Old Bill

The American artist Frederick Remington drew the image below. In 1898 he was visiting 

the camp of the 3d Cavalry in Tampa, Florida, where the Regiment was preparing for the invasion of Cuba during the Spanish-American War. 

Remington was a close friend of Captain Francis Hardie, who was the commander of Troop 

G. During his visit, Remington's attention was drawn to one of the troop's NCOs. Sergeant 

John Lannen struck the artist as the epitome of the cavalryman, and with Hardie’s approval, the 

artist made several rough sketches of Lannen in front of the Hardie’s tent. From those rough 

sketches Remington later executed the now famous drawing portraying a trooper astride his 

mount with a carbine cradled in his arm. 

At some point in the past, this drawing became known as "Old Bill", and today it is universally recognized as the symbol of mobile warfare in the United States Army. This drawing 

represents a Trooper, a unit and a branch of service. 

As was the case with many American soldiers in that conflict, Lannen contracted yellow 

fever and died in Santiago in 1898 after almost 30 years of faithful service. The 3d Armored 

Cavalry Regiment points with pride to the fact that one of its troopers has bequeathed such a 

rich legacy to his Regiment, the United States Cavalry, and the United States Army. 

“Old Bill” 

15 
In early August, the Regiment departed Cuba and sailed for Montauk Point, New York, 

where it was joined by the four troops which had remained behind. In early September, the 

entire Regiment left Montauk Point for its new duty station at Ft. Ethan Allen, Vermont. 

The 3d Cavalry did not remain together for very long. In February and March of 1899, two 

troops were assigned to Ft. Sheridan, Illinois, two troops to Jefferson Barracks, four troops and 

the band to Ft. Myer, Virginia, while the remainder of the Regiment stayed at Ft. Ethan Allen. 

The Moro Rebellion 

The units had barely arrived at their new duty stations when, on 22 July 1899, the headquarters and eight troops were ordered to Seattle, Washington. From Seattle, this force embarked 

for the Philippine Islands to operate against the Filipino insurgents. Meanwhile, the remaining 

four troops of the Regiment were ordered to assemble at Fort Meyer. 

The Regiment landed in Manila in October 1899, with the remaining four troops following 

from Fort Myer in 1900. The 3d Cavalry remained on the island of Luzon until 1902, fighting 

62 engagements during that time. 

Members of Troop K, 3d U.S. Cavalry ca. 1900.

16 
The Regiment returned to the United States in detachments between April and November 

1902. The headquarters, band, and six troops were stationed in Montana, two troops in Wyoming, two in Arizona, and one each in Idaho and North Dakota. 

The 3d Cavalry remained in the United States until December 1905, when it was again ordered to the Philippines, this time for peacetime occupation duty. It remained there until 1908, 

when it was ordered home and stationed in Texas. The following nine years were spent in garrison and patrolling the Mexican border. 

World War I 

On 17 March 1917, the entire Regiment was transferred to Fort Sam Houston, Texas. In 

April, the United States entered the Great War and in August the Regiment became one of the 

first units deployed overseas. Arriving in France in November, the Regiment operated three 

major remount depots until the war’s end. 

The Regiment’s three squadrons cared for horses and mules shipped to the American Expeditionary Force from the United States until such time as these animals were required at the 

front to carry ammunition and pull artillery. After the armistice, the Regiment was tasked with 

selling the thousands of remaining animals to French civilians. When they had finished in June, 

1919, they assembled at Brest, France and sailed home, arriving on July 4. 

The only unit of the 3d Cavalry that saw actual combat was Troop K, which was detached 

from the 3d Squadron and participated in the last three engagements prior to the Armistice on 

11 November 1918. Troop K also was part of the Army of Occupation, remaining in Germany 

until it was shipped home with the rest of the Regiment in 1919.

The American Expeditionary Force purchased 243,039 horses and mules 

during WWI, at an average cost of $379.81. 

17 
Between the Wars 

On 1 June 1919, the Regiment sailed for Boston and, upon arrival, the headquarters and 1st 

Squadron moved to Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont. During the 1920's and 1930's the Regiment 

underwent a series of organizational changes. 2d Squadron, plus troops C and D of 1st Squadron, were inactivated. 3d Squadron was redesignated as 2d Squadron which was stationed at 

Fort Myer, Virginia, becoming known as the 'President’s Own". 

Because of its proximity to Washington and Arlington National Cemetery, the 2d Squadron 

was frequently called upon to furnish honor guards and escorts for distinguished visitors and 

funeral escorts for distinguished civilian officials and military personnel. On 11 November 

1921, the Regiment furnished the cavalry escort for the burial of the Unknown Soldier from 

WWI in Arlington National Cemetery. Staff Sergeant Frank Witchey, 3d Cavalry, sounded final “Taps”. SSG Witchey’s trumpet and tabard are displayed in the Regimental Museum. Until 

1941, the Regiment provided the guard detail at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

Also during the 1920's, and 30's the Regiment became well known throughout the east for 

the magnificent horse shows and other riding events it either participated in or sponsored. The 

3d Cavalry won many ribbons and trophies at these events, while the Regiment's trick riding 

team became famous for its outstanding displays of horsemanship. 

The beginning of mechanization: scout cars at Fort Myer, Virginia, 1935 

18 
World War II 

With the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the United States entered World War 

II. In February, the Regiment was moved to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and then to Fort Benning, Georgia. At Fort Benning, the Regiment was reorganized and redesignated as the 3d Armored Regiment and assigned to the 10th Armored Division. 

 In January 1943, it was reconstituted as the 3d Cavalry Group (Mechanized). The 1st and 

2d Squadrons were redesignated as the 3d and 43d Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons, respectively. The 3d Cavalry Group moved to Camp Gordon, Georgia where it began training in 

mechanized operations. 

After extensive field maneuvers in the southeastern United States, the 3d Cavalry Group 

arrived in England in June of 1944. On 9 August, it landed in France and became the covering 

force of XX Corps, part of General Patton’s Third U.S. Army. As the spearhead of the XX 

Corps, the Group led the Third Army’s breakout from Normandy. 

The Troopers of the 3d Cavalry Group were the first to reach the Meuse River and first to 

reach the Moselle River and enter the key city of Thionville, France. The 3d Cavalry Group 

became, on 17 November 1944, the first element of the Third Army to enter Germany and also 

fought as infantry in operations to reduce the fortress city of Metz. 

Members of the 3d Cavalry Group (Mecz) raft an M3 scout car across a river during field 

training exercise at Camp Gordon, Georgia prior to deployment to England in 1943. 

19 
Next came the envelopment of the Siegfried Line and the pursuit to the Rhine River. The 

3d Cavalry crossed the Rhine on 29 March and made a 150-mile, three-day dash to the Bad 

Hersfeld area north of Fulda as resistance started to crumble. In April and early May, with final 

victory in sight, the Third Army, with the 3d Cavalry Group in the lead, turned south and raced 

through upper Austria to link up with the Soviet Army. After hostilities ended, the Group was 

sent through the Alps to Northern Italy to monitor the activities of the various factions that controlled Yugoslavia when the war ended. When no threat materialized, they moved back to Austria. The 3d Cavalry Group was the first military unit to cross the Alps since Hannibal, in 215 

BC. 

While in action, the 3d Cavalry Group (Mecz) ultimately moved 3,000 miles in 265 days, 

117 of those in continuous combat without a rest! The 3d Cavalry also accounted for over 

43,000 enemy troops killed, wounded or captured. 

Shortly after the war in Europe ended, the troopers of the 3d and 43d Squadrons returned to 

the U.S. for a short furlough. They then reported to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Camp 

Bowie, Texas, respectively, to begin training for the invasion of Japan, but because the war 

ended with the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan, their services were no longer required. 

Colonel Polk and the Group Headquarters Troop stayed in Germany to operate a displaced 

persons camp for war refugees. Most of these people were either fleeing the Russian Army or 

had been released from concentration camps. After the camp was turned over to another organization, these troopers also returned home. 

“Task Force Polk Patrols the Saar” by Don Stivers 

20 
Patton’s Praise 

At the War's end, the 3d Cavalry Group, like the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen in Mexico 

City nearly one hundred years earlier, received high praise from its Commanding General. 

