1st Cavalry Division

1st Cavalry Division
Unit name	1st Cavalry Division
Caption	Shoulder sleeve insignia
Dates	1921–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Combined arms division (Air Cavalry, Armored, Infantry)
Role	Rapid deployment, air assault, armored and reconnaissance operations
Size	Division
Garrison	Fort Cavazos
Nickname	The First Team
Motto	“Perseverandum”
Colors	Scarlet and yellow
Mascot	Black and yellow horse
Notable commanders	Norman Schwarzkopf, Creighton Abrams, John W. Vessey Jr.

1st Cavalry Division is a combined arms division of the United States Army with a history of service in major twentieth- and twenty-first-century conflicts. Formed as a horse cavalry formation in the interwar period, the division later transformed into an air mobility and armored force, participating in operations from World War II and the Korean War to the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the Global War on Terror, and recent rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan. Its adaptive structure and distinctive insignia have made it one of the Army’s most recognizable divisions.

History

The division traces organizational lineage to cavalry organizations reorganized after World War I and activated in 1921 at Camp Harry J. Jones, later redesignated and deployed to Fort Bliss and Fort Hood. During World War II the division was reorganized as a dismounted formation and elements were deployed to the Pacific Theater during operations against the Empire of Japan, including campaigns in the Philippines campaign (1944–45). In the early Cold War era the division was committed to the Korean War where units fought in major engagements alongside formations such as the Eighth United States Army and coordinated with allied forces including the Republic of Korea Army. Beginning in the 1950s and 1960s the division underwent doctrinal change under leaders influenced by lessons from the Berlin Crisis and the rise of rotary-wing aviation, culminating in conversion to an air assault division employing Bell UH-1 Iroquois and Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopters for the Vietnam War. During Vietnam the division operated in areas such as the A Shau Valley and engaged in operations including Pleiku, supporting campaigns like Operation Pershing and counterinsurgency efforts against the People’s Army of Vietnam. Post-Vietnam, the division modernized with armor and aviation assets and deployed during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm as part of coalition forces against Iraq in 1990–1991. In the 2000s elements participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, rotating through provinces and coordinating with multinational formations such as Multi-National Force – Iraq and International Security Assistance Force.

Organization and Structure

Historically organized as brigades, regiments, and squadrons, the division’s contemporary structure integrates combined arms brigades, an aviation brigade, a sustainment brigade, and reconnaissance elements. Core subordinate units have included the division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team (United States), 2nd Brigade Combat Team (United States), 3rd Brigade Combat Team (United States), and 4th Brigade Combat Team (United States) at various times, plus the 1st Cavalry Division Aviation Brigade and the Division Artillery (United States). Reconnaissance tasks have been executed by units descended from horse cavalry squadrons such as the 7th Cavalry Regiment and 8th Cavalry Regiment. Support functions are provided by formations like the Division Sustainment Brigade (United States) and maintenance battalions coordinating with United States Army Forces Command. The division’s headquarters element at Fort Cavazos directs training under institutions including the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and interoperability exercises with NATO partners and regional commands such as United States Central Command.

Combat Operations and Deployments

The division’s combat record spans mounted operations, airborne/air assault missions, armored warfare, and counterinsurgency. In World War II its elements took part in liberation campaigns in the Philippines and later occupation duties in Japan. During the Korean War the division fought in offensives and defensive operations across the peninsula, coordinating with allied formations and engaging in battles marked by harsh winter conditions. In Vietnam, the division conducted air assault operations, air mobility insertions, and search-and-destroy missions across II Corps Tactical Zone and Highland provinces, confronting units of the Viet Cong and the People’s Army of Vietnam. In 1991 the division’s armored and mechanized brigades spearheaded maneuvers in the Kuwait campaign and engaged Iraqi forces of the Republic of Iraq Armed Forces. In the Global War on Terror the division conducted stability operations, partnered training with host-nation security forces, and executed counterinsurgency campaigns in provinces such as Baghdad Governorate and regions of Helmand Province and Kandahar Province alongside coalition partners like the British Army and Australian Defence Force.

Equipment and Insignia

Transitioning from horses to helicopters, and later to modern armor and aviation platforms, the division’s equipment has included legacy platforms such as the M4 Sherman (in early armored units), rotary-wing airframes like the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Boeing AH-64 Apache, main battle tanks such as the M1 Abrams, infantry fighting vehicles like the M2 Bradley, self-propelled artillery including the M109 Paladin, and unmanned aerial systems utilized in reconnaissance. The division’s shoulder sleeve insignia—a distinctive yellow triangular shield with a black diagonal stripe and a horse’s head silhouette—derives from cavalry heraldry and is displayed alongside unit colors and guidons governed by United States Army Institute of Heraldry regulations. Awards and campaign streamers are affixed to the division’s colors in ceremonies following criteria set by the Department of the Army.

Honors and Decorations

Over its service history the division and its subordinate units have received campaign streamers and unit awards for actions in conflicts including World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, Iraq War, and the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021). Decorations awarded to elements of the division include citations such as the Presidential Unit Citation (United States), Valorous Unit Award, and foreign honors conferred by allied governments for coalition operations. Individual soldiers from the division have been recognized with awards such as the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star for gallantry in combat.

Notable Commanders and Personnel

Prominent leaders who commanded or served in the division include Creighton Abrams who later led United States Army Vietnam, Norman Schwarzkopf who commanded U.S. forces during Operation Desert Storm, and John W. Vessey Jr. who later became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Other notable personnel associated with the division’s lineage and operations include decorated commanders, aviators, and enlisted leaders who later held senior positions within organizations such as United States Army Forces Command and United States Central Command.

Category:United States Army divisions