10th Cavalry Regiment ( United States ) The 10th Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army . Formed as a segregated African - American unit , the 10th Cavalry was one of the original " Buffalo Soldier " regiments . It served in combat during the Indian Wars in the western United States , the Spanish - American War in Cuba and in the Philippine - American War . The regiment was trained as a combat unit but later relegated to non - combat duty and served in that capacity in World War II until its deactivation in 1944 . The 10th Cavalry was reactivated as an integrated combat unit in 1958 . Portions of the regiment have served in conflicts ranging from the Vietnam War to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom . The current structure is by squadron , with the 1st , 4th , and 7th Squadrons assigned to three brigades of the U . S . 4th Infantry Division at Ft Carson , Colorado . Buffalo Soldier name . The following story is one of many how the Buffalo Soldiers got their name . In September 1867 , Private John Randall of Troop G of the 10th Cavalry Regiment was assigned to escort two civilians on a hunting trip . The hunters suddenly became the hunted when a band of 70 Cheyenne warriors swept down on them . The two civilians quickly fell in the initial attack and Randall ' s horse was shot out from beneath him . Randall managed to scramble to safety behind a washout under the railroad tracks , where he fended off the attack with only his pistol until help from the nearby camp arrived . The Indians beat a hasty retreat , leaving behind 13 fallen warriors . Private Randall suffered a gunshot wound to his shoulder and 11 lance wounds , but recovered . The Cheyenne quickly spread word of this new type of soldier , " who had fought like a cornered buffalo ; who like a buffalo had suffered wound after wound , yet had not died ; and who like a buffalo had a thick and shaggy mane of hair . " Insignia . Symbolism . The 10th Cavalry Coat of arms was first confirmed on 11 February 1911 at Fort Ethan Allen in Vermont as " General Orders No . 1 " by order of Colonel Thaddeus W . Jones . The 1911 description of the Arms is different than that used today , and has no functional difference except for symbolism . There was no symbolic explanations or reasons given for the basic symbols of the Regimental Arms in 1911 or when the arms were re - affirmed on 22 August 1991 . The following is gathered from many heraldic and military sources . Above the shield is part of the distinctive unit insignia , the " Buffalo " ( American Bison ) . On the arms it faces left , which represents the western movement of the early unit across the United States . The black and gold on which the buffalo stands are " the colour of the negro " and the " refined gold " which the regiment represents . The left side is for the 43 years of service ( 1866 – 1909 ) in the American West that were formative for the 10th Cavalry . The blue represents the sky and open plains of the west . The ceremonial war bonnet and eagle feathers honors the respect of the Native American tribes . The tomahawk and stone axe with the heads down indicate peace achieved . The vertical red and white stripes are for 13 major campaigns . Upper right . The Castilian Coat of Arms , without the crown , represents the Spanish – American War and indirectly the Philippine Insurrection where the 10th helped liberate Cuba ( 1898 ) and fought in the Philippines ( 1899 – 1902 ) . Lower right . The black background is the African - American ancestry . Within the yellow pyramid ( triangle ) is a symbol of the sun and 3 stars . Under the original 1911 description of the Arms this is described as " In base sable , the Katipunan device on its base , thereon the sun in its splendour , between three mullets , one and two , all or . " This stresses the Katipunan , Philippine revolutionaries , who were engaged in three years of campaigns against the 10th . An inaccurate and informal interpretation of the lower right section by several veterans and groups of the 10th describe that section as follows ; the sun with its rays showing the rebirth of the 10th as cavalry . The sun symbol is different from the 22nd Regimental sun symbol and here represents a renewal . The triangle comes from the Seventh Army pyramid patch which the 510th Tank battalion ( Negro ) , then part of the 19th Armored Group and attached to the 4th Infantry Division and in support to the 22nd Infantry Regiment . Again , the 1911 description and use predates this informal view . The distinctive unit insignia approved on 13 March 1922 ( amended 6 December 1923 ) denoted its use as a paired set of devices or unit insignia with the head of the buffalo ( the American bison ) facing the