Country United States Role Training | Branch Regular Army Size 1,100 | |
Active September, 1942 – present Part of Training and Doctrine Command | ||
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 Regiment 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.
Contents
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 Company
The Headquarters and Headquarters Company is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Brigade, including personnel, intelligence, operations, logistics, and information technology.
1st Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment
The First Squadron, Sixteenth Cavalry Regiment (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 Ted L. Stokes, and CSM Jeffery S. Dice serves as the Squadron Command Sergeant Major. It is composed of four troops: Alpha "Anvil" Troop, Bravo "Bone Crusher" Troop, Charlie "Cobra" Troop, and Delta "Demon" Company.
3rd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment
The 3rd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment (3-16 CAV) is responsible for the Army’s Department of Reconnaissance and Security, and Initial Entry Training (IET) support for the Maneuver Center of Excellence, Fort Benning, Georgia.
As part of the Maneuver Center of Excellence Reorganization in 2014, the squadron was reorganized into three Troop and one Airborne Company. Assault Company (IN IET Support) is attached from 2-29 IN which cased its colors in April 2014. November Troop remained with the squadron and in addition to ARC and CLC assumed control of the SUAS-MT and DCT-MT Courses. Able Company (AR/CAV/BCT IET Support) is attached from 3-81 AR. Delta Company is attached from the Ranger Training Brigade and in addition to RSLC assumed responsibility for ASA A&B. On 1 October 2014, these units were permanently task organized to the 3rd Squadron and renamed A Troop, B Troop, C Troop, and D Company respectively.
The Squadron is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph H. Albrecht, and CSM James Butler serves as the Squadron’s Command Sergeant Major.
Department of Reconnaissance and Security
The Department of Reconnaissance and Security (B Troop and D Company, 3-16 CAV) is the US Army’s premier institution for training Reconnaissance and Security (R&S) knowledge, skills and abilities to leaders assigned to Cavalry formations or US Army and US Military formations conducting reconnaissance-focused operations. The Department of R&S provides training to leaders from the Squad to Brigade Staff level, and supports R&S training and education throughout the US Army. The cornerstone R&S courses offered at Fort Benning include the Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leader Course (RSLC), Army Reconnaissance Course (ARC), and Cavalry Leaders Course (CLC). The Department of R&S also provides functionally related R&S training through its Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems-Master Trainer (SUAS-MT), Dismounted CIED-Master Trainer (DCT-MT), and Advanced Situational Awareness-Advanced and Basic (ASA A&B) Courses.
Department of Initial Entry Training
The Department of Initial Entry Training (Assault and Colt Troops, 3-16 CAV) provides training to all Initial Entry Soldiers conducting Basic Combat or One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning. The Cadre provide training on the employment of machine guns (light, medium and heavy), shoulder launched munitions, mines, demolitions, grenade launchers and hand grenades, as well as training on basic soldier skills such as react to contact, land navigation, communications, first aid, and Chemical/Biological/Radiological/Nuclear (CBRN) protection. The Department of Initial Entry Training also provides training and training support to confidence and team building events at the Harmony Church Confidence Course, the Eagle and Thunderbolt Tower rappel sites, and the Harmony Church Team Development Course. The goal of the Department of Initial Entry Training is to provide world class, professional instruction and training support to every Initial Entry Soldier entering the US Army at Fort Benning and ensure the Maneuver Center provides the US Army with the best trained Infantry, Armor, and Cavalry Soldiers in the world.
1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment
The 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment (1-29 IN) is responsible for the Army’s Department of Precision Fires (Master Gunner and Sniper courses), School of Combatives, and functional training on the Army's Infantry, Cavalry, and Armor platforms (M1A2 Tank, M2/M3 Bradley, and Stryker variants).
The Pioneer Battalion (1-29 IN) is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John Carson, and CSM Roberto Alvarez serves as the Battalion’s Command Sergeant Major.
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.