Bradley Fighting Vehicle
First Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry, "Ironhorse", was activated as a horse squadron at Fort Myer, Virginia in 1901. It has served in the Philippines, Mexico, Europe, and Vietnam. It is now organized as a combined arms battalion, and comprises one of the two maneuver elements of the 11th ACR. It is organized around a Headquarters and Headquarters Troop (HHT), and four line troops (two infantry, two armor), with a total authorized strength of 720 soldiers. It is equipped with the OPFOR Surrogate Vehicle, an M901 ITV highly modified with an M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle turret to represent the BMP-2 armored personnel carrier, and the OSTV (OPFOR Surrogate Tank Vehicle) a vehicle based on the OPFOR Surrogate Vehicle which can simulate a wide spectrum of threat tanks. Using this equipment and configuration, the squadron performs the first of its two primary missions, acting as a non-permissive opposing force (OPFOR) during ten FORSCOM combat training rotations each year. The squadron's second mission is to deploy and fight as a combined arms battalion for various contingency operations throughout the world. In order to support this mission, the squadron must also maintain, operate and remain proficient on the M1A1 Abrams Tank and M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle.