316th Cavalry Brigade

The 316th Cavalry Brigade of the United States Army is the brigade responsible for the training of U.S. Army Cavalry and Armor officers and non-commissioned officers. The 16th Cavalry Brigade was redesignated as this unit in July 2010. The 316th Cavalry Brigade is currently assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia, in accordance with the Base Realignment and Closure of 2005.

History
The 316th Cavalry Brigade was established as a subordinate unit of the Eighth Tank Destroyer Group in September 1942. It was activated in October of the same year in Camp Hood (now Fort Hood, Texas). It was then inactivated in October 1945 and subsequently re-activated and re-designated as the 316th Cavalry Group in August 1947. After a number of administrative changes, it was inactivated in April 1959 in Roswell, New Mexico.

The United States Army lists its campaign credits as "World War II, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe".

On 7 July 2010, the 316th Cavalry Brigade was re-activated to replace the HQ 16th Cavalry Regiment as the headquarters charged with education of United States Army soldiers in the Armor branch. Its subordinate squadrons, however, retained the nomenclature for the 16th Cavalry Regiment for historical purposes.

Headquarters and Headquarters Troop
The Headquarters and Headquarters Troop is responsible for the day to day management of the Brigade, including personnel, intelligence, operations, logistics, civial affairs, and information technology.



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, Echo "Easy" Troop.

2nd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment
The 2nd Squadron is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Oscar F. Diano. Troops within the squadron, excluding the Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, are organized to associate with Armor Basic Officer Leaders Course (ABOLC) classes of the United States Army Armor School. The four troops are Hawk Troop, Ironhorse Troop, Killer Troop, and Lightning Troop. The Headquarters and Headquarters Troop is responsible for, among other tasks, the training of lieutenants who are awaiting their ABOLC class or who have completed the course and are awaiting follow-on orders.

Headquarters and Headquarters Troop is also responsible for the certification of all instructors at the Armor Basic Officer Leadership Course. Each instructor is initially certified in the U.S. Army Basic Instructor Course, and then must undergo specific instruction to learn the doctrine that is taught to the Armor and Cavalry lieutenants.

ABOLC is the introductory skills course for United States Army Cavalry and Armor second and first lieutenants. These officers, recent graduates of the United States Military Academy, ROTC programs, and Officer Candidate School, receive eighteen weeks of training in basic soldiering skills, maneuver tactics, troop- and company-level strategy, and logistical planning.

Students must complete, among many tasks, four main field training exercises. The first five-day exercise covers cavalry operations, the second covers heavy armor operations, and the third covers advanced situational awareness training (ASAT). The final exercise, known as "the Gauntlet," is a strenuous ten-day movement which covers all subjects in the first three operations. Students are evaluated based on their performance during each exercises, and rotate among every position within a platoon and troop.

The course is taught by officers, non-commissioned officers, and civilians from the 2nd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment of the 316th Cavalry Brigade. The 2nd Squadron, 16th Cavalry currently operates out of Harmony Church in Fort Benning, Georgia.

3rd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment
The 3rd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment (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 according to the course 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 (IMSO).

Heraldry
The shield in the shoulder insignia represents "defense and protection of the United States. The color black and the eight stars around the crest represent the original parent unit of the brigade, the Eighth Tank Destroyer Group. The colors within the crest, scarlet and white, are the traditional colors of the United States Cavalry, and the color gold represents excellence. The lightning bolt in the center represents "denotes speed, mobility, and effectiveness, the characteristics of the combined forces with which the Brigade cooperates." The saber in the center is part of the United States Cavalry collar insignia.

On the distinctive unit insignia the panther is a symbol of the Eighth Tank Destroyer Group.