16th Cavalry Regiment (United States)

The 16th Cavalry Regiment is a Regiment of the United States Army first established in 1916. Currently the regiment includes at least three squadrons, all assigned to the 316th Cavalry Brigade, Fort Benning, Georgia, supporting the United States Army Armor School.
 * 1st Squadron 16th Cavalry Regiment
 * 2nd Squadron 16th Cavalry Regiment
 * 3rd Squadron 16th Cavalry Regiment

1st Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment
The First Squadron, Sixteenth Cavalry Regiment (or 1-16 Cav) provides support in the form of both soldiers and equipment for the 316th Cavalry Brigade and its subordinate squadrons, as well as for the courses offered through the brigade. Additionally, the squadron is tasked with providing funeral details for soldiers across the south-eastern region of the United States.

The over-six hundred soldier squadron is commanded by [Lieutenant Colonel] Mark D. Brown. It is composed of five troops: Alpha "Apache" Troop, Bravo "BoneCrusher" Troop, Charlie "Cobra" Troop, Delta "Dog" Troop, and Echo "Easy" Troop.

3rd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment
The Third Squadron, Sixteenth Cavalry Regiment (or 3-16 Cav) provides resources, including instructors, to various schools within the United States Army Armor School.

The squadron is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Andre L. Mackey. For Fiscal Year 2011-2012, the troops within the squadron are organized in terms of the course which they support – Mike Troop supporting the Master Gunner course, November Troop supporting the Cavalry Leaders Course and the Army Reconnaissance Course, and Papa Troop supporting the International Military Students Office (or IMSO).

Lineage
The regiment was constituted 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 16th Cavalry and organized at Fort Sam Houston, Texas

Inactivated 12 November 1921 at Forts Sam Houston and McIntosh, Texas

Redesignated 15 June 1942 as the 16th Cavalry, Mechanized, and activated at Camp Forrest, Tennessee

Regiment broken up 22 December 1943 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows:

Headquarters and Headquarters Troop as Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 16th Cavalry Group, Mechanized

1st and 2d Squadrons as the 16th and 19th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons, Mechanized

After 22 December 1943 the above units underwent changes as follows:

Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 16th Cavalry Group, Mechanized, converted and redesignated 1 May 1946 as Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 16th Constabulary Squadron, and assigned to the 4th Constabulary Regiment (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated) Reorganized and redesignated 10 February 1948 as Headquarters and Service Troop, 16th Constabulary Squadron Relieved 1 February 1949 from assignment to the 4th Constabulary Regiment Inactivated 27 November 1950 in Germany Redesignated 9 March 1951 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 16th Armored Cavalry Group (organic elements of the 16th Constabulary Squadron concurrently disbanded) Activated 1 April 1951 at Camp Cooke, California Reorganized and redesignated 1 October 1953 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 16th Armor Group

16th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized, inactivated 10 February 1946 at Camp Hood, Texas

19th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized, inactivated 10 November 1945 at Camp Campbell, Kentucky Redesignated 1 August 1946 as Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 19th Cavalry Group, Mechanized (organic elements of the 19th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized, concurrently absorbed) and activated at Fort Riley, Kansas Inactivated 6 November 1946 at Fort Riley, Kansas Redesignated 2 January 1953 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 19th Armored Cavalry Group and activated in Germany

Redesignated 1 October 1953 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 19th Armor Group

Inactivated 1 July 1955 in Germany

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 16th Armor Group (active) consolidated 2 July 1955 with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 19th Armor Group, and the 16th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized, and consolidated unit designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 16th Armor Group

(Former elements of the 16th Cavalry withdrawn 1 March 1957 from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 16th Armor Group and redesignated as elements of the 16th Cavalry)

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 16th Armor Group, inactivated 15 April 1968 at Fort Knox, Kentucky; Headquarters concurrently reorganized and redesignated as the 16th Armor, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System

16th Armor redesignated 2 September 1969 as the 16th Cavalry

Withdrawn 25 March 1987 from the Combat Arms Regimental System, reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System, and transferred to the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command with Headquarters at Fort Knox, Kentucky. On 7 July 2010, the first, second, and third Squadrons were activated at Fort Benning, Georgia under the 316th Cavalry Brigade.

Distinctive Unit Insignia
A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Or a bordure Vert, on a chevron Azure 16 mullets pierced of the field; on a canton embattled (for the 6th Cavalry) Vert (for the 3d Cavalry) a staff erect attached thereto a standard flotant Or charged with a horseshoe, heels upward encircling the Arabic numeral "14" Sable (for the 14th Cavalry). Attached below the shield a Gold scroll inscribed "STRIKE HARD" in Black letters. The regiment was constituted in 1916 and organized with personnel from the 3d, 6th and 14th Cavalry which are shown on the canton. Green was the color of the facings of the Mounted Rifles, now the 3d Cavalry; the embattled partition line commemorates the first engagement of the 6th Cavalry when it assaulted artillery in earthworks at Williamsburg in 1862. The shield is yellow (Or), the Cavalry color; the blue chevron is for the old blue uniform, the 16 mullets (spur rowels) indicating both the numerical designation as well as mounted service. The green border and the rattlesnake crest symbolize the birth and subsequent service of the organization on the Mexican Border. The motto has a direct reference to the crest. The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 16th Cavalry on 28 October 1958. It was amended to correct the symbolism on 23 June 1960. It was redesignated for the 16th Armor on 22 August 1968. The insignia was redesignated for the 16th Cavalry on 12 May 1970.
 * Description
 * Symbolism
 * Background

Coat Of Arms
Or a bordure Vert, on a chevron Azure 16 mullets pierced of the field; on a canton embattled (for the 6th Cavalry) Vert (for the 3d Cavalry) a staff erect attached thereto a standard flotant Or charged with a horseshoe, heels upward encircling the Arabic numeral "14" Sable (for the 14th Cavalry). On a wreath of the colors a rattlesnake coiled to strike Proper. Motto STRIKE HARD. The regiment was constituted in 1916 and organized with personnel from the 3d, 6th and 14th Cavalry which are shown on the canton. Green was the color of the facings of the Mounted Rifles, now the 3d Cavalry; the embattled partition line commemorates the first engagement of the 6th Cavalry when it assaulted artillery in earthworks at Williamsburg in 1862. The shield is yellow (Or), the Cavalry color; the blue chevron is for the old blue uniform, the 16 mullets (spur rowels) indicating both the numerical designation as well as mounted service. The green border and the rattlesnake crest symbolize the birth and subsequent service of the organization on the Mexican Border. The motto has a direct reference to the crest. The coat of arms was originally approved for the 16th Cavalry on 12 February 1924. It was redesignated for the 16th Cavalry Regiment (Mechanized) on 22 August 1942. It was redesignated for the 16th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized, on 5 April 1944. The coat of arms was redesignated for the 16th Cavalry on 28 October 1958. It was amended to correct the symbolism on 23 June 1960. It was redesignated for the 16th Armor on 22 August 1968. The coat of arms was redesignated for the 16th Cavalry on 12 May 1970.
 * Shield
 * Crest
 * Symbolism
 * Background