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Unit History Links
1st
Cavalry Division
1st
Brigade
2nd
Brigade
3rd
Brigade
1st
Air
Cavalry Brigade
41st Fires Brigade Recently Inactivated or Reassigned Units History Links
Division Artillery Legacy Unit
Histories Other Related Links |
The organization of the 1st Cavalry Division has changed many times from the original Table of Organization that it had when the division was organized at Fort Bliss, Texas on 13 September, 1921. It has been horse cavalry, infantry, airmobile and an armor division. Throughout all of these organizational changes the First Team has continually maintained its cavalry heritage and designations. The 1st Cavalry Division transformed to the Army's new modular design after returning from Iraq where they participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom II. This transformation changed the structure of the Army from a division-based force to a brigade-based force by making each brigade a self-sufficient unit that is readily deployable and able to provide increased combat power for the commander. These organization changes occurred in the Spring and Summer of 2005 and have continued with the reassignment of the 15th Sustainment Brigade on 15 February, 2008, the inactivation of the 15th Personnel Services Battalion on 15 April, 2008, and the inactivation of the Division Special Troops Battalion and the activation of the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion in 2010. The 1st Cavalry Division Today The 1st Cavalry Division is currently home based at Fort Hood, Texas and is led by MG Daniel B. Allyn and CSM Isaia T. Vimoto. It is assigned four numbered Heavy Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs), the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, and the Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion. Additionally, the division currently has training readiness authority for the 41st Fires Brigade. Currently the Division Headquarters and the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade are deployed in Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and the 1st BCT is in Kuwait following the end of Operation NEW DAWN in December 2011. The 2nd BCT, 3rd BCT and 4th BCT are all currently at Fort Hood. To accomplish its missions, the Division uses its Troopers and their major weapons systems, which include the M1A2 System Enhanced Package (SEP) Abrams tanks, M2A3 and M3A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, M2A2 ODS Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Bradley Fire Support Vehicles, M109A6 Paladin howitzers, AH-64 Longbow Apache helicopters, UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, and CH-47D Chinook helicopters. The four heavy BCTs are balanced combat organizations built around a brigade special troops battalion (BSTB), two combined arms maneuver battalions, a fires battalion, a reconnaissance squadron, a brigade support battalion (BSB), and the brigade headquarters and headquarters company. The BSTB, contains the battalion headquarters and headquarters company (HHC), military intelligence, signal and engineer companies which consist of 3 sapper platoons and 1 assault and obstacle platoon. The BSTB HHC contains the military police platoon, nuclear biological and chemical platoon, medical platoon, support platoon, maintenance platoon, and all other attachments. The two balanced, combined arms, maneuver battalions are the BCT maneuver and close combat elements. They are modular in design, combining a headquarters and headquarters company (HHC) with organic reconnaissance, snipers, mortars, medics, and fire support element, two armor companies, two infantry companies, and a forward support company. The reconnaissance squadron is responsible for conducting reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance and includes three ground troops equipped with M3 cavalry fighting vehicles and M1114s (up-armored HMMWVs). The fires battalion is organized to provide responsive and accurate fire support using two batteries of self-propelled 155 mm howitzers, plus counter-fire radar for target acquisition. The brigade support battalion (BSB) is organized and equipped to sustain brigade operations and is organized around a headquarters and headquarters company (HHC), a supply and distribution company, a field maintenance company, a forward support medical company and four forward support companies that support the maneuver battalions. The 1st Air Cavalry Brigade (ACB) conducts reconnaissance, security, mobile strike, vertical maneuver, support to close combat with ground forces, aerial sustainment, and command and control operations with its four aviation battalions (2 attack, 1 assault and 1 general support) and one aviation support battalion. The Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion (HHBn) of the 1st Cavalry Division consists of the HHBn command group and battalion staff and contains the Division command group and staff. The HHBn is organized into four internal companies, the 1st Cavalry Division Band and the Horse Cavalry Detachment. The Headquarters and Service Company contains the battalion command and its staff and also the division command group (CG, DCG-M, DCG-S, CSM, Chief of Staff and SGS) and the CG's special staff - IG (inspector general), public affairs office, staff judge advocate, chaplain section and safety section. A Company, OPS, contains the following staff sections: G3 (operations and training), G5 (plans), Division Engineers, Fire Support Element, G7 (Information Operations and Psychological Operations), G9 (civil affairs), CBRNE (chemical biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives), PMO (provost marshal). B Company, I&S, contains the G1 (personnel), G2 (iIntelligence), G4 (logistics), G8 (comptroller) and division surgeon section. C Company, SIG, has the G6 and provides signal support. The Task Organization chart below provides a snapshot of how the 1st Cavalry Division is currently organized. The major changes in the 1st Cavalry Division organization structure include the loss of the Division Artillery (DIVARTY); the Division Support Command (DISCOM); the Engineer Brigade; the 8th Engineer, 20th Engineer and 91st Engineer Battalions; the 13th Signal Battalion; the 312th Military Intelligence Battalion; the 545th Military Police Company; and the 68th Chemical Company which were inactivated in 2005. Additionally, the 4th Battalion 5th Air Defense Artillery was reassigned to the 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade and the 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery was reassigned to the 4th Infantry Division in 2005 and was reassigned to the 41st Fires Brigade in 2007. The 8th Engineer Battalion and the 20th Engineer Battalion have been reactivated at Fort Hood as part of the 36th Engineer Brigade. They are no longer assigned or attached to the 1st Cavalry Division. The 15th Sustainment Brigade was reassigned to the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) on 15 February, 2008 after returning from a 15-month tour of duty in Iraq where they provided combat service and support (CSS) to the Division and forces attached to it. The colors of the 15th Personnel Services Battalion were cased on Cooper Field marking the inactivation of that unit on 15 April, 2008. The Divsisio's Special Troops Battalion had its name changed to Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion in 2010. The 1st Cavalry Division in 1921 The following is excerpted from, "MANEUVER AND FIREPOWER - THE EVOLUTION OF DIVISIONS AND SEPARATE BRIGADES" by John B. Wilson published in 1998. This work is part of the Army Lineage series and the entire work can be found on the Center of Military History web page. The following information is provided to compare and contrast the current structure of the 1st Cavalry Division against the initial design of a Cavalry Division.
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| As of: 31 January 2012 |
