#精品长文创作季#
Before getting to the point, let's listen to the 1953 brainwashing divine comedy, "The Ballad of the Escape (Keep Going)" is a song written by American folk during the Korean War in imitation of Hank Snow's classic country ballad, and the object of ridicule is the protagonist we are going to talk about today - the elite of the United States Army, which has been crippled and rebuilt: the 1st Cavalry Division, referred to as the 1st Cavalry Division.
"Folk Songs of the Fugitive" written for the First Cavalry Division
The above is the score, I don't understand music, I don't know music, you can leave a comment if you know music, the song translation may not be accurate, and in order to avoid it, a few words have been modified, but, believe me, whether you understand music theory or not, it won't delay you to laugh at it.
Running footsteps are heard, this is the 1st Cavalry Division in full retreat, they are moving on, they will soon disappear, they are just dragging their ass, not saving gas, they will soon disappear.
On that hill there is a Russian tank, a million Chinese soldiers on my flank, I am advancing, I will soon disappear;
My tank is broken, it's no joke, I'll be gone soon.
A million Chinese soldiers crossed the pass, shot me in the ass, I kept going, I would leave soon, my tank was broken, no joke, I would leave soon.
Twenty thousand Chinese soldiers crossed the pass, and I tell you, baby, I'm moving on, and I'm going to leave soon, I'm dragging my ass, not saving gas, I'm going to leave soon.
Standing in the rice paddies that didn't go through my stomach, from then on, they called me "shit", I was going to keep going, I was going to leave soon, I was dragging my ass, instead of saving gas, I was going to leave soon.
Papa-san was walking along the tracks, he had an old A-frame strapped to his back, he was moving on, he was going to disappear soon, he was just dragging his ass, not saving gas, he was going to disappear soon.
Mama-san was walking along the runway, hanging out outside with the baby on her back, and she was moving on, and she was going to disappear soon, she was going to freeze, she was going to disappear very quickly.
This is the last time I'll sing this song, to erase Korea from my mind, I'm going to move on, I'm going to leave soon,
I've spent my time in the dirt and mud and I'm moving on.
The handover ceremony of the 1st Cavalry Division when it was stationed in Korea
1. The dishonorable history of the 1st Cavalry Division
The armband of the 1st Cavalry Division is very distinctive
The 1st Cavalry Division is a composite arms division, the division headquarters is located in Fort Cavazos, Texas, under the 3rd Armored Corps, the commander is the rank of major general, according to the US Department of Defense propaganda release, the 1st Cavalry Division is one of the most honored combat divisions in the US Army, of course, this may have a lot to do with the fact that it has been disabled the most times.
Helicopter gunships of the 1st Riding Division
Founded in 1921, the 1st Cavalry Division fought in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Iraq War, the Afghanistan War, and Operation Freedom Sentinel. That is to say, since its establishment, the 1st Cavalry Division has participated in almost all the US Army's large-scale foreign wars and anti-terrorist operations.
1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Cavalry Division
During World War II, the 1st Cavalry Division suffered 734 killed, 3,311 wounded, 9 missing, and 1 prisoner of war, with a total of 4,055 casualties. If the combat effectiveness of the 1st Cavalry Division during World War II was still full, but in the Korean battlefield, the Battle of Yunshan, which was taught by the volunteers to be a man, made the 1st Cavalry Division famous all over the world. The "flight ballad" at the beginning of the article was a mockery of the fighting power of the 1st Cavalry Division at that time, and other units of the US Army and the Marine Corps contemptuously described the armband of the 1st Cavalry Division as representing "they never rode horses, they never crossed a river, and the yellow color is self-evident." Another version goes like this: "They never carried shields, they never rode horses, they never crossed bridges, they never held any positions, and yellow is the reason." "In the Korean War, the 1st Cavalry Division lost 3,811 killed and 12,086 wounded, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it was disabled by the volunteers.
1st Armored Combat Team, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Cavalry Division, U.S. Army
In the Vietnam War, the 1st Cavalry Division suffered more casualties than any other division of the Army, and once again won the championship: 5,444 killed and 26,592 wounded. Of course, this time the Marines couldn't laugh at it, the 1st Marine Division lost 7,012 killed, and the 3rd Marine Division lost 6,869.
Second, the status of the first cavalry division
M1A2 Abrams tank of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division
The U.S. Army currently has a total of 11 active heavy armored brigade combat teams, and the 1st Cavalry Division is at the same level as the 1st Armored Division, accounting for three of each, which means that the three brigade-level combat teams of the 1st Cavalry Division are all heavily armoured, and the other heavy brigades are the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, and the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Armored Division; 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division; The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division, the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division, the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division, and the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division, and in June 2015, the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division was also the first rotation brigade to be deployed to South Korea.
The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Cavalry Division of the United States tests a multi-purpose armored vehicle
The U.S. Army is currently carrying out a brigade plan to prepare for a return to the era of large-scale combat operations, and in this transformation process, the 1st Cavalry Division has become a pilot unit, and the size of the division will be expanded with the increase in long-range artillery, artillery, and mobile short-range air defense battalions, the increase in the division's artillery personnel, and the increase in the number of protective brigades.
An M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams main battle tank in Apache Company, 2th Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, October 4, 2022
According to the new army integration plan, the division will receive a full-fledged engineer brigade, with an engineer battalion each for the armored combat brigade and the protective brigade. An additional capacity to be added to the department is the Bridge Company, an engineering unit designed to transport the department across the river. The 1st Cavalry Division has also added an air defense battalion, the Boat Bridge Force program has been launched in FY 2023, and the Long-Range Cannon (Field Artillery) Battalion is planned to be launched in FY 2024.