head and neck of the individual in uniform . This is to remind the wearer that the unit totem , the " Buffalo " is forever watching them . Early history . Indian Wars 1866 – 74 . The 10th U . S . Cavalry was formed at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas in 1866 as an all - African - American regiment . The 10th U . S . Cavalry regiment was composed of black enlisted men and white officers , which was typical for that era . By the end of July 1867 , eight companies of enlisted men had been recruited from the Departments of Missouri , Arkansas , and the Platte . Life at Leavenworth was not pleasant for the 10th Cavalry . The fort ' s commander , who was openly opposed to African - Americans serving in the Regular Army , made life for the new troops difficult . Colonel Benjamin Grierson sought to have his regiment transferred , and subsequently received orders moving the regiment to Fort Riley , Kansas . This began on the morning of 6 August 1867 and was completed the next day in the afternoon of 7 August . One of the first battles of the 10th was the " Battle of the Saline River . " This battle occurred 25 miles northwest of Fort Hays in Kansas near the end of August 1867 . After a railroad work party was wiped out , patrols from the 38th Infantry Regiment ( in 1869 reorganized into the 24th Infantry Regiment ) with a 10th Cavalry troop were sent out to locate the " hostile " Cheyenne forces . Captain George Armes , Company F , 10th Cavalry , while following an active trail along the Saline River were surrounded by about 400 Cheyenne warriors . Armes formed a defensive " hollow square " with the cavalry mounts in the middle . Seeking better defensive ground , Armes walked his command while maintaining the defensive square . After 8 hours of combat , 2 , 000 rounds of defensive fire and 15 miles of movement , the Cheyenne disengaged and withdrew . Company F , without reinforcements , concluded 113 miles of movement during the 30 hour patrol , riding the final 10 miles back to Fort Hays with only one trooper killed in action . Captain Armes , wounded in the hip early in the battle , commented later , " It is the greatest wonder in the world that my command escaped being massacred . " Armes credited his officers for a " . . . devotion to duty and coolness under fire . " In 1867 and 1868 , the 10th Cavalry participated in Gen . William Tecumseh Sherman ' s winter campaigns against the Cheyennes , Arapahos , and Comanches . Units of the 10th prevented the Cheyenne from fleeing to the northwest , thus allowing Custer and the 7th Cavalry to defeat them at the decisive battle near Fort Cobb , Indian Territory . In September and October 1868 , two notable actions happened with Troops H & I under the command of Brevet Lieutenant Colonel ( Captain in the Regular Army ) Louis H . Carpenter . The first was the rescue of Lieutenant Colonel G . A . Forsyth whose small party of 48 white scouts , was attacked and " corralled " by a force of about 700 Native American Indians on a sand island up the North Fork of the Republican River ; this action became the Battle of Beecher Island . The second was two weeks after Carpenter had returned to Fort Wallace with the survivors of Forsyth ' s command . Troops H and I of the 10th Cavalry sallied forth for an escort and supply to the 5th Cavalry near Beaver Creek . Near there Carpenter combined command was attacked by a force of about 500 Indians . After a running fight and defensible stand the " hostiles " retreated . Carpenter would later receive the Medal of Honor for these two actions . For the next eight years , the 10th was stationed at numerous forts throughout Kansas and Indian Territory ( now Oklahoma ) , including Fort Gibson starting in 1872 . They provided guards for workers of the Kansas and Pacific Railroad , strung miles of new telegraph lines , and to a large extent built Fort Sill . Throughout this period , they were constantly patrolling the reservations and engaging " hostiles " in an attempt to prevent Indian raids into Texas . Indian Wars 1875 – 84 . On 17 April 1875 , regimental headquarters for the 9th and 10th Cavalries were transferred to Fort Concho , Texas . Companies actually arrived at Fort Concho in May 1873 . At various times from 1873 through 1885 , Fort Concho housed 9th Cavalry companies A – F , K , and M , 10th Cavalry companies A , D – G , I , L , and M , 24th Infantry companies D – G , and K , and 25th Infantry companies G and K . The 10th Regimental ' s mission in Texas was to protect mail and travel routes , control Indian movements , provide protection from Mexican revolutionaries and outlaws , and to gain knowledge of the area ' s terrain . The regiment proved highly successful in completing their