General George S. Patton, Jr. commented on the battlefield actions of the 3d Cavalry Group 

with these words: 

 "The 3d Cavalry has lived up to the accolade bestowed upon it at Chapultepec 

 by General Scott. As horse cavalry you were outstanding; I have never seen a 

 better regiment. To your performance as mechanized cavalry, the same applies. 

 It is a distinct honor to have commanded an army in which the 3d Cavalry served." 

General George S. Patton, 28th Colonel, awards the Silver Star Medal to Colonel James H. 

Polk, 32nd Colonel, on May 18, 1945 at Seewalchen, Austria. The occasion was the 99th 

anniversary of the 3d Cavalry. Polk would eventually become the Commander and Chief of 

USAREUR.. He retired in 1971 after more than 40 years of service. 

21 
The 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment 

Returning from Europe, elements of the 3d Cavalry Group were eventually assembled at 

Fort Meade, Maryland. On 5 November 1948, the 3d Cavalry Group was redesignated as the 

3d Armored Cavalry Regiment. The 43d Reconnaissance Squadron became the 1st Battalion, 

while the 3d Reconnaissance Squadron became the 2nd Battalion. 

In order to return the Regiment to a three-squadron configuration, the 35th Mechanized 

Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, an all-Black unit, was reassigned to the Regiment on January 15, 1948. It was redesignated as the 3d Battalion. Its incorporation into the 3d Armored 

Cavalry marked the first time that African-American Troopers were assigned to the Regiment. 

During the period l948-1951, the Regiment participated in many major field training exercises in the eastern United States. It also conducted training during the summer months for Reserve Component armor units at Fort Meade, MD, and Camps Pickett, and A. P. Hill, Virginia. 

The outbreak of the Korean War meant that the Regiment would have to train replacements 

for that conflict, despite losing many of its officers and Troopers to units going overseas. 

In February 1952, the Regiment moved from Fort Meade, to Camp Pickett, where it remained until May 1954. After participating in Exercise FLASHBURN at Fort Bragg, North 

Carolina, the Regiment moved back to Fort Meade. 

Regimental Headquarters at Camp Picket, Virginia, circa 1953 

22 
The Regiment began an intense ten week train-up at Camp A.P. Hill on April 1, 1955 which 

was interrupted when the Troopers were required to fight a devastating fire in Bowling Green, 

Virginia. The climax to the training was a firepower demonstration on 24 June followed by the 

return to Ft. Meade from 27 to 29 June. 

In August 1955, the Regiment became the first unit to deploy to Germany under Operation 

Gyroscope--a plan under which divisional and separate regimental-size units were sent overseas 

as replacements for similar units which would return to the United States. The term Operation 

Gyroscope refers to the attribute of rotation with stability exhibited by a gyroscope. This was 

an attempt by the Army to reduce personnel turbulence by transferring entire units rather than 

individual soldiers. 

The advance party arrived in Germany on 26 June. On 2 August, the First and Second Battalions sailed from New York aboard the U.S.N.S. Randall and arrived at Bremerhaven on 10 

August. The Third and Provisional Battalions sailed from New York on U.S.N.S. Buckner on 6 

August and arrived at Bremerhaven on 14 August. 

Replacing the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment, the Regimental Headquarters was stationed at 

Nuremberg with the 1st Battalion at Bindlach, the 2d battalion at Bamberg, and the 3d battalion 

at Amberg. The exchange with the 2d ACR was completed by 15 August.

Troopers of the 3d ACR perform border surveillance duties along the border between West 

Germany and Czechoslovakia. 

23 
The troopers participated in many field training exercises such as the NATO maneuver, 

“Cordon Bleu” and CPX “Polo Ball”. In addition, the various units in the Regiment patrolled 

both the Czechoslovakian and East German borders, frequently working with the West German 

Federal Border Police, the Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS). 

The 3d ACR returned to the United States in February 1958, and was once again stationed 

at Fort Meade. The Regiment became part of the Strategic Army Corps (STRAC) and, from 

1958-1961, it was the recipient of four STRAC streamers, awarded for superior readiness and 

training. 

In reaction to the Berlin Crisis, the Regiment redeployed to Germany in October 1961. 

Alerted for movement on October 10th, although scattered at different training sites along the 

Eastern Seaboard, the Regiment arrived at its new duty stations of Baumholder and Kaiserslautern exactly thirty days later. 

Seventh Army 

The 3d ACR was initially placed under the Seventh Army Support Command and given the 

mission of rear area security. The Troopers of the Regiment spent many hours reconnoitering 

the road network in the Seventh Army’s area to determine the best routes for rapid deployment 

in case of attack by the Warsaw Pact. 

 During 1962 and 1963, the lst and 2nd Squadrons relieved elements of the 14th ACR for 

two one-month periods along the East German border. From November 1962 through November 1964, the 3d ACR had a troop attached to the 14th ACR for border surveillance operations 

on a monthly rotational basis. In February 1964, the Regiment came under the direct control of 

the Seventh Army. On 10 June 1964, the 2nd Squadron was redesignated as the 1st Squadron, 

11th ACR, and returned to the United States with that Regiment. 

Concurrently, the 1st Squadron, 11th ACR was redesignated as the 2nd Squadron, 3d ACR 

and attached to VII Corps with it’s duty station at Straubling, Germany. The 2nd Squadron 

continued the mission of the 3d ACR along the Czech border, operating two border camps with 

one troop until relieved of its border mission and relocated to Kaiserslautern in March 1965. 

While it was stationed in Europe, the 3d ACR performed varied and outstanding service for 

the Seventh Army. The entire Regiment participated in a number of major field training exercises (FTX’s), including SCOTCH GAMBIT I and II in 1962, exercise BIG LIFT in 1963, 

BRANDY STATION in 1965 and SILVER TALON in 1966. In addition, the Squadrons took 

part as separate units in several other FTX’s, such as SABER KNOT in December 1962, a major counter-insurgency exercise in Bavaria in 1964, and LUNDY’S LANE I and II in 1964 and 

1965. In these latter exercises, the Squadrons of the 3d ACR acted as aggressor forces to test the 

capabilities of several British armor units. 

From 1961 to 1968, the Regiment was situated with its Headquarters, Headquarters Troop, 

and the lst Squadron at Baumholder, the Air Cavalry Troop at Hoppstadten and 

the 2nd and 3d Squadrons at Kaiserslautern. In December 1966, the Regiment was assigned to 

V Corps, and in 1967 took part in Exercise LARGE PLAY. 

24 
Fort Lewis, Washington 

In July 1968, the 3d ACR redeployed to the United States, taking up station at Fort Lewis, 

Washington, where Second Squadron was inactivated. The 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment became a major REFORGER unit, capable of rapidly deploying to Germany in case of an international crisis. The troopers of the Regiment also spent considerable time at the Yakima Firing 

Center training National Guard cavalry units. 

An unusual mission performed by 3d ACR Troopers during this period was that of assisting 

in the search for D.B. Cooper, the first person to hijack an airliner. Cooper parachuted into a 

Washington forest from the airplane, but was never caught. 

An indicator of the level social unrest in the nation at that time is the fact that the Regiment 

spent considerable time conducting civil disturbance training with troopers in civilian clothes 

acting the part of rioters. 

Air Cavalry Troop’s Aero Rifle Platoon practices air assault techniques at 

Ft. Lewis, Washington. 

25 
Return to Fort Bliss, Texas 

In July 1972, after 115 years, the 3d Cavalry returned to Fort Bliss, Texas. The lst and 3rd 

Squadrons, Headquarters Troop, Air Cavalry Troop, and 513th Maintenance Company were 

augmented in 1973 with the addition of several new units. These included the 181st Ordinance 

Detachment (Missile) and the 66th Military Intelligence Detachment. 

The 2nd Squadron, which had been inactivated in 1971 at Fort Lewis, was reconstituted using personnel and equipment from the lst Squadron, 6th Cavalry, which was moved from Fort 

Meade to Fort Bliss. In 1976, the size of the Regiment was again increased with the addition of 

the 43rd Combat Engineer Company. 

