On order, 3rd ACR deploys by sea,land, and air with its own or preposi-tioned equipment to a designated areaof operations, occupies a staging area,and prepares for combat. On order, the3rd ACR moves to its assigned missionarea and conducts combat operationsas part of III (US) Corps, a designatedcontingency corps, or a joint task force.

That is the mission statement of the 3rdArmored Cavalry Regiment, the onlyheavy cavalry regiment left on activeduty. Exceptional combat power, pro-vided by a diverse array of organicallyintegrated combined arms, sets the 3rdACR apart from other units.

The 3rd ACR consists of five squad-rons and five separate companies. (Seefigure, next page.) The three groundsquadrons each consist of three cavalrytroops with organic mortars, a tank com-pany, a howitzer battery (Paladins), andan HHT. The aviation squadron consistsof three air cavalry troops (Cobra andKiowa hunter-killer teams), two attacktroops (Apaches), a lift troop and mede-vac company (Blackhawks), AVUMtroop, AVIM company, and HHT. Thesupport squadron consists of transporta-

tion, medical, and maintenance troops,along with an HHT. The separate com-panies include engineer, MI, and chemi-cal companies, an ADA battery, and aregimental HHT.

The 3rd ACR moved from Ft. Bliss,Texas to Ft. Carson, Colo. in the 1stquarter of FY96. Since settling in, theregiment has been training, innovating,and modernizing while focusing on thewartime mission and METL.

Training. FY97’s many significantevents have helped hone the 3rd ACR’ssharp readiness posture. The regimentcompleted full Level I and Level II gun-neries during FY97, to include all squad-rons and separates. The howitzer batter-ies fired quarterly, culminating in an ex-ternally evaluated “Horse ArtilleryShoot.” The aviation squadron accom-plished two aerial gunneries and trainedspecial munitions targeting with regi-mental COLTs and elements of the 10thSF Group, also stationed at Ft. Carson.Additionally, CAS/JAAT live-fire weekinvolved the coordination of the aviationsquadron, the ground squadrons’ FSEs,howitzer batteries, and mortars, and the

13th ASOS (3rd ACR’s supporting AirForce liaison element).

The 3rd ACR’s reserve partnership unitis the 278th ACR from Tennessee. Theregiment facilitated the 278th train-upwith ADA Stinger live fire, tank andBradley gunneries, and GSR training.3rd ACR concluded this year’s AC/RCrelationship by evaluating the 278th dur-ing their Training Assessment Model(TAM).

Ft. Carson’s extensive maneuver boxwas utilized throughout the regiment forplatoon, company, battery, and troopFTXs and EXEVALS. Additionally, 25OPTEMPO miles are given quarterly totroop commanders for their own train-ing. The aviation squadron conducted aircavalry troop evaluations embeddedwithin ground troop EXEVALS to con-tinue training habitual air-ground rela-tionships. The regiment’s attack helicop-ter troops deployed to Ft. Hood for theirEXEVALS. One armored cavalry troopdeployed to JRTC to train with the 101stAirborne Division. Other maneuvertraining included regimental COLT andADA scout certification and aerial inser-tion, and an engineer BRIDGEX. Spe-

ARMOR — November-December 1997 19

3rd ARMORED CAVALRY REGT.

From Bliss to Carson’s Canyons

3rd ACR Trains, ModernizesAnd Gets AdjustedTo Its New Home

At right, a 3rd ACR M1A1 maneuvers in FortCarson’s vast Pinon Canyon Area.

PHOTO: Fort Carson TASC

Reports from

ACTIVE DUTY UNITS

cialty training involved the MI com-pany’s ACE and ASAS standardizationand integration to improve the regi-ment’s composite intelligence picture.Maneuver training was planned and exe-cuted, developing from individual andcollective tasks, to squadron and regi-mental missions, and climaxing with amonth-long regimental deployment tothe Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site(PCMS) in southeastern Colorado.PCMS was used to execute troop andsquadron lanes in preparation for any de-ployment contingency, training, or real-world.

