Between 1808 and 1815 In 1808, there was one
regiment of light dragoons in the United States and during the
War of 1812 another
regiment was raised. Units of both regiments of dragoons served in engagements at the
Mississineway River; the
Battle of Lundy's Lane;
Fort Erie and the
Siege of Fort Meigs. These two regiments were consolidated on 30 March 1814 into the Regiment of Light Dragoons but this new unit was dissolved on 15 June 1815.
Early organization c. 1846. The precursor organization was originally established by President
Andrew Jackson on 23 May 1836, as the Second Regiment of Dragoons of the US Army. A and I Companies were recruited in the
Fort Myer,
Virginia area, B Company recruited from Virginia and
Louisiana, C Company drew recruits from
Tennessee, E, F, G, and H recruited from
New York, and K Company was drawn from
New Orleans. D Company was organized from a detachment of the
1st Dragoons and served in
Florida immediately. In April 1837, the regimental headquarters was moved to
Jefferson Barracks,
Missouri, where the 400 new recruits and their instructors participated in the School of the Trooper, and learned the tactics and ways of being a dragoon, while some of their compatriots were battling the Indians in Florida.
Second Seminole War The 2nd Dragoons saw their first combat during the
Second Seminole War. The 2nd Dragoons brought the fight to the hostile Seminoles, rather than wait to be attacked inside a fort like other units did. The regiment under Lieutenant Colonel
William S. Harney later fought at the
Second Battle of the Loxahatchee on 24 January 1838. The 2nd Dragoons would suffer a major defeat at the
Battle of the Caloosahatchee on 23 July 1839.
Mexican–American War Under an act of Congress dated 23 August 1842 the regiment was re-designated as the Regiment of Riflemen effective 4 March 1843. This act was repealed on 4 April 1844 and the regiment reverted to its previous designation. In October 1842, A, D, E, F, and G Companies moved to
Fort Jessup, Louisiana and
Fort Towson. The remainder of the regiment stayed in Florida to patrol for hostile bands of Seminoles. Fort Jessup became the regimental headquarters, and was the 2nd Dragoons' home for four years. When hostilities with the
Centralist Republic of Mexico began to boil over in 1845, General
Zachary Taylor assembled his "Army of Observation" at Fort Jessup, and the 2nd Dragoons marched overland to occupy
Corpus Christi, Texas. The regiment was reactivated on 15 January 1943 at Fort Riley as the 2nd Mechanized Cavalry Group, or the 2nd MCG (Between 1943 and 1946 cavalry were organized into Groups, but this term is interchangeable with Regiment in this context).
Charles H. Reed became the 31st Colonel of the Regiment. It was reorganized as the Headquarters and Headquarters Troop (HHT), 2nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized (present day 1st Squadron), and 42nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized (present day 2nd Squadron). The unit earned the
Valorous Unit Award for its service in Operation Desert Storm. By the end of its covering force mission in Iraq, the 2nd ACR had broken the Republican Guard's defensive line, provided intelligence to the VII Corps commander, and moved over 250 kilometers. It also captured 2,000 prisoners, destroyed 159 enemy tanks, and 260 other vehicles. The regiment's losses include 6 Dragoons killed, and 19 wounded. at
Fort Lewis, Washington. The regiment's ground squadrons became light cavalry units equipped with
Humvees mounted with
TOW launchers,
Mk 19 grenade launchers,
.50 caliber machine guns and
M249 light machine guns (SAWs). The 2nd ACR (Light) was then sent to
Fort Polk in Louisiana in 1993. From there, the regiment deployed in support of the peace enforcement operation in
Haiti from 1995 to 1996;
Operation Uphold Democracy. The 3rd Squadron ("Wolfpack") was the first ground unit to deploy and operated under the
25th Infantry Division in
Port au Prince, Haiti. After six months in Haiti, 1st Squadron arrived to replace 3rd Squadron. In October 1995, 2nd Squadron replaced 3rd Squadron and redeployed in March 1996 completing the cycle. In Haiti the Dragoons served in a number of different roles. They guarded humanitarian relief convoys, and served as the
United Nations Quick Reaction Force (UNQRF). They also seized illegal weapons, conducted security patrols, and protected the Haitian president, and the US President (
Bill Clinton) and Vice President (
Al Gore) when they visited the island.