The 3d ACR’s readiness was tested in REFORGER 75 during which elements of the Regiment were airlifted to the Federal Republic of Germany and drew prepositioned equipment out 

of depot stocks. After selected officers and Troopers participated in CPX AUTUMN SAILS 

with members of the British and West German Armies, the Regiment took part in FTX 

STRAFFE ZUGEL (Strong Rein) with the German 1st Panzergrenadier Division. 

After returning to Fort Bliss, the 3d ACR participated in a number of major exercises. In 

late 1973, the Regiment took part in BRAVE SHIELD VI, followed by BRAVE RIFLES VII in 

February 1974, GOBI EXPRESS V in September 1974, BRAVE RIFLES IX in January 1975, 

and JTX GALLANT SHIELD in the spring of 1975. The Regiment also participated in ORBIT 

PHANTOM, an annual Command Post Exercise, and (CPX) at Fort Hood, Texas involving III 

Corps units. 

In October of 1976, L Troop participated in a month-long exchange with A Squadron, 4th 

Cavalry Regiment of the Royal Australian Armored Corps. The Third Armored Cavalry was 

once again represented in Germany, when 1st Squadron took part in REFORGER 77. The 

Regiment was also involved in Exercise BOLD MOVE.

26 

M551 Sheridans and M114A2s near the Hueco Mountains at Ft. Bliss, January 1975. 
From April 1978 to May 1979, H Company, 2d Squadron conducted Operational Test II of 

the then-new XM1 Abrams Main Battle Tank. The Squadron logged nearly 300,000 miles, 

used over 320,000 gallons of fuel, fired 8,000 rounds of 105mm ammunition, and 200,000 

rounds of small arms ammunition in round-the-clock operations with the new tank. 

The 407th ASA Company was assigned to the Regiment in 1979 and a year later the 89th 

and 507th Chemical Detachments were added, providing needed support in the electronic and 

chemical warfare fields. 

In the spring of 1980, elements of the lst Royal Tank Regiment and the 9th/12th Lancers 

from the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) traded places with E Troop for a month of desert 

training. 

On 8 April 1981, General of the Army Omar N. Bradley, who had been living at Ft. Bliss, 

passed away and the Regiment was called upon to support the ceremonies held at Fort Bliss. 2d 

Squadron provided the Salute Battery and Honor Platoons as well as many other personnel to 

fill various positions. 

In March 1982, the Regiment took part in Exercise BORDER STAR. Another aspect of the 

Regiment's training and operations has been its affiliation programs with various National 

Guard Cavalry units from different states. This resulted in numerous training activities with National Guard units both at Fort Bliss and at the Guard’s home stations. 

The Regimental Aviation Section became the Regimental Support Aviation Troop (RSAT) 

on 5 March 1982. RSAT’s mission was to provide command-and-control aircraft, liaison, troop 

lift, and critical logistic re-supply support as well as combat medical evacuation. On 29 August 

1982, the Regimental advance party departed for Germany for REFORGER 82. 1982 would see 

the entire Regiment, less Air Cavalry Troop, deploy for operations which would last until October.

27 

Howitzer Battery, Third Squadron at Ft. Bliss, Texas, 1975. 
On 16 November 1982, the 407th ASA Company and 66th MI detachment were combined 

to form the 66th MI Company (CEWI). CEWI (pronounced see-wee) stands for “Combat 

Electronic Warfare Intelligence”. 

In 1985, two events occurred that further enhanced the Regiment’s capabilities. The first 

was the activation, on 16 April, of the Support Squadron, the first new squadron to be activated 

since 1960. The other was that 2nd Squadron became the first unit in the United States Army 

field the M1A1 Abrams tank. Then on 16 October 1988, the Regimental Support Aviation 

Troop, concurrently with other aviation units, was redesignated as the newest element of the 

Regiment - the 4th Squadron. 

An OH-58 from Air Cavalry Troop during a field training exercise at Ft. Bliss, 1974. 

28 
The Persian Gulf War 

 On 7 August 1990, the Regiment was alerted to move overseas to defend of one of our 

country's allies, Saudi Arabia, from Iraqi aggression. In September, the Regiment arrived in 

country as part of the XVIII Airborne Corps, and moved into a defensive position south of the 

Kuwaiti border. During this defensive buildup, known as "Operation Desert Shield", the Regiment trained extensively in anticipation of the ground assault which would be required to liberate Kuwait. 

On 17 January 1991, the United Nations initiated "Operation Desert Storm". In "Operation 

Desert Caravan" the Regiment moved 2400 vehicles 350 kilometers west to set up in the neutral 

zone on the Saudi/Iraqi border, as the air war progressed overhead. On 22 January 1991, elements of Troop I, led by the 63rd Colonel, Douglas Starr, engaged in the first ground combat by 

the XVIII Airborne Corps, when they responded to an Iraqi attack on a Saudi outpost. 

On 22 February 1991, F Troop, 2nd Squadron led the Regiment across the berms into Iraq 

for the start of the ground phase of the war. In 100 hours the Regiment moved over 300 kilometers north, then east to Basra, Iraq, ending the war in the Rumaylah oil fields. The Regiment 

left the remnants of three Republican Guard Divisions in its wake. 

As quickly as the Regiment deployed to the Middle East, it returned to Fort Bliss, Texas, 

arriving 5 April 1991. 

29 
Fort Carson, Colorado 

In early 1996, the Regiment once again answered the call to "Boots and Saddles" and 

moved to Fort Carson, Colorado. 

The Regiment’s home station is named for the famous Colorado frontiersman and military 

officer, Christopher “Kit” Carson. President Polk had appointed Carson a lieutenant in the 

Regiment of Mounted Riflemen in 1848, in recognition of his service to the nation. However, 

due to political considerations, brought about by his support of General Stephen W. Kearney’s 

conquest of California, his appointment was not confirmed by Congress. Carson appears on 

Regimental returns as “appointed but not joined.” 

Shortly after arriving at the Mountain Post, the Regiment celebrated its 150th anniversary. 

In addition, various units of the Regiment have since forged partnerships with several 

communities in the Pike Peak region. 

3d ACR Troopers continued to hone their war-fighting skills with operations at Ft. Carson 

and Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site. During Rotation 98-1 at the National Training Center (NTC) 

at Ft. Irwin, CA, the Regiment once again set the standard and demonstrated its lethality by the 

destruction of the Opposing Force (OPFOR). This deployment was the best recorded to that 

date by a Regimental-size unit. 

30 
Elements of the Regiment have also operated with other Army units in exercises at the 

NTC, the Joint Readiness Training Center at Ft. Polk, LA, and other locations. 

 

Bosnia 

In August 1998, the Regiment was notified that it would participate in the Bosnian peacekeeping mission as part of Stabilization Force 7 (SFOR 7). This would be a unique deployment 

because the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment (less 1st Squadron), would be under the operational 

control of the Texas National Guard’s 49th Armored Division. SFOR 7 was the first time that a 

National Guard organization would have command authority over active component units as 

well as a multinational force, known as Task Force Eagle. 

The Regiment began preparations for the SFOR mission while at the same time continuing 

its normal training and garrison duties. Arrangements had to be made to store personal property 

and vehicles, provide for maintenance of military vehicles and equipment that would remain at 

Ft. Carson Carson, and many other details. 

These troopers had to stand down from a more aggressive war fighting posture to act as 

neutral observers. They trained long and hard at Brcko, a simulated Bosnian village built by Ft. 

Carson to provide a realistic environment. After taking part in sustained training exercises 

conducted by other units stationed at Ft. Carson, those members of the Regiment slated for the 

deployment successfully completed a rigorous exercise at Ft. Polk, Louisiana designed to see if 

they were ready for the SFOR mission. 

When the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment deployed, beginning in February of 2000, it represented 75 percent of the American contribution to the Multinational Division North (MND-N) 

and constituted the bulk of the American maneuver element. 

31 
2nd Squadron was located at Camp McGovern, 3rd Squadron at Camp Dobol while 4th and 

Support Squadrons operated from Comanche Base. 

Saber Squadron’s area of responsibility was one of the largest in the Balkans and included 

Brcko and Modrica. The people of these cities made the mission more demanding because they 

disliked having the SFOR personnel in their area. Despite this, the Saber patrols covered over 

500,000 miles, inspected more than 30 weapons storage sites and collected over 300 weapons 

and pieces of explosive ordnance. 

