Since its formation in the mid-19th century, the 2d Cavalry Regiment (2CR) helped shape U.S. military history at the forefront of the nation’s foreign and defense policies. From the Mexican American War to World War II, the Global War on Terror, and the more recent Great Power Competition with Russia, the Regiment consistently aligned with the nation’s broader geopolitical strategies. As the sole forward-staged U.S. Stryker brigade in the European theater, 2CR fulfills strategic directives and tests new military innovations to shape Army policy and inform acquisition requirements. A look back at the nearly 200 years of the Regiment’s history shows that 2CR embodies the principle that transformation occurs in contact and contact is always at the frontier’s edge.
The Western Frontier: A Catalyst for Expansion and Policy
As the oldest U.S. Army Cavalry Regiment, 2CR’s history has always been on the frontier of national policy. In response to the Union’s expansion in the mid-19th century, the U.S. Army established the Regiment to fight in the Second Seminole War.(1) The Regiment was critical to achieving national policy in the new state of Florida through establishing stability and then shifted to expanding the Western frontier. One of its more pivotal roles came during the Mexican American War (1846–1848). Following the Thornton Affair, in which a Mexican Brigade killed or captured two troops of Dragoons, President Polk formally declared war. During the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, despite being outnumbered nearly four to one, the Regiment successfully turned the tide of the battle. Captain May rallied his Dragoons with the cry, “remember your Regiment,” and led a charge that captured the Mexican general and his artillery. This victory allowed the U.S. Military to gain and maintain momentum both at home and abroad, contributing to the eventual defeat of Mexico.(2)
2CR continued this trend through both the Civil and Frontier Wars. During the Civil War, 2CR earned 14 campaign streamers and celebrated five Medal of Honor recipients. The Regiment ’s actions proved crucial during the Battle of Gettysburg, where their delaying tactics allowed the Army of the Potomac to secure key terrain, altering the course of the war. On the Western Frontier, the Regiment executed dispersed operations to protect settlers, with 15 Dragoons earning the Medal of Honor—the highest number in any conflict for the Regiment. Without the Regiment’s efforts to support the Nation’s western expansion, the United States would not be what it is today.(3)
World Wars and Interwar Period: Transforming in Contact
After quelling insurgencies in the Philippines and stabilizing the southern border with Mexico, the Regiment prepared for World War I. As the only U.S. Cavalry Regiment to fight in the war, 2CR transformed in contact by changing its structure, tactics, and employment based on lessons learned from the early stages of war. Instead of executing large, brigade-level frontal assaults common among French and British forces during 1914-1916, 2CR leveraged its strengths through rapid, decentralized strikes. These strikes, conducted with troops and smaller units, aimed to shock enemy forces in the Axis’ rear area. Unlike European armies, which considered it dishonorable to dismount during battle, 2CR leveraged the American Soldier’s cowboy spirit. Dragoons demonstrated incredible lethality and adaptability as they fought both mounted and dismounted and employed experimental weaponry like the Browning Machine Gun and radio. Furthermore, Dragoons acted as a long-range reconnaissance for Allied Forces and as an essential command and control asset by leveraging their speed to deliver critical messages between Allied headquarters.(4)
Figure 1: PVT Williams, 2CR with his Rifle. 2CR proved that cavalry tactics with a little innovation were not dead but rather game changing.
In World War II, 2CR once again found itself at the forefront of American military strategy. With the United States entering the war following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the nation had to rapidly adapt its military force to meet the demands of the changing nature of warfare. While traditionally a cavalry unit that relied on horses, 2CR found itself transforming in contact with new technologies and a mechanized form of warfare. 2CR played a critical role in key Allied operations during the war, including the D-Day landings and the subsequent advance across Western Europe. Their performance demonstrated the United States’ ability to deploy and sustain military forces across vast distances. This success further established the United States as a key player in maintaining global security. The Regiment’s shift from traditional cavalry to armored vehicles symbolized the transformation of the U.S. military, emphasizing mobility, rapid response, and flexibility, principles that would continue to inform U.S. military policy in the decades that followed.
