Watson, Andrew J (University of Western Ontario)

U.S. Cavalry: Still Relevant in Full Spectrum Operations? Watson, Andrew J (University of Western Ontario)

The demands of 21st century military operations require an organization that is trained and equipped for independent offensive, defensive, and stability operations. This type of organization, the armored cavalry regiment, is fading from the U. S. Army. However, the demand for the types of operational capabilities inherent in such an organization is not disappearing. Does the United States Army need to retain an independent, combined arms formation, similar to the current armored cavalry regiment that gives higher echelon commanders the option of fighting for information and conducting economy of force operations? The Army has struggled with this question before and numerous examples from the Second World War to the Persian Gulf provide a historical foundation for the continued existence of these formations in this era of persistent conflict. Despite the need to stretch existing forces over tens of thousands of square kilometers of operating environment when tasked with conducting overseas contingency operations, however, the United States Army will soon lack the specially trained and equipped organizations necessary to most effectively accomplish these missions. In fact, the only remaining armored cavalry regiment will begin transitioning into a Stryker fighting vehicle equipped brigade combat team in 2012. Once this conversion to a Stryker based infantry brigade is affected, the last of these uniquely organized units, born of the lessons of the Second World War, refined throughout the Cold War, and proven on the battlefields of Operations DESERT STORM and IRAQI FREEDOM, will cease to exist. When that happens, the United States Army will have eliminated the last of a group of versatile and proven specialized formations capable of conducting the full spectrum of traditional cavalry operations. These scheduled changes highlight the importance of examining the question of whether or not a requirement remains for specialized cavalry units in the United States Army. Amer