The Fat Electrician is talking about the Scouts. A subject near and dear to my heart. The Cavalry has an encompassing mission, depending on what the commander wants. We can defend, reconnoiter, screen, delay, or attack. This always means that the Cavalry is between the main body and the enemy. Which means we get to shoot at them first.
Like for example, during the first Gulf war, units of the 2nd Armored Cavalry slammed into the Tawakoni division of the Iraqis army. The 2nd ACR was a covering force, but when the rest of VII Corps came up, the shooting was pretty much over. Oh, the VII Corps went on to do great things, but on the opening day, the Cav just wandered in and started tearing shit up. Yeah, that's the Cav.
One of the more endearing traditions of the Cav is the unit punch bowl. It is trotted out on events of tradition and celebration, and I wouldn't give the time of day to a Squadron Adjutant who did not know where the punch bowl was stored and made sure that it was available when needed. As another old Cavalryman explains.
The Regimental punch is a substantive brew of proven medicinal value. It has warmed many a cold trooper on the screen and picket line, and inspired him to feats of glory. It cures what ails you, and in a pinch it is an effective bore cleaner for our cannons, lubricant for our vehicles or propellants for our missiles. True Cavalrymen maintain a base for the punch in their homes at all times.
I have the hat, I have the spurs and I have had the hangover.
The regimental punch is not unique to the pretty boys on horses. The PBI have it as well, although we sometimes call it grog.
ReplyDeleteMy regiment, the 6th Infantry, has been around since just before the War of 1812, and there's a bottle of something in the punch bowl for every major war the regiment has fought in - the War of 1812 (where the regiment earned its nickname and motto - "Regulars, by God!" at Chippewa), Indian Wars (pre-Civil War), Mexican War, Civil War, Indian Wars (post-Civil War), Spanish-American War (Cuba, up San Juan Hill next to the Rough Riders), Philippine Insurrection, Punitive Expedition (Mexico twice! Tequila AND mescal!), World War I (first across the Meuse), World War II (North Africa and Italy), Vietnam (where Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf commanded 1-6; he was the honorary commander of the regiment until his death), Desert Storm (water, because silly Saudis), and, since I was there in the late 1990s, rakia for the Clinton peacekeeping missions in the former Yugoslavia.
Not fun to drink a lot of when you become the battalion commander's zero target at the dining in.