FORT CAVAZOS, Texas – 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, hosted key leader “Pegasus Charge” working groups along with experts from across the Army at Palmer Theatre and other locations at Fort Cavazos, Texas, on April 23-25, 2025.
“Pegasus Charge” is the 1st Cavalry Division’s comprehensive approach across DOTMLPF to adapt to the modern battlefield and inform the transformation of Army armor formations in the future.
A primary focus of General Randy A. George, the Chief of Staff of the Army, Transforming in Contact (TiC) aims for near-term solutions to threats faced on the evolving battlefield, enabling Army units to rapidly test organizational changes while integrating emerging technology to stay ahead of any adversaries. The division will not only use TiC as an opportunity to identify gaps in materiel, but improve how it trains, organizes and sustains itself.
TiC 2.0 expands on the Army’s first evolution by focusing on two Stryker brigade combat teams, elements of the National Guard, and two active armored brigade combat teams (ABCTs). The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team “Ironhorse”, 1st Cavalry Division, is one of those two active ABCTs, so the division is “charging” forward with a wide approach across all warfighting functions and Army processes to achieve the commander’s intent.
“The core element of Pegasus Charge is being comfortable with change. We’re changing the way we train, organize, as well as fielding new equipment.” said Col. Christopher Dempsey, commander of 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. “The brigade has to understand the current operating environment and understand that we need to change.”
The 1st Cavalry Division is drawing upon its recent deployment experience in Europe, along with lessons learned from across the Army during TiC 1.0.
“We had the luxury, as the 1st Cavalry Division, of assisting the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division in Europe as they were going through Transforming in Contact,” said Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Feltey, commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division. “The Infantry Brigades had designs to assist them that had been around for years, and we realized that we didn’t have that. That’s why I knew we had to start off Pegasus Charge with organization.”
The pace of change on the modern battlefield demands that the division reviews its diverse organization containing combined arms formations, fires, and multi-purpose units. “Ironhorse” brigade is well-positioned in both time and duty location this year to review its organization, training and equipment requirements. One organizational option is that of an armored cavalry squadron focused on security. Serving as an advanced guard, the squadron’s primary mission could be beyond reconnaissance and gathering information - requiring combat power and striking capability to gain tactical advantage.
“This is an exceptional time to be in the U.S. Army, the division, and the brigade, as we’re going through this transformation,” said Dempsey. “We have this extraordinary opportunity to not only field new equipment, but train and organize towards the future.”
But forming new organizations within Ironhorse will require continuous division-level support.
“The fundamental operating principle in the U.S. Army is fires and maneuver,” said Feltey. “Ironhorse won’t be able to suppress all enemy capabilities by itself, so the division will have to aid in bringing them support and into a position of advantage.” This support includes indirect fires, intel, attack aviation, engineering, and electronic warfare.
The division invited several Army and Department of Defense organizations who participated in the working groups either in person or remotely. The Armor School Commandant, the Chemical School Commandant, experts from Army Futures Command and U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, and similar combat units such as 3rd Infantry Division helped inform discussions and gain critical information for their organizations. With support from the Armor School and the Maneuver Center of Excellence, the 1st Cavalry Division will reduce the time required for change by staying tied to higher Army echelons.
“The goal is to take the organizations within the brigade into tabletop experiments and simulations, refine the organizations and then Ironhorse will go live in the second quarter of 2026,” said Feltey. “Simultaneously, the Brigade along with DIVARTY will be fielding the newest variety of Bradleys and Paladins.”
The two-day event resulted in a list of actions, options and requirements from which to start transforming. The brigade and division both aim to achieve milestones in fielding and training before a validation exercise at the National Training Center within 2 years. In addition to organization and material, leaders in the brigade and across the division warfighting functions are reviewing training strategy developments at the individual, crew and unit level. 1st Cavalry Division leaders and troopers see this as a historic opportunity in front of them akin to the division’s Vietnam-era evolution of the use of helicopters and air-mobile infantry.
“What a momentous task,” said Feltey. “What we’re doing in the 1st Cavalry Division is something new and something great. We will drive change for our Army and for our ABCT’s.”
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