fortunate everything worked out.

Many Black Jack Soldiers agreed that being one of the last units to leave their footprint in Iraq made their numerous deployment rotations, loss of comrades and countless holidays away from loved ones well worth it.

On 21 December, as the white buses, loaded with 3rd Brigade Soldiers, drove the route from Robert Gray Army Airfield to Cooper Field an atmosphere of excitement coupled with exhaustion filled the vehicles.

The 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, the last Army unit to leave Iraq Saturday night, had been stationed at Contingency Operating Base Adder, which was the last base to close. After about 20 minutes, the white buses turned onto Battalion Avenue and soldiers stared silently out the windows at the cheering crowds - their voices muffled by the windows and the engines of the buses.

3rd Brigade At Khabari-Crossing

This is a video of the last convoy of heavily armored personnel carriers, known as Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAPs) vehicles, of the 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. They had left the staging base at Camp Adder in southern Iraq in Sunday's early hours. No formal "exit ceremony" was given as they slipped out under cover of darkness and strict secrecy to prevent any final attacks. The 500 soldiers didn't even tell their Iraqi comrades on the base they were leaving.

The movement of the 3rd Brigade, as the last unit to redeploy out of Iraq, symbolizes the closing of a mission spanning nearly a decade. This last unit to pass through the Khabari-Crossing played an essential role in Iraq since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq in 2003. The Gray Wolf Brigade was there at the beginning of the mission and now, as Operation New Dawn ends, they will be a part of history in the making - and, in their legacy, will see the mission to the very end.

Before "charging" to their loved ones, the Special Troops Battalion and 3rd Brigade uncased their colors, officially marking their return to Ft. Hood. As the soldiers marched onto Cooper Field, family and friends cheered and waved homemade banners, one even offering a marriage proposal.

Near the end of the deployment, Greywolf was responsible for securing a 220 miles stretch of the International Highway, which ran north to south and was traveled by other units leaving Iraq through Kuwait. The biggest challenge of the mission hit within the last 60 days. Tough decisions had to be made while balancing risk and force protection with continuing the mission.

Even though Greywolf will be remembered as the last brigade to leave, no matter when or where in Iraq a soldier deployed over the last eight and a half years, they are proud of their contribution.

Continuing To Build On Their Heritage, America's First Team Moves On!
Our Future Evolves From Our Heritage

The following video, taken at Camp Liberty and surrounding areas of Iraq, briefly summaries the present role of the 1st Cavalry Division. Scenes include the 1st Cavalry Division Color Guard marching with the Colors as well as a montage of Troopers in recent actions and a film clip of Major Bruce P. Crandall, A-229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, receiving the Congressional Medal Of Honor from President Bush while the Division Band plays the "Star Spangled Banner" in the background,

Honor Guard and Band, 1st Cavalry Division

Mission of the Cavalry OutPost

The charter mission of the Cavalry OutPost © was, and still is, to search continuously, conduct reconnaissance and document the activities of the past and current elements of the 1st Cavalry Division and its future generations of units that will follow. The subsequent sections of the OutPost WebSite starts with the early days of the horse soldier regiments whose initial mission was to protect the western movement of people and trade along the Northwest Oregon and Southwest Santa Fe Trails and railroads and continues to the present day organization and its worldwide operations.

Your are invited to enter the Cavalry OutPost to review tableaux of the history and operational accomplishments of the 1st Cavalry Division, also know as "The First Team".

"The Cavalry Outpost ©, circa 1840"
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