Bosnia service In April 1997, the regiment received orders to be prepared to deploy to
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Following the first mission rehearsal exercise held at the
JRTC in June, the unit moved to Germany to begin integration with the
1st Armored Division. Meanwhile, all its equipment was shipped to the intermediate staging base at
Taszar, Hungary. The regiment's participation in
Operation Joint Guard began when the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons moved across the
Sava River into Bosnia in August 1997 to augment the 1st Infantry Division (Forward) in support of Bosnia-Herzegovina's municipal elections. The regiment's air cavalry, the 4th Squadron and the Regimental Support Squadron also moved into the country. The regiment's separate units – the 502nd Military Intelligence Company; the 84th Engineer Company; Company H (Aviation Maintenance),
159th Aviation Regiment; and the Air Defense Battery – completed the regimental troop list. While the ground squadrons were in Bosnia, the regimental headquarters deployed to Germany to train with the 1st Armored Division Headquarters in preparation for assuming command in Bosnia. During August and September, the regiment was spread across five countries on two continents, and was under the direct command and control of three different general officer commands. This period included another first for any Army unit during a 12-month period: the regiment participated in major training exercises at all three of the Army's combat training centers: The
National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, the
Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, and the
Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) at Hohenfels, Germany. In October the remainder of the regiment rode into theater, assuming responsibility for the American sector of Multinational Division (North), which stretched from the war-torn bridge at
Brčko in the north to the shattered city of
Srebrenica in the south. The first major action of the regiment in Bosnia was the seizing of Serbian radio-television towers to control communications into the
Republika Srpska. Other significant operations that the regiment conducted include: the restructuring of the Republika Srpska Specialist Police; the creation of the first multi-ethnic police department, in the city of
Brčko; security for the announcement of the Brcko Arbitration Decision (an effort to resolve the status of this
Serb-dominated city within Bosnia); institution of common license plates and currency in Bosnia, and the opening of the Bosnian rail system. In conducting operations in this sector, the regiment executed an estimated 12,500 patrols and 480 weapon storage site inspections, supervised the removal of over 12,000 mines, and oversaw 350 training exercises for the former warring factions. The regiment served one of the longest tours of military units there.
Global war on terrorism After returning from Bosnia, the unit remained at
Fort Polk, Louisiana. On 13 April 2002, B Troop, 1-2 Cavalry deployed to
Southwest Asia in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom and the
Global War of Terrorism. They provided port and site security in
Kuwait,
Qatar,
Jordan, and
Djibouti, and were relieved by L Troop, 3-2 Cavalry, in October, who continued these duties.
Iraq War On 25 March 2003, 2nd Squadron was deployed again to the Gulf for
Operation Iraqi Freedom. The squadron began combat operations by 1 April 2003. The rest of the regiment arrived in May and operated in eastern
Baghdad. The troopers worked to improve the peoples' lives, and provided security to infrastructure sites such as power stations, telephone stations, fuel stations, schools, and hospitals. The 2nd Armored Cavalry also took direct action in hundreds of raids to disrupt the activities of the
Fedayeen Saddam militia. The regiment also trained several companies of the
Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC) to assist their operations. On 19 August 2003, a
VBIED detonated near a UN compound and a spinal cord clinic causing consternation and much damage. Elements of the 2nd Cavalry rushed to secure the area, and saved the lives of 125 UN workers. On 4 April 2004, the 2nd Armored Cavalry and the 1st BCT-
1st Cavalry Division engaged in fierce urban fighting during the
Siege of Sadr City. The Dragoons and thousands of
Muqtada al-Sadr's militiamen, the
Mahdi Army, clashed in a violent battle that cost 8 US and 300 enemy deaths. This initial battle marked the beginning of several more uprisings throughout Iraq, and the 2nd Cavalry was soon sent south to battle insurgents in
Hillah, Al Kut,
An Najaf,
Kufa, and
Al Diwaniyah. This action forced them to stay in Iraq for a further three months. The battles of Al Kut, Kufa, and Al Diwaniyah were short, but intense. The regiment was forced to retake each town from hostile forces and seize government buildings. In An Najaf, hundreds of Mahdi Militiamen fought a protracted urban campaign that lasted a few weeks. In late June 2004, the 2nd Cavalry was relieved by elements of the
1st Infantry Division and returned to Fort Polk on 15 July 2004. In Iraq, the Dragoons suffered 21 killed and over 100 wounded. They had inflicted 1,000 deaths on their enemy and captured hundreds more. A total of 16 months was spent in combat, and the regiment earned another
Presidential Unit Citation. On its return from combat operations, the 2nd ACR found itself heading back to
Fort Lewis in Washington in December 2004. The regiment was re-designated the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and reorganized as a
Stryker brigade combat team in April 2005. On 1 June 2006 at Fort Lewis, Washington, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and the 1st Brigade,
25th Infantry Division conducted a joint re-flagging and
Casing of the Colors ceremony. The 2nd CR was reflagged as the 4th Brigade,
2nd Infantry Division (Stryker). The 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division cased its brigade colors and was reflagged as the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. The Army re-stationed 2nd SCR to