mission . The 10th scouted of uncharted terrain , opened more than of new roads , and laid over of telegraph lines . The scouting activities took the troops through some of the harshest and most desolate terrain in the nation . These excursions allowed the preparation of excellent maps detailing scarce water holes , mountain passes , and grazing areas that would later allow for settlement of the area . These feats were accomplished while the troops had constantly to be on the alert for quick raids by the Apaches . The stay in west Texas produced tough soldiers who became accustomed to surviving in an area that offered few comforts and no luxuries . The 10th Cavalry played an important role in the 1879 – 80 campaign ( Apache Wars ) against Chief Victorio and his band of Apaches . Victorio and his followers escaped from their New Mexico reservation and wreaked havoc throughout the southwest on their way to Mexico . Col . Grierson and the 10th attempted to prevent Victorio ' s return to the U . S . , and particularly his reaching New Mexico where he could cause additional problems with the Apaches still on the reservations . Knowing the importance of water in the harsh region , Grierson decided the best way to intercept Victorio was to take control of potential water holes along his route . The campaign called for the biggest military concentration ever assembled in the Trans - Pecos area . Six troops of the 10th Cavalry were assigned to patrol the area from the Van Horn Mountains west to the Quitman Mountains , and north to the Sierra Diablo and Delaware Mountains . Encounters with the Indians usually resulted in skirmishes ; however the 10th engaged in major confrontations at Tinaja de las Palmas ( a water hole south of Sierra Blanca ) and at Rattlesnake Springs ( north of Van Horn ) . These two engagements halted Victorio and forced him to retreat to Mexico . Although Victorio and his band were not captured , the campaign conducted by the 10th successfully prevented them from reaching New Mexico . The 10th ' s efforts at containment exhausted the Apaches . Soon after they crossed the border , Victorio and many of his warriors were killed by Mexican troops on 14 October 1880 . Indian Wars 1885 – 98 . In 1885 , the regiment was transferred to the Department of Arizona . Once again the 10th was involved in the arduous pursuit of Apaches who left the reservations under the leadership of Geronimo , Nana , Nachez , Chihuahua and Magnus . The 10th Cavalry continued to fight Apaches after Geronimo ' s surrender in 1886 . A detachment of 10th Cavalry would fight one of their last battles of the Apache Wars north of Globe at the Salt River during an expedition on 7 March 1890 . After the battle Sergeant William McBryar , was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the pursuit of the Apache warriors . After twenty years of service on posts in the southwest , the regiment , now under the command of Colonel John K . Mizner , was transferred to the Department of Dakota in 1891 The regiment served at various posts in Montana and Dakotas until 1898 . During this time , a young white lieutenant , J . Pershing ( later known as " Blackjack " for his time with the unit ) commanded a troop from Fort Assinniboine in north central Montana . Pershing commanded an expedition to the south and southwest that rounded up and deported a large number of Cree Indians to Canada . In summary , from 1866 to the early 1890s , the 10th Cavalry Regiment served at a variety of posts in the Southwestern United States ( Apache Wars ) and Great Plains regions . They participated in most of the military campaigns in these areas and earned a distinguished record . Thirteen enlisted men and six officers from the Buffalo Soldiers ( four regiments including the 10th ) earned the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars . Medal of Honor – Indian Wars . The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States . Two members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment , earned the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars . They were : < br > William McBryar Sergeant , Company K , 10th Cavalry Regiment at Salt River , north of Globe , Arizona from 7 March 1890 to 15 May 1890 . He was later a first lieutenant in the U . S . Army . < br > Louis H . Carpenter Captain , Company H , 10th Cavalry Regiment during Indian campaigns , Kansas and Colorado , September – October 1868 . He was later a brigadier general in the U . S . Army . Spanish - American War . The regiment served during the Spanish - American War in 1898 , alongside the 24th and 25th " colored " regiments ( 1st Division , 1st Brigade ) with the 9th Cavalry . The 9th and 10th formed a core around which volunteer units