316th Cavalry Brigade The 316th Cavalry Brigade of the United States Army is the brigade responsible for the training of U . S . Army Cavalry and Armor officers and non - commissioned officers . The 16th Cavalry Brigade was redesignated as this unit in July 2010 . The 316th Cavalry Brigade is currently assigned to Fort Benning , Georgia , in accordance with the Base Realignment and Closure of 2005 . History . The 316th Cavalry Brigade was established as a subordinate unit of the Eighth Tank Destroyer Group in September 1942 . It was activated in October of the same year in Camp Hood ( now Fort Hood , Texas ) . It was then inactivated in October 1945 and subsequently re - activated and re - designated as the 316th Cavalry Group in August 1947 . After a number of administrative changes , it was inactivated in April 1959 in Roswell , New Mexico . The United States Army lists its campaign credits as " World War II , Northern France , Rhineland , Ardennes - Alsace , and Central Europe " . On 7 July 2010 , the 316th Cavalry Brigade was re - activated to replace the HQ 16th Cavalry Regiment as the headquarters charged with education of United States Army soldiers in the Armor branch . Its subordinate squadrons , however , retained the nomenclature for the 16th Cavalry Regiment for historical purposes . Order of battle . Headquarters and Headquarters Troop . The Headquarters and Headquarters Troop is responsible for the day to day management of the Brigade , including personnel , intelligence , operations , logistics , civial affairs , and information technology . 1st Squadron , 16th Cavalry Regiment . The First Squadron , Sixteenth Cavalry Regiment ( or 1 - 16 Cav ) provides support in the form of both soldiers and equipment for the 316th Cavalry Brigade and its subordinate squadrons , as well as for the courses offered through the brigade . Additionally , the squadron is tasked with providing funeral details for soldiers across the south - eastern region of the United States . The over - six hundred soldier squadron is commanded by [ Lieutenant Colonel ] Mark D . Brown . It is composed of five troops : Alpha " Apache " Troop , Bravo " BoneCrusher " Troop , Charlie " Cobra " Troop , Delta " Dog " Troop , Echo " Easy " Troop . 2nd Squadron , 16th Cavalry Regiment . The 2nd Squadron is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Oscar F . Diano . Troops within the squadron , excluding the Headquarters and Headquarters Troop , are organized to associate with Armor Basic Officer Leaders Course ( ABOLC ) classes of the United States Army Armor School . The four troops are Hawk Troop , Ironhorse Troop , Killer Troop , and Lightning Troop . The Headquarters and Headquarters Troop is responsible for , among other tasks , the training of lieutenants who are awaiting their ABOLC class or who have completed the course and are awaiting follow - on orders . Headquarters and Headquarters Troop is also responsible for the certification of all instructors at the Armor Basic Officer Leadership Course . Each instructor is initially certified in the U . S . Army Basic Instructor Course , and then must undergo specific instruction to learn the doctrine that is taught to the Armor and Cavalry lieutenants . ABOLC is the introductory skills course for United States Army Cavalry and Armor second and first lieutenants . These officers , recent graduates of the United States Military Academy , ROTC programs , and Officer Candidate School , receive eighteen weeks of training in basic soldiering skills , maneuver tactics , troop - and company - level strategy , and logistical planning . Students must complete , among many tasks , four main field training exercises . The first five - day exercise covers cavalry operations , the second covers heavy armor operations , and the third covers advanced situational awareness training ( ASAT ) . The final exercise , known as " the Gauntlet , " is a strenuous ten - day movement which covers all subjects in the first three operations . Students are evaluated based on their performance during each exercises , and rotate among every position within a platoon and troop . The course is taught by officers , non - commissioned officers , and civilians from the 2nd Squadron , 16th Cavalry Regiment of the 316th Cavalry Brigade . The 2nd Squadron , 16th Cavalry currently operates out of Harmony Church in Fort Benning , Georgia . 3rd Squadron , 16th Cavalry Regiment . The 3rd Squadron , 16th Cavalry Regiment ( 3 - 16 Cav ) provides resources , including instructors , to various schools within the United States Army Armor School . The squadron is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Andre L . Mackey . For Fiscal Year 2011 - 2012 , the troops within the squadron are organized according to the course they support : Mike Troop supporting the Master Gunner course ; November Troop supporting the Cavalry Leaders Course and the Army Reconnaissance Course ; and Papa Troop supporting the International Military Students Office ( IMSO ) . Heraldry . The shield in the shoulder insignia represents " defense and protection of the United States . The color black and the eight stars around the crest represent the original parent unit of the brigade , the Eighth Tank Destroyer Group . The colors within the crest , scarlet and white , are the traditional colors of the United States Cavalry , and the color gold represents excellence . The lightning bolt in the center represents " denotes speed , mobility , and effectiveness , the characteristics of the combined forces with which the Brigade cooperates . " The saber in the center is part of the United States Cavalry collar insignia . On the distinctive unit insignia the panther is a symbol of the Eighth Tank Destroyer Group .