2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry
"The Fighting Sixth"
In FY 2006, as part of the Army's transformation towards a modular force, the 2-6th Cavalry was transfered from the 11th Aviation Regiment to the 25th Infantry Division, Aviation Brigade.
The 2d Squadron, 6th Cavalry was constituted 4 May 1861 and organized at Camp Scott, Pennsylvania as Company B, 6th Cavalry.
The Squadron participated in the Civil War as part of the Union's first action in the Peninsular Campaign, 4 May 1862. For its participation in the Civil War, the unit earned 16 battle streamers.
Following the war, the 2d Squadron, 6th Cavalry participated in 10 Indian Campaigns and was responsible for the surrender of the famous Apache chief Geronimo.
The Squadron also saw action in the Spanish-American War, storming alongside Teddy Roosevelt's "Rough Riders" during the capture of Santiago.
Between 1916 and 1917, the 6th Cavalry participated in the punitive expedition to end Pancho Villa's raids on American soil.
On 21 July 1942, the unit was reorganized as Troop E, 6th Cavalry, Mechanized. On 20 October 1943, the Squadron was redesignated the 28th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron as part of Patton's "Household Cavalry," and earned the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions at the HARLANGE POCKET.
The Squadron returned from Europe in 1957, and was stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland and Fort Knox, Kentucky until 1986.
On 16 July 1986, the 2d Squadron, 6th Cavalry was activated to become part of the 6th Cavalry Brigade, and was the third unit to receive the AH-64 Apache. In January 1988, the Squadron moved from Fort Hood, Texas to Illesheim, Germany and was formally assigned to U.S. Army Europe.
As tensions increased in the Middle East, following the August 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the Squadron deployed to Saudi Arabia, as part of Operation DESERT SHIELD. During combat operations as part of Operation DESERT STORM, the unit flew three combat missions, destroying over 200 armored vehicles, and earning the Valorous Unit Citation.
In October 1996, 2-6 Cav deployed to Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of peacekeeping operations JOINT ENDEAVOR and JOINT GUARD.
The call to duty came again in April 1999, when the unit deployed to Albania and prepared to conduct combat operations as part of OPERATION ALLIED FORCE. Upon capitulation of Serbian forces, 2-6 Cav redeployed in July 1999 to continue serving as V Corps "tip of the spear."
A report in the October 16, 2002 European Stars & Stripes reported that elements of V Corps had deployed to Kuwait. The 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry had reportedly deployed to the region sometime before October 16, 2002.