were attached in the Cavalry Division ( Dismounted ) under Major General Joseph Wheeler and were in the 1st Brigade under Brigadier General Samuel S . Sumner . The 1st Brigade also included the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry which was commonly known as " Roosevelt ' s Rough Riders " . They fought in the Battle of Las Guasimas , the Battle of Tayacoba ( where all four members of the last rescue party were awarded the Medal of Honor ) , the Battle of San Juan Hill and the Siege of Santiago de Cuba . Three principal battles were fought by this brigade on the approach to the principal city of Santiago de Cuba . In many ways this was the 10th most glorious time . The first of these were the Battle of Las Guasimas on 24 June 1898 where the 10th Cavalry saved a portion of the Rough Riders from annihilation when their lead companies were ambushed and pinned down . This was where Harper ' s Weekly war correspondent Frederic Remington experienced the true horror of combat and heard the whistle of bullets near his head . Remington later painted the " Scream of the Shrapnel " in 1899 that represented this event . The second was the Battle of El Caney in the early morning hours of 1 July where stubborn Spanish forces held the Americans at bay for almost twelve hours . Then came the famous Battle of San Juan Hill in the late afternoon . The battle of the San Juan Heights involved the 10th Cavalry Regiment who took part in the taking of the two main heights . One was on the so - called Kettle Hill by the Americans and other the main height on what would be called San Juan Hill . As the 10th moved into position , they were receiving fire from the San Juan Heights that was fortified by the Spanish defenders . Other units went into position on the left and the right . But still no orders to advance came . The waiting for other units to come online began to take a toll in men and morale . San Juan Hill . A former brigade staff officer , then assigned to D Troop of the 10th Cavalry , First Lieutenant Jules Garesche Ord ( son of General E . O . C . Ord ) , arrived and initiated an unusual discussion with his commander , Brigadier General Hamilton S . Hawkins , by asking , " General , if you will order a charge , I will lead it . " Hawkins made no response . Ord again asked " If you do not wish to order a charge , General , I should like to volunteer . We can ' t stay here , can we ? " " I would not ask any man to volunteer , " Hawkins stated . " If you do not forbid it , I will start it , " returned Ord . Hawkins again remained silent . Ord finally asked " I only ask you not to refuse permission . " Hawkins responded " I will not ask for volunteers , I will not give permission and I will not refuse it , " he said . " God bless you and good luck ! " With that response , Ord rushed to the front of the brigade , advising them to support the charge of the regulars . Captain John Bigelow , Jr . , commander of D Troop of the 10th with his second in command of Ord in the lead , moved out of the trenches and advanced up the slope . Other units seeing the " Buffalo Soldiers " advance moved forward without commands to do so . General Hawkins apparently was not opposed to the attack since once the men began he joined in directing supporting regiments . At 150 yards from the top of the hill the troops charged , cutting their way through the barbed wire . Bigelow was hit four times before falling . There he continued to encourage his men to not stop until the top . Seeing the ' spontaneous advances ' of Ord and then Roosevelt , General Wheeler ( having returned to the front ) gave the order for Kent to advance with his whole division while he returned to the Cavalry Division . Kent sent forward Ewers ' brigade to join Hawkins ' men already approaching the hill . Kent ' s men discovered that the Spanish had placed their trenches in faulty positions and were actually covered from their fire while the attackers climbed the hill . Ord , still in the lead , was among the first to reach the crest of San Juan Hill . The Spanish fled , as Ord began directing supporting fire into the remaining Spanish when he was shot in the throat and mortally wounded . General Hawkins was wounded shortly after . Black First Sergeant Givens then took command of D Troop on San Juan Hill and held his position until relieved . Major John J . Pershing , quartermaster of the 10th , took over temporary command of D Troop . Pershing had helped lead the charge up Kettle Hill with the right flank of the 10th . He was later replaced by Lieutenant A . E . Kennington . The 10th would continue to fight during the Siege of Santiago . Santiago fell to the Americans on 17 July 1898 . Kettle Hill . Kettle Hill was a smaller part of