Reorganize, Re-equip and Refocus
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"Within the force we've got to have formations that are leaner, that rely on
Joint force capabilities and that rely on information. We're going to build
these future force teams around a combat team, and we're not going to wait
until 2010. We're going to begin this change in 2004 (with) a movement to
brigade combat teams where the brigade commander will have everything he needs
to execute the operation. The brigade combat team will all be packaged within
one team - formed that way, packaged that way - and will deploy as an entity,
not as a number of small units pulled together when the flag goes up."
"Command-and-control headquarters (will be) designed as rapidly deployable
modules. The division headquarters today (in order to deploy) must pull
support from its signal battalion up to division headquarters, pull a lot of
intelligence out of its intelligence battalion, pull fires out of the division
artillery, pull engineers, and form a larger entity. This makes no sense in
the environment we expect to fight in the future. Our division headquarters
will be stand-alone entities; they will not rely on subordinate or higher
headquarters for manning. (The headquarters) will be formed and trained as a
deployable entity. It will have four command posts in that division
headquarters, a homestation operations center that will remain at home, and it
will rely on reachback to support the forward-deployed piece of the division.
We'll send two headquarters forward; one will be (Joint forces land component)
capable in a division. And if we're successful in this endeavor, we will have
a Joint cell in that headquarters full-time and robust enough to support
combat operations in peacetime."
"Our recent operations in (Operations) Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom tell
us you can't put the team together on the ground. It has to be formed ahead of
time. We learned that lesson, and we relearned that lesson. We've taken it to
heart. We want to design both division and corps headquarters so that two
deployable headquarters (are) available to the commander on the ground, one
large headquarters (is) at homestation, and a fourth mobile command post (is)
available to the commander that will support his operation 24/7 on the
ground."
General Kevin P. Byrnes, Training and Doctrine Command Commanding General and former 1st Cavalry Division Commander - July 1977 to October 1999
The Army must restructure to more modular, capabilities-based forces to better
meet the requirements of combatant commanders. The Army will continue to
support operational deployments/rotations while assuming more missions as
needed for our nation at war. Changing the organizational structure of units
must be logically consistent with future force concepts but tempered by the
technological capabilities that are reasonably available within the near
term.
To accomplish this, the Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) of the 1st Cavalry Division
will be reconstituted into seven integrated fighting groups consisting of a
headquarters company, a reconnaissance battalion, two maneuver battalions, an
artillery battalion, a brigade support battalion and a brigade support troop
battalion. Once transitioned, these new BCTs will enable greater capacity for
rapid packaging and responsive and sustained employment to support combatant
commanders. BCTs will also enhance the expeditionary and campaign qualities of
Army forces by better enabling Joint/coalition operations. The transition to
BCTs will also increase the overall brigade-equivalent forces available to
meet both enduring and emerging mission requirements.
Create modular, capabilities-based unit designs that will:
Elements of Consideration:
On 24 May, following six months of extensive planning, officers of the 1st
Cavalry Division began executing the monumental task of reorganizing and
realigning its manpower and equipment resources into the Army Matrix of Modular
Forces. As each Brigade changed command, they changed their colors and become
a Brigade Unit of Action (BUA). Under the reorganization, the Division will
have six Brigades. While undertaking the transformation changes, the Division
will experience nearly a fifty percent turnover in personnel while performing
the coordination of arrival and reallocation of critical new equipment
required to support their new missions. Simultaneously, with the equipment
changeovers, new training and maintenance programs will be initiated to
prepare for possible combat redeployment as early as 15 April, 2006 or as may
be directed by the Army Command. A major milestone of the transformation will
occur with the "Stand Up" of the 4th Brigade Combat Team at Ft. Bliss, TX. on
18 October, 2005.
| 1st CAVALRY DIVISION RESTRUCTURING | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Unit | Action |
| 24 May 2005 | Engineer Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX |
| 26 May 2005 | 5th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX |
| 515th Support Battalion (FWD), 5th Brigade Combat Team | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division | Actv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 20 Jun 2005 | Artillery Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX |
| 06 Jul 2005 | 27th Support Battalion (MAIN), DisCom Combat Team | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX |
| 08 Jul 2005 | 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX |
| 4th Sqdn, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team | Actv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| "D" Trp, 9th Cavalry redesignated as "B" Trp, 4th Sqdn, 9th Cavalry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team | Actv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 91st Engineer Battalion, Engineer Brigade | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| Special Troops Battalion (STB), 2nd Brigade Combat Team | Actv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 12 Jul 2005 | 20th Engineer Battalion, Engineer Brigade | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX |
| Special Troops Battalion (STB), 1st Brigade Combat Team | Actv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 1st Sqdn, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team | Actv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| "C" Trp, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 14 Jul 2005 | 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX |
| 1st Sqdn, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 6th Sqdn, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team | Actv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| "F" Trp, 9th Cavalry redesignated as "B" Trp, 6th Sqdn, 9th Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team | Actv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team | Actv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 8th Engineer Battalion, Engineer Brigade | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| Special Troops Battalion (STB), 3rd Brigade Combat Team | Actv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 15 Jul 2005 | DisCom Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX |
| 15th Sustainment Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division | Actv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| Special Troops Battalion (STB), 1st Cavalry Division | Actv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 13th Signal Battalion, Separate BNs/COs Combat Team | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 312th Mltry Intelligence Battalion, Separate BNs/COs Combat Team | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 545th Mltry Police Company, Separate BNs/COs Combat Team | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 68th Chemical Company, Separate BNs/COs Combat Team | Inactv'd at Ft. Hood, TX | |
| 4th Battalion, 5th Air Defense, Separate BNs/COs Combat Team | Xfer'd to 31st ADA Bde at Ft. Bliss, TX | |
| 29 Jul 2005 | 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery, 5th Brigade Combat Team | Xfer'd to 4th ID at Ft. Hood, TX |
On 15 July, the 1st Cavalry Division took the final step in its reorganization
of the ongoing transformation to Modular Units of Action with the inactivation
of the Separate Units Brigade of the Division and the creation of the 15th
Support Brigade and the Division Special Troops Battalion.
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| 1st Cavalry Reorganizational Ceremony on Cooper Field |
The colorful ceremony of two unit activations, four unit inactivations, the
reassignment of two battalions and the final parade of two guidons of company
headquarters marked the final reorganization of the Division. The units
inactivated included the 13th Signal Battalion, 312th Military Intelligence
Battalion, 68th Chemical Company and the 545th Military Police Company. The
battalion reassignments included the 4th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery
that was reassigned to the 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Ft. Bliss, TX
and the 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery Regiment that was assigned to the
Fires Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Hood. It was the closing
ceremony in the two-months marathon of unit activations, inactivations and
changes of command.
Many of the soldiers of that attended the ceremony on the Cooper Field were
assigned to the newly activated units integrated into the Brigades as
Companies and Platoons, or Units of Action and will go forward carve out their
own legacy, as part of the Division. Others will remained in their current
unit and fall under the operational control of a different higher
headquarters command.
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On 13 October ninety-nine 1st Cavalry soldiers and five CH-47 Chinook
helicopters from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, "B" Company and "D"
Company of the 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, and "B" Company of the
615th Aviation Support Battalion, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade were deployed in
support of humanitarian relief efforts in Pakistan. following a 7.6-magnitude
earthquake that hit on 08 October, killing nearly 20,000 people and injuring
an estimated 41,000.
Because of the distance between Ft. Hood and Pakistan, all five helicopters
were stripped down and loaded into the belly of an Air Force C-5 Galaxy. The
process of preparing the aircraft to become air freight can take up to 18
hours per helicopter. Previous experience of the unit with disaster relief in
Louisiana and in southeastern Texas make the battalion a logical choice to
support the mission in Pakistan.
During the 56-day mission of Task Force QUAKE, the soldiers carried 1,900
injured, sick or displaced people to safety and distributed over 2 million
pounds of food and supplies through 600 accident- and incident-free flight
hours. While the people of Pakistan largely were appreciative of help of the
soldiers, if the Pakistani army was there to help control the crowd, some got
anxious as supplies were being delivered and attempted to board the
helicopters.