At regimental level, numerous com-mand post exercises (CPXs) and firecontrol exercises (FCXs) were fully de-veloped. 3rd ACR also played a criticalrole in III Corps’ CPX “Phantom Saber,”fulfilling a Southwest Asia scenario withIraqi OPFOR; as well as 1st Cav Divi-sion’s “Warfighter” CPX and III Corps’“Ulchi Focus Lens” in a North Koreanenvironment.

The NTC’s Leadership Training Pro-gram (LTP) helped to further developkey personnel in preparation for NTCrotation 98-01. The regiment has beenfocusing training and resource manage-ment to ensure readiness, and constantlyreinforcing the Big 5 critical battle tasksat each level that provide the underpin-ning of all METL. The deployment toNTC Rotation 98-01 will validate theyear-long deployment and tactical train-ing methods and serve as a challengingtest of our wartime mission focus.

Innovating. The financial squeeze feltacross the Army has modified the waythe ACR trains. The aggressive use ofsimulation has helped to overcomebudgetary shortcomings. In particular,the increased use of FCXs, CPXs,TSFO, GUARD-FIST, flight simulators,COFTs, and battle simulation exerciseshave enabled the regiment to continue toprepare for combat.

The requirement for training the indi-vidual, crew, section, platoon and up isobviously recognized, and multi-echelontraining is the standard whenever possi-ble. We embed comprehensive subordi-nate units’ training within larger-scaleexercises as a matter of routine.

Additionally, in order to save on OP-TEMPO miles, HETs transport the tanksand Bradleys to and from the field, aswell as between ranges and trainingevents. In spite of tight fiscal limits, 3rdACR continues to prepare for deploy-ment.

Although the regiment as awhole has not deployed duringFY97, the diversity of MOSswithin the regiment providesgreat potential for missionsupport. The 3rd ACR cur-rently has soldiers deployedall over the world in supportof missions in Bosnia, Kuwait,Southwest Asia, Honduras,and Haiti. Pilots, air crews,and linguists are particularlysusceptible for overseas task-ings like these.

Modernizing. During FY97the 3rd ACR continued tomodernize with numerous ac-quisitions and improvementsin the fleet. All a and b modelSINCGARS were replacedwith the new c and d modelsto facilitate data transmission, a step to-wards Force XXI. The Vietnam-era VIC-1 intercom systems on the M1A1s andPaladins were replaced with the greatlyimproved AN/VIC-3 systems. TheM1A1s also fielded the External Auxil-iary Power Unit (EAPU), a bustle rack-mounted generator that conserves fueland quietly maintains battery charge.The Bradleys received multiple TOW 2upgrade MWOs. Troop-sized units ac-quired the Army Field Feeding System(AFFS), a HMMWV-mounted fieldkitchen to support decentralized opera-tions. The Aviation Mission PlanningSystem (AMPS) was fielded to the avia-tion squadron, laying the groundwork for

the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior transitionplanned for FY 98. Additional equipmentupgrades which took place include: im-proved PLGR software and database,new M21 Chemical Alarms, newM969A2 5,000-gallon tankers, M249SAWs, M4 Carbines, and many others.The regiment modernizes continually,and especially looks forward to fieldingthe M1A2, starting in FY98.

In a year of changing threats and vary-ing potential deployments, the 3rd ACRhas made the most of training and re-source opportunities. The regiment looksforward to the challenges and improve-ments it will encounter at NTC 98-01and in the future.

BRAVE RIFLES

123 - M1A1

125 - M3A2

18 - M109A6

18 - M121120mm Mortar

12 - AH-1F

19 - OH-58C

3 - EH-60

12

3

4 SPT

66

43

89

RHHT

3d ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT

3

16 - AH-64

ADA

18 - UH-60L

MI

15 - UH-60A

TOTAL PERSONNEL - 4929

3rd ACR Bradley in the Pinon Canyon maneuver box.

20 ARMOR — November-December 1997