The Troopers of Saber Squadron helped facilitate the elections that began a new era of 

democracy for the Bosnian state. There were no major incidents or violent demonstrations in 

their area of responsibility during the six month deployment. Saber’s Troopers also conducted 

joint operations with the other countries from the multinational force. 

Thunder Squadron occupied Camp Dobol and its area of responsibility on 27 March 2000. 

The Troopers of Thunder Squadron provided security for more than 3000 Bosniak widows and 

mourners who returned to the Serb-dominated town of Potacari. This town is thought to be the 

scene of the massacre of over ten thousand Bosniaks by the Bosnian Serb Army in 1995. 

Despite various attempts to prevent their return, the “Women of Srebrenica” returned safely to 

mourn and pray at Potacari. 

For the first time, a U.S. Army artillery unit conducted patrols as part of the peacekeeping 

operations for MND-N when the Troopers of Regulator Battery assumed peacekeeping 

responsibility for Banovici and Zivinici. Other activities included weapons storage site 

inspections, removal of roadblocks, and confiscation of illegally cached weapons. Thunder 

Squadron also conducted joint patrols with Turkish, Russian, Estonian, Polish, Swedish, and 

Danish troops. 

The Long Knife Squadron was paired with the 49th Aviation Brigade of the Texas National 

Guard to form the joint Aviation Brigade for the SFOR 7 rotation. After intensive training, the 

squadron’s aircraft were flown to Corpus Christi, Texas and loaded onto a ship for transport to 

the port of Rijeka, Croatia. 

The Long Knife aviators supported reconnaissance, security, and air movement missions 

with both American and international units flying missions not only for MND-N, but also for 

Multi-National Divisions Southwest and Southeast. The aircrews of 4th Squadron flew almost 

5,000 sorties for over 2,000 missions, logging more than 12,000 hours. 

While the line squadrons were conducting their operations, the Muleskinners of Support 

Squadron were busy setting up base shop operations at Camp Comanche. In addition, support 

teams were co-located with Saber Squadron at Camp McGovern and Thunder Squadron at 

Camp Dobol, as well as at Camp Eagle to support Division Troops. 

Over the next seven months Support Squadron provided uninterrupted direct support ground 

maintenance, aviation intermediate maintenance, supply, medical, and materiel management 

support to the Regiment as well as the various active duty and reserve units that comprised Task 

Force Eagle. The Mule Skinners also provided support to, and conducted logistics training 

with, many of the multi-national elements of Multi-national Division (North). 

While the SFOR units were involved in the peacekeeping operations in Bosnia, Task Force 

Rifles (TFR) was activated back at Fort Carson. Composed of Tiger Squadron and all 

Regimental units remaining at Fort Carson, TFR was tasked with post red cycle duties as 

32 
well as the role of care takers for the maintenance of the many vehicles that were not taken to 

Bosnia. 

Additionally, TFR conducted level II gunnery, externally evaluated lane training, and 

PINON STRIKE 2000 at Pinyon Canyon Maneuver Area. TFR also assumed the role of 

Opposing Force for the 3rd Brigade Combat Team’s NTC preparatory training. The Troopers 

of 571st Medical Company, after standing down from their MAST mission at Fort Bliss, deployed to Kuwait to assume the medevac mission for Operation Desert Spring. 

Members of TFR also were tasked to perform the Wild Land Fire Fighting mission, by preparing to deploy to any fires east of the Mississippi River. Tiger Squadron conducted a Level I 

gunnery and a Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise before preparing to receive the units redeploying from Bosnia. 

TFR also represented the Regiment at Fort Hood during CPX Ulchi Focus Lens. This exercise simulated the deployment of the Regiment to Korea. 

Before the troopers of Task Force Eagle could return to Fort Carson, they had to train their 

replacements to assume the peacekeeping mission. Once this was accomplished, the various 

units began returning to Fort Carson and the last unit closed on 7 October 2000. 

33 

Members of the 43rd Combat Engineer Company work with engineers from the 

Srpska Entity Army to erect a Bailey bridge across the Lukavica River in Bosnia. 

The new bridge allowed local people to move building materials to repair homes 

that were destroyed in earlier fighting. 
Bright Star 01/02 

Beginning in September 2001, Tiger Squadron with elements of the Regimental Headquarters and Long Knife and Mule Skinner Squadrons, deployed to Egypt to participate in the 

Bright Star 01/02 exercise, as part of a Combined Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC) 

coalition. The coalition included Elements from the U.S. Marine Corps, Egypt, France, Kuwait, 

Greece, Italy, and the British Army. 

The Troopers took part in field training and live fire exercises while in Egypt. They also 

conducted training on nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare, mine warfare, and the use of 

smoke on the battlefield. Static displays and briefings on Air Defense Artillery capabilities were 

also provided. Aviation support was provided for the exercise by Long Knife troopers in the 

form of medical evacuation and personnel transport, while the Mule Skinners of Support 

Squadron established and operated a logistic support system. 

In addition, members of Tiger Squadron and the Regimental Staff were tasked to conduct 

affiliation training with their Egyptian counterparts to teach them to function as Observer/

Controllers (OC) for the forces involved in ground tactical operations, as well as establishing 

and maintaining communications and command and control between the various multinational 

OC forces. 

34 

A Dragon Company tank maneuvers through the Egyptian desert during BrightStar 01/02. 

Valuable experience was gained by all participants, demonstrating that the disparate coalition forces could overcome different doctrines and cultures to successfully work together. All 

deployed personnel returned to Fort Carson by 10 November.
Operation Iraqi Freedom I 

As the U.S. invasion of Iraq began in March 2002, the Troopers of the 3d Armored Cavalry 

Regiment readied themselves for deployment in support of the campaign to remove the despotic 

Sadam Hussein regime. 

Beginning in August 2002, the Regiment began to prepare for operations in the Central 

Command Area of Operations (CENTCOM AOR). The preparations included a National Training Center rotation, Warfighter exercises with both III Corps and V Corps, intensive individual 

and collective training, weapons qualification, and lane training at Fort Carson. 

In addition to the intense training, the Regiment fielded many pieces of new equipment, and 

reactivated its second AH-64A Apache attack helicopter troop. 

The 3d ACR received a deployment order for movement to the CENTCOM AOR on 14 

February 2003. Equipment was prepared and moved by rail from Fort Carson to the port of 

Beaumont, Texas. The first Troopers arrived in Kuwait on 2 April and the remainder of the 

Regiment was in theater by the middle of the month. 

The main body of the Regiment crossed the border into Iraq on 25 April 2003, but Baghdad 

had fallen and shortly thereafter President Bush announced the end of major combat operations. 

The Regiment missed the high profile assault into Iraq, but upon it’s arrival, it was immediately 

tasked to perform an economy of force mission to secure and stabilize the 

The 70th Colonel, David A. Teeples (L), and the XVI RCSM, John R. Caldwell bid 

farewell to members of the Regiment at Colorado Springs Airport Jet Center as they 

board the flight to Kuwait. 

 35
36 

western part of the country. This area had been by-passed during the advance to Baghdad, and 

the Regiment had little intelligence on what would be found there. They found that they had 

been given responsibility for Al Anbar Province, the largest province in Iraq, which covered 

fully one third of the country, or about 140,000 square kilometers. This was the largest single 

operational area of any unit, including divisions, in the theater and it included the “Sunni Triangle”, the part of Iraq that Saddam Hussein, his family, and the senior leaders of the Ba’ath Party 

called home. Al Anbar was home to 48 primary and 14 sub-tribes and it shared a 900 kilometer 

western border with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria. 

The 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment became the nucleus of a Regimental Combat Team 

named Task Force Rifles with the attachment of numerous units (see Appendix H for a list of 

attached units). While the Regiment’s strength grew to include five squadrons, four battalions, 

and eight separate companies totaling more than 8,300 troops, Task Force Rifles, was the smallest major subordinate command in Combined Joint Task Force 7 (CJTF-7). 

The various elements of Task Force Rifles successfully performed many missions across 

the entire spectrum of military operations from offensive actions to civil affairs operations. 

