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Cavalry Unit Rides Winds of Change

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Randy Randolph | Staff Sgt. Jason Mavromatis,Senior Scout, B. Troop, 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry...... read more read more

12.08.2006

Courtesy Story

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division

by Staff Sgt. Randy Randolph
2nd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs

Fort Bragg, N.C.-Throughout military history, combat commanders have relied on their cavalry for gathering intelligence, scouting, and screening the movements of their armies. Riding ahead on horseback, cavalry scouts had the speed and mobility to be the eyes and ears of the foot soldiers they supported.

Although still mounted, today's cavalry scouts fight from HUMVEES and Bradley's instead of horses. And as the transportation into the fight has changed, the role of the cavalry scout is changing as well.

"We've taken the mounted aspect of our traditional role in battle and implemented infantry dismount tactics while still trying to maintain a reconnaissance objective," said Sgt. 1st Class James Greer, Platoon Sergeant, Troop B., 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment.

Greer and his platoon conducted a convoy live-fire from 6-8 Dec. This is their first platoon-centered live-fire evaluation exercise since officially forming as a unit last June under the 82nd Airborne Division's, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.

The exercise was designed to incorporate all aspects of the cav. unit's capabilities, focusing on a series of scenarios they might encounter while fighting the Global War on Terror.

"We're training on a multitude of tasks," said Capt. Josh Taylor, Troop B., Company Commander. "From performing a blocking position to reacting to a near ambush and dismounting to kill the enemy, we're preparing to isolate the objective in any way possible. We've always been ready to fight, but this offensive nature is a newer aspect of what we do."

As the baritone of .50 caliber rounds and the snare of M-4's echoed throughout range 63, Staff Sgt. Richard Maccini, Troop B., 1st Plt. Section Sergeant, directed his men as they reacted to the opposition force. Maccini said that although some of the traditional roles of what a cav. Scout has done doctrionally are changing, it's nothing his Paratroopers can't handle, or shouldn't be familiar with.

"We're simply training to support a main effort on an objective," Maccini said. "Regardless of who the enemy is, or what we have to do, no one is going to come in or out, no matter how we have to do it."

Maccini said that training to focus on any mission means that his Paratroopers have to know every aspect of what they may encounter in combat.

"Whatever we get tasked to do we will know the complete mission," Maccini said. "If we have to leave a blocking position and fill in as infantry, my guys have to know where they are. Every mission is different, so we can't always rely on the same person filling the same role. If a person that is responsible for a particular job isn't there one day, someone has to take his place."

Learning to fill in at different tactical positions has helped Pfc. Donald Wyant, B. Troop, 1st Plt., Gunner, become more confident in himself and his fellow scouts.

While serving in a support by fire position as a dismount, Wyant said that the skills he learned during his platoon's exercise helped give him a better understanding of assault drills. He credits his leadership for helping to make the mentorship process so smooth.

"I've never been on a machine gun team," said Wyant. "I've learned quite a bit about making sure I cover other sections while performing moving and bounding techniques. This gave me a chance to fully understand what I need to do to suppress the enemy while everyone else moves in on them. I think as a team we've adapted really well, and very quickly, mostly because of our NCO's (noncommissioned officers)."

Greer also credits the noncommissioned officers in his platoon with the speed and success they've had in transitioning to more offensive operations. He said that their ability to get everyone to work together as a team has been the key.

"I can tell you that after each one of these exercises we've been on, it builds that team to become more of a maneuver unit through working together," Greer said. "Most of us are learning some of these tactics for the first time, so we've had to work on it. But it's been like any new job, you learn it as you go, we learn as we train together."

Staff Sgt. Jason Mavromatis, Troop B., 1st Plt. Senior Scout, said he is proud of how quickly his platoon has adapted to non-traditional operations within his unit, and wasn't at all surprised. His biggest challenge was figuring out how to maneuver without his "horse."

"We have to be able to carry our house on our back (now)," said Mavromatis. "We were used to carrying whatever we wanted in our trucks, that would be our horse."