Many of the soldiers who went to Pakistan had just returned from a similar
mission at home. Since "B" Company moved to Ft. Hood in June from Korea, they
have been asked to rescue and assist people affected by hurricane Katrina,
which hit the Gulf Coast on 29 August, and by Hurricane Rita a few weeks later
in Conroe, TX.
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On 18 October Ft. Bliss, TX welcomed back new elements of the 1st Cavalry
Division and celebrated 62 years since its 1943 departure to the Pacific
Theater in WW II. In accordance with the Base Realignment and Closure
recommendations approved by President George W. Bush on 16 September, the 4th
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division and its subordinate units were
concurrently activated in a ceremony at Noel Field, Ft. Bliss, TX. In addition
to the unfurling of the Brigade colors that signified its formal reactivation
and return to duty, each of the Battalion colors were unfurled and passed to
their respective commanders.
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 very field that was
named in 1928 after Lt. Paul A. Noel, a famed polo player, who learned his
skill as a horseman while in the 1st Cavalry Division. The cavalry had come
home !! The Brigade will remain remotely located at Ft. Bliss until its
return with the Division from its second deployment to Iraq.
| 4th BRIGADE ACTIVATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Unit | Action |
| 18 Oct 2005 | 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division | Actv'd at Ft. Bliss, TX |
| 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team | Reactv'd at Ft. Bliss, TX | |
| 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team | Reactv'd at Ft. Bliss, TX | |
| 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team | Reactv'd at Ft. Bliss, TX | |
| 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team | Actv'd at Ft. Bliss, TX | |
| 27th Support Battalion (BSB), 4th Brigade Combat Team | Reactv'd at Ft. Bliss, TX | |
| Special Troops Battalion (STB), 4th Brigade Combat Team | Actv'd at Ft. Bliss, TX | |
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As restructured, the 1st Cavalry Division will consist of a War Fighting
Headquarters (UEx), staffed with approximately 1000 personnel, that provides
Battle Command and Control (BCC) of four Heavy Maneuvering Brigade Combat
Teams (HBCT), a Heavy Air Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (ACBCT), a Special
Troops Battalion (SPT) and a Support Brigade (SB). The UEx consists of
Combined Command, Control and Communications (CCCC) functions and assets
formally associated with heavy division and corps headquarter units.
The Division will now have the ability to deploy a single individual Brigade
Unit of Action (UA) or several to various global locales simultaneously as an
option to deploying the entire Division. Prior to the implementation of the
modular reorganization, the Division lacked the ability to do multiple,
simultaneous Brigade deployments without support of other "in theater"
organizations because the entire Brigade was composed of one specialty skill;
such as engineering or fire control. In the Modular Force Concept each of the
maneuvering Brigades will be integrated with armor, infantry, engineer,
artillery, military police, military intelligence and many other specialties
enabling it to function and fight independently of any other unit support. In
addition, the Brigades will also no longer have armor or infantry battalions.
They will now have combined arms battalions which have both armor and infantry
elements. Broadening the maneuvering capabilities, the integration of
battalion-sized reconnaissance squadrons into each Brigade provides combatant
commanders the capability to screen large forward areas and reposition the
Brigade resources when and wherever needed.
The 1st Cavalry Division is currently stationed at Fort Hood, Texas with an
authorized strength of 18,200 Soldiers. It is assigned four numbered Heavy
Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs), the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, the 15th Support
Brigade, and the Division Special Troops Battalion. The 4th BCT is temporarily
stationed offsite at Fort Bliss, Texas.
To accomplish its missions, the Division uses a modern complementary set of
major weapons systems, which include M1A2 System Enhanced Package (SEP) Abrams
tanks, M2A3 and M3A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, M2A2 Operational Desert
Storm/Shield (ODS) Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Bradley Fire Support Vehicles,
M109A6 Paladin howitzers, AH-64 Longbow Apache helicopters, UH-60 Blackhawk
helicopters, and CH-47D Chinook helicopters.