Daily operations included reconnaissance, security patrols, escort duty, static security, and presence patrols. Other types of missions included capturing or killing former regime elements, securing mass grave sites, and restoring law and order by opening Iraqi police stations, courthouses, and prisons. Tankers, artillerymen and other Troopers whose specialties don’t normally 

require them to perform these types of missions found themselves operating like infantry and 

scouts. 

PV2 Joseph M. King of Apache Troop provides security for his dismounted team 

while they sweep the area after an ambush near the headquarters of the Ba’ath 

Party in Husaybah on 27 October 2003. Photo courtesy Andy Rogers/Colorado 

Springs Gazette. 
The combat units were asked by the city of Fallujah not to use their tracked vehicles for patrolling in the built up areas because it would disrupt the community. To increase mobility and 

decrease damage to infrastructure, they adopted High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles 

(HMMWVs) for many of these operations. The trade-off for the increased mobility was that 

the patrols became highly vulnerable to terrorist attacks, particularly those employing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). As a result of these attacks, use of armored vehicles was 

eventually resumed. 

Offensive operations mounted by Task Force Rifles included RIFLES SCORPION, RIFLES GO WEST, RIFLES BLITZ, AND RIFLES FURY. Task Force Rifles initiated operations by conducting reconnaissance missions in the Euphrates River Crescent to identify targets, 

remove hostile Ba’ath Party members from power, and eliminate anti-coalition media sources. 

The Regimental Combat Team continued combat operations focusing on finding and destroying regime loyalist camps and weapons caches between Lake Tar Tar and the Euphrates 

River. This operation resulted in the apprehension of several individuals from the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Top 55 Black List of High Value Targets (HVTs). 

PFC James V. Garza (L) and SPC Ruperto Estrada of 3rd Platoon, Grim Troop 

apply C4 plastic explosive to 82 millimeter mortar ammunition stacked for 

demolition during “Operation Longstreet” about 50 miles northwest of Fallujah. 

By the end of August, the Task Force had confiscated 1,080 122mm artillery rounds, 928 

mortar rounds, 8,991 23mm rounds, 2,828 AK-47s, two pistols, 10 anti-tank missiles, 45 antitank mines, eight surface-to-air missiles, four kegs of gunpowder, 300 130mm high explosive 

rounds, three boxes of hand grenades, 20 high explosive anti-tank rounds, 125 100mm tank gun 

rounds, 134 rocket-propelled grenades, two sniper rifles, 30 37mm anti-aircraft rounds, one improvised explosive device, and one SA-7 surface-to-air guided missile system. 

37 
The Task Force found an Iranian terrorist organization called the Mujahideen e-Khalq

(MEK) occupying a compound in Fallujah. While the MEK appeared to have taken no action 

against Coalition forces, on 9 May, it was forced to turn over its weapons and evacuate the 

compound. 

Hand in hand with combat operations, Task Force Rifles spent an enormous amount time 

and energy performing civil-military operations (CMO). The first of these was establishing a 

Government Support Team (GST) in Ar Ramadi. The GST opened its office in the Ar Ramadi 

Municipal Building in order to establish a relationship with the civic leaders and directors of the 

local infrastructure, allowing the GST to work along side the leaders of the capital of Al Anbar. 

One of the challenges facing both the GST and local government officials was developing a 

decentralized approach to operations because of the distance from Baghdad and the fact that the 

local authorities were used to highly centralized control by the old regime. The Regimental 

Commander, Colonel David A. Teeples, the GST, and the Regimental Staff all provided guidance so that the local leaders could begin learning to operate independently. 

38 

Sheik Bezie Al Gaoud (L) and Sheik Abdul Razak, present Colonel David 

A. Teeples, 70th Colonel of the Regiment, with a sword in his office at Al 

Asad Air Base. The Sheiks are among the most important figures in the 

leadership of Al Anbar Province. 
39 

In order to help the local officials adapt to the new system, Colonel Teeples established biweekly meetings with the most important leaders in Al Anbar. This assistance began to show 

results after a few months as the new leaders began to govern with increasing independence. 

Colonel Teeples communicated coalition goals and his priorities of security, fuel, and employment, directly to all of the sheiks of the province during the first to two meetings he hosted 

with them. At the second meeting in July, in addition to the sheiks, several mayors were invited 

to join the proceedings to further strengthen the cooperation between coalition forces and leaders. 

In August 2003 when on one from Al Anbar was invited to sit on the new Iraqi Governing 

Council in Baghdad, the people of Al Anbar were outraged. In order to preserve the progress 

that had been achieved so far, the Governor, sheiks, and civic and religious leaders from each 

community were invited to participate in a new Al Anbar Provincial Council. 

Following the election of a Council Chairman and Vice Chairman, the Council met at various locations around the province and began work on resolving issues that affected local citizens. This was also the first time that women were allowed to take part in the government process. The Province Council evolved into a functioning civilian government that demonstrated 

that the democratic process would work for the people. 

With Predatory Battery providing security, Iraqi workers line up to be paid by the Al 

Anbar Provincial Governate. 
40 

Despite being determined to take charge of their own affairs, the lack of resources made any 

progress extremely difficult. In an effort to re-energize local government agencies and get people back to work, the GST was able to channel over 60 million U.S. dollars to some 40,000 civil 

servants in Fallujah, Habbaniyah, Ramadi, Hit, Hadithah, Al Qaim, and Ar Rutbah and about 

30,000 former soldiers living in the province who had been sent home during CJTF-7’s consolidation prior to Task Force Rifles’ arrival in the province. 

The Task Force facilitated the hiring of 400 workers for the Ar Ramadi Department of Sanitation, many of whom were hired from the Al Tesh refugee camp. Wherever possible, local 

people were put to work on these projects, and by the end of September over 30 million dollars 

had been disbursed by Task Force Rifles. 

Various units of the Task Force found themselves managing a large number of projects, 

many to rebuild the infrastructure and restore basic services, efforts aimed at winning the hearts 

and minds of the Iraqi people. The old regime turned many schools in Iraq into munitions storage facilities, in the belief that the munitions would be secure because the Coalition Forces 

would not attack schools. 

SGT Carl D. Harding, CSM Gilberto Muniz, and CPT Mary Thompson, all of HHT, 

Support Squadron, give school supplies to children at a boy’s school in Iraq. Over 

300 schools in Task Force Rifles’ area of responsibility were renovated and reopened. 
The United Nations World Food Program facility, operating from Ar Ramadi, was initially 

secured by elements of the Task Force. This facility received and distributed over 1,400 truck 

loads of food to the local citizens. Task Force Rifles also distributed over 49,000 

Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDRs) to various hospitals, clinics, and other facilities in the area. 

Additionally, hospitals were renovated. Unlike those facilities used by the members of the 

regime, health care facilities used by the common people were found to be far below normal 

standards. The Task Force brought medical care to people who had never seen a health 

care professional in their lives. Medical supplies and equipment were provided to the Iraqi 

 facilities along with food and other basic items. Specialized healthcare was provided by a clinic 

established and staffed by female Task Force personnel especially to provide treatment to Iraqi 

women. 

Task Force Rifles established the first Highway Patrol in Iraq and hired over 1500 police 

officers and other security personnel. Providing employment to idle citizens not only gave them 

an income, but put more responsibility for their security into their own hands. 

Another security mission performed by Task Force Rifles was taking control of the border 

crossing points of Husayba (Syria), Tenaf (Syria), and Trebil (Jordan). In addition, a crossing 

control point was established at Ar Ar (Saudi Arabia) where only an open border had existed 

before. There was an urgent need to gain control of these border crossing points to prevent more 

support for foreign terrorists from entering Iraq. 

SPC David S. Selby leads other members of 1st Platoon, Lightning Troop as 

they execute a raid in Rawah, Iraq. 

41 
The Task Force, in conjunction with the Al Anbar governor, stood up a force of several 

hundred border guards who were paid by the Al Anbar Governorate rather than by coalition 

forces. An additional requirement was to have the crossing point at Ar Ar up and manned in 

time for the Haj pilgrimage to the holy cities of Saudi Arabia. Approximately 31,000 Iraqis took 

advantage of the opportunity to take part in the Haj. 

Another Task Force project to increase security was the establishment of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC) training facility north of the city of Hit. More that 3000 troops were 

trained allowing two ICDC battalions to be raised. 