Rose Barracks,
Vilseck, Germany, near the regiment's Cold War home of Nuremberg, as of 15 September 2006. With a foundation of infantry-based tactics and the mobility of the
Stryker vehicle, the Stryker unit has become more of a hybrid, filling the gap between pure, light infantry and the mechanized, heavy infantry. On 12 August 2007, the Dragoons arrived in Kuwait and prepared for another combat deployment in Iraq. On 13 September, the regiment replaced the
3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division at
Camp Liberty, Baghdad as part of President
George W. Bush's surge campaign. 1st Squadron (War Eagles), with Troops A, B, and C, was sent to NE Baghdad to work in
Sadr City,
Hayy Ur,
Thawra,
Jamilla, and
Adhamiyah. They conducted numerous cordon-and-search, checkpoint, and raid missions until the
Jaysh al-Mahdi uprising in March 2008. Joining with
Iraqi Army and
Iraqi Police, 1st Squadron fought these insurgents until a ceasefire was brokered on 11 March. The squadron assisted building a security wall in Sadr City and conducted many civic action projects until it was sent to
Mosul in August 2008 to assist the
3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment quell the violence in that city. 2nd Squadron (Cougars), with Troops D, E, and F, was sent to
East Rashid in south central Baghdad. E Troop was quickly lauded for its aggressive operations against
Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) extremists, which resulted in 10 wounded Dragoons and 13 enemy killed in action. Working alongside the 3rd Squadron (Wolfpack), with Troops G, H, I, and N, they cleared the neighborhoods of
Dora and Hadar in Operation Dragoon Talon. The combined effort of 2nd Squadron and 3rd Squadron cleared out East Rashid or AQI insurgents, and allowed local nationals to return to their homes. While 2nd Squadron was in East Rashid until May 2008, 3rd Squadron was acting as the Corps reserve and sent to
Diyala Governorate to conduct clearing operations with the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. G, H, and I Troops were sent to the "breadbasket of Iraq" in the
Hamrin Mountains during Operation Raider Harvest to clear out AQI strongholds. From December 2007-October 2008, the region was made safer and infrastructure was improved by the squadron as they defeated numerous AQI cells and conducted humanitarian operations. 4th Squadron (Sabre), with Troops O, P, Q, and elements of I moved to
FOB Prosperity in the
Al Karkh district of the
Green Zone. Here, the troopers secured the heart of Baghdad and turned it into one of the most secure areas of the city; they successfully partnered with units of the Iraqi Army and police to accomplish this mission. Fires Squadron (Hell), with A, B, and C Batteries along with support from K Troop, was based out of
Camp Taji to secure the region of
Agar Quf northeast of Baghdad. C Battery acted as the reserve force of the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division and conducted
air assault mission to kill or capture high value targets. The remainder of the squadron continued to secure the Agar Quf region and conducted both combat and humanitarian operations. In January 2008, Fires Squadron was returned to Regimental control, and 1st Battalion-
21st Infantry Regiment (Gimlets) was attached to the 2nd Cavalry. In April 2008, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment moved to Diyala Governorate to replace the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division and joined with elements of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment to combat extremist
Sunni and
Shia militias. The Dragoons also conducted humanitarian operations and partnered with their Iraqi allies to make this possible. In Operation Glad Tidings of Benevolence 50,000 Iraqi soldiers and police officers assisted the regiment in aiding the community, as well as clearing out villages, roads, and farms controlled by terrorist forces. At the completion of this 15-month tour in Iraq, it was at its most consolidated by June 2008 with all units in Diyala but 1st Squadron, which was in
Sadr City. On 25 November 2008, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (Stryker) was officially welcomed back to Vilseck, Germany on 7 October 2008. In Iraq from 2007 to 2008, the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment lost 29 soldiers killed, 250 injured, and 70 vehicles were damaged. They managed to kill over 100 confirmed enemies and capture 1,100 more. 100,000
IEDs, weapons, and other enemy materiel items were either captured or destroyed.
War in Afghanistan On 15 March 2010, the Department of Defense announced that the 2nd Cavalry Regiment would deploy to Afghanistan in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom and the
International Security Assistance Force in July 2010. In July 2010, 1st Squadron assumed responsibility of
Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan in
Uruzgan Province as well as the
Shah Wali Kot District serving alongside Australia's
2nd Cavalry Regiment. The remainder of the regiment was located in the volatile
Zabul Province with regimental headquarters located at
FOB Lagman. 3d Squadron was sent to the Maiwand district in support of Combined Task Force Strike. During their attachment to CTF Strike, 3d Squadron took part in battle harden operations such as
Operation Dragon Strike in which 3d Squadron, along with the other units in the CTF, earned the Presidential Unit Citation along with several personal medals for valor for the intense fighting and stabilization brought back to the region which took place during the operation. In the summer of 2013, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment deployed to Afghanistan for a second time in southern Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the International Security Assistance Force. The Regiment redeployed to Rose Barracks in April 2014. The Regiment was awarded the
Meritorious Unit Commendation for their efforts in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. == Organization 2025 ==