The 1st Cavalry Division was formally activated on 13 Sep 1921, at Fort Bliss, Texas with Major General Robert Lee Howze as its commander. During World War II, the division fought tirelessly against Japanese fortifications and with the last of the strongholds eliminated, moved on to Luzon, the main island of the Philippines, where it accomplished one of its most noted feats. On 31 Jan 1945, General Douglas McArthur ordered the division to “Go to Manila, Free the prisoners at Santo Tomas. Take the Malacanan Palace and the legislative building.†The next day, the “Flying Column†jumped off to slice through 100 miles of Japanese territory. Hours later, the 1st Cavalry Division was in Manila and the prisoners were free, earning General McArthur’s sobriquet, “The First Team†and beginning its collection of firsts—First in Manila. As the war in the Pacific came to a sudden end, General McArthur gave the First Team the honor of leading the Allied Occupational Army into Tokyo, achieving its second notable “firstâ€, First in Tokyo. In the Korean War the division crossed the 38th parallel on 9 Oct 1950, and crashed into the capital city of Pyongyang on 19 Oct 1950. This marked the third “first†for the division—First in Pyongyang. Upon redeployment from Korea the division was reorganized and within 90 days of becoming the Army’s first Airmobile Division, the First Team was back in combat as the first fully committed U.S. division in the Vietnam War. Its first real combat test came during the Pleiku campaign—35 days of continuous assault operations beginning on 29 Oct 1965. During that time, division troops destroyed two of the three regiments of a North Vietnamese division, earning the only Presidential Unit Citation to be awarded to an Army division during the entire war in Vietnam. In May of 1970, the First Team was “First into Cambodia†hitting what was previously a communist sanctuary. The division’s service in Vietnam ended in 1972 with the withdrawal of its 3rd Brigade. It had been the first division into Vietnam and the last to leave. In 1974, the division was reorganized again, this time becoming America’s newest armor division. In addition to fielding the M1 Abrams main battle tank, the division became the first to field the M-88 Hercules recovery vehicle, the AH-64 Apache helicopter, the M2 Bradley fighting vehicle, the HMMWV, the MLRS and MSE, and the military version of a cellular telephone system. In January 1991, the division was attached to VII Corps in Saudi Arabia. While other ground forces prepared for war, the First Team began a calculated war of deception along the Saudi border to lure Iraqi forces into believing the allied attack would come from the direction. On 20 Feb 1991, in Desert Storm’s first major mounted engagement, the division’s 2nd Brigade attacked 10 miles into Iraq confirming and destroying enemy positions. On 07 Oct 1998, after completing the deployment of the Division’s Headquarter, 1st and 4th Brigades and a multitude of other division units begun in early August, the official transfer of authority for the Multinational Division (North) to the First Team took place adding another first—first U.S. based division to deploy to Bosnia.The 1st Cavalry Division is currently led by Major General Joseph F. Fil, Jr. and Command Sergeant Major Philip F. Johndrow. It is assigned four numbered Heavy Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs), the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, the 15th Sustainment Brigade, and the Division Special Troops Battalion. The Division consists of 18,200 troops and M1A2 System Enhanced Package (SEP) Abrams tanks, M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, AH-64 Apache helicopters, UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, OH-58 Kiowa helicopters, and CH-47D Chinook helicopters. In the past few years, the 1st Cavalry Division has been called on to send its troops and units to fight terrorism and provide humanitarian assistance for hurricane and earthquake relief throughout the world. After the terrorist attacks in September 2001, the First Team became a key unit in the war on terror. Initially the division provided guards for strategic sites and troops of the 4th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery provided protection to the nation’s capitol during Operation Noble Eagle. The 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation, the 615th Aviation Support Battalion and the 68th Chemical Company were detached from the division and participated in the initial attack into Iraq while the rest of the division prepared to deploy. Taking over control of Task Force Baghdad from the 1st Armored Division on 15 April, 2004 the division began a year of fighting and nation building in Iraq. Fierce fighting in Sadr City, Fallujah and Najaf along with other numerous operations and attacks by suicide bombers and roadside bombs resulted in the loss of 168 troops from the division and its attached units. The 1st Cavalry Division oversaw the establishment of an interim Iraqi government and the first free held elections in Iraq’s history during their year long deployment. Returning to Texas in May 2005, the division restructured and reorganized for combat and deployed to Iraq for its second tour of duty in Baghdad in 2006. Today’s First Team troops continue to carry on the traditions of excellence that has been the hallmark of the division from its beginning in the deserts of West Texas. LIVE THE LEGEND!
Myspace Editor
Pimp MySpace
My World Visitor Map!