Long Knife Squadron established aerial border qualification standards and became the first 

aviation unit in theater to operate well inside the 5 kilometer buffer zone established by U.S. 

Central Command. The success of the program resulted in its adoption by Combined Joint Task 

Force 7 (CJTF-7) as the theater standard. 

Over 20 Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) were established in order to provide the best possible living conditions for the Task Force, and from which combat, security, and support operations could be conducted throughout a 140,000 square kilometer area. 

The various Forward Operation Bases (FOBs) established by the Task Force became nodes 

in a massive logistical network. The various support organizations in the Task Force ran more 

than 800 convoys, driving over 3.8 million miles to keep Task Force units supplied with everything needed to continue operations. 

Outlaw Troop maintenance personnel perform maintenance on an OH-58D Kiowa 

Warrior helicopter at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. Longknife Squadron’s helicopters provided continuous support to the various ground elements of Task Force Rifles. 

42 
These support units, used to operating in relative security, found themselves to be prime targets since terrorists discovered that the vehicles with little or no armor were easy targets and 

focused their attention on them. The support units learned to deal with the threat and continued 

to march, playing a vital role in securing peace and stability in Al Anbar Province. 

Near the beginning of January, heavy equipment and vehicles had begun moving south to 

Kuwait to be prepared for the voyage home. While vehicles were loaded as the ships became 

available, Troopers of the 3d ACR began flying back to the U. S. on 23 March. 

On 18 January initial contact was made with the U.S. Marine Corps’ 7th Regimental Combat Team when representatives of that unit arrived at Rifles Base for briefings in order to begin 

the planning necessary to accomplish the Marines’ relief of Task Force Rifles. The Marines began arriving in numbers by the middle of February, and beginning on 4 March, joint missions 

were conducted with Marine units. 

Task Force Rifles continued to conduct combat operations until 14 March 2004 when authority for the Al Anbar Province Area of Operations was officially transferred to the U.S. Marine Corps. 

The Regimental Combat Team’s last flight from Al Asad occurred on 18 March. The last 

flight from Kuwait departed on 31 March 2004. 

Colonel Teeples and Sergeant Major Caldwell case the Regimental Color 

at Rifles Base during the Change of Responsibility Ceremony with the 7th 

Marine Regimental Combat Team. 

43 
Despite the Third Armored Cavalry Regiment’s successes with the many and varied missions it performed in Iraq, it should be remembered that the Regiment and its attachments were 

still operating in a combat environment. At any given time in the Regimental Combat Team’s 

area of responsibility, at least some Troopers were under fire. Approximately 400 citations for 

valor were awarded, but 33 3d Armored Cavalry officers or Troopers died during Operation 

Iraqi Freedom I. 18 attached Troopers of the Task Force also died. 233 Task Force Rifles 

Troopers were wounded. The names and units of the Troopers who died may be found at Appendix I. 

44 

The memorial service at Forward Operating Base Tiger for 

SGT Michael E. Dooley of Bandit Troop. SGT Dooley was 

killed in Action at Al Qaim, Iraq on 8 June 2003. 
Operation Iraqi Freedom III 

The Brave Rifles team had barely settled back into Fort Carson when, in July 2004, another 

deployment order alerted the Regiment that it would return to Iraq. This gave the members of 

the Regiment only about 10 months back home with their families, to ready equipment and train 

up before returning to the CENTCOM Theater of Operations. In August over 400 members of 

the Regiment reenlisted together in a mass ceremony. 

In a flurry of activity, the Fort Carson Directorate of Logistics, in conjunction with contractor personnel, “up-armored” the Regiment’s tactical wheeled vehicle fleet before it was shipped 

back to Iraq. This represented a major improvement in protection for personnel who had previously been required to operate thin-skinned vehicles under the threat of Improved Explosive 

Devices (IED). 

In March, the Regiment deployed once again to Kuwait and began moving into Iraq at the 

beginning of April, 2005. The Regiment initially deployed to southern Baghdad Province in 

April of 2005 where it conducted operations for almost two months. Saddam Hussein used the 

fertile farmlands and luxurious riverside mansions of South Baghdad as rewards for top party 

officials, military officers, secret police, and intelligence agents. After the fall of the regime, 

the area became one of the most troubled regions in Iraq and a staging area for terrorist operations against Baghdad. 

45 

SSG Nathan Rico of Lightning Troop moves his Bradley Fighting Vehicle 

through the countryside south of Baghdad during a zone reconnaissance mission, 

7 April 2005. Photo courtesy Todd Heisler/Rocky Mountain News. 
Upon their arrival to South Baghdad, the Regiment conducted reconnaissance and offensive 

operations to defeat the enemy insurgent network and deny the enemy the ability to disrupt political and economic development in the capitol city of six million people. 

First (Tiger) Squadron, Third (Thunder) Squadron, and 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor (which 

was attached to the Regiment), conducted combined reconnaissance and offensive operations 

with the Iraqi Army’s Intervention Force. During Operations Tiger Walk, Bolt Down, and 

Brush Back, the Regiment captured entire insurgent cells and uncovered stockpiles of munitions. 4th (Long Knife) Squadron’s helicopters allowed the Regiment to gain and maintain contact with an elusive enemy. The combined air-ground effort denied the enemy freedom of 

movement and allowed the Regiment to kill or capture eight triggermen responsible for roadside bombs. As a result, attacks along the main supply route (Route Tampa) fell dramatically 

and the Regiment was able to protect critical areas such as Baghdad International Airport. 

As the Regiment began conducting counterinsurgency operations in south Baghdad, Saber 

Squadron responded immediately to new orders and began movement to Western Ninewa Province. Support (Muleskinner) Squadron , sustained fast paced operations from an immature base 

while supporting Saber Squadron’s movement to what would become the new Regimental area 

of operations. 

46 

SPC Brantwan Smith provides overwatch for Iraqi Intervention Force Soldiers with 

other members of Apache Troop during Operation Tigerwalk in Babil Province on 20 

April 2005. Materials for making improvised explosive devices were found in the 

house. Photo courtesy Craig F. Walker/Denver Post. 
In mid-May, after severely disrupting the enemy networks between the Tigris and Euphrates 

River Valleys south of Baghdad, the Regiment undertook a new mission to defeat a highly organized terrorist network in northwest Iraq, centered on the ancient city of Tall’ Afar. 

Thunder Squadron, initially reinforced with the Regiments Air Defense Battery (Predator), 

an engineer platoon from the 43rd Engineers (Sappers), the Attack Aviation Troop (Renegade), 

3rd Platoon, Dragon Company from Tiger, and Iraqi Army advisors from Tiger, remained in 

Southern Baghdad to give the Third Infantry Division the combat power it needed to defeat a 

deeply rooted terrorist network and protect Baghdad from the devastating terror attacks originating from this area. 

In September of 2004, Iraqi security forces in Tall Afar collapsed, and the town and the region around it became an insurgent training area and staging base. Two months later, terrorists 

used this area to organize and conduct systematic attacks on Mosul, a city of 2.5 million people. 

Foreign extremists, combined with local insurgents and criminals under the organization Al 

Qaeda in Iraq, began a reign of terror that choked the life out of Tall afar, Biaj, and Avgani 

while victimizing people throughout the region. Saber Squadron, along with a small Regimental 

command and control group, and a forward logistical element from Muleskinner led the Regiment to Tall Afar in mid April.

 

47 

An Iraqi woman hurries away from her house as Tiger Squadron Troopers and Iraqi 

Intervention Force Soldiers search it during Operation Tigerwalk in Babil Province, 

south of Baghdad, 20 April 2005. Photo courtesy Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post. 
The Regiment’s area of operations in Western Ninewa Province spanned 33,000 square 

kilometers and included 278 kilometers of the Syrian/Iraqi border (the Rabiyah Port of Entry 

was particularly critical as the only legal border crossing in Ninewa Province). The population 

of Western Ninewa is approximately 655,000 with about 200,000 people living in Tall Afar. 

The Regiment partnered with an Iraqi Border Police brigade of five battalions manning fortytwo forts along the Syrian border. 