Soldiers of the reconnaissance battalion of the 1st Cavalry Division
According to US media reports, by the completion of the reorganization in 2028, the total strength of the 1st Cavalry Division is expected to increase from the current 19,500 to about 22,000, and it will also become the largest armored division in the US Army.
3. The active establishment of the 1st Cavalry Division
The 1st Cavalry Division 2023 preparation map
According to the latest establishment, the 1st Cavalry Division has 1 division headquarters and divisional headquarters battalion, 1 division-affiliated reconnaissance squadron, 3 heavy armored brigade combat teams, 1 division-affiliated artillery brigade, 1 heavy combat aviation brigade, and 1 division-affiliated support brigade.
1. The 1st Cavalry Division Armored Brigade Combat Team
Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division
The 1st Cavalry Division has a total of 3 heavy armored brigade combat teams, namely the 1st Brigade Combat Team "Iron Horse Brigade", the 2nd Brigade Combat Team "Black Jack Brigade", and the 3rd Brigade Combat Team "Gray Wolf Brigade".
The 1st Brigade Combat Team consists of the 1st Brigade Combat Team Brigade Headquarters and Brigade Headquarters Company, the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Cavalry Regiment, the 2nd Battalion of the 8th Cavalry Regiment, the 2nd Battalion of the 12th Cavalry Regiment, the C Company of the 10th Cavalry Regiment (Armored Reconnaissance Guard Unit), the 91st Brigade Engineer Battalion, and the 115th Brigade Support Battalion.
The 2nd Brigade Combat Team consists of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team Headquarters and Brigade Headquarters Company, the 4th Squadron of the 9th Cavalry Regiment, the 1st Battalion of the 5th Cavalry Regiment, the 1st Battalion of the 8th Cavalry Regiment, the 1st Battalion of the 9th Cavalry Regiment, the 8th Brigade Engineer Battalion, and the 15th Brigade Support Battalion.
The 3rd Brigade Combat Team has the brigade headquarters and brigade headquarters company of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, the 6th Squadron of the 9th Cavalry Regiment, the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, the 3rd Battalion of the 8th Cavalry Regiment, the 1st Battalion of the 12th Cavalry Regiment, the 3rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, and the 215th Brigade Support Battalion.
Modified M113 tracked armored personnel carrier
After the establishment reform in 2016, the armored brigade-level combat team of the US military no longer adopts the original establishment of three composite arms battalions (2 tank companies + 2 mechanized infantry companies), but changes to two armored battalions (2 tank companies + 1 mechanized infantry company) and one mechanized infantry battalion (1 tank company + 2 mechanized infantry companies). In this way, each brigade-level combat team has reduced 2 mechanized infantry companies, and the reduced 1 tank company has been integrated into the cavalry (reconnaissance) squadron, and the personnel of the entire brigade has been reduced by about 400 people, with a total strength of about 4,743 people, and the M1A2 Abramus main battle tank has been adjusted to 87 units, and the M2A3 infantry combat vehicle is about 116 units.
2. Combat Aviation Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division
Combat Aviation Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division
1st Cavalry Division Combat Aviation Brigade based in Fort Cavazos, Texas. In March 2004, the brigade flew more than 70,000 hours during Operation Iraqi Freedom II and was awarded 84 Medals of Valor, including the first Army pilot to receive the Distinguished Service Cross, one Silver Star and seven Distinguished Flying Crosses. In late January 2007, the brigade took part in the Battle of Annajiv, in which 2 Apache AH-64Ds were shot down. It currently consists of the 1st Battalion of the 227th Aviation Regiment, the 2nd Battalion of the 227th Aviation Regiment, the 3rd Battalion of the 227th Aviation Regiment, the 7th Squadron of the 17th Cavalry Regiment, and the 615th Aviation Support Battalion.
Soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Brigade conduct a pre-flight inspection of the Apache
The 1st Cavalry Division Combat Aviation Brigade is under the 7th Squadron of the 17th Cavalry Regiment, which is a reconnaissance battalion equipped with 24 AH-64E Apache helicopter gunships and 12 RQ-7 shadow drones, the 1st Battalion of the 227th Aviation Regiment is an attack reconnaissance battalion with 24 AH-64E armed Apache helicopters, the 2nd Battalion of the 227th Aviation Regiment is an assault helicopter battalion with 30 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, and the 3rd Battalion of the 227th Air Regiment is equipped with 4 UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters and 4 EH-60 Black Hawk electronic warfare helicopters, 12 CH-47F Chinook transport aircraft, 15 HH-60M Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters in the 615th Aviation Support Battalion, and 1 UAV company with 12 MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAVs.
3. Artillery Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division
M109A7帕拉丁自行榴弹炮
The Artillery Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division is a divisional artillery regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division, which has the regimental headquarters and regimental headquarters company, the 3rd Battalion of the 16th Field Artillery Regiment, the 1st Battalion of the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, the 2nd Battalion of the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, and the 6th Battalion of the 56th Air Defense Artillery Regiment.
One M1A1 Paladin howitzer from the 1st Battalion of the Field Artillery Regiment
The artillery regiment is mainly armed with the Paladin M109 tracked 155mm self-propelled howitzer, which has undergone several upgrades, and the latest model is the M109A7, which shares common chassis components with the Bradley Combat Vehicle (BFV), such as engine, gearbox and tracks. This creates commonality with other systems and maximizes cost savings in production, parts inventory, and maintenance personnel. The M109A7's on-board power system uses technology originally developed for the XM1203 non-line-of-sight gun.
Summary: Jokes aside, as one of the two heavy armored divisions of the U.S. Army, the 1st Cavalry Division is always ready for large-scale high-intensity conventional warfare, although it has a criticized casualty record, and it has been repeatedly disabled and can be rebuilt, which also reflects that the resilience of the 1st Cavalry Division is by no means beyond the reach of ordinary troops.