12th Cavalry Regiment (United States)

12th Cavalry Regiment
12th Cavalry coat of arms
Active	1901–
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Cavalry
Garrison/HQ	Fort Hood
Motto(s)	"Semper Paratus" (Always Ready)
Colors	Yellow
Engagements	World War II Vietnam War Iraqi War
Commanders
Notable commanders	Jesse McI. Carter Gordon B. Rogers
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

The 12th Cavalry is a cavalry regiment of the United States Army.

On 2 February 1901, Congress authorized the organization of the Twelfth Regiment of Cavalry, Army of the United States. Under this authority, the regiment was formed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas on 8 February 1901.

From 1901 until 1911, the regiment served posts in Texas, Georgia, and the Philippines.

During World War II the 12th Cavalry served as an infantry regiment within the 1st Cavalry Division.

The regiment was deactivated prior to the 1st Cavalry Division's service in the Korean War, but its lineage was resurrected in with the creation in 1957 of the Combat Arms Regimental System, in which the battalions listed below were created.

After Operation Iraqi Freedom II, the 12th Cavalry Regiment underwent a major transition as elements from 2/7CAV, 1/9CAV, and 3/8CAV were reflagged and combined with the regiment to create the battalions currently in service. The 2nd Battalion, Twelfth Cavalry Regiment, as well as 2/7CAV and 1/9CAV moved to the 4th Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division. 4th "Long Knife" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division cased its colors in an inactivation ceremony Thursday, 17 Oct. 2013, at Fort Hood's Cooper Field. The 1st Battalion, Twelfth Cavalry Regiment, 2/7CAV, and 3/8CAV now operate at Fort Hood, Texas, and are now with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

The regiment returned to Texas to conduct border patrol duty in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. There the 1st Squadron engaged small detachments of raiding bandits until 22 February 1916.

The 1st Squadron then reported for duty to Corozal in the Panama Canal Zone. The squadron remained in Corozal until 1921 when the regiment was reorganized during the drawdown following the First World War.

On 3 January 1933 the Twelfth Cavalry was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division and participated in division maneuvers. The unit was reorganized as an infantry regiment in preparation for overseas service.

The Twelfth Cavalry arrived in Australia on 26 July 1943 and began six months of jungle and amphibious training. The Regiment's first assault in the Pacific War came on 29 February 1944 when her soldiers assaulted the Los Negros Islands in the Admiralty Islands, north of New Guinea. The Twelfth Cavalry was assigned to the Leyte-Samar Campaign and helped liberate those islands from Japanese control in spite of stubborn resistance. Continuing the attack onto the island of Luzon, Regimental history was highlighted on 3 February 1945 when a flying column of Cavalrymen cut a 100-mile path through enemy-held territory to be the "First in Manila".