One Iraqi Army brigade occupied the western area of operations with battalions in Rabiyah, 

Biaj, and Sinjar, while another brigade operated in Tall Afar, and a third brigade operated from 

the Al Kisik Military Base in the northern area of operations. The Regiment also partnered with 

the Iraqi Police across the Province and worked to increase their capabilities and introduce them 

into communities with little police presence. Special Forces operational detachments and Military Transition Teams proved invaluable in accelerating the Iraqi Army’s development. The 

Regiment rapidly developed close relationships with their Iraqi partners. 

The Regiment, reinforced by the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry, immediately challenged the 

terrorist stronghold in Tall Afar. Throughout the months of May, June, and July, Saber Squadron developed accurate intelligence through effective reconnaissance operations. The Squadron’s ground units conducted raids and engaged in several pitched battles with the enemy that 

lasted several hours – some of the toughest urban combat seen by American units in Iraq. The 

enemy countered the advantage provided to the Troopers on the ground by reconnaissance aircraft by developing a highly organized air defense network that relied on timely communications and large volumes of small arms and machine gun fire. 

48 

SSG Justin Vasquez of L Troop questions an Iraqi who was found a cell 

phone in a car parked near the scene of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack on an L Troop HMMWV that occurred on 10 April 

2005. Cell phones can be used to detonate IEDs. Sergeant Vazquez was 

killed in action by on 5 June 2005. Photo courtesy of Todd Heisler/Rocky 

Mountain News 
Enemy actions against the Regiments air assets resulted in damage to 12 aircraft in less than 

two months of intense fighting. 

Saber Squadron, reinforced by Dragon Company from Tiger Squadron, countered the enemy offensive by building positive relationships with the people that led to accurate intelligence. It was clear that Tall Afar was under the control of Al Qaeda in Iraq. The so-called 

“Battalion of the One True God” was highly organized into four combat battalions, each numbering between 500 and 1000 fighters. The insurgent stronghold was in the Sarai District – a 

dense network of ancient, multi-story stone buildings, laced with courtyards cross cut with 

winding narrow alleyways, thus not accessible to armored vehicles. It was clear to the Iraqi 

Army and Regimental leadership that to wrest control of the city from the insurgents, a large 

scale, combined offensive with Iraqi Army and police units, would be required. The Regiment 

and the 3rd Iraqi Division began planning the operation in early July. Saber Squadron set conditions for the operation by improving the local government, beginning the reconstitution of the 

police, and engaging tribal leaders. 

In late May, while Thunder Squadron assumed a brigade-sized mission South of Baghdad 

and Renegade Troop operated temporarily with the 3rd Infantry Division, the Regimental Headquarters, Tiger Squadron, Longknife Squadron, and Muleskinner Squadron joined Saber Squadron and initiated combat operations across Western Ninewa Province. The Regiment immediately launched Operation Veterans Forward to establish Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police, and Iraqi Border Police across the vast Syrian border region – a region the enemy was using to access external support from Syria. 

49 

An Outlaw Troop OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance helicopter flies 

over Tall Afar. 
2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry returned with Iraqi Army units and Longknife Squadron conducted a zone reconnaissance in the vast Jazeera desert region of Ninewa and Al Anbar Provinces to the north bank of the Euphrates River. The joint operation uncovered weapons caches 

and killed or captured eight foreign terrorists responsible for the kidnapping and death of the 

governor of Al Anbar Province. 

Tiger Squadron, reinforced with Sapper Company and Predator Battery, established itself in 

the west operating from bases that spanned over 100 kilometers from the border town of Rabiyah to the cities of Sinjar and south to Biaj. By the end of May, Tiger had established permanent security and its main operating base in the town of Sinjar and had secured the critical supply route that follows the ancient Silk Road from the Syrian border to Tall Afar. 

One June 1st, Tiger Liberated the town of Biaj from the terrorists and immediately reestablished permanent security with Apache Troop, Iraqi Army, and Police. This successful 

operation set a precedent for future Regimental counterinsurgency operations across Western 

Ninewa Province. Tiger then moved north of Sinjar Mountain and established security at the 

Syrian Border town of Rabiyah, where they dismantled passport forging rings and captured 

other terrorist facilitators. The Regiment helped to establish the border police and severely restricted the enemy’s ability to smuggle weapons, terrorists, and suicide bombers into Ninewa 

Province and Iraq. 

In late July and early August, Saber Squadron, Tiger Squadron, U.S. Army Special Forces, 

and the Iraqi Army conducted a series of operations to defeat the enemy in Avgani, a small 

town north of Tall Afar that had served as a terrorist stronghold. An Iraqi Army battalion with 

US Army Special Forces advisors then established permanent security with an Iraqi Police force 

built from scratch. 

50 

Members of Eagle Troop establish security during a raid in Avgani on 13 June 

2005. Photo courtesy Christoph Bangert/Polaris 
Meanwhile, Long Knife Squadron organized a new Q troop, called Quickstrike, that consisted of an attached COLT (Combat Observation and Lasing Team) platoon, a platoon from 

Predator Battery, and a platoon of Iraqi Army Soldiers. Quickstrike gave Long Knife Squadron 

a unit that could move rapidly over long distances and be inserted to conduct ground reconnaissance missions. Quickstrike conducted reconnaissance and security operations in the vast desert 

in the Southern part of the Regiment’s area of Operations and along the Syrian border. 

The Regiment could not have conducted these operations without the work of Muleskinner 

Squadron. Muleskinner moved thousands of tons of building materials, fuel, water, and ammunition across an area covering 22,000 sq kilometers while mechanics, medics, truck drivers and 

other support troopers worked tirelessly to sustain the Regiment as our troopers pursued the enemy and brought security to the people of the vast desert region. 

Prior to coalition operations in August, Al Qaeda in Iraq attempted to reinforce their efforts 

in Tall Afar. A prominent Al Qaeda in Iraq website proclaimed that the “Lions of Tall Afar” 

would never surrender their stronghold and that they would repel all coalition and Iraqi Army 

attempts to regain control of the city. The purpose of Operation Resorting Rights was to defeat 

the insurgency in Tall Afar so that the enemy could no longer effectively conduct a campaign of 

intimidation and coercion against the local population, and to destroy the enemy bases of operations they used to stage attacks across Western Ninewa Province and Iraq. The Iraqi Army and 

the Coalition Forces aimed to separate the enemy from the population and set conditions to allow the Regiment to recruit and reconstitute the police in Tall Afar, which was the first step in 

introducing the rule of law back into Tall Afar. 

51 

SPC Crystal Cason, a property book clerk in HHT, Support Squadron, cleans 

the .50 caliber machinegun she uses when she moves out as a gunner on Muleskinner convoy missions. Photo courtesy Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post. 
Shaping operations for Operation Restoring Rights began with area reconnaissance in 

outlying communities where the Regiment received intelligence that the enemy was transiting 

back and forth to Tall Afar. Under the advice of the Iraqi Army, the 43rd Combat Engineer 

Company then established an eight foot high wall around Tall Afar, to control movement in and 

out of Tall Afar. As the wall was being built, the Regiment then integrated 9 Iraqi Army and 

Police battalions – over 5,500 Iraqi Soldiers and police officers -- into operations in and around 

Tall Afar. These forces included a battalion from the 2nd Iraqi Army Division from Irbil, an 

Iraqi Special Forces battalion, a Commando Brigade, and the Mosul Emergency Police Battalion, and five battalions from the 3rd Iraqi Army Division. 

As Saber Squadron conducted operations in Tall Afar, Tiger Squadron conducted reconnaissance from the western part in the area of operations moving east towards Tall Afar. Tiger 

Squadron was called upon to reinforce combat efforts during Operation Restoring Freedom. 

Upon arrival in Tall Afar, Tiger conducted a relief in place with Saber Squadron and assumed 

control of the Western portion of the city – an area where the enemy had waged a brutal campaign of intimidation and used vacated homes to set-up complex attacks on our forces. Tiger 

immediately took the fight to the enemy and inflicted heavy losses and prevented them from 

diverting the Regiment away from their safe haven in Sarai. 

Simultaneous to Tiger’s Offensive Operations in the West, Saber Squadron conducted a 

deliberate attack into Eastern Tall Afar to isolate the enemy’s safe haven in Sarai. Insurgents 

fought to stop the Regiment and the Iraqi Army’s advance, but suffered heavy losses at the 

hands of Saber Squadron, the Iraqi Army, and the Regiment’s attack and reconnaissance aircraft. 