The heavy maneuvering BCTs, a balanced set of four combat organization, each
built around a Reconnaissance Squadron, two Combined Arms Maneuver Battalions,
a Fires (Artillery) Battalion, a Brigade Support Battalion (BSB) and a Brigade
Special Troops Battalion (BSTB).
The 1st Air Cavalry Brigade conducts reconnaissance, security, mobile strike,
vertical maneuver, support to close combat with ground forces, aerial
sustainment, and command and control operations with its four Aviation
Battalions and one Aviation Support Battalion.
The Special Troops Battalion (STB) provides organizational and communications
support to the Division elements.
The 15th Sustainment Brigade provides a Combat Supply System (CSS) to the
Division and forces attached to it. It is assigned multifunctional CSS units
which are tailored and task organized according to the mission.
On 15 December, the first indication of the deployment plans for the 1st
Cavalry Division occurred in a response to a call-in question at the Ft. Hood
Television Studio, KNCT-TV. In the "TV Town Hall" meeting, Major General
Joseph Fil, Jr., Commanding General of the 1st Cavalry Division, announced
that two First Team Brigades, the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade and the 15th Support
Brigade, consisting of approximately 2,000 troops, have received deployment
orders for Iraq next year. As a preliminary timeline, the deployment is
currently scheduled to begin in late summer, 2006 and the rest of the Division
following by the end of the year.
On 13 January, 2006 the 227th Aviation Regiment, Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st
Cavalry Division moved one step closer to war-ready status as their newest
attack helicopter battalion, the 4th Battalion, wrapped up a field training
exercise at Camp Bowie National Guard Training Center near Brownwood, TX. The
unit was originally part of the Germany-based 1st Battalion, 501st Aviation
Regiment, 1st Armored Division until its transfer to Ft. Hood in early 2005.
Once in Texas, the unit began training to transition from the standard AH-64
Apaches to the more technologically advanced Apache Longbow. Their training,
guided by the 21st Air Cavalry Brigade collocated at Ft. Hood, has included
troop schools, mission practices, classes, physical training tests, team
building workshops and field exercises.
On 10 February the 1st Air Cavalry Aviation Brigade Combat Team and the 227th
Aviation Regiment augmented their level of force by the activation of the 4th
Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment and its subordinate operational and support
units at Ft. Hood, TX.
Also on 10 February, members of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry
Division were put on notice that eight CH-47 Chinook helicopter flight crews
and a supporting maintenance team are to redeploy to Pakistan to conduct
humanitarian relief efforts to earthquake victims there. This is the second
deployment to Pakistan for members of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, who
conducted a six-week relief operation there beginning mid-October last year.
The call for the aviators comes as flight crews in Pakistan begin to reach the
one-year mark of their deployment supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sending in a fresh cavalry team allows crews in Pakistan to come home to loved
ones while maintaining the vital humanitarian support to the people of
Pakistan. Nearly 100 Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment
are expected to depart Ft. Hood within the next several days. They will
conduct flight operations using aviation assets already in place in Pakistan.
The deployment is expected to last six weeks.
On 13 February, the early dawn came around as the soldiers from the 2nd
Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment and 615th Aviation Support Battalion, 1st
Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division had to go through the Soldier
Readiness Processing in preparation for their deployment. At this point, all
knew that they would be moving out that very night. By evening, the groups
combined to create Task Force Quake II and began the journey to Pakistan.
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The route to Pakistan was anything but direct. The Task Force first headed out
to Bangor, Maine, where they arrived in the early morning hours of 14
February. Maine may not sound exotic or interesting to most soldiers, but the
warm welcome and thanks from veterans and volunteers at the airport took some
of the travel stresses away. They departed from Maine that same morning and
had arrived in Hahn, Germany late that evening.
