Posted on 05/08/2017 7:45:06 AM PDT by SandRat
FORT HUACHUCA — At exactly 2:20 p.m. on Friday, five soldiers took a knee and placed shiny spurs on their boots.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to the newest members of the B Troop, 4th Cavalry Division,” said Garrison Commander Col. Whit Wright to the crowd.
A wave of cheers followed.
For close to 16 weeks, the group — four men and one woman — learned all things 1880s as they now represent the Fort’s historic horseback soldier.
Sgt. Kascia Vigil, the class’s only female student, joined the troop as it “was something prideful about them.”
“This training was a good process, and yes it had its moments,” Vigil said. “Especially in dealing with patience.”
Each of the members were given a nickname, Vigil’s is “Peaches.”
“One of the reasons she was given her troop name was once she brought peach cobbler to the stables,” Wright said.
Capt. Omar Padrocortes said it’s every guys dream to have a horse and that led him to joining the unit. The group also calls him “PC” for short.
“The biggest obstacle was handling an animal who is, let’s say 12 times the weight you are,” he said. “But it was a great training and I am happy to be a part of this.”
Sgt. Iron Thomley, or “Ironstein” as the troop calls him, said he is grateful for his mount, “Chili.”
“She is a treasure,” Thomley said. “The training was a lot. Time consuming and hands-on, but every minute was great.”
The lone soldier without a troop nickname, Staff Sergeant Phillip Lovato, said the class was an eye-opener to how easy today’s Army have it on the operations side.
“We are living through the 1880s with the training and clothing,” Lovato said. “Eight-plus hours in this getup can put a lot on a person’s body. Traveling by horse, thinking of the tactics these guys had to endure during war is mind-blowing.”
Col. Keith McVeigh or “Krackin’” agreed.
“I have a friend who is a rodeo rider and at first I asked them for tips,”McVeigh said. “They told me the discipline structure of the Cavalry was on a whole different level than rodeo riding. It made me appreciate this even more.”
Established in 1976, B Troop promotes the heritage and traditions of the U.S. Army in the Southwest during the period of the Indian Wars. Through numerous public appearances, the group helps to advance the interests of the Army and the military horsemanship of the 1880s, as well as the history of Fort Huachuca, one of the most famous, decorated regiments in the U.S. Army.
Tags
Fort Huachuca United States Army 4th Cavalry Division
Good for them, tradition is healthy.
I’ve been reading a book written by a Cavalry Officer serving with General Crook.
The Apache weren’t really horse riders. They were horse eaters.
This Officer fought the Indians in Arizona and New Mexico and the Plains Indians.
He liked the Indians. He lost a lot of friends to them, but he still liked them.
Now, he really hated the white men who armed the Indians and sold them liquor and cheated them.
Not the attitude you might expect from a US Cavalry Officer.
John Wayne would have liked that attitude.
Useless waste of money.
Opinions are just like anus’s, everyone has one and they all stink.
Perhaps keeping tradition alive is an actuarial waste, but links to the past help us remember that duty, honor and valor should mean something. The Old Guard comes to mind.
My great grandfather Martin rode with the U.S. Cavalry in the civil war. According to records I now have, he was trained under Custer, in Michigan. I’ll bet the training was just a bit more intense!
The “Gary Owen” from the movie They Died With There Boots On. Takes about 50 seconds to get to the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m7RPjQxjmA
That is awesome, thanks for sharing that info.
I, too, would have liked that attitude.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.