Newsgroups: sci.military
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!att!cbnews!cbnews!military
From: Adam Frankl <adam%rondo@rand.org>
Subject: Definitions please?
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 90 01:51:41 GMT
Approved: military@att.att.com
Message-ID: <1990Nov20.015141.23831@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Lines: 48



From: Adam Frankl <adam%rondo@rand.org>


>>From: richk@tera.com (Richard Korry)
>Just a quick question. How do the following unit types differ?
>Cavalry and Armored Cavalry?
>Armored Cavalry and (just plain) Armor
>Airborne and Airborne (Air Assault)
>And also, does the 1st Air Cavalry that fought in VietNam still operate as
>"Air Cavalry" or is it now just "Cavalry". And will they get to ride camels
>this time (:-))?
>        rich


The differences between these units come from their missions and their
equipment.

The basic tasks of cavalry units are reconnaissance and security.  Cavalry
units are combined arms teams consisting of a combination of air cavalry
and armored cavalry.  For example, an ACR (Armored Cavalry Regiment)
consists of 3 Armored Cavalry Squadrons + 1 Air Cavalry Squadron + misc
support.

Divisional Cavalry units usually consist of 1 squadron which has 2 armored
cavalry troops + 2 air cavalry troops.  Armored cavalry troops contain a
mix of tanks and cavalry fighting vehicles.  Air cavalry troops contain a
mix of scout and attck helicopters.

BTW,
troop == company
squadron == battalion
regiment == brigade

The 1st Cavalry division is not really "cav", it just maintains the
historic name.  It is organized as an armored division. The U.S. Army has
three Armored Cavalry Regiments:  the 3rd in Saudi Arabia, The 2nd on it
way from Europe to Saudi Arabia, and the 11th in Germany.  ACRs are usually
attached directly to a corps HQ.

Airborne units deploy by parachute.  Air Assault units deploy by
helicopter.

Adam Frankl
1LT IN
U.S. Army