Figure 2. Iraqi T-62 main battle tanks destroyed during Operation Desert Storm. (Image by the National Archives, Washington D.C.)
Post-War Cold War and Beyond: A Continued Global Presence
Following World War II, 2CR played a key role in the U.S. strategy of containment during the Cold War. Stationed in Germany as part of NATO’s defense strategy, the Regiment’s mission was to delay any advance by the Soviet Union. Their presence in Europe highlighted their continuing relevance in global military policy, reinforcing the strategic importance of rapid deployment forces. 2CR’s operations during this time were crucial in maintaining the balance of power between East and West, reflecting the United States’ broader approach to managing the global order.
After successfully containing the Iron Curtain, 2CR was instrumental in the Battle of 73 Easting, or the last great tank battle of the 20th Century. Acting as VII Corps’ cover force during the Desert Storm ground campaign, 2CR destroyed four Iraqi Armor Brigades established in a fortified defense within 24 hours. This included when CPT McMaster destroyed an Iraqi Armor Battalion within the first 23 minutes after contact. With Iraqi Republican Guard’s defense disrupted, 2CR punctured over 160 miles and captured an additional 2,000 Iraqi prisoners. Much of these operational effects were also due to 15 years of transformation after Vietnam. New technologies like GPS or the Big 5 (Abrams, Bradley, Apache, etc) gave 2CR and US forces a decisive edge over the Republican Guard. This set conditions for XVII Corps to collapse the Iraqi Western line and the Coalition to push through to liberate Kuwait.(5)
As the world changed after 9/11, 2CR also transformed to meet it. After being instrumental to the invasion of Iraq and capture of Sadr City, 2CR transformed from an armored cavalry regiment to a newly created Stryker brigade combat team. Over the next decade in contact, 2CR validated the medium based formation while deploying four times to the frontier’s edge of foreign policy in Afghanistan and Iraq. This included two 15-month deployments to Iraq to build host nation combat power and defeat over 2,000 enemy insurgents. This eventually led to the Sunni Awakening. As for Afghanistan, 3rd Squadron employed its strategic mobility to great effect during Operation Dragon Strike, resulting in International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) recapturing Kandahar from the Taliban.(6)
Back to the Future: Frontier’s Edge of Innovation in the 21st Century
With the return of Great Power Competition in Europe, 2CR once again finds itself on the frontier’s edge of NATO’s eastern flank. In response to the Russian Ukrainian conflict, NATO leadership announced during the 2022 Madrid Summit its new Force Model. This Force Model employs battalion-sized battle groups designed to episodically scale up and form Forward Land Force (FLF) brigades for increased assurance and deterrence.(7) Informed by the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, 2CR has been steadily driving experimentation to generate the innovation requirements and force structure redesign that will enable the U.S. Army to continue providing the joint force with exceptional capability in the European theater. As the only forward-staged Stryker brigade combat team and transforming-in-contact (TiC 2.0) designated unit, 2CR represents the convergence of innovation and interoperability as the U.S. continues to support European security through agile, adaptive, and interoperable command and control (C2). In recent years, 2CR has demonstrated this capacity through multiple NATO exercises with an emphasis on the Core 4: secure chat, voice communications, a common operational picture (COP), and collaboration (Maven Smart System, Teams, or another Joint All Domain System).
During Griffin Shock 23, a combined NATO and U.S. exercise in Poland, 2CR rapidly expanded NATO Multinational Battlegroup Poland, leveraging Maven Smart Systems and the Nett Warrior Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) to create a unified Common Operational Picture (COP). The agile and adaptive C2 network enabled the Regiment to rapidly execute a 1,200 km tactical road march to surge a 1,000-person NATO Battle group to a 5,000-person multinational task force within five days. Leveraging the sensitive but unclassified-encrypted (SBU-E) network enabled implementation of the Core 4 C2 functions to a top tier while fostering integration with NATO Allies. A year later, the Regiment repeated this success on a larger scale. The task force surged to over 10,000 personnel from 12 nations within seven days during Saber Strike 24. Effective communication was crucial for success during the exercise. The Task Force utilized tools like AWS Wickr and Mission Partner Kits (MPKs) to integrate liaison officers (LNOs) with the NATO Multinational Battle Group. This streamlined communication enabled the Task Force to overcome challenges and achieve its goals.(8)
Conclusion: 2CR’s Legacy at the Frontier’s Edge
From the Mexican American War to World War II, and through its modern-day deployments, the 2d Cavalry Regiment has been continuously stationed at the frontier’s edge of U.S. national policy. Its history reflects the evolving strategies of the United States as it navigated territorial expansion, global conflicts, and the complexities of international diplomacy. The Regiment’s legacy is one of continuous transformation in service of a constantly developing national policy. 2CR has always and will continue to play a pivotal role in the shaping of the future of global security.