the San Juan Heights with San Juan Hill and its main blockhouses being the highest point with a dip or draw in between the two hills on a north - south axis . The heights are located about a mile east of Santiago . Elements of the 10th Cavalry ( " black " regulars ) took Kettle Hill on the American right with assistance from Col . Theodore Roosevelt ' s 1st Volunteer Cavalry ( Rough Riders ) and the entire 3rd Cavalry ( " white " regulars ) . Most of the 10th supported by elements of the 24th and 25th colored infantry on the left took San Juan Hill . The 10th had held the center position between the two hills and when they went forward they split toward the tops of the two hills . Lieutenant Ord started the regulars forward on the American left and Roosevelt claimed he started the charge on the right . Retreating Spanish troops withdrew toward San Juan Hill still being contested . The regulars fired toward them and supported their comrades fighting on the adjacent hill . A legend was started that the Rough Riders alone took Kettle Hill , but this is not true . Sergeant George Berry ( 10th Cavalry ) took his unit colors and that of the 3rd Cavalry to the top of Kettle Hill before the Rough Rider ' s flag arrived . This is supported in the writings of John Pershing who fought with the 10th on Kettle Hill and later led the American Expeditionary Force during the First World War . Medal of Honor – Spanish - American War . Five members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment , earned the Medal of Honor during the Spanish - American War . They were : < br > Edward L . Baker , Jr . Sergeant Major , 10th U . S . Cavalry Regiment at Santiago . He was later a captain in the U . S . Army . < br > Dennis Bell Corporal , Troop H , 10th Cavalry Regiment during " the rescue " at the conclusion of the Battle of Tayacoba . < br > Fitz Lee Private , Troop M , 10th Cavalry Regiment during " the rescue " at the conclusion of the Battle of Tayacoba . < br > William H . Thompkins Private , Troop G , 10th Cavalry Regiment during " the rescue " at the conclusion of the Battle of Tayacoba . < br > George H . Wanton Private , Troop M , 10th Cavalry Regiment during " the rescue " at the conclusion of the Battle of Tayacoba . He was later a Master Sergeant in the U . S . Army . 20th century . Philippine American War . Following the end of the Spanish American war , the 10th Cavalry was deployed to the Philippine Islands in what was known then as the " Philippine Insurrection " , but now termed the Philippine American War , until 1902 . Although the conflict was controversial amongst many in and out of the African American community , the Regiment , alongside the 9th Cavalry and 24th and 25th Infantry , served honorably and admirably . The conflict also provided an opportunity as several senior NCOs were commissioned as Officers in the Philippine Scouts , including Edward Baker . But such opportunity would be short lived as the first American Governor General , then future President , William Taft barred the four segregated " colored " regiments from continuing to serve in the Philippines . Duty in the West . The 10th Cavalry returned from the Philippines in late 1902 and settled down in different posts in the south western United States . Patrols and garrison life was the routine for the regiment . Under war plans , the 10th was designated for service in the Pacific and support in the Philippines from 1915 through 1942 but never rotated there . The 9th Cavalry Regiment ( not the 10th ) became " Park Rangers " in 1905 for Yosemite National Park and other state and federal lands . The Troopers ' Campaign Hat , sporting the " Montana Pinch " used to help shed the tropical downpours . That " Montana Pinch " gave the hat the distinctive look we recognize today as the " Smokey Bear Hat " . Duty in the East . In 1909 , for the first time in the Regiment ' s history , it was sent East for garrison duty in the peaceful state of Vermont . They arrived at Fort Ethan Allen on 28 July 1909 . There they resided with the 3rd US Cavalry , old saddle mates from the Indian Wars , Cuba , and the Philippines . In various letters and books they described their time from 1909 to 1913 as " luxurious . " They had an indoor riding hall , solid warm barracks , heated barns for their horses , friendly neighbors and plenty of " wholesome food . " Educational opportunities on base and within the community were provided and many men earned higher degrees . When one compares this to building their own barracks , rough frontier living and military field rations , this was heaven on earth for the 10th . Baseball was a favorite past time among the soldiers and they quickly found willing local teams to play against . Sunday