Indian wars In July 1867 the 9th Cavalry was ordered to western and southwestern
Texas, to maintain law and order between the
Rio Grande and
Concho Rivers along a 630-mile line with seven forts from
Fort Clark to
Fort Quitman near present-day
El Paso (the forts ended up including Fort Quitman,
Fort Davis,
Fort Stockton,
Fort Lancaster, Fort Clark,
Fort Duncan,
Fort McKavett, and
Fort Concho). That service also included the
Battle of Tularosa with
Chiricahua Apache warriors led by
Victorio in May 1880. In 1881 the 9th Cavalry was transferred to
Fort Riley,
Kansas, and to
Fort Robinson,
Nebraska, in 1885. On 5 November 1887, Company H, of the 9th Cavalry fought in the Battle of Crow Agency during the
Crow War, in Montana. The regiment also patrolled during the
Ghost Dance War with the Sioux about the time of the
Wounded Knee Massacre and was the last regiment to leave the
Pine Ridge Reservation in the Winter of 1890–1891, after the massacre.
Range wars The 9th Cavalry Regiment participated in two of the largest range conflicts in the American Old West.
Range wars were battles fought between large cattle ranchers against smaller ranchers and farmers who competed for land, water, and livestock in the
open range. Many of these conflicts resulted in military intervention to pacify and maintain peace. The 9th Cavalry's participated in the
Colfax County War in
Colfax County, New Mexico in 1873. Buffalo soldiers were among the units sent, and on one occasion, some of them had a shootout with a group of Texas
cowboys in the St. James Hotel. On March 24, 1876, Three soldiers (Privates George Small, Anthony Harvey, and John Hanson, were killed and an unnamed trooper was wounded) died during the shootout and a few months later one of the cowboys,
Davy Crockett, who was involved, was killed by the local sheriffs. One garbled version of the triple shooting had gunfighter
Clay Allison shot and killed a black sergeant and four soldiers in a bar where he was drinking. Allison was arrested but released when it could not be proved he had been involved in the shooting. The 9th cavalry had a much larger participation in the fabled
Johnson County War in
Johnson County,
Wyoming. It culminated in a lengthy shootout between local farmers, a band of hired killers, and a
sheriff's posse. The 6th Cavalry was ordered in by
President Benjamin Harrison to quell the violence and capture the band of hired killers. Soon afterward, the 9th Cavalry was specifically called on to replace the 6th. The 6th Cavalry was swaying under the local political and social pressures and was unable to keep the peace in the tense environment. The Buffalo Soldiers responded within about two weeks from Nebraska, and moved the men to the rail town of
Suggs, Wyoming, creating "
Camp Bettens" despite a hostile local population. One soldier was killed and two wounded in a
gun battle with locals. The 9th Cavalry remained in Wyoming for nearly a year to quell tensions in the area. In 1886, members of the 9th cavalry constructed a road and telegraph line through
Ninemile Canyon in Utah, connecting
Fort Duchesne and the
Uintah Basin to the region around
Price, Utah.
Spanish–American War through WW1 , Cuba, 1898. In 1898, the 9th US Cavalry Regiment fought alongside
Theodore Roosevelt's
Rough Riders at the battles of
Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill. Later, they served as his honor guard during his visit to San Francisco. In 1899 and again in 1904, the 9th Cavalry patrolled
Yosemite National Park, joining other soldiers as the first "rangers" of the
park system. Under General
John J. Pershing, the regiment fought in the
Punitive Expedition against
Pancho Villa in
Mexico in 1916.
West Point On 23 March 1907, the
United States Military Academy Detachment of Cavalry was changed to a "colored" unit. This had been a long time coming. It had been proposed in 1897 at the "Cavalry and Light Artillery School" at Fort Riley that West Point cadets learn their riding skills from the black non-commissioned officers who were considered among the best. The one hundred man detachment from the 9th Cavalry served to teach future officers at West Point riding instruction, mounted drill and cavalry tactics until 1947.
Interwar period The 9th Cavalry was stationed at
Camp Stotsenburg, Philippines, as of June 1919. From 3 April 1921 to 11 October 1922, Brigadier General
Edward Anderson commanded the regiment. The regiment departed
Manila on 12 October 1922 on the troopship
USAT Logan and arrived on 11 November 1922 at
San Francisco, California. It was transferred to Fort Riley, and arrived there on 15 November 1922. The regiment absorbed just over 200 troopers of the Cavalry School Detachment (Colored) on 1 December 1922. From 1922 to 1940, the regiment served as the Cavalry School support and demonstration regiment. It was assigned to the
3rd Cavalry Division on 18 August 1933. It supported and supervised the training of the Colored
Citizens Military Training Camps at Fort Riley from 1934 to 1936 and in 1938. It was relieved from the 3rd Cavalry Division on 10 October 1940 and assigned to the
2nd Cavalry Division.
