FORT DRUM, N.Y. - Members of the New York Army National Guard's C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment will conduct water operations training at the Indian Lake reservoir on Fort Drum's training area. Members of the press are invited to cover this unique training. The unit is on Fort Drum this month for its annual training.
WHO: 82 Citizen Soldiers of C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, New York Army National Guard from Buffalo.
WHAT: Soldiers will conduct team training exercises using inflatible boats to practice reconnaissance across rivers.
WHEN: 9 a.m. Sunday, August 10, 2014
WHERE: Indian Lake, Fort Drum training area, Fort Drum, N.Y. Media can linkup with a unit representative at the Fort Drum Media Operations Center, Bldg S-2509 on Route 26.
Media Opportunity:
Interviews with Soldiers preparing for the training scenario as well as coverage highlighting the water operations are available.
For news media access to the Fort Drum military installation, media must contact SFC Steven Petibone from the 42d Division Public Affairs Office, 417-718-9982 for linkup at the Fort Drum Media Operations Center, Bldg. S-2509, on Route 26 adjacent to the entrance to Wheeler Sack Army Airfield.
Background:
The 101st Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the New York National Guard that has existed since 1921 and which saw service in World War II. Recently the units troopers have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The 101st Cavalry is the reconnaissance element of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Knows as a RSTA-standing for Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition-- unit the squadron is configured to collect intelligence on the battlefield as the eyes and ears of the other elements of the brigade.
The Squadron was organized out of the 1st Battalion 127th Armor when the New York Army National Guard reorganized in 2005 and 2006. Soldiers of the 1-127th Armor served as security elements at military locations across the northeast as part of Operation Noble Eagle, following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The 2nd squadron 101st Cavalry served in Afghanistan in 2008, providing security forces at a number of installations. More recently, the 101st was called to State Active Duty during hurricane Sandy.
The regiment was constituted on 30 December 1920 from the 1st and 2nd New York Cavalry Regiments and had its headquarters in Brooklyn. The regiment was initially assigned to the 21st Cavalry Division. The regiment was inducted into federal service in January 1941 and reorganized. The 1st Squadron was retitled the 101st Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized) while the 2nd Squadron became the 116th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized). The regimental headquarters troop became the headquarters of the 101st Cavalry Group (Mechanized). With this organization, the group saw combat in northwest Europe during World War II with the XV and the XXI Corps.[2] Among other exploits, troops of the 101st Cavalry captured German field marshal Albert Kesselring as well as the Japanese ambassador to Germany in May 1945. Following the war, the 101st Group was inactivated on 25 October 1945 at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts.
The regiment was reformed as the 101st Armored Cavalry Regiment on 1 January 1950 with headquarters again at Brooklyn. On 16 March 1959, the unit was retitled the 101st Armored Regiment, an appellation that endured until 15 April 1963 when the unit was renamed the 101st Cavalry, reduced in strength to one squadron, and subordinated to the 42nd Infantry Division. Headquarters for the 101st Cavalry is currently at Niagara Falls with units also based in Geneva, Jamestown and Buffalo.