Major Andrew Kang currently serves as the S3 for Field Artillery Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, stationed at Rose Barracks, Germany. Previously, MAJ Kang was a student at the U.S. Naval War College and served as an Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding Generals of both XVIII Airborne Corps and the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. MAJ Kang also commanded Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. Major Kang’s military education includes courses in joint fires, airborne operations, and field artillery leadership, and MAJ Kang holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California Los Angeles and a Master of Arts in Defense and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. MAJ Kang has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and is originally from Los Angeles, California.
Major Michael R. Nilsen currently serves as the executive officer for 3rd Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment. MAJ Nilsen’s next assignment is the future First Army Commanding General’s Aide-de-Camp. Prior to the 2d Cavalry Regiment, MAJ Nilsen served in the XVIII Airborne Corps and 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade. For the last seven years, MAJ Nilsen has contributed to campaign objectives in two theaters, and spearheaded significant innovations for multiple military units. Additionally, MAJ Nilsen holds a bachelor’s in Sociology, Arabic, and Systems Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy, and a master’s in strategic studies from Command and General Staff College.
Notes
1 “The History of the U.S. Second Cavalry - from the Second Cavalry Association.” The History of the U.S. Second Cavalry From The Second Cavalry Association. Accessed July 21, 2025. https:// history.2dcavalryassociation.com/.
2 “2d Cavalry Regiment (United States).” Wikipedia, July 19, 2025. https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Cavalry_Regiment_(United_States).
3 Tjlinzy. “History of the Second Cavalry Regiment - The History of the U.S. Second Cavalry.” The History of the U.S. Second Cavalry - From The Second Cavalry Association, March 13, 2018. https:// history.2dcavalryassociation. com/2018/03/13/history-of-the-secondcavalry-regiment/.
4 YouTube. Accessed July 21, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WKZnvT9CRE%3B+https%3A%2F%2Fwww.2cr. army.mil%2Finfo%2FHistory%2F2SCR+Hist ory+20+Jan+2011.pdf.
5 McMaster, H.R. “Eagle Troop at the Battle of 73 Easting.” The Strategy Bridge, February 26, 2016. https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2016/2/26/eagletroop-at-the-battle-of-73-easting.
6 “Operation Dragon Strike: Long-Awaited Afghan Battle for Kandahar Begins.” AOL News. Accessed July 21, 2025. https:// web.archive.org/web/20121004071016/ http://www.aolnews.com/2010/09/27/ operation-dragon-strike-battle-for-kandahar-begins/.
7 NATO. “NATO 2022 Strategic Concept (in English, French and Other Languages).” NATO. Accessed July 21, 2025. https:// www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_210907.htm#:~:text=The%202022%20 Strategic%20Concept%20 describes,and%20management%3B%20 and%20cooperative%20security; https:// www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/2022/6/pdf/220629-infographic-new-nato-force-model. pdf; https://www.egmontinstitute.be/the-newforce-model-natos-european-army/.
8 “Operation Dragon Strike: Long-Awaited Afghan Battle for Kandahar Begins.” AOL News. Accessed July 21, 2025. https:// web.archive. org/1004071016/ http://www.aolnews. com/2010/09/27/ operation-dragon-strike-battlefor-kandahar-begins/.
Click here to return to the table of contents:
https://www.benning.army.mil/armor/earmor/content/issues/2025/fall/
Social Sharing