games became fashionable and began attracting greater crowds of locals to the dismay of the local ministers who saw their attendance drop . Ministers elected one of their own to complain to the Commander of the 10th . Colonel Jones replied that the games were not " compelled " upon soldiers or locals , but his Army command overruled him and Sunday games with the locals were " banished . " During the harsh Vermont winters , the fairly new game of basketball was introduced , learned and played almost nightly indoors . The " Basketball Troopers " became proficient enough for tournament play and went head to head losing to the " New York All - Stars , " another new African - American team . During this time period , only one racial incident was documented . And it involved a local Vermont woman , a 10th Cavalry trooper and white officers disapproving the relationship . The soldier was placed in the guard house for a few days as an example and ' proper order ' was maintained . This short stint in the East allowed time to formalize their regimental coat of arms in 1911 , allowed them to show off their horsemanship to amazed civilians , members of Congress , statesmen from many lands and even President Wilson . " F Troop " of the 10th Cavalry Regiment was recognized as the premier demonstration unit in the entire US Army . Due to rising tension along the Mexican - American border , duty called once again . Starting in late November and finishing in December 1913 , the 10th was sent to the South West once again . Fort Huachuca in Arizona became their new headquarters . Mexican Expedition . The Punitive Expedition , officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition , was an abortive military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Francisco " Pancho " Villa from 1916 to 1917 . The expedition was retaliation for Villa ' s invasion of the United States and attack on the village of Columbus , New Mexico in Luna County during the Mexican Revolution . More than 5 , 000 US troops of General John J . Pershing ' s forces , including elements of the 7th Cavalry and the African - American U . S . 10th Cavalry Regiment , entered Mexico in hot pursuit of Villa . The campaign consisted primarily of dozens of minor skirmishes with small bands of insurgents . Gen . Pershing failed to catch up to Villa . On 21 June 1916 , elements of the 7th and 10th , totaling 92 troopers , attacked Mexican Federal Army troops in an engagement in the Battle of Carrizal , Chihuahua . Sixteen US troops were killed and 23 taken prisoner ; 45 Federales were casualties , including the Mexican general Gomez . The incident nearly brought the US to open war with the Mexican government ( the Carranza government , during that three - cornered Mexican civil war ) . World War I . The 10th Cavalry spent World War I in the United States . On 9 January 1918 , the U . S . 10th Cavalry Regiment was involved in firefight with Yaqui Indians just west of Nogales , Arizona . E Troop intercepted a group of American Yaquis on their way to render aid to Yaquis of Sonora , who were in the midst of long running war with the Mexicans . Later that year , in August 1918 , the 10th Cavalry fought a border skirmish with the 35th Infantry Regiment at the Battle of Ambos Nogales in which German military advisors fought and died along with Mexican soldiers . This was the only battle during World War I where Germans engaged in land combat against United States soldiers in North America . The 35th Infantry Regiment was stationed at Nogales , Arizona on 27 August 1918 , when at about 4 : 10 PM , a gun battle erupted unintentionally when a Mexican civilian attempted to pass through the border , back to Mexico , without being interrogated at the U . S . Customs house . After the initial shooting , reinforcements from both sides rushed to the border . Hostilities quickly escalated and several soldiers were killed and others wounded . The U . S . 35th Infantry border post had about 15 – 18 men and requested reinforcements from their garrison . When they arrived they requested the Buffalo Soldier s of the 10th Cavalry . The 10th , commanded by Frederick Herman , came to their aid from their camp outside of town . After observing the situation for a few moments , Lt . Colonel Herman ordered an attack on the Mexican and German held hilltops overlooking the border town . Defensive trenches and machine gun placements had been seen being dug there in the previous weeks . Herman wanted Americans there before Mexican reinforcements got there . Under heavy fire , the U . S . 