61st Cavalry Regiment (United States)

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61st Cavalry Regiment

Overview
The 61st Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army armor unit first formally established in 2004 as part of the Army’s move to a modular force. It was organized under the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Today, all four squadrons are inactive; the 3rd Squadron was inactivated on July 15, 2024. The regiment traces its lineage to the World War II-era 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion.

World War II lineage
- The 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion was activated on August 19, 1941, and deployed to England in August 1942.
- It fought in North Africa (including Ousseltia Valley, Sbeitla, Kasserine Pass, Mateur, El Guettar) and earned the Presidential Unit Citation for destroying 37 tanks in 24 hours.
- It conducted amphibious assaults at Salerno (Sept 9–30, 1943) and Anzio, destroying many enemy tanks and personnel.
- In Southern France, SSG Clyde Choate of the 601st received the Medal of Honor for actions near Bruyères on October 25, 1944.
- During the Colmar Pocket, the battalion destroyed tanks and fortifications; Audie Murphy earned the Medal of Honor in action near Colmar.
- The 601st earned two Presidential Unit Citations and ten campaign streamers in World War II, plus reconnaissance support as the war ended.
- After the war, the battalion performed occupation duties and was later deactivated.

Modern era and the 61st Cavalry
- On August 16, 2004, the 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment was activated as part of the 4th BCT, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
- In November 2005, the squadron deployed to Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom). It operated in southeast Baghdad, an area over 1,500 square kilometers with more than a million residents, including Jisr Diyala and Salman Pak.
- The squadron conducted more than 1,000 patrols, raids, and search-and-attack missions, clearing over 200 improvised explosive devices and caches, and detaining over 200 insurgents (including more than 20 high-value targets). The unit earned the Army’s Valorous Unit Award for its actions.
- Starting in 2007, the Army reorganized its reconnaissance and surveillance forces, converting some units and reshaping others into primarily cavalry formations. As part of this, 1-61 CAV shifted C Company to a dismounted cavalry role (C Troop) while A and B Troops remained mounted.
- On July 15, 2024, the 3rd Squadron was inactivated and cased its colors, leaving the regiment with no active squadrons.

Emblems and motto
- The regiment’s motto is “Forging Destiny.”
- Its distinctive unit insignia and coat of arms, approved in December 2005, reflect the unit’s lineage to the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion and its cavalry mission. The shield includes a black pall symbolizing its WWII heritage, ten stars for campaign participation, and weapon devices (a rifle, a saber, and a dagger) signifying combined arms, readiness, and reconnaissance.