While Saber Squadron isolated the enemy in the Sarai district, the Regiment took measures to evacuate civilians from the neighborhood through a screening site manned by Muleskinner Squadron and the Mosul Emergency Police Battalion. During the course of the evacuation, 

Tiger Squadron moved southeast towards the Sarai district to further isolate insurgents located 

in Sarai, while attack aviation, along with precision artillery combined with effective ground 

reconnaissance and fires, defeated the enemy in detail as they tried to escape. 

As coalition forces moved in on the enemy, the Regiment gained key intelligence from 

civilians who wanted to regain control of the city. Intelligence reports indicated that insurgent 

leadership and fighters had been so depleted that remaining insurgent leaders had began to advise their fighters to escape Tall Afar at all costs. In order to seize insurgents as they fled the 

city, Iraqi Army and Police forces helped the Regiment to identify enemy fighters trying to escape, capturing over 800 enemy fighters. 

While the Regiment began to clear enemy homes in the Sarai district, 2nd Battalion, 325 

Infantry Regiment (Airborne) from the 82nd Airborne Division (White Falcon) was sent to help 

strengthen forces already in place. This dismounted infantry battalion gave the Regiment the 

ability to effectively clear the remainder of the Sarai district and prevent the enemy from regaining a foothold in the area. From 24 August – 23 September, the Regiment killed over 150 

enemy fighters. 

As the bulk of the Regiment fought in Northwest Iraq, Thunder Squadron became the keystone of the Third Infantry Division’s counterinsurgency efforts in South Baghdad while they 

also secured the most critical supply route in the theater. Their aggressive pursuit of this enemy 

dealt a severe blow to the terror network in this critical area, killing scores of enemy and 

52 
 detaining hundreds, resulting in the breakup of enemy terror cells. 

In addition to all important route security, Thunder Squadron conducted numerous operations against enemy safe havens, leading the Third Infantry Division’s efforts in this critical 

area. The entrenched enemy in South Baghdad used the complex canal system to hide while 

planning and staging devastating terror attacks in Baghdad. Thunder Squadron fought through 

the tough urban and rural area and established key intelligence sources to penetrate the enemy’s 

networks as they also formed partnerships with a newly formed battalion from the Iraqi Army’s 

6th Division. 

532 

Lieutenant Alan Sholes of Lightning Troop searches for weapons caches on a 

farm south of Baghdad on 7 April 2005. Photo courtesy Todd Heisler/Rocky 

Mountain News. 

While in theater, Thunder Squadron conducted fourteen air assault operations to kill or capture enemy cells and also established Iraqi Army patrol bases to regain control of this region in 

order to protect the people from the enemy’s brutal campaign of intimidation. Their innovative 

use of air assault tactics, indirect fires, and patrol bases has become the model for the 4th Infantry Division’s counterinsurgency efforts in the difficult south Baghdad region. 

The Regiment secured the victory in Tall Afar and across Western Ninewa Province by partnering with Iraqi Army, moving into the communities and living among the people, and reestablishing the Iraqi Police that were representative of the ethnic and sectarian balance in the 

Area of Operations. Immediately following Operation Restoring Rights, the enemy realized 

they had lost control of the city and responded to their losses with brutal suicide bombings in an 

attempt to intimidate the population. Tasting freedom, the people of Tall Afar refused to be intimidated and up to 70% of the population living in Tall Afar voted in the October Referendum. 

The pall of fear over the city lifted, and the people responded by joining the police force, recruiting over 1765 joined the Tall Afar police force and more than 2700 citizens of Western 

Ninewa enlisted in the Iraqi Army. 
The Regiment, working closely with the local and national Iraqi government agencies, initiated 

reconstruction of the city, schools, roads, and parks. Today, over 95% of Tall Afar enjoys almost twenty hours of electricity each day, while the market places are open and the people 

genuinely are excited about the future of Tall Afar. As further testament to the revitalization of 

Tall Afar, over 85% of the population across Western Ninewa Province turned out to vote in 

December 2005 for their first full term government. 

More importantly, Iraqi Security Forces have taken the lead in conducting counterinsurgency operations. Along the border, Iraqi Border Police routinely interdict smugglers with no 

assistance from Coalition Forces. Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police across the area of operations secured polling sites with little or no coalition assistance. In Tall Afar and towns throughout the 

area, local tips hotlines and a Joint Coordination Centers allowed Iraqi Police to respond instantaneously to reports of insurgent activity. The Iraqi Army took the lead in establishing security 

across the province and works closely with the Iraqi Border Police and Iraqi Police to provide 

security for Western Ninewa Province. 

Terrorists want Iraq to descend into civil war so terrorist organizations can use this land 

to plan, organize, and conduct mass murder not only in this region, but against all civilized peoples. Western Ninewa seemed the ideal place to incite ethnic, sectarian, and tribal conflict because it is populated by Kurds, Arabs, Yezidis, and Turkomen, who are further sub-divided into 

Turkomen Shia and Turkomen Sunni. After the Regiment and its Iraqi partners reestablished 

security for the people, reconciliation began between the city’s and the region’s various factions. Life returned to Tall Afar and villages across the province. People are no longer afraid. 

54 

COL H.R. McMaster speaks to an Iraqi man during a reconnaissance 

mission south of Baghdad on 12 April 2005. Photo courtesy Craig F. 

Walker/ The Denver Post. 
They are cooperating with rapidly improving Iraqi Security Forces. Economic and political development is proceeding because 3d ACR Troopers, fighting alongside their Iraqi brothers, 

made a difference in real people’s lives across Western Ninewa Province and Southern Baghdad Province, helped bring security and freedom to the Iraqi people. These efforts helped secure 

our own nation and all civilized peoples from terrorists determined to perpetuate hatred and violence. 

The 3d ACR once again paid a stiff price for its participation in the Global War on Terrorism. 39 members of the Regiment died during this deployment and approximately 126 were 

wounded. 4 attached Soldiers also died. Despite this sacrifice, the officers and Troopers of the 

3d Armored Cavalry Regiment have once again added pages to the heritage established over 

160 years ago by the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen. 

Into the Future 

As a result of the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, the military 

forces of the United States have been committed in a new kind of war against a new enemy: the 

Global War on Terrorism. Muslim extremists have vowed to destroy the American way of life, 

uniting the nation in a way unseen since World War II. 

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The Army is undergoing a radical transformation in organizational structure, new equipment continues to be fielded, and new tactics, techniques, and procedures, learned in combat, 

are being assimilated, all while fighting this war. If nothing else was learned from the fall of the 

Berlin wall, we have learned that change is inevitable. 

While the 3d ACR was engaged in OIF III, the announcement was made that it would move 

to Fort Hood, Texas after its return from Iraq. In addition, a number of changes to the Regiment’s organization are scheduled to take place in conjunction with the transformation of the 

Army. Some of these changes have already taken place. 

The 571 Medical Company (Air Ambulance) — Witchdoctor Company — was detached 

from the Regiment and deployed back to Iraq independently. After serving as a part of the 

Brave Rifles family since July, 1996, the 571st was inactivated on 15 April 2006. 

Long Knife Squadron will undergo other change, as well. The new organization will have 

three attack helicopter troops, a utility helicopter troop, an aviation intermediate maintenance 

troop, and an aviation unit maintenance troop. The Regiment will also lose its air defense unit 

when Predator Battery inactivates on 5 June 2006. 

After the 3d ACR returned from Iraq, many members of the Regiment and their families 

were faced with decisions regarding their future. A flurry of activity began as representatives 

of the Army’s Human Resources Command geared up to help the members of the Regiment 

determine whether they would move to Fort Hood, remain at Fort Carson or take advantage of 

other opportunities. 

The Regiment is scheduled uncase its colors at Fort Hood in July, 2006 where it will begin a 

3 year life-cycle management plan after it has completed the reset of its weapons and equipment. As it has many times in the past, the 3d ACR will integrate many new members into the 

Brave Rifles family, training them for future deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism as well as any other contingencies that may arise. The 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment 

will continue its long, proud history, serving on the frontiers of freedom, as the last heavy cavalry regiment in the Army. 

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