35th Regimental infantry soldiers and dismounted 10th Cavalry troops advanced across the Mexican - American border through the buildings and streets of Nogales , Sonora and up onto the nearby hilltops . This was done while other units of the 35th Regiment held the main line near the border post . About 7 : 45 PM , the Mexicans waved a large white flag of surrender over their customs building . Lt . Colonel Herman observed and then ordered an immediate cease fire . Snipers on both sides continued shooting for a little while after the cease fire , but were eventually silenced upon orders from their superiors . World War II . At the beginning of World War II the 10th Cavalry was relegated to caretaker duties at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas . In 1942 the regiment was moved to Camp Lockett , California replacing the 11th Cavalry in its duties as the southern defense of the Western Defense Command , under LTG DeWitt . 153 NCOs of this regiment would later be assigned to the newly organized 28th Cavalry Regiment forming its cadre , and filling out the 4th Cavalry Brigade , which would remain in existence after the deactivation of the 2nd Cavalry Division , and its subsequent reactivation . In the summer of 1943 , the 10th and 28th Cavalry Regiments fought wildfires in the Cleveland National Forest . In 1944 , the entire 2nd Cavalry Division was shipped out to Oran , North Africa ; where it disembarked and was deactivated on 9 March 1944 . Although trained as Combat Soldiers , the soldiers of this regiment , and other regiments of the 2nd Cavalry Division were reorganized as combat support and combat service support units . Some would see combat as replacement soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division . Early Cold War . In 1958 the Tenth Regiment was reactivated . The unit today wears the Buffalo symbol . 1st Squadron , 10th Cavalry was assigned to Fort Lewis , Washington on September 1 , 1963 as the eyes and ears of the 4th Infantry Division . 2nd Squadron , 10th Cavalry was activated on 1 July 1957 and consolidated with the 7th Recon Company transferring less personnel and equipment to Korea from Germany . It was assigned to the 7th Infantry Division . It was transferred with 7th Division to Fort Ord , California in December 1976 . 2nd Squadron , 10th Cavalry ( Air ) served as the 7th Division ' s helicopter borne reconnaissance asset . It had a scout troop ( Kiowa ) , Lift Troop ( Huey ) , Attack troop ( Cobra ) and a ground troop of scouts in jeeps . The Squadron was reorganized in August 1985 as a Reconnaissance Squadron under the Infantry Division ( Light ) configuration . The unit was deactivated and replace by an element of the 9th Cavalry prior to the 7th Divisions eventual de - activation and depart from Fort Ord . Vietnam . In the later part of 1966 , the 1st Squadron , 10th Cavalry ( Armored Reconnaissance ) , went to the Republic of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War ( 1966 - 1972 ) operating in the II Corp Area as part of the 4th Infantry Division . It received its first Valorus Unit Award in May 1969 for actions at " LZ Oasis " against a battalion sized enemy force . The 1st Squadron of the 10th , with the 4th Infantry Division , earned 12 campaign streamers and other awards in Vietnam . Late Cold War . 1st Squadron , 10th Cavalry ( 1 / 10 Cav ) with the 4th Infantry Division participated in Exercise Reforger in 1977 , 1978 , 1981 , 1985 , 1987 , and 1991 . Exercise Reforger ( from return of forces to Germany ) was an annual exercise conducted , during the Cold War , by NATO . The exercise was intended to ensure that NATO had the ability to quickly deploy forces to West Germany in the event of a conflict with the Warsaw Pact . 2nd Squadron , 10th Cavalry ( 2 / 10 ) with the 7th Infantry Division participated in Exercise Reforger in 1984 , 1986 and 1993 . 3rd Battalion , 10th Cavalry ( 3 / 10 Cav ) was activated in the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood , Texas in December 1981 . D Troop , " BlackJack " . D Troop of the 10th Cavalry Regiment was detached and moved around before settling in with the 3rd Infantry Division , 3rd Brigade . On 25 June 1958 , D Troop was reconstituted in the Regular Army and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Troop , 4th Reconnaissance Squadron , 10th Cavalry Regiment . On 1 September 1963 , the unit was redesignated as Troop D , 10th Cavalry and assigned to Fort Knox , Kentucky , and on 15 April 1968 the Troop became part of the 194th Armored Brigade . In October 1999 , the 3rd Infantry Division ( Mechanized ) began its transition to Limited Conversion Division XXI ( LCD XXI ) . Under this force structure , mechanized brigades received organic cavalry organizations . On 16 June 2000 , D Troop , 10th Cavalry Regiment was reactivated and assigned to the 3rd Brigade , 3rd Infantry Division ( Mechanized ) , at Fort Benning , Georgia . In March 2003 the 3rd Brigade participated along with the rest of the 3rd Infantry Division ( Mechanized ) in the initial operations against Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom . The 3rd Infantry Division returned to Georgia in late 2003 . In mid - 2004 it began the transformation to the US Army ' s new modular force structure , which saw D Troop , 10th Cavalry inactivated . 