124th Cavalry Regiment (United States)

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The 124th Cavalry Regiment, nicknamed the Mars Men, is a United States Army cavalry unit in the Texas Army National Guard. It is represented by 1st Squadron, part of the 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based in Waco, Texas. Its motto is Golpeo Rapidamente, meaning “I Strike Quickly.” The regiment has been active since 1929 and, today, it focuses on reconnaissance and security operations in both federal service and state missions. The current 1st Squadron commander is Nicholas Moran.

Overview and role
- Country: United States
- Branch: United States Army
- Type: Cavalry (reconnaissance)
- Part of: 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
- Garrison: Waco, Texas
- Headquarters unit: 1st Squadron, 124th Cavalry
- State affiliation: Texas National Guard
- Primary task: Reconnaissance and security support for federal and state missions

Key history in brief
- 1929: Constituted and organized in the Texas National Guard, based in San Antonio with units across Texas.
- World War II: Federally mobilized in 1940. Served on the Mexico–United States border early in the war as horse cavalry, then moved to Fort Riley to become the last horse cavalry regiment in the Army. In 1944 the regiment was sent to India and redesignated as 124th Cavalry, Special, joining the Mars Task Force. It fought in northern Burma with Chinese troops, helped recapture the Burma Road, trained Chinese forces, and was inactivated in China in 1945.
- Postwar reorganizations: The regiment was broken up in 1946 and its parts were converted to armored and mechanized units. It reappeared as the 124th Cavalry again in 1963 under new regimental structures and later became part of the Texas National Guard’s reorganizations.
- 2000s deployments: Beginning in 2001, Brigade Reconnaissance Troops (BRTs) were activated in Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth to support Guard brigades. The 1st Squadron deployed to Iraq in 2004–2005, focusing on convoy security, area security, and election support in Diyala Province.
- Later operations: The squadron participated in security missions during the Iraqi elections in 2005, and conducted operations in Baghdad. In 2011, elements were involved in Task Force Raptor, expanding security roles in the Horn of Africa from Djibouti.
- 2017–2018: The 3rd Squadron was inactivated as part of a national Guard restructuring. The 1st Squadron took part in Hurricane Harvey relief in Texas (2017) and deployed to the Sinai Peninsula in 2018 as part of the Multinational Force and Observers to help maintain peace between Israel and Egypt. The unit returned to the United States later in 2018.

Current status
- As of today, Headquarters and Troops A and B are based in Waco, with Troop C in Grand Prairie.
- The 1st Squadron remains the lead element of the 124th Cavalry in the Texas National Guard, continuing its reconnaissance mission in support of national defense and state emergency response.