May the 4th be with You

The 4th Cavalry

The 4^th Cavalry was organized as the 1^st United States Cavalry on March 3^rd, 1855. Colonel Edwin Sumner formed the regiment at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri and in August, the regiment moved to Fort Leavenworth in the Kansas Territory. The unit was the first pure cavalry regiment raised on the regular peacetime establishment since the end of the War of 1812.The regiment kept the peace in “Bleeding Kansas,” participated in the 1857 campaign against the Cheyenne, and patrolled the Indian and Colorado Territories during the remaining years of the antebellum period.

The early part of the twentieth century was a quiet period for the regiment. It served for a period at Fort Meade, South Dakota and Fort Snelling, Minnesota before a brief stint on the Mexican border in 1911 to 1913 before transferring to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, where the regiment served during the First World War.

The 4^th Cavalry was awarded the Croix de Guerre for its actions during the Battle of Cherbourg in July 1944. The regiment was in the van for the great Allied drive across France and into Belgium. They played a critical role during the Battle of the Bulge, attacking at Bogheim into some of the best units in the German army and capturing critical ground at great cost. The regiment received a Presidential Unit Citation for this action.

The regiment remained on occupation duty until the 1960s, when the squadrons were split off to various divisions. Squadrons of the regiment served with the 1^st and 25^th Divisions during the Vietnam War, winning distinction at Tan Son Nhut and Ap Bau Bang. The 1^st and 2^nd Squadrons were part of the invasion of Iraq in 1991, leading the VII Corps and 24^th Divisions respectively. All the units of the 4^th Cavalry served in Iraq or Afghanistan during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. F Troop, 4^th Cavalry was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for its actions during the Battle of Fallujah in 2004.

Currently, the 1^st and 5^th Squadrons of the regiment serve with the 1^st Infantry Division and the 3^rd Squadron serves with the 25^th Infantry Division as brigade reconnaissance forces.

Source: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/4th-us-cavalry