21st - century . C Troop , 10th Cavalry was reactivated 22 September 2001 and served as the Brigade Reconnaissance Troop ( BRT ) as well as the brigade ' s quick reaction force ( QRF ) for 1st Brigade , 1st Cavalry Division . It served with distinction in OIF II , noted for its substantially large area of operations . The BRT , best known as the " Cowboy Troop " . , set the operations tempo ( OPTEMPO ) for battle operations in the northeastern section of Baghdad and Sadr City . C Troop was reportedly the only unit in Baghdad at the time clearing routes in light vehicles , with a reported 4 , 800 different forms of contact over the course of the year . After returning to Fort Hood , Texas , C Troop was deactivated and re - flagged as C Troop , 1st Squadron , 7th Cavalry . The 1st Squadron , 10th Cavalry , 2nd Brigade , 4th Division served during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 – 2004 ( in which it earned its second Presidential Unit Citation ) and again from 2005 to 2006 . The squadron is currently serving as the Armored Reconnaissance Squadron of the 2nd Brigade , 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson , Colorado . B Troop , 1st Squadron 10th Cavalry , led by Captain Brian McCarthy and First Sergeant Brian Allen were featured in a 14 - page article of " Texas Monthly " magazine which covered the 2005 – 2006 deployment to Iraq . This is one of many articles on the 10th Cavalry units . Operation Red Dawn was an American military operation conducted on December 13 , 2003 in the town of ad - Dawr , Iraq , near Tikrit , that led to the capture of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein . This is where elements of the 1st Brigade ( including the 7th Squadron , 10th Cavalry ) of the 4th Infantry Division captured Saddam Hussein , former President of Iraq . The mission was assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division , commanded by Major . Gen Raymond Odierno and led by Col . James Hickey of the 4th Infantry Division , with joint operations Task Force 121 - an elite and covert joint special operations team . During Operation Iraqi Freedom , the 1st Squadron , 10th Cavalry played an instrumental role during Operation Red Dawn , providing security for the air corridor . G Troop , 10th US Cavalry also during this operation secured the inner and outer cordons of the AO ( Area of Operation ) for Operation Red Dawn . The 4th Division rotated out of Iraq in the Spring of 2004 , and was relieved by the 1st Infantry Division . Current situation . The 10th Cavalry Regiment presently comprises three active squadrons , all of which are M3 Bradley - equipped Armored Reconnaissance Squadrons within the 4th Infantry Division in Fort Carson , Colorado . Present assignments are : 4th Squadron , 10th Cavalry takes its history and lineage from D Troop , 10th Cavalry . In 2000 , D Troop , 10th U . S . Cavalry , was reactivated and assigned as the Brigade Reconnaissance Troop for 3rd Brigade Combat Team , 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Benning , Georgia . D Troop , 10th Cavalry was deployed with 3 / 3 ID to Iraq in 2003 , and was deactivated upon redeployment in 2004 . It was reactivated in October 2007 at Fort Carson , Colorado , replacing the 2nd Squadron , 9th Cavalry regiment , as the 4th Squadron , 10th Cavalry Regiment with A , B , C , and HQ Troops as the Reconnaissance Squadron for 3rd Combat Brigade Team ( BCT ) of the 4th Infantry Division . The 4th Squadron deployed to Iraq with 3 / 4 ID from December 2007 to February 2009 , and again in March 2010 . Campaign participation credit . Activated 1866 . In 1958 the Tenth Cavalry Regiment was reactivated . In July 2010 the 7th Squadron become the first Armored Reconnaissance Squadron in the US Army to deploy to Afghanistan . The Squadron headquarters and D TRP ( FSC ) were located in Camp Stone , Herat with the line Troops forward deployed in the Herat Province and Badghis Province . The Squadron redeployed to Fort Carson , CO in July 2011 . Regimental decorations . * Presidential Unit Citation ( Army ) , Streamer embroidered PLEIKU PROVINCE ( 1st Brigade only ) < br > Notable members . Some members in this section are noted in the article above . If detailed in the article , they are summarized here . If not detailed , a brief expansion is provided .