FORT IRWIN, CALIF. – The 11th Cavalry Regiment was established in February 1901 at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War. As the regiment was stood up, the First Colonel of the Regiment, Francis Moore, received a report proclaiming that “the men assigned have never seen a horse, horses that have never seen a man, and 15 officers who have never seen a man or a horse.”
The regiment endured many of these challenges and went on to become a staple in many of the United States’ conflicts, proving their military prowess and tactical proficiency. Another staple of the regiment that has long endured is that of the pride of the cavalryman.
“Blackhorse troopers are formidable, they are experts at what they do,” said Col. Kevin L. Jacobi, the 66th Colonel of the Regiment. “They are proud of who they are.”
It is not an arrogant or egotistical type of pride, but the kind of pride that is established between warriors through camaraderie and brotherhood.
The Soldiers that populate this regiment display a level of dedication that is not immediately evident in other organizations. Soldiers apply the blackhorse patch to their shoulder and it is as if they are magically placed on horseback, in formation, and prepared for battle.
That horseback today is of the steel and armor variety with the same lethality that was seen in the days of a dragoon with his saber drawn. When an enemy sees either of these formidable forces across the battlefield, it is enough to impose a fear never experienced before.
This is the type of pride that is instilled in this unit. Pride of serving with people that share the Army values; Soldiers that have the warrior ethos and desire to prove it on the field of battle.
“It is the winning spirit of the Soldier,” Jacobi continued, “the individual Soldier, banded together in a small group, fighting together.”
At the end of the day, every Soldier that joins the 11th ACR will see the level of pride demonstrated by these troopers, and a desire to emulate their leaders and peers.
And when it is all said and done, you will see that pride in the Soldiers of the Blackhorse.