1st Battalion - 8th Cavalry Regiment
"Mustangs"
The 8th Cavalry Regiment was organized as a regiment on 21 September 1866 at Angel Island, California. In it's early years, the 8th Cavalry fought many battles in the Indian Wars and conducted border duty along the New Mexico and Texas borders. During the Spanish-American War, the 8th Cavalry was assigned to Cuba to protect American citizens and their property. They were sent to defend the Philippines against guerrillas from 1905 to 1915.
As a result of the U.S. entering World War II, the Regiment arrived in Australia in 1943 and started an intense period of jungle warfare training to prepare it for combat. Men of the 8th Cavalry fought in many engagements throughout the Southwest Pacific Theater and received streamers for their actions in New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Leyte and Luzon. The Regiment was also awarded two Presidential Unit Citations for heroism plus the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. Following the second World War the Regiment was assigned to occupation duties in Japan and remained there until the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. The Regiment arrived in Korea on 18 July 1950 and initially assisted in establishing the Pusan Perimeter.
In 1965, the Jumping Mustangs of the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment arrived in Vietnam. And participated in numerous campaigns in South Vietnam and Cambodia. As a result of its gallant performance, the Battalion was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations, the Valorous Unit Citation, and five soldiers where awarded with the nations highest honor, The Congressional Medal of Honor.
In 1986, the battalion was organized as a Combined Arms Maneuver Battalion. The battalion relinquished a tank company in exchange for an M-2 equipped infantry company, one of the first permanently structured units of this nature in the Army.
In August 1990, the task force was alerted to deploy to Southwest Asia as part of the Allied response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The task force led the First Team into the Saudi Arabian desert, arriving 28 September 1990. From 10 February to 1 March, the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry participated in five combat missions, culminating in a record setting move over 300 kilometers in 2 days. Their accomplishments led to the unit being award their 2nd Unit Valorous Award. The Mustangs redeployed to Fort Hood in April 1991.
In June 1996, the Mustangs turned in their M1A1 tanks and became the third battalion in the United States Army to field the M1A2 Main Battle Tank.
When the 1st Cavalry Division was alerted for deployment to Bosnia for Operation Joint Forge, 1-8 Cavalry was chosen to become a part of the Ironhorse Brigade and lead the First Team into Bosnia. The Mustangs deployed in August of 1998 and maintained the peace in sector near Camp McGovern until March of 1999.
On 2 October 1999, 1-8 Cavalry was reassigned from 1st BDE to 2d BDE.
The 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 5th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division presented farmers in the Al Rashid region with four brand new tractors June 9 and 10, 2004. As the 5th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, plan to improve agriculture in Al Rashid, members of the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment civil affairs team, presented farmers of Al Boetha with more than 68 tons of seed, fertilizer and other supplies at the Al Ahar School 04 August 2004. The seed delivery started July 6. The distribution is one of many to take over two weeks, just in time for the second planting season
