Benning: Tip of the Bayonet

Maneuver Center Update

How much to you know about the Cav?

Bridgett Siter
MCOE Public Affairs

I confess, I know next to nothing about the Cavalry. To my credit, I figure I know more than half the population, who continue to call it the "Calvary," but that'll get me just so far. When the new water tower went up in Harmony Church, with "Home of the Armor and Cavalry" printed on it, I was a bit confused about the distinction. In an effort to better understand the history and lineage of the Cav, I did a little scouting on the newest frontier, the Web.

This is what I found: Historically, the word cavalry has always been used to describe a unit of soldiers mounted on horseback. I'm told the word is derived from a French word (the same word that gave us "chivalry") which was derived from a Latin word meaning "horse."

The earliest cavalry was classified as "light" or "heavy," depending on how much armor they wore and how sturdy their steeds. Picture a passel of knights on horseback, and you have a heavy infantry unit. Often, cavalrymen rode into battle and dismounted to fight.

Though foot soldiers and mounted soldiers have been around ever since man first decided to choose up sides and spill blood, the cavalry was historically the more flexible and adaptive of the two. Obviously, troops on horseback moved much more quickly than infantry units, so they covered more ground in less time and didn't tire as easily. That made them perfect for long-range reconnaissance, security and quick mass deployment.

The U.S. Cavalry was fairly "light" from the get go. In the nineteenth century, they took to the frontier with pistols and carbines and dismounted once they made contact with the enemy. They were lethal, reliable and indispensible right up until the First World War, when trench warfare and the introduction of the internal combustion engine rendered them less of an asset.

The tank, which was first employed on the battlefield by the Britts, was designed to solve the tactical problem of the trenches and was originally intended to be used to help the infantry clear the way for the cavalry. Turns out, it all but replaced the horse, and therefore the traditional cavalry. With increased firepower and protection, mechanized forces assumed the role of the cavalry in World War II.

The US Army has not had an operational horse cavalry units since 1943. Armored units inherited the honors and traditions of the U.S. Cavalry when the Cav branch was absorbed by the Armor Branch as part of the Army Reorganization Act of 1950. For the most part, mechanized cav units continue to use many of the same tactics and fill the same roles as their predecessors, but they do so aboard armored vehicles and helicopters.

The Army's first air cav unit was introduced in Vietnam. The 7th Cavalry, with COL. Hal Moore in command, pioneered the concept of helicopters in combat during the first major engagement of that war. You probably know it now as the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley. (If you don't know it, you'll want to rent a copy of Mel Gibson's We Were Soldiers ...)

Today, the term "cavalry" generally refers to a highly mobile but compact reconnaissance unit employed where an economy of force is needed. They have, as one Web site put it, a lot of "punching power," and are best use for shock and awe if followed by a more deliberate, sustainable force. A Cav unit, typically long on firepower and short on "boots," compared to an Infantry or Armor unit, will rupture the defender's line and let the heavy forces pass through to finish them up.

In short, today's Cav is part of the Armor branch, though distinctive and specialized in its mission. The "and Cavalry" printed on the Harmony Church water tower is a nod to those heavy hitters, their history and traditions.

For more information please visit the MCOE Info and Employment website or contact Bridgett Siter at bridgett.siter@us.army.mil.