World War II The regiment did not end up serving in World War II as a unit, and was transferred to the
Mediterranean with the rest of the 2nd Cavalry Division in order to supply soldiers for other units. The regiment was inactivated on 7 March 1944 in
North Africa.
Cold War The regiment was redesignated as the 509th Tank Battalion on 20 October 1950 and relieved from its assignment to the 2nd Cavalry Division. The battalion was activated at
Camp Polk, Louisiana on 1 November of that year and inactivated at
Fort Knox on 10 April 1956. The regiment was reorganized and redesignated as the 9th Cavalry on 1 December 1957, becoming a parent regiment under the
Combat Arms Regimental System. The 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Cavalry was assigned to the
1st Cavalry Division in Korea and activated on 1 November 1957 from the 1st Cavalry Division's 16th Reconnaissance Company as the division reconnaissance squadron. It became 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry (1-9 Cavalry) on 1 September 1963, and was transferred to
Fort Benning on 1 July 1965 without personnel and equipment to become an experimental air cavalry unit, reflagged from the 3rd Squadron,
17th Cavalry of the
11th Air Assault Division (Test). The former 1-9 Cavalry in Korea became 4th Squadron,
7th Cavalry of the
2nd Infantry Division. The 2nd Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Cavalry was assigned to the
9th Infantry Division at
Fort Carson and activated on 1 December 1957 from its 9th Reconnaissance Company as the division reconnaissance squadron. It was transferred to the
24th Infantry Division and reorganized in Europe on 1 July 1958, stationed at
Augsburg. The squadron became the 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry (2-9 Cavalry) on 1 September 1963. The 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Cavalry was assigned to the
Army Reserve and activated on 6 April 1959 at
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the divisional reconnaissance squadron of the
79th Infantry Division. The squadron was inactivated there on 28 February 1963 when the 79th was reduced to a headquarters. It was redesignated as Troop C, 9th Cavalry and reactivated on 1 February 1964 at
Bristol with the
157th Infantry Brigade. The troop was moved to
Wilkes-Barre on 31 January 1966. The troop continued to serve with the 157th Infantry Brigade (Mech) until deactivation on 20 August 1995. The 4th Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Cavalry was assigned to the Army Reserve and activated on 20 March 1959 at
Mansfield, Ohio as the divisional reconnaissance squadron of the
83rd Infantry Division. The squadron became the 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry (4-9 Cavalry) on 15 April 1963, but was inactivated on 31 December 1965. On 24 November 1967 it was reactivated as a Regular Army unit with the
6th Infantry Division at
Fort Campbell. The squadron was reactivated in April, 1986, at Ladd Army Airfield, Hangar 2,Fort Wainwright, Alaska, with the 6th Infantry Division, where it served during the later years of the Cold War. The 5th Squadron, 9th Cavalry (5-9 Cavalry) was activated on 21 December 1962 at
Fort Ord with the
194th Armored Brigade. 5-9 Cavalry was inactivated there on 4 January 1968, redesignated as Troop E, 9th Cavalry, and simultaneously reactivated at Fort Ord as a nondivisional unit.
Vietnam War (Air Cav) The then-experimental 1-9 Air Cav ushered in a new era of combat called air assault. These teams were composed of aero-weapons (Reds), aero-scout (Whites), and aero-rifle (Blues). Together, ground (D Troop) and air reconnaissance teams patrolled the Vietnam countryside in search of the enemy. Once located, the infantry (Blues) would insert (and extract) via helicopter or foot to engage the enemy with support of their aero scouts and aero weapons. These teams earned the nickname of "Headhunters." This concept differed from conventional front line warfare typical in prior land warfare. On 5 December 1970,
9th Air Cavalry Brigade (Provisional) was formed by 1 Cavalry as an ad hoc brigade and organized by operations order OPORD 1-70 consisting of: • 1/9 Cavalry • HQ Troop, A, B, C, D, E,& F Troops •
3/17 Cavalry • HQ Troop and A, B & E Troops The brigade was responsible for 5,976 square miles. During the Vietnam war, the 1st of the 9th Cavalry earned 3 Presidential Unit Citations and 5 Valorous Unit Citations. It was inactivated on 26 February 1973 and was one of the last conventional units to leave Vietnam. In 1971, as the 1st Cavalry Division began redeployment to the United States, Troop F, 9th Cavalry was formed from one platoon each from the 1-8 Cavalry, 2-5 Cavalry, 1-12 Cavalry and 1-7 Cavalry. This unit operated independently of the 1-9 Cavalry. Troop F was inactivated in Vietnam on 26 February 1973.
