1-12 Cav Chargers, 3BCT, 1CD

On 2 February 1901, Congress authorized the organization of the Twelfth Regiment of Cavalry, Army of the United States. Under this authority, the regiment was formed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas on 8 February 1901. From 1901 until 1911, the Regiment served posts in Texas, Georgia, and the Philippines. The Regiment returned to Texas to conduct border patrol duty in the lower Rio Grande Valley. There the 1st Squadron engaged small detachments of raiding bandits until February 22, 1916.
1st Squadron reported for duty to Corozal in the Panama Canal Zone. The Squadron remained in Corozal until 1921 when the Regiment was reorganized during the drawdown following the First World War.
On 3 January 1933 the Twelfth Cavalry was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division and participated in division maneuvers. The unit was reorganized as an infantry regiment in preparation for overseas service.
The Twelfth Cavalry arrived in Australia on 26 July 1943 and began six months of jungle and amphibious training. The Regiment's first assault in the Pacific War came on 29 February 1944 when her soldiers assaulted the Los Negros Islands in the Admiralty Islands, north of New Guinea. The Twelfth Cavalry was assigned to the Leyte-Samar Campaign and helped liberate those islands from Japanese control in spite of stubborn resistance. Continuing the attack onto the island of Luzon, Regimental history was highlighted on 3 February 1945 when a flying column of Cavalrymen cut a 100-mile path through enemy-held territory to be the "First in Manila".
After World War II, the Twelfth Cavalry settled in for occupation duty in Japan and was inactivated on 29 March 1949. The Twelfth Cavalry was reactivated on 15 February 1957 as part of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The 1st Squadron was designated "1st Reconnaissance Squadron."
The Twelfth was again inactivated on 3 February 1962. On 1 September 1963 the squadron was redesignated the First Battalion and reactivated and assigned to the First Cavalry Division in Korea. In June 1965, the battalion's colors were returned to Fort Benning, Georgia and assigned to a battalion of the 11th Air Assault Division (Test), in preparation for duty in the Republic of Vietnam.
During the Vietnam War units of the battalion participated in 12 campaigns and earned three Presidential Unit Citations and three Valorous Unit Awards for actions against the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army. In January 1972 the battalion returned from Vietnam to its new home at Fort Hood, Texas where it was organized as an M113A1 equipped mechanized infantry battalion, a maneuver battalion of the 1st Brigade of the Army's 1st Cavalry Division (TRICAP). Significant during the battalion's TRICAP period in 1972, it participated in a massive removal of unexploded ordnance in the impact area of Ft. Hood, much of it dating to WW II, in preparation for the conduct of a several week multi division force on force exercise pitting the TRICAP Division against 2nd Armored Division in Operation Gallant Hand. The 1st Battalion's work during this exercise was a further extension of work done by the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry with other units of the 1st Brigade during Air Cavalry Combat Brigade Tests 1 and 2 to evaluate the TRICAP organization of armor, air assault, assault helicopter and mechanized infantry as a combined arms force operating against Soviet style ground forces. LTC Kelley commanded the battalion at this time.
On 15 June 1983, the 1st Battalion was relieved of its assignment to the First Cavalry Division and was inactivated at Fort Hood, Texas. Three years later, on 4 October 1986, the battalion was reactivated as the 1st Squadron at Fort Knox, Kentucky. There, the squadron assumed the mission of training new armor soldiers. On 16 December 1992 the Squadron was redesignated the First Battalion and moved to Fort Hood, Texas.
As of May 2002, the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry transitioned to the M1A2 SEP tank – the first unit in the 1st Cavalry Division to do so.
In March 2004, 1st Battalion deployed as part of 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division to East Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Organized as a task force with attached infantry and engineer companies and operating from Camp Eagle outside Sadr City, 1–12 CAV battled the Mahdi Army of Muqtada al-Sadr throughout 2004. Task Force 1–12 Cavalry was commanded by LTC Tim Meredith, with senior NCO CSM Donald Battle.
October 2006 – December 2007 1st Battalion deployed as part of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division to Baqubah, Iraq. Under the command of LTC Goins and CSM Harris. While in Baqubah the battalion was spread then across the Diayla Province, then known as a safe haven for ISI (Islamic State of Iraq) and AQI (Al Queda in Iraq). Baqubah was announced to be the capital of the ISI and the coalition forces were to routed out. After 7 months, Operation Arrowhead Ripper was initiated. The operation was success, with the city and infrastructure becoming more secure. 1-12 CAV was in Baqubah for 15 months and during that, it was one of the hardest deployments ever seen by the battalion.
The battalion deployed again in December 2008 to the volatile Ninewa Province, Iraq, this time, under the command of LTC Michael Fadden and CSM Eddie Delvalle.
February 2011– December 2011 1st Battalion was deployed to southern Iraq with 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division in support of Operation New Dawn. The main effort was situated in Basrah under LTC Andrew Poznick and CSM Darryl Gill. They were among the last American soldiers to exit Iraq.
February 2014 1st Battalion deployed about 800 “combat-ready” soldiers under the leadership of LTC Arthur S. Sellers and CSM Ronald J. Graves to Camps Hovey and Stanley, Republic of Korea, for nine months. This included the entire battalion and its forward support company. The deployment was part of the Army Force Generation rotational plan to increase theater readiness and maneuver capabilities. The battalion was attached to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. (The “Second to None” division is the only permanent forward-deployed division in the U.S. Army.)

Early in 1914, the 1st Squadron was ordered to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, 2nd Squadron served in the Colorado strike zone and 3rd Squadron guarded Mexican prisoners in New Mexico and after joined 2nd in the Colorado strike zone.

In early 1915 2nd and 3rd squadrons returned to their garrisons. 1st Squadron was on border patrol engaging raiding bandits until February 1916. They were ordered to Corozal, Canal Zone until October 1921. The other squadrons were engaged in various assignments in Texas and New Mexico.

After reorganization in 1921, the regiment remained at various posts in South Texas. On 24 March 1923 the 12th Cavalry was assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Division and on January 3, 1933, to 1st Cavalry Division where they participated in several division maneuvers.

In 1942 the 12th Cavalry still consisted of horse soldiers. They were dismounted February 28, 1943 and reorganized. The regiment then moved to Australia for training and later key assaults in the South Pacific. The Regiment was instrumental in the liberation of the Philippines in 1944.The highlight of the cavalry’s invasion was reflected in the war cry “First in Manila”.

20 July 1945 the 12th Cavalry reorganized and served on occupation duty in Japan and was inactivated 25 March 1949. The 12 Cavalry was reactivated 15 February 1957 as part of 1st Armor Division and deactivated on 3 February 1962 after taking part in a number of major exercises.

12 Cavalry was redesignated on 15 July 1963 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1st Battalion, 12 Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. On 28 July 1965, the unit was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam.

In late June 1972, the 12th Cavalry returned from Vietnam to its new home, Fort Hood, Texas as the only mechanized infantry battalion in the division. In fiscal year 1972, the battalion participated in a number of events and programs designed to improve the image of the United States Army in the eyes of the public as well as increasing technical and tactical proficiency.

The unit continued to distinguish itself in the following years in exercises and other military maneuvers until the present.