Posted on 10/21/2005 4:43:41 PM PDT by SandRat
FORT BLISS, Texas (Army News Service, Oct. 20, 2005) – The 1st Cavalry Division activated the 4th Brigade Combat Team, the first BCT to be activated at Fort Bliss, in a ceremony Tuesday.
The 4th BCT is one of several new units of action throughout the Army. The BCT is part of the total Army transformation process, which will replace the current structure of the fighting force. The purpose of the transformation is to create smaller, more lethal and rapidly deployable teams that live, work and train together year-round.
The 4th BCT is a heavy maneuver brigade which consists of three cavalry regiments, a field artillery battalion and two support units. The support units contain a military intelligence company, a signal company, military police officers, medics, a headquarters company and nearly every asset needed to successfully fight and win wars.
Maj. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, headquartered at Fort Hood, Texas, presided over the activation ceremony.
“It’s an honor for me to be standing here today at Fort Bliss, Texas, taking part in this historic ceremony which officially designates the First Team’s return to this great installation and community,” Chiarelli said. “Pride, esprit de corps and camaraderie comes from our strong ties to our past glories, the lofty standards built by cavalry troopers who have come before us on far away battlefields in years gone by.”
During the ceremony, the unit colors were passed to Col. Stephen Twitty, who assumed command of the 4th BCT, also known as the Longknife Brigade.
“To the Soldiers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, we will face many challenges ahead: completing the stand-up of the brigade combat team; fielding the finest equipment in the world; and standing by if called upon to fight and win our nation’s wars,” said Twitty. “My right-hand-man, Command Sgt. Maj. Steve Frennier, and I pledge our 100 percent commitment, loyalty and leadership to this combat team. We are honored to be a part of your ranks.”
In addition to the brigade colors, each of the battalion colors were unfurled and passed to their respective commanders.
With sabers raised high and pistols blazing, the ceremony concluded with the division’s Horse Cavalry Detachment performing a traditional charge across the very field that was named in 1928 after famed 1st Cavalry Division polo player, Lt. Paul A. Noel. The cavalry had come home.
(Editors note: Spc. Paula Taylor works for 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)
Gary-Owen!!!!!
Longknife Brigade ~ Bump!
Let Bacchus' sons be not dismayed
But join with me, each jovial blade
Come, drink and sing and lend your aid
To help me with the chorus:
Chorus
Instead of spa, we'll drink brown ale
And pay the reckoning on the nail;
No man for debt shall go to jail
From Garryowen in glory.
We'll beat the bailiffs out of fun,
We'll make the mayor and sheriffs run
We are the boys no man dares dun
If he regards a whole skin.
Chorus
Our hearts so stout have got no fame
For soon 'tis known from whence we came
Where'er we go they fear the name
Of Garryowen in glory.
Chorus
7TH Cavalry Version
1. We are the pride of the army,
And a regiment of great renown,
Our name’s on the pages of history,
From sixty six on down.
If you think we stop or falter,
While into the fray we’re goin’
Just watch the step with our heads erect
When our band plays "Garry Owen."
Chorus
In the Fighting Seventh’s the place for me.
It’s the cream of all the cavalry;
No other regiment ever can claim
It’s pride, honor, glory, and undying fame.
We know no fear when stern duty
Calls us far away from home,
Our country’s flag shall sagely o’er us wave,
No matter where we roam.
T’is the gallant Seventh Cavalry,
It matters not where we’re goin’
such you’ll surely say as we march away,
When our band plays "Garry Owen."
Then hurrah for our brave commanders!
Who lead us into the fight.
We’ll do or die in our country’s cause.
And battle for the right.
And when the war is o’er
And to our home we’re goin’
Just watch the step, with our head erect,
When our band plays, "Garry Owen."
“To the Soldiers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, we will face many challenges ahead: completing the stand-up of the brigade combat team; fielding the finest equipment in the world; and standing by if called upon to fight and win our nation’s wars,” said Twitty. “My right-hand-man, Command Sgt. Maj. Steve Frennier, and I pledge our 100 percent commitment, loyalty and leadership to this combat team. We are honored to be a part of your ranks.”
"Sergeant Major Plumley and I come from the paratroopers -- where the officer is always the first one out of the plane; because to follow your instincts and to inspire your men, by your example, you have to be with 'em -- where the metal meets the meat.
Sergeant Major Plumley made all four combat jumps in the 82nd Airborne during World War II -- Sicily, Salerno, Normandy, and Holland, plus one more in Korea. He answers to me and to me alone.
Now, I hope you gentlemen like training 'cause me and the Sergeant Major -- we love it."
We Were Once Soldiers and Young
I believe that's a typo. Should read 3 Armored Cav Squadrons. Also, the UA/UE(x/y) lingo has been dumped for the BCT and Divisional/Corps monikers. The "original" Longknives are attributed to the 4th Squadron, 3rd ACR, all of which will be absorbed here at Ft Hood.
Chi-moc-man = Ojibwa for "longknives."
hehehe you and Radix leave me in awe.
A short story which has nothing to do with this post, other than the Chi-moc-man reference -
About 1837 Congress appropriated money to survey the Wisconsin-Michigan border.
A judge took the challenge to survey what was then described as "an unbroken wilderness," and hired a crew to go about the business of surveying.
The crew arrived in Spring and quickly found the area to be dominated by mosquitoes and Anishinabe (Ojibwas).
What they didn't know is that the Ojibwas were quite the capitalists, having learned the free enterprise craft from 200 years of trading with the French voyagers.
So the surveyors set about doing their work in the various cedar swamps, laying township lines and generally getting eaten alive by black flies and mosquitoes. But that was the least of their problems.
Whenever the surveyors set foot outside the swamps onto trails, the Ojibwas stood on those trails demanding a toll from the chi-moc-man to pass along the road. Dressed in their best battle finery and holding war clubs, it was difficult to argue with 10 or 20 warriors demanding a "toll" to pass.
This went on day after day - step onto a trail and pay a toll.
Soon the surveyors were running out of goods - food, knives, cloth and one gold watch - to pay the toll. So the crew hurried along the survey work to get it done.
And if you look at the Wisconsin-Michigan border, you'll see a crooked, jagged line that was meant to be a straight line. That's a mess-up by the survey crew who got out of there as fast as possible.
BTTT
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