1976 to 1986 The 2d Squadron, 9th Cavalry was assigned to the far end of the runways at Hunter Army Air Field (HAAF) as an Air Cav Unit (under the 24th Infantry). In 1977 D-Troop attended the Jungle Operations Training Center program at Fort Sherman, Panama Canal with one medic from the HHT. In 1977 the HHT, A-Troop, B-Troop were moved 40 miles away to Fort Stewart where it was re-designated as an Air and Armored Cavalry. D-Troop remained at HAAF during this time. While D-Troop maintained the Rotary Wings Aircraft and Cavalry Recon Scouts (Airmobile – Air Assault group), A-Troop was given armored personnel carriers (APC) and B-Troop had many of the larger track vehicles. HHT had APC's for the medical section and S1-S3. The medics continued to maintain two gamma-goats, but received two new APC's – one 577 command track and 113 ambulance. The 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry remained a part of the 24th Infantry at Fort Stewart and HAAF until 1986 when the unit was re-designated the 2nd Squadron, 4th Cavalry.
Return to Fort Hood, Texas After Vietnam, the Squadron returned to Fort Hood, Texas with the rest of the 1st Cavalry Division and served as divisional recon squadron until 16 October 1986, when it was inactivated. On 25 November 1992, the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry was reactivated, reorganized as a mechanized infantry battalion, re-designated as the 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry and assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division as part of the 3rd Brigade.
Brigade Reconnaissance, Fort Lewis, Washington On 16 March 1987, the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry was moved to Fort Lewis, Washington, and was assigned to the 9th Infantry Division (Motorized) as the divisional reconnaissance squadron. In 1991 the squadron was inactivated along with the rest of the
9th Infantry Division. The unit was reflagged as Alpha Troop, 9th U.S. Cavalry and assigned as brigade reconnaissance to the 199th Infantry Brigade. During the drawdown of the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis in 1991–1992, a residual brigade, based around the division's 3rd Brigade, was briefly active as the
199th Infantry Brigade (Motorized) from 16 February 1991 before being reflagged on 16 July 1992 as the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. The structure of 199th Infantry Brigade at that time was: 199th Infantry Brigade (Motorized), Fort Lewis Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry(Possible) 1st Battalion, 33rd Armor[4] 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry[5] 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry[6] 1st Battalion, 11th Field Artillery[7] 99th Support Battalion (Forward) Troop A, 9th Cavalry (previously Troop B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, rest of the squadron disbanded on the same date) 102nd Engineer Company (Company D, 15th Engineer Battalion) 9th Chemical Company[8] Battery E, 44th Air Defense Artillery[9] Alpha Troop, 9th Cavalry was assigned M996 HMMWVs and were organized into 4 scout platoons with 6 vehicles each. Two M-2 cal .50 MG trucks, two MK-19 grenade launcher trucks, and two M1036 TOW equipped vehicles. With the addition of a HQ platoon and supported by an organic mortar section equipped with 60mm mortars, and later upgraded to 120mm, Alpha Troop 9th Cavalry was a test for the wheeled vehicle brigade concept. This validation led to the organization of the Stryker Brigades years later.
Operation Just Cause; Panama The 2d Squadron, 9th Cavalry, assigned to the 7th Infantry Division (Light), deployed to Panama (20 Dec 1989 – 31 Jan 1990) in order to conduct combat operations during Operation Just Cause and the ensuing humanitarian and nation building mission Operation Promote Liberty. The Air Troops were the first to deploy with their AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters and their OH-59 (OH-58 Kiowa) aerial scout helicopters. D Troop,2-9th Cavalry soon followed and conducted route clearance, zone reconnaissance, and provided support to U.S. Army units in the interior. The D 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry was station in Warner Kaserne Munich Germany 1962-1968 and Reforged to Ft. Riley Kansas in 1968.
Confronting Iraq in the 1990s The 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry was reconstituted as infantry from the highly decorated Persian Gulf War unit; 3-41 Infantry of the 2nd Armored Division in 1992 and assigned to the 3d Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division. It served in combat as 3-41 Infantry of the Tiger Brigade in Operation Desert Storm. (As a side note, the Third Brigade was led by then Colonel George Casey Jr. and the 1st Cavalry Division was led by future Democratic presidential candidate General Wesley Clark Sr.) 1-9 Cavalry deployed abroad several times in the decade; to thwart aggressive and hostile maneuvers of the Iraqi Army. Most notably in
Operation Intrinsic Action and Iris Gold. 1-9 Cavalry was designated as the military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) unit of the 1st Cavalry Division. Following is a brief rendition of significant events during this time period. 1993: • Three soldiers killed on Lone Star North Range. • NTC deployment. • Intrinsic Action I deployment to S.W. Asia. • Operation Iris Gold (Combat patch authorized) 1994: • Claymore mine accident severely injured a 1st lieutenant from Company A. • Cambrian Patrol (special operations competitive patrol in England) set range live fire record (Company E). • Two soldiers from Company E killed. 1995: • Two soldiers from HHC killed. • Soldier injured by grenade blast at tire house. 1996: • Intrinsic Action II deployment to SW Asia. 2000 • E Troop 9th Cav was reconstituted (Fort Stewart Ga.) under the leadership of Capt. John Cushing and 1st Sgt. Richard F. Denny (Brigade Recon Team) == 21st century ==