On 15 February the soldiers arrived in Manas Air Force Base, Kyrgyzstan,
located just outside the tiny city of Bishkek. At this point, they were
getting a little weary, but still kept their heads on straight. Manas AFB gave
them something they hadn't had in over two days -- a shower. With roughly only
a day's rest under their belts, Task Force Quake II headed out for Bagram,
Afghanistan where they stayed for a little less than a day before heading out
to Islamabad, Pakistan. On 17 February, the next day they arrived at Qasim Air
Base, in Islamabad, and the soldiers immediately began the transition to being
stationed in a foreign nation. After some quick briefings and a tour of the
facility, the soldiers of the Task Force were able to get a little rest.
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It is 0545 hours, 21 February and the pre-flight briefing has just ended. Show
time is at 0630 hours and take off is scheduled for 0700 hours. Although not
covered in the media much anymore, the relief effort in Pakistan in the
aftermath of the massive earthquake last October is still an every day effort.
Soldiers of Task Force Quake II, comprised of troop elements from the 2nd
Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment and 615th Aviation Support Battalion, 1st
Air Cavalry Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division are heading up the last leg of
US support in the humanitarian relief effort in Pakistan by providing food
via their CH-47D Chinook helicopters. Just three days earlier, with their
boots barely on the ground, Task Force Quake II troops are already taking over
missions in the relief effort.
There are reasons why the Chinooks are used as opposed to other aircraft in
the inventory of the Army. Chinooks are used because of their operational
altitude and load carrying capacity. Both of these factors are important
because of the terrain the Chinooks are being flown over. Pakistan, unlike
Iraq, is very mountainous and the loads that are being carried could not be
taken by a Black Hawk helicopter. The Chinook can handle 17,000 to 18,000
pounds at a comfortable maximum. While the helicopters could carry more in
some circumstances. The pilots and crew work an eight-hour day taking about
eight loads out to the people in remote areas of Pakistan. The normal day for
the pilots and crew starts with a briefing early in the morning around 0530
hours with lift-off scheduled by 0730 hours and return around 1600 hours.
They head out to a pick-up zone to retrieve their load then go drop it at
specified coordinates given to them earlier that morning. With these types of
missions being played out every day, the relief effort in Pakistan is quickly
coming to an end.
On 12 April the 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry
Aviation Brigade and the 615 Aviation Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division
returned from a two month deployment to Pakistan. The deployment was the
unit's second to the country, which was damaged by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake
on 08 October, 2005. During their deployment mission, the task force delivered
4 million pounds of food and supplies.
On 27 April the 1st Air Cavalry Aviation Brigade Combat Team and the 227th
Aviation Regiment conducted an activation ceremony at Cooper Parade Field for
the 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment and their subordinate operational
and support units at Ft. Hood, TX. In addition there was a special welcoming
ceremony for the 3rd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment and their subordinate
operational and support units that were previously activated on 10 February.
Activation of these two units brings the 1st Air Cavalry Aviation Brigade
Combat Team to its full Table of Organization strength.
On 20 June, the 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters received orders to return
to Iraq later this year. The units designated to return along with the 1st
Cavalry Headquarters and their Special Troops Battalion (STB) will be the 2nd
(BlackJack) Brigade Combat Team, who are closing out a specialized training
session at the National Training Center - Ft. Irwin, CA, and the 3rd
(GreyWolf) Combat Team, who are completing battlefield training at the Joint
Readiness Training Center - Ft. Polk, LA. Approximately 12,000 soldiers of the
Division staffing level of 18,500 are covered by these orders. Although no
timing or schedule has been established for the deployment, the Division is
expected to relieve the 4th Infantry Division currently deployed in Baghdad,
which is scheduled to return to Ft. Hood by Christmas. Units still without
orders, the 1st (Ironhorse) Brigade Combat Team at Ft. Hood, TX and the 4th
(Longknife) Brigade Combat Team at Ft. Bliss, TX, will continue to train as if
they could be called up at any time.
As you journey through the history of the 1st Cavalry Division and its
assigned elements, you may find it interesting enough to send a message to
your friends and extend them an invitation for the opportunity to review the
rich history of the Division. We have made